Bird Checklist for Belle Isle Park

for Belle Isle Park

Wayne County, Michigan

245 species

Last updated - October 1, 2013

Belle Isle is a 985-acre island in the Detroit River about three miles from downtown Detroit. The island is nearly 3 miles long, and it varies from 0.5 to 0.9 miles in width. A one-way road goes around the perimeter of the island, and there are interior canals, roads, and trails, as well. There are three small lakes on the island and also a lagoon.
Through a joint effort with the Detroit Zoological Institute and the Huron-Clinton Metroparks the doors of the Belle Isle Nature Center, once closed, have been reopened and interpretive programs are once again going on (April 2006). The inside has been renovated to make the Nature Center a great destination for birders when they visit the island.
Belle Isle Park is a Detroit city park. It was designed in the late 1800s by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. See the Friends of Belle Isle web site for information about the attractions and history of this unique urban park.

NEWS FLASH! Oct. 1, 2013 - Belle Isle to see $10 million in upgrades under state lease deal

This birding site and its location are further described at the bottom of this document.

Checklist of the Birds of Belle Isle

The checklist below was constructed by Allen Chartier with input from many birders, past and present, and includes historical records. A list of 232 species through 2005 is documented in his Belle Isle Bird Surveys - 2005 (Appendix A) and is used here with permission. The 2005 survey was sponsored by DTE Energy. The Michigan Bird Records Committee (MBRC) has reviewed and approved this checklist. MBRC Review List species are in blue (Casual and Accidental in the state). Despite MBRC involvement in its preparation this list is not what could be called an official checklist.

Species listed below as Casual are represented by two to five known records on Belle Isle. Species listed as Accidental are represented by a single record for the island. See the Belle Isle Annotated Bird List by Allen Chartier for a complete accounting of status, seasonal occurrence, and breeding for all species. (Definitions are at the end of the document.)

Additional records, historical or current, are welcome and should be reported to Allen Chartier.

English Name Scientific Name

DUCKS, GEESE, and SWANS Anatidae

Greater White-fronted Goose [Casual] Anser albifrons

Snow Goose Chen caerulescens

Ross's Goose [Accidental] Chen rossii

Brant [Accidental] Branta bernicla

Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Trumpeter Swan [Casual] Cygnus buccinator

Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus

Wood Duck Aix sponsa

Gadwall Anas strepera

Eurasian Wigeon [Accidental] Anas penelope

American Wigeon Anas americana

American Black Duck Anas rubripes

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Blue-winged Teal Anas discors

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Green-winged Teal Anas crecca

Canvasback Aythya valisineria

Redhead Aythya americana

Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris

Greater Scaup Aythya marila

Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis

King Eider [Accidental] Somateria spectabilis

Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata

White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca

Black Scoter Melanitta americana

Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis

Bufflehead Bucephala albeola

Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula

Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus

Common Merganser Mergus merganser

Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEYS, and OLD WORLD QUAIL Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

LOONS Gaviidae

Red-throated Loon [Casual] Gavia stellata

Common Loon Gavia immer

GREBES Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps

Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena

PELICANS Pelecanidae

American White Pelican [Accidental] Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

CORMORANTS Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus

BITTERNS, HERONS, and ALLIES Ardeidae

American Bittern [Accidental] Botaurus lentiginosus

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias

Great Egret Ardea alba

Green Heron Butorides virescens

Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

NEW WORLD VULTURES Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

KITES, HAWKS, EAGLES, and ALLIES Accipitridae

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus

Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus

Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii

Northern Goshawk [Accidental] Accipiter gentilis

Red-shouldered Hawk [Casual] Buteo lineatus

Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

CARACARAS and FALCONS Falconidae

American Kestrel Falco sparverius

Merlin Falco columbarius

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

RAILS, GALLINULES, and COOTS Rallidae

Virginia Rail [Accidental] Rallus limicola

Sora [Accidental] Porzana carolina

American Coot Fulica americana

CRANES Gruidae

Sandhill Crane [Accidental] Grus canadensis

PLOVERS and LAPWINGS Charadriidae

Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola

American Golden-Plover [Casual] Pluvialis dominica

Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus

Killdeer Charadrius vociferus

SANDPIPERS, PHALAROPES, and ALLIES Scolopacidae

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius

Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

Marbled Godwit [Accidental] Limosa fedoa

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Red Knot [Accidental] Calidris canutus

Sanderling Calidris alba

Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla

White-rumped Sandpiper [Casual] Calidris fuscicollis

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus

Long-billed Dowitcher [Accidental] Limnodromus scolopaceus

Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata

American Woodcock Scolopax minor

GULLS, TERNS, and SKIMMERS Laridae

Black-legged Kittiwake [Casual] Rissa tridactyla

Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Little Gull [Accidental] Hydrocoloeus minutus

Franklin's Gull [Casual] Leucophaeus pipixcan

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

Herring Gull Larus argentatus

Thayer's Gull [Casual] Larus thayeri

Iceland Gull [Casual] Larus glaucoides

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Black Tern Chlidonias niger

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri

SKUAS and JAEGERS Stercorariidae

Pomarine Jaeger [Accidental] Stercorarius pomarinus

Parasitic Jaeger [Casual] Stercorarius parasiticus

PIGEONS and DOVES Columbidae

Rock Pigeon Columba livia

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

CUCKOOS, ROADRUNNERS, and ANIS Cuculidae

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus

Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus

TYPICAL OWLS Strigidae

Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio

Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus

Snowy Owl [Casual] Bubo scandiacus

Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus

GOATSUCKERS Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor

SWIFTS Apodidae

Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica

HUMMINGBIRDS Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

KINGFISHERS Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon

WOODPECKERS and ALLIES Picidae

Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius

Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Pileated Woodpecker [Accidental] Dryocopus pileatus

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS Tyrannidae

Olive-sided Flycatcher [Casual] Contopus cooperi

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris

Acadian Flycatcher [Casual] Empidonax virescens

Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii

Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus

Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus

Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus

SHRIKES Laniidae

Northern Shrike [Casual] Lanius excubitor

VIREOS Vireonidae

White-eyed Vireo [Casual] Vireo griseus

Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons

Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius

Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus

Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

JAYS, MAGPIES, and CROWS Corvidae

Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

LARKS Alaudidae

Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris

SWALLOWS Hirundinidae

Purple Martin Progne subis

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Bank Swallow Riparia riparia

Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

CHICKADEES and TITMICE Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus

Boreal Chickadee [Accidental] Poecile hudsonica

Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor

NUTHATCHES Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis

White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis

CREEPERS Certhiidae

Brown Creeper Certhia americana

WRENS Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus

House Wren Troglodytes aedon

Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis

Marsh Wren [Casual] Cistothorus palustris

KINGLETS Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

OLD WORLD WARBLERS and GNATCATCHERS Sylviidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea

THRUSHES Turdidae

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis

Veery Catharus fuscescens

Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus

Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus

Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina

American Robin Turdus migratorius

MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS, and ALLIES Mimidae

Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis

Northern Mockingbird [Accidental] Mimus polyglottos

Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum

STARLINGS and ALLIES Sturnidae

European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

WAGTAILS and PIPITS Motacillidae

American Pipit Anthus rubescens

WAXWINGS Bombycillidae

Bohemian Waxwing [Casual] Bombycilla garrulus

Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

LONGSPURS and ALLIES Calcaridae

Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

WOOD-WARBLERS Parulidae

Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora pinus

Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera

Tennessee Warbler Oreothlypis peregrina

Orange-crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata

Nashville Warbler Oreothlypis ruficapilla

Northern Parula Parula americana

Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia

Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica

Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia

Cape May Warbler Dendroica tigrina

Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens

Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata

Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens

Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca

Pine Warbler Dendroica pinus

Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum

Bay-breasted Warbler Dendroica castanea

Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata

Cerulean Warbler [Casual] Dendroica cerulea

Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia

American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla

Prothonotary Warbler [Casual] Protonotaria citrea

Worm-eating Warbler [Accidental] Helmitheros vermivorum

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla

Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis

Louisiana Waterthrush [Casual] Parkesia motacilla

Kentucky Warbler [Accidental] Oporornis formosus

Connecticut Warbler [Casual] Oporornis agilis

Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia

Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas

Hooded Warbler [Casual] Wilsonia citrina

Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla

Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis

Yellow-breasted Chat [Accidental] Icteria virens

TANAGERS Thraupidae

Summer Tanager [Accidental] Piranga rubra

Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea

NEW WORLD SPARROWS and ALLIES Emberizidae

Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea

Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina

Clay-colored Sparrow [Accidental] Spizella pallida

Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla

Vesper Sparrow [Casual] Pooecetes gramineus

Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis

Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii

Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

Golden-crowned Sparrow [Accidental] Zonotrichia atricapilla

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

CARDINALS and ALLIES Cardinalidae

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus

Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

BLACKBIRDS and ALLIES Icteridae

Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna

Yellow-headed Blackbird [Accidental] Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus

Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula

Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater

Orchard Oriole [Casual] Icterus spurius

Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula

FINCHES and ALLIES Fringillidae

Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus

House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

White-winged Crossbill [Casual] Loxia leucoptera

Common Redpoll [Casual] Carduelis flammea

Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus

American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis

OLD WORLD SPARROWS Passeridae

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

The checklist above does not include the ten birds below, eight of which Allen Chartier describes in Belle Isle Bird Surveys - 2005 as "Hypothetical and Rejected Species." (See that document for more detail than is given below. Wild Turkey was found at Belle Isle in April 2007 and so is not described in the 2005 survey document. A flyover Whooping Crane was seen in April 2009.)
¹Aythya hybrid; near the Detroit Yacht Club, January 10 to February 12, 1989; may have been Tufted Duck X Greater Scaup hybrid or Ring-necked Duck X Lesser Scaup hybrid
²Harlequin Duck - an individual that was reported on the Detroit River at Windsor on March 16, 1969, by A. Kelley may have been in the vicinity of Belle Isle; there is a second possible record of this species, but no published reference can be found
³Wild Turkey - seven, a male and six females, were reported on April 18, 2007, by Richard Kik, Naturalist at the Belle Isle Nature Zoo; since there is uncertainty on the origin of these birds, they are assigned here to the hypothetical list
⁴Least Bittern - included on Belle Isle Checklist (Belle Isle Nature Center 2005), but questionable
⁵Little Blue Heron - a possible sighting on the May 2005 NAMC was insufficiently documented, so the species must be considered hypothetical for Belle Isle
⁶Whooping Crane (uncountable) - Gerald Sniderman on April 4, 2009, saw a flyover of three Sandhill Cranes and a Whooping Crane.
⁷Short-eared Owl - date and location of a sighting that may have been at Belle Isle is lacking, so for now this species is considered hypothetical for Belle Isle
⁸Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - a report for Belle Isle on May 9, 1982, was insufficiently documented for the species to be included with confidence on the checklist
⁹Loggerhead Shrike - included on Belle Isle Checklist (Belle Isle Nature Center 2005), but questionable
¹⁰Brewer's Blackbird - various considerations suggest possible misidentification in a report of four on the May 2005 NAMC; better documentation is needed

The above list is not an official checklist, but it can be considered a reliable guide to the birds that may be found at Belle Isle Park.

Acknowledgments

from Allen Chartier's report: Belle Isle Bird Surveys - 2005
I would like to thank Roberta Urbani at DTE Energy for accepting this proposal to conduct bird surveys on Belle Isle during 2005. I would also like to thank Suzan Campbell for her assistance in getting this proposal to the appropriate contacts. In addition, I appreciate the efforts of the following observers who provided additional bird sightings throughout 2005, and some historical records: Joe Agius, Joe Bartell, Paul Berrigan, Martin Blagdurn, Cathy Carroll, Andy Dettling, William H. Fissell, Jim Fowler, Neil Gilbert, Paul Hudson, Roni Hutchinson, Scott Jennex, Richard Kik IV, Roger Kuhlman, Dick Leasure, Ed Lewandowski, Larry Modesitt, Greg Norwood, Jan Olesen, Karl Overman, Jan Palland, Steve Santner, Tom Shehan, Tim Smart, Jerry Sniderman, Ray Stocking, Dave Washington, Sue Wright.
I would also like to thank Martin Blagdurn for providing data for past CBCs, and thanks to past participants on CBCs (1990, 1993-1996, 2001, 2005): Joe Agius, Leon Beitz, Dick Benoit, Martin Blagdurn, Suzan Campbell, Robert Healy, Becky Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Rosann Kovalcik, Dick Leasure, Mike Mencotti.

Other List Contributors

The Michigan Bird Records Committee (MBRC) has reviewed and approved this bird checklist for Belle Isle. The MBRC will be consulted regarding addition of any future records to the checklist.

Any birder who has a species for Belle Isle that is not in the above checklist is invited to submit it for inclusion. Please write to the MBRC, Allen Chartier, and me. Review list species should be well documented (see the Michigan Rare Bird Report Form). Photo records, if obtainable, are important.

Location

Belle Isle Park, a Detroit city park, is an island in the Detroit River. The Detroit River is oriented east-west there and is adjacent to downtown Detroit. The island lies just three miles east from the city's hub. Access to Belle Isle is by way of Douglas MacArthur Bridge, and it is reached easily from the north, east, or west. There is no direct access from Canada, on the south side of the river.

See location maps.

Directions

From I-94, take I-75 south (Exit 216A). Stay in a center lane and, after 1.6 miles, continue straight ahead where I-75 goes to the right. Here the freeway becomes I-375 (signposted as Exit 51C but not a true exit). Continue another 0.75 mile to the exit on the right for Jefferson Avenue East. Stay in the center lane and continue across Congress Avenue and Jefferson Avenue westbound (two traffic lights). Continue around the curve left onto Jefferson Avenue eastbound at the third traffic light. From here, go east on Jefferson Avenue for 2.0 miles to the turn on the right for Belle Isle (small white sign). Alternatively, you can take US-10 (Lodge Freeway) South (Exit 215A) from I-94, which ends at Jefferson Avenue, which you can then follow for about 2.75 miles east to the turn for Belle Isle. Do not leave valuables in your car anywhere in this area. [from A Birder's Guide to Michigan]

To Belle Isle Park from Ann Arbor: (1) M14 east, becoming I-96; (2) follow I-96, Downtown, to the heart of town; (3) M10 South (the Lodge Freeway), becoming E. Jefferson; (4) E. Jefferson northeast to the Belle Isle bridge

To Ann Arbor from Belle Isle Park: (1) retrace E. Jefferson to M10 North; (2) keep left and soon switch to Grand River Ave.; (3) Grand River becomes I-96; (4) follow I-96 to M14

Maps

Location maps
Belle Isle Park map

Description

The following short description was excerpted, with permission, from the five pages on Belle Isle Park in A Birder's Guide to Michigan (2004), by Allen T. Chartier and Jerry Ziarno.

The Detroit River has long been a migration corridor for waterfowl and landbirds. Belle Isle is one of the only remaining forested areas along this now industrialized pathway and is Detroit's version of New York's Central Park. In addition to being a good migration oasis, the park contains a number of plants that are extremely rare elsewhere in Michigan but which are very common here. These include Shumard Oak and Pumpkin Ash trees as well as, surprisingly, 200 acres of old-growth forest. The threatened Northern Madtom (Noturus stigmosus), a small catfish, and Prairie Ladies Tresses, an orchid, have both been found here.
After crossing the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Bridge (0.75 mile long and known to birders simply as the Belle Isle Bridge), bear right onto Sunset Road (0.0 mile), which is a one-way road that runs counterclockwise around the perimeter of the island, and which changes names four times! The first pullout on the right (0.2 mile) is a good place to check the river for Red-necked (rare in February/March and October/November) and Horned Grebes and numerous ducks, and to scan the swallows overhead for Cliff Swallows, which nest under the nearby MacArthur Bridge.
[ . . . . . ]
At mile 3.3 on the left is the [reopened] Belle Isle Nature Center [...] and a parking area. [...] Restrooms are available [at the Nature Center and] across from the Aquarium, behind the Police Station, and at the Casino. Park here and walk (do not leave valuables in your car). The trees immediately adjacent to the parking are often a good place to see Red-headed Woodpecker, even in winter. A short trail system begins directly behind the Nature [Center] and leads to some of the quieter roads in the well-wooded center of the island. These roads typically have less traffic than the main perimeter road. The best spots are the wooded areas along Central Avenue and Shadow Nook. These wet woodlands are excellent in spring migration for numerous flycatchers, vireos, kinglets, thrushes, warblers, and sparrows, with the month of May being the best. Virtually every regularly occurring migrant warbler has occurred here, and unusual species such as Prothonotary, Kentucky, Connecticut, and Hooded Warblers have turned up. Northern Waterthrush is annual and Louisiana Waterthrush is occasional. After a wave of migrants moves in, it can seem that every treetop has a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, an Indigo Bunting, or a Baltimore Oriole. Most of these birds do not nest here, but in September the migration commences again and is likely to be as productive, though the island is little birded at this time of year.

A Birder's Guide to Michigan describes all the birding areas at Belle Isle Park, including trails, the Scott Memorial Fountain, Lake Tahoma, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and Fishing Pier #9, the soccer field, the Model Yacht Basin, Lake Okonoka, the South Fishing Pier, the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Blue Heron Lagoon, Lake Muskoday, the Detroit Yacht Club, and the Bathhouse and Water Slide.

Access

Belle Isle Park is open year round from dawn to dusk. There is parking at the Belle Isle Nature Center. Restrooms are available there and across from the Aquarium, behind the Police Station, and at the Casino.

There is no entrance fee for Belle Isle Park.

Call 313-852-4075 for additional information.

Bruce M. Bowman, 2150 Spruceway Ln., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 / (734) 994-5398

Bird Checklist for Belle Isle Park Bird Checklist for Belle Isle Park top home

created by / comments to: Bruce M. Bowman bbowman99@comcast.net

created: February 15, 2006
last modified: October 1, 2013

This page has been visited times since February 15, 2006.

URL: http://www.umich.edu/~bbowman/birds/se_mich/belle_isle.html