Introduction

Everybody knows about the Canada Geese whose families forage (and poop) along fairways and nest and sleep in water hazards. But what about doves, bluebirds, buntings, certain shorebirds, and a whole bunch more?

Throughout my time on a variety of courses, I have noted upwards of one hundred species of birds, some of which I have hardly seen elsewhere. This article includes the various species of birds you can find at most golf courses in Southeastern Canada and states in the northeast.

Habitats

Your average golf course offers several unique features: grasslands, ponds, stands of trees, and even cart garages and flooded bunkers!

The grasslands (fairways, the rough, greens, etc.) are areas of large open space where birds forage. Look for Eastern Bluebirds or American Kestrels perched atop nestboxes and Brown-headed Cowbirds walking on greens. I have never seen one, but it is very possible that an Upland Sandpiper could show up in this habitat. I've even observed a pair of Killdeer soaring high up and calling in the rain.

Most golf course ponds provide lots of aquatic animals like fish and frogs. These are consumed by Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Green Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Osprey and maybe even Bald Eagles. Ducks and Geese also call the water home and eat the vegetation in and around the pond as well. Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Yellowthroats often nest in the adjacent vegetation.

Stands of trees in the middle of open fields provide perches for many flycatchers like the Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood-Pewee (whew, we're done with the Eastern's!), Great Crested Flycatcher and the Empids. They're also popular among hawks, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and Cooper's Hawks are the ones that I have seen actively hunting. Chipping Sparrows and Indigo Buntings often use the stands of trees bordering the fields as foraging habitat.

Cart garages are commonly used by Barn Swallows to nest in and flooded bunkers are occasionally used by shorebirds (I once saw a Least Sandpiper in one!).

List of Golf Course Birds

Here is a list of all the birds, in taxonomic order, that I have recorded at golf courses:

1. Canada Goose

2. Mallard

3. Rock Pigeon

4. Mourning Dove

5. Yellow-billed Cuckoo

6. Chimney Swift

7. Ruby-throated Hummingbird

8. Killdeer

9. Least Sandpiper

10. Great Blue Heron

11. Great Egret

12. Green Heron

13. Black Vulture

14. Turkey Vulture

15. Osprey

16. Cooper's Hawk

17. Red-shouldered Hawk

18. Red-tailed Hawk

19. Belted Kingfisher

20. Red-bellied Woodpecker

21. Downy Woodpecker

22. Hairy Woodpecker

23. Pileated Woodpecker

24. Northern Flicker

25. Eastern Wood-Pewee

26. Eastern Phoebe

27. Great Crested Flycatcher

28. Eastern Kingbird

29. Acadian Flycatcher

30. Willow Flycatcher

31. Warbling Vireo

32. Red-eyed Vireo

33. Blue Jay

34. American Crow

35. Fish Crow

36. Common Raven

37. Carolina Chickadee

38. Tufted Titmouse

39. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

40. Purple Martin

41. Tree Swallow

42. Barn Swallow

43. White-breasted Nuthatch

44. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

45. House Wren

46. Carolina Wren

47. European Starling

48. Grey Catbird

49. Northern Mockingbird

50. Eastern Bluebird

51. Wood Thrush

52. American Robin

53. Cedar Waxwing

54. House Sparrow

55. House Finch

56. American Goldfinch

57. Chipping Sparrow

58. Field Sparrow

59. White-throated Sparrow

60. Song Sparrow

61. Eastern Towhee

62. Baltimore Oriole

63. Bobolink

64. Red-winged Blackbird

65. Brown-headed Cowbird

66. Common Grackle

67. Common Yellowthroat

68. American Redstart

69. Yellow Warbler

70. Scarlet Tanager

71. Northern Cardinal

72. Indigo Bunting