Bird Checklists of the United States

Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge

Awendaw, South Carolina

The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1932, includes about
34,000 acres of woodland, marsh and water within Charleston County, South Carolina.
An additional 30,000 acres of open water are closed to migratory waterfowl hunting
by Presidential Proclamation. Bull's Island, one of the refuge's three largest
islands, is the only one that is wooded, being covered with a beautiful forest
of live oaks, magnolias, pines and palmettos. This 5,000-acre island was added
to the refuge in 1936 and has several shallow fresh and brackish water ponds.
By furnishing habitat for a great variety and number of birds throughout the
year, the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge has become recognized as one
of the most important wildlife areas on the Atlantic coast.

The bird populations on the Cape Romain Refuge vary greatly in number and
species according to the season. Although the refuge fulfills its primary
purpose of benefiting waterfowl and shorebirds during migrations and through
the winter season, the variety of summer resident species contributes to the
year-round attractiveness of this area. The best opportunities for observing
a large variety and number of birds are during the fall, winter and spring
months.

This checklist includes 277 species of birds, which have been recorded on
the refuge, principally on Bull's Island and is based on observations by refuge
personnel and visiting ornithologists. If you should find an unlisted species,
please let us know at Refuge Headquarters. We appreciate your help in updating
our records. Another 58 species considered extremely rare or out of their
normal range have been added on the last page.

Seasonal appearance

Sp - Spring - March to May
S - Summer - June to August
F - Fall - September to November
W - Winter - December to February

Seasonal abundance

a - abundant: a common species which is very numerous
c - common: certain to be seen in suitable habitat
u - uncommon: present but not certain to be seen
o - occasional: seen only a few times during a season
r - rare: seen at intervals of 2 to 5 years
* - nest on the refuge, or did so in recent years.

The following 58 species are considered extremely rare or out of their normal
range and in many instances substantiated by only one or two observations. Many
of these records are found in Sprunt and Chamberlain, 1949, South Carolina Bird
Life with a supplement by Burton, 1979, and "The Chat," the Journal of the Carolina
Bird Club.