| Virginia is among the premier bird
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| | and other large hunters are present in
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| watching spots in the mid-Atlantic region
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| | the fall thru spring. Other hawks such as
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| of the USA. Virginia has a wide variety
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| | sparrow hawks may be found year round.
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| of environments and is visited by many
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| | Waterfowl
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| species of birds.
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| | Ducks, geese, brant and swans all make
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| Song birds
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| | stops in Virginia. In the refuge, geese
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| Virginia is home to large numbers of song
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| | and swans take up residence year round.
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| birds. Along the coast, marshes,
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| | Other full time residents include black
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| wildflowers, fields and areas of brush
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| | ducks, wood ducks and mallards which
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| provide ideal nesting and feeding
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| | raise their young on the marshes of
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| habitat. Other songbirds inhabit the tall
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| | Chincoteague Island, Wallops Island and
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| pine forests there. Warblers, nut
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| | much of the Chesapeake. As autumn
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| hatches, sparrows, red wing blackbirds
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| | arrives, ducks and geese migrate into the
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| and others nest near the Chesapeake Bay
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| | refuges and surrounding areas of
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| and Atlantic coast in the summer, while
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| | Virginia. Shoveler ducks, pintails,
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| cardinals, jays, woodpeckers and finches
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| | mallards, widgeons, teal, rudy ducks,
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| reside there during the winter months.
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| | canvasbacks, redheads, ring necked ducks,
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| Shore Birds
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| | bluebills, and others fly in. Mergansers,
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| Herons, egrets, ibises, oyster crackers,
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| | buffleheads, goldeneyes and other diving
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| march hens and other shorebirds are
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| | ducks show up in the bay waters as cold
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| frequently spotted along the marshes in
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| | weather sets in. Off the coast, rafts of
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| places like Chincoteague, Assateague and
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| | sea ducks and small groups of oldsquaw
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| the other barrier islands. On the
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| | ducks forage along the shoals over the
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| beaches, dozens of species of sandpipers,
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| | winter.
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| plovers, gulls and terns feed, nest and
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| | Pelagic Birds
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| raise chicks.
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| | The waters off the coast are visited by
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| Birds of Prey
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| | up to 30 species of pelagic birds
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| A number of birds of prey visit Virginia.
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| | including albatrosses, petrels,
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| Ospreys arrive in the spring to raise
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| | shearwaters, storm-petrels, phalaropes,
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| young and feed on the abundant fish
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| | skuas, jaegers, gulls, terns and alcids.
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| stocks. As seasons change, some ospreys
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| | These birds migrate along the offshore
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| migrate south while other birds of prey
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| | waters far from land. Many pass off the
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| arrive. American eagles, red tailed hawks
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| | coast and never see Virginia's beaches.
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