E L Rose Conservancy of Susquehanna County

Silver Lake Township Species Inventory

The Biodiversity Assessment Project is a joint venture between the E.L. Rose Conservancy and Cornell University. Its purpose is to catalog bird, reptile, and amphibian species which occur in the Silver Lake township and surrounding areas.

The species lists were compiled by Vanessa R. Lane, an E.L. Rose Conservancy Intern, under the guidance of Dr. Charles Smith of Cornell University and Patty Bloomer, the President of the Conservancy Board.

Reptiles

We have been able to find 8 reptile species and 14 amphibian species so far. Additional surveys will be performed in the spring of 2003.

Below is the cumulative list of species seen in this township.

Red-spotted Newt
Spotted Salamander
Northern Dusky Salamander
Mountain Dusky Salamander
Northern Two-lined Salamander
Redback Salamander
Northern Slimy Salamander
Northern Spring Salamander
Eastern American Toad
Spring Peeper
Gray Tree Frog
Pickerel Frog
Bull Frog
Green Frog
Painted Turtle
Common Snapping Turtle
Northern Ringneck Snake
Eastern Milk Snake
Northern Water Snake
Smooth Green Snake
Northern Redbelly Snake
Eastern Garter Snake

Birds

The Silver Lake Township contains a rich variety of birds, probably due to the many different types of habitat that are available. So far 109 species of birds have been recorded for the township, and 55 species have been confirmed to breed here. As more data are gathered, the number of confirmed breeding species will likely increase. Below is the cumulative list of species observed within the Township. Confirmed bird species are marked with a "C," Probable is "Pr," and Possible is "Po."

Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
American Woodcock
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Screech Owl
Barred Owl
Great Horned Owl
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Pheobe
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Alder Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Blue Jay
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Po
 -
Po
C
C
C
Pr
 -
Po
C
C
C
C
Po
Po
Po
C
C
Po
 -
C
C
Po
Po
Po
Po
Pr
Pr
Po
Po
C
C
C
C
Po
Po
C
C
Pr
C
Pr
 -
Pr
C
C
Pr
C
Po
C
C
Po
C
C
C
Po
Pr
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Prarie Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Field Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
 -
C
C
Pr
C
 -
Po
C
C
C
C
C
C
Po
C
Pr
 -
C
C
Pr
Po
Po
C
C
Po
Po
C
C
 -
C
Po
Pr
Pr
C
Pr
C
C
Po
-
C
Po
C
Pr
C
C
C
C
Pr
C
C
Pr
Po
C

Butterflies

Although assessing butterfly species was not an original goal of the Biodiversity Assessment Project, enough people have expressed interest in local butterflies as to warrant an exploration of local species.

Tiger Swallowtail
Great Spangled Fritillary
Aphrodite Fritillary
Common Wood Nymph
Cabbage White
Northern Pearly Eye
Monarch
Mourning Cloak
White Admiral
Banded Purple
Red-spotted Purple
Little Wood Satyr
Pearl Crescent
Viceroy
Milbert's Tortoise Shell
Clouded Sulfur
Orange Sulfur
Hobomok Skipper
Dun Skipper
Silver-spotted Skipper
Long dash Skipper
Peck's Skipper
Common Checkered Skipper
Little Glassywing Skipper
Least Skipper
Spring Azure (summer form)
Question Mark
American Copper
Ringlet

Created 18 June 2002 by Vanessa Lane.