Clarendon AR: Birder's Haven

Hunter's Paradise

Birder's Haven

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Fast Facts

Clarendon lies in the heart of the Big Woods. Clarendon also serves as the "Gateway to the Cache and White River National Wildlife Refuges," with the White River Bridge serving as the boundary between the two refuges. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintains a boat launch on the White River at Clarendon.

Both the Cache and the White River National Wildlife Refuges were established primarily to protect habitat for mallard ducks and Canada geese. The Big Woods is located in the Mississippi Flyway, and is the single most important wintering area for mallards in the lower Mississippi Valley. Many agricultural fields are flooded to attract ducks for hunting, and the casual birder can find numerous waterfowl species both on the road, and by boat in the rivers and backwaters. Puddle ducks include mallards, teal, wigeon, shovelers, pintails, and gadwalls, to diving ducks such as redheads, canvasbacks, scaup, and ruddy ducks. Different species of grebes and mergansers can also be found in the area. Tens of thousands of snow geese along with white-fronted, Ross's, and Canada geese can be seen in the fall and winter simply by driving by the agricultural fields that surround Clarendon. Shorebirds are common on mudflats during fall and spring migration.

Common Yellowthroat

In April, May, and June, neotropical songbird migration peaks in the Big Woods. These songbirds use the refuges and forests as stopping points on their way north to their breeding grounds. Warbler species, vireos, kinglets, thrushes, swallows, and flycatchers can be heard singing in the trees and bright flashes of yellow, orange, or red indicate the presence of these beautiful birds. Mississippi kites can be seen in mid-May migrating over the White River bottomlands. Resident species include northern parula warbler, prothonotary warbler, indigo bunting, great-crested flycatcher, and summer tanager. There are four active bald eagle nests within the White River NWR boundary. Researchers are also studying the swallow-tailed kite in the refuge boundaries.

Photo top: Prothonotary warbler. Photo courtesy of N. Baldaccino/USFWS.

Photo bottom: Common yellowthroat. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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