This checklist is from the wildlife refuge at the south end of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. There are plenty of resident species and quite a few spring and fall migrants. Some pass through the area for relatively brief periods of time. Migration time can make for some spectacular birding in New Jersey at places like Island Beach State Park and the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. There are not many places along the Jersey coast's barrier islands that still have large blocks of natural vegetation so birds on the move are funneled into these limited resting places.
You can download a PDF version of the list given below: LBI bird checklist.
If you want to see some great pictures of New Jersey birds, you really need to take a look at this bird photo blog
The key for the list:
Season
s - Spring - March-May
S - Summer - June-August
F - Fall - September-November
W - Winter - December-February
* - birds known to nest on or near the refuge
Italics indicate threatened/endangered species
Relative Abundance
a - abundant: a species which is very numerous
c - common: likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat
u - uncommon: present, but not certain to be seen
o - occasional: seen only a few times during a season
r - rare: may be present but not every year
| LOONS-GREBES | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Red-throated Loon | o | - | o | u |
| ___ | Common Loon | o | r | o | o |
| ___ | Pied-billed Grebe | u | o | u | o |
| ___ | Horned Grebe | u | - | u | u |
| SHEARWATERS-PELICANS-CORMORANTS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Sooty Shearwater | r | r | - | - |
| ___ | Northern Gannet | r | r | u | - |
| ___ | American White Pelican | r | - | - | r |
| ___ | Brown Pelican | - | u | - | - |
| ___ | Great Cormorant | - | - | - | r |
| ___ | Double-crested Cormorant | u | o | c | u |
| BITTERNS-HERONS-IBISES | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | American Bittern* | u | o | u | u |
| ___ | Least Bittern* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Great Blue Heron* | c | c | c | u |
| ___ | Great Egret* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | Snowy Egret* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | Little Blue Heron* | u | u | u | o |
| ___ | Tricolored Heron* | u | u | u | o |
| ___ | Cattle Egret* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Green-backed Heron* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Black-crowned Night-Heron* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | White Ibis | - | r | r | - |
| ___ | Glossy Ibis* | a | a | o | o |
| SWANS-GEESE-DUCKS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Tundra Swan | o | - | u | o |
| ___ | Mute Swan* | c | c | c | u |
| ___ | Greater White-Fronted Goose | - | - | o | o |
| ___ | Snow Goose | a | o | a | a |
| ___ | Ross' Goose | - | - | r | r |
| ___ | Brant | a | o | c | c |
| ___ | Canada Goose* | c | c | c | c |
| ___ | Wood Duck* | u | o | u | r |
| ___ | Green-winged Teal* | c | o | a | c |
| ___ | American Black Duck* | a | c | a | a |
| ___ | Mallard* | c | u | c | o |
| ___ | Northern Pintail* | c | o | a | u |
| ___ | Blue-winged Teal* | c | u | a | o |
| ___ | Northern Shoveler* | c | o | c | c |
| ___ | Gadwall* | c | c | c | u |
| ___ | Eurasian Wigeon | - | - | r | r |
| ___ | American Wigeon | c | o | c | o |
| ___ | Canvasback | o | - | o | r |
| ___ | Redhead | o | - | o | r |
| ___ | Ring-necked Duck | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Greater Scaup | c | - | c | u |
| ___ | Lesser Scaup | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Oldsquaw | u | - | u | u |
| ___ | Black Scoter | u | r | u | u |
| ___ | Surf Scoter | u | r | o | u |
| ___ | White-winged Scoter | u | r | u | u |
| ___ | Common Goldeneye | u | - | u | u |
| ___ | Bufflehead | c | o | c | c |
| ___ | Hooded Merganser | c | r | u | u |
| ___ | Common Merganser | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Red-breasted Merganser | u | r | u | u |
| ___ | Ruddy Duck* | u | u | u | o |
| VULTURES-HAWKS-FALCONS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Turkey Vulture | o | o | o | r |
| ___ | Osprey* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Bald Eagle | o | o | o | o |
| ___ | Northern Harrier* | u | o | u | u |
| ___ | Sharp-shinned Hawk | o | - | u | o |
| ___ | Cooper's Hawk | o | - | o | r |
| ___ | Northern Goshawk | - | - | r | r |
| ___ | Red-shouldered Hawk | o | r | o | r |
| ___ | Broad-winged Hawk* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Red-tailed Hawk | o | o | u | o |
| ___ | Rough-legged Hawk | o | - | o | u |
| ___ | Golden Eagle | r | - | r | r |
| ___ | American Kestrel* | u | u | u | o |
| ___ | Merlin | o | - | u | o |
| ___ | Peregrine Falcon* | u | u | u | u |
| GROUSE-QUAIL-TURKEY | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Ring-necked Pheasant | r | r | r | r |
| ___ | Ruffed Grouse* | o | o | o | o |
| ___ | Wild Turkey | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Northern Bobwhite* | u | u | u | u |
| RAILS-CRANES | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Yellow Rail | r | r | r | - |
| ___ | Black Rail | r | r | r | - |
| ___ | Clapper Rail* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | King Rail | o | o | o | r |
| ___ | Virginia Rail* | u | u | u | o |
| ___ | Sora* | u | u | u | r |
| ___ | Common Moorhen* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | American Coot* | u | o | u | u |
| PLOVERS-SANDPIPERS | VERS-SANDPIPERS | s | S | F | W |
| ___ | Black-bellied Plover | c | o | c | o |
| ___ | American Golden Plover | r | - | o | - |
| ___ | Semipalmated Plover | u | u | c | r |
| ___ | Piping Plover* | u | u | o | - |
| ___ | Killdeer* | u | u | u | r |
| ___ | American Oystercatcher* | o | u | u | r |
| ___ | Black-necked Stilt | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | American Avocet | o | o | o | r |
| ___ | Greater Yellowlegs | c | u | c | u |
| ___ | Lesser Yellowlegs | u | o | c | r |
| ___ | Solitary Sandpiper | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Willet* | c | a | u | r |
| ___ | Spotted Sandpiper* | u | o | u | - |
| ___ | Upland Sandpiper | - | r | r | - |
| ___ | Whimbrel | u | o | u | o |
| ___ | Hudsonian Godwit | - | o | o | - |
| ___ | Marbled Godwit | - | o | o | r |
| ___ | Ruddy Turnstone | c | o | c | r |
| ___ | Red Knot | o | u | u | - |
| ___ | Sanderling | c | o | c | o |
| ___ | Semipalmated Sandpiper | a | a | a | o |
| ___ | Western Sandpiper | u | u | c | o |
| ___ | Least Sandpiper | a | u | c | o |
| ___ | White-rumped Sandpiper | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Baird's Sandpiper | - | - | r | - |
| ___ | Pectoral Sandpiper | o | o | u | - |
| ___ | Purple Sandpiper | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Dunlin | a | o | a | a |
| ___ | Curlew Sandpiper | r | r | r | - |
| ___ | Stilt Sandpiper | r | u | u | r |
| ___ | Buff-breasted Sandpiper | - | o | o | - |
| ___ | Ruff | r | r | r | - |
| ___ | Short-billed Dowitcher | c | a | c | - |
| ___ | Long-billed Dowitcher | o | o | u | r |
| ___ | Common Snipe | u | o | u | o |
| ___ | American Woodcock* | u | o | u | o |
| ___ | Wilson's Phalarope | r | o | o | - |
| ___ | Red-necked Phalarope | - | r | o | - |
| ___ | Red Phalarope | r | r | r | - |
| GULLS-TERNS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Laughing Gull* | c | a | c | r |
| ___ | Common Black-headed Gull | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Bonaparte's Gull | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Ring-billed Gull | c | o | u | c |
| ___ | Herring Gull* | a | a | a | a |
| ___ | Iceland Gull | r | r | - | r |
| ___ | Lesser Black-backed Gull | r | r | r | r |
| ___ | Glaucous Gull | r | - | - | r |
| ___ | Great Black-backed Gull* | c | u | c | c |
| ___ | Gull-billed Tern* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Caspian Tern | r | o | o | - |
| ___ | Royal Tern | o | o | u | - |
| ___ | Sandwich Tern | r | r | r | - |
| ___ | Roseate Tern | o | o | - | - |
| ___ | Common Tern* | c | c | c | - |
| ___ | Forster's Tern* | c | c | c | - |
| ___ | Least Tern* | c | c | o | - |
| ___ | Black Tern | - | o | o | - |
| ___ | Black Skimmer* | c | c | c | r |
| DOVES-OWLS-SWIFTS-HUMMINGBIRD | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Rock Dove | o | o | o | o |
| ___ | Mourning Dove* | c | c | c | c |
| ___ | Black-billed Cuckoo* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Yellow-billed Cuckoo* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Barn Owl* | r | o | o | r |
| ___ | Eastern Screech-Owl* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Great Horned Owl* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Snowy Owl | - | - | r | r |
| ___ | Barred Owl | r | r | r | r |
| ___ | Short-eared Owl | u | - | o | o |
| ___ | Northern Saw-whet Owl | r | - | r | r |
| ___ | Common Nighthawk | o | o | u | - |
| ___ | Chuck-will's-widow | u | u | - | - |
| ___ | Whip-poor-will* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Chimney Swift | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Belted Kingfisher* | o | u | u | o |
| WOODPECKERS-FLYCATCHERS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Red-headed Woodpecker | - | o | o | - |
| ___ | Red-bellied Woodpecker | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Downy Woodpecker* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Hairy Woodpecker | o | o | o | o |
| ___ | Northern Flicker* | u | u | c | o |
| ___ | Eastern Wood-Pewee* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | - | - | r | - |
| ___ | Willow Flycatcher | o | r | r | - |
| ___ | Least Flycatcher | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Eastern Phoebe* | u | r | u | - |
| ___ | Great Crested Flycatcher | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Western Kingbird | - | - | r | - |
| ___ | Eastern Kingbird* | u | u | u | - |
| LARKS-SWALLOWS-JAYS-CROWS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Horned Lark* | u | o | u | u |
| ___ | Purple Martin* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Tree Swallow* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | Northern Rough-winged Swallow | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Bank Swallow* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Cliff Swallow | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Barn Swallow* | c | c | c | - |
| ___ | Blue Jay* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | American Crow* | u | o | u | o |
| ___ | Fish Crow* | c | c | c | o |
| TITMICE-NUTHATCHES-WRENS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Black-capped Chickadee | r | - | - | r |
| ___ | Carolina Chickadee* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Tufted Titmouse* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Red-breasted Nuthatch | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | White-breasted Nuthatch* | o | o | o | o |
| ___ | Brown Creeper | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Carolina Wren* | u | u | u | o |
| ___ | House Wren* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Winter Wren | r | - | r | r |
| ___ | Sedge Wren | r | - | r | r |
| ___ | Marsh Wren* | c | c | c | o |
| KINGLETS-THRUSHES-THRASHERS | GLETS-THRUSHES-THRASHERS | s | S | F | W |
| ___ | Golden-crowned Kinglet | u | - | u | o |
| ___ | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | u | o | u | - |
| ___ | Eastern Bluebird | r | r | r | r |
| ___ | Veery | u | - | o | - |
| ___ | Gray-cheeked Thrush | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Swainson's Thrush | u | - | o | - |
| ___ | Hermit Thrush | u | - | u | u |
| ___ | Wood Thrush* | u | o | u | - |
| ___ | American Robin* | c | c | c | u |
| ___ | Gray Catbird* | c | c | c | r |
| ___ | Northern Mockingbird* | c | c | c | u |
| ___ | Brown Thrasher* | u | u | u | r |
| WAXWINGS-SHRIKES-STARLINGS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | American Pipit | - | - | o | r |
| ___ | Cedar Waxwing | o | o | o | o |
| ___ | Northern Shrike | r | - | r | r |
| ___ | Loggerhead Shrike | - | - | r | - |
| ___ | European Starling* | a | a | a | o |
| VIREOS-WOOD WARBLERS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | White-eyed Vireo* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Solitary Vireo | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Yellow-throated Vireo | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Philadelphia Vireo | - | - | o | - |
| ___ | Red-eyed Vireo* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Blue-winged Warbler | u | o | u | - |
| ___ | Golden-winged Warbler | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Tennessee Warbler | o | - | r | - |
| ___ | Nashville Warbler | o | - | r | - |
| ___ | Northern Parula | u | o | u | - |
| ___ | Yellow Warbler* | c | c | u | - |
| ___ | Chestnut-sided Warbler | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Magnolia Warbler | u | - | u | - |
| ___ | Cape May Warbler | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Black-throated Blue Warbler | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Yellow-rumped Warbler | c | - | c | u |
| ___ | Black-throated Green Warbler | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Blackburnian Warbler | u | - | o | - |
| ___ | Yellow-throated Warbler | r | - | - | - |
| ___ | Pine Warbler* | u | u | u | r |
| ___ | Prairie Warbler | c | u | c | - |
| ___ | Palm Warbler | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Bay-breasted Warbler | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Blackpoll Warbler | c | - | c | - |
| ___ | Cerulean Warbler | r | - | - | - |
| ___ | Black-and-white Warbler* | c | o | c | - |
| ___ | American Redstart | u | - | u | - |
| ___ | Prothonotary Warbler | r | - | - | - |
| ___ | Worm-eating Warbler | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Ovenbird* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Northern Waterthrush | u | - | u | - |
| ___ | Connecticut Warbler | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Mourning Warbler | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Common Yellowthroat* | c | c | c | r |
| ___ | Hooded Warbler* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Wilson's Warbler | o | - | o | - |
| ___ | Canada Warbler | u | - | u | - |
| ___ | Yellow-breasted Chat* | o | o | o | - |
| TANAGERS-SPARROWS | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Summer Tanager | r | - | - | - |
| ___ | Scarlet Tanager* | u | u | o | - |
| ___ | Northern Cardinal* | c | c | c | c |
| ___ | Rose-breasted Grosbeak | o | - | r | - |
| ___ | Blue Grosbeak | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Indigo Bunting* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Dickcissel | - | - | - | r |
| ___ | Rufous-sided Towhee* | u | u | u | o |
| ___ | American Tree Sparrow | u | - | - | u |
| ___ | Chipping Sparrow* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Field Sparrow | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Vesper Sparrow | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Lark Sparrow | - | - | r | - |
| ___ | Savannah Sparrow | c | - | c | o |
| ___ | Grasshopper Sparrow* | o | o | o | - |
| ___ | Sharp-tailed Sparrow* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | Seaside Sparrow* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | Fox Sparrow | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | Song Sparrow* | c | c | c | c |
| ___ | Swamp Sparrow* | c | c | u | u |
| ___ | White-throated Sparrow | c | - | c | c |
| ___ | White-crowned Sparrow | o | r | o | r |
| ___ | Dark-eyed Junco | c | - | c | u |
| ___ | Lapland Longspur | r | - | - | r |
| ___ | Snow Bunting | o | - | r | o |
| BLACKBIRDS-FINCHES | s | S | F | W | |
| ___ | Bobolink | o | o | u | - |
| ___ | Red-winged Blackbird* | a | a | a | u |
| ___ | Eastern Meadowlark* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Yellow-headed Blackbird | - | r | r | - |
| ___ | Rusty Blackbird | r | - | r | - |
| ___ | Boat-tailed Grackle* | u | u | u | - |
| ___ | Common Grackle* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | Brown-headed Cowbird* | c | c | c | o |
| ___ | Orchard Oriole* | o | o | r | - |
| ___ | Northern Oriole | u | o | o | - |
| ___ | Purple Finch | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | House Finch* | o | o | o | o |
| ___ | Common Redpoll | - | - | - | r |
| ___ | Pine Siskin | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | American Goldfinch* | u | u | u | u |
| ___ | Evening Grosbeak | o | - | o | o |
| ___ | House Sparrow* | c | c | c | c |