List of birds of Alberta facts for kids

Alberta is a province in Canada that doesn't touch the ocean. It's surrounded by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the North-West Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. The northern part of Alberta has lots of boreal forest (a type of cold forest), which changes into the Great Plains (flat grasslands) in the southeast. The southwest part of the province has temperate coniferous forest (forests with cone-bearing trees), next to the Rocky Mountains.

These different natural areas, plus the Rocky Mountains, help Alberta have many different kinds of birds. For example, you can see both "eastern" and "western" versions of some birds, like the eastern bluebird and western bluebird. A major bird migration path called the Central Flyway goes through Alberta. Also, part of the Prairie Pothole Region, which has many small wetlands, is in Alberta. Both of these things bring a wide variety of birds to the province, either to breed or just to pass through.

The information here comes from the Official List of the Birds of Alberta. This list was put together by the Alberta Bird Record Committee and had 438 different bird species as of April 2023. Out of these, 125 are birds that rarely show up in Alberta, eight were brought to Alberta by people, one species is completely gone (extinct), and another might be extinct. This list follows the order used by the American Ornithological Society (AOS).

Here are some special tags used to describe how often a bird is seen in Alberta:

• (A) Accidental - This bird rarely or accidentally visits Alberta.
• (B) Breeding - This bird lives and has babies in Alberta.
• (E) Extinct - This type of bird no longer exists anywhere in the world.
• (Ex) Extirpated - This type of bird no longer lives in Alberta, but you can still find it in other places.
• (I) Introduced - This bird was brought to Alberta by humans, either on purpose or by accident.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great at living in water. They have webbed feet, flat bills, and feathers that shed water easily.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and their relatives. These birds live on the ground. They are usually plump with wide, short wings. Many of them are hunted for sport or raised for food.

• Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (B) (I)
• Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus (B)
• Spruce grouse, Canachites canadensis (B)
• Willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus (B)
• Rock ptarmigan, Lagopus mutus (A)
• White-tailed ptarmigan, Lagopus leucurus (B)
• Greater sage-grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus (B)
• Dusky grouse, Dendragapus obscurus (B)
• Sharp-tailed grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus (B)
• Greater prairie-chicken, Tympanuchus cupido (Ex)
• Grey partridge, Perdix perdix (B)(I)
• Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I)

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are freshwater diving birds. They have special lobed toes that make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, which makes them clumsy on land.

• Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps (B)
• Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus (B)
• Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena (B)
• Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (B)
• Western grebe, Aechmorphorus occidentalis (B)
• Clark's grebe, Aechmorphorus clarkii (B)

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves have plump bodies, short necks, and thin bills with a fleshy part called a cere at the base. They have strong flight muscles, which let them take off almost straight up and fly for long distances.

• Rock pigeon, Columba livia (B) (I)
• Band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata (A)
• Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (B) (I)
• Passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (E)
• White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica (A)
• Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (B)

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds come in different sizes but usually have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

• Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (A)
• Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (B)

Nightjars and Allies

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually build their nests on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers are colored to help them blend in with bark or leaves.

• Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (B)
• Common poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii (B)

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a crescent moon or a boomerang.

• Black swift, Cypseloides niger (B)
• Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (A)
• Vaux's swift, Chaetura vauxi (A) (Possibly breeding)
• White-throated swift, Aeronautes saxatalis (A)

Hummingbirds

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds that can hover in the air by flapping their wings very fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward!

• Mexican violetear, Colibri thalassinus (A)
• Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris (B)
• Black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri (A)
• Anna's hummingbird, Calypte anna (A)
• Costa's hummingbird, Calypte costae (A)
• Calliope hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope (B)
• Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus (B)
• Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus (A)
• Broad-billed hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris (A)

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This family includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Many of these birds live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are often shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, which help them walk on soft, uneven ground. They usually have short, rounded wings and aren't very good at flying.

• Virginia rail, Rallus limicola (B)
• Sora, Porzana carolina (B)
• Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata (A)
• American coot, Fulica americana (B)
• Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis (B)

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs. When they fly, they stretch out their long necks. Most cranes have fancy and loud dances to attract mates. The only wild group of whooping cranes has its breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta.

• Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (B)
• Common crane, Grus grus (A)
• Whooping crane, Grus americana (B)

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts. Avocets have long legs and long bills that curve upwards. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

• Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (B)
• American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (B)

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. You can find them in open areas all over the world, mostly near water.

• Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola
• American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica
• Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva (A)
• Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (B)
• Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (B)
• Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (B)
• Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus (A)
• Mountain plover, Charadrius montanus (B)
• Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus (A)

Sandpipers and Allies

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. Most of these birds eat small bugs and worms they find in mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills allow many species to feed in the same places without fighting for food.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

This family of seabirds includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are usually grey or white, often with black marks on their heads or wings. Terns are generally smaller than gulls, with more pointed wings and bills. Many also have forked tails that help them fly better. Both gulls and terns can be found inland near lakes and rivers. Gulls have also learned to live well near people and are often seen in cities. Skimmers have not been seen in Alberta.

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are water birds about the size of a large duck, but they are not related to ducks. They are mostly grey or black and have bills shaped like spears. Loons swim very well and can fly, but they are almost helpless on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies.

• Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata (B)
• Pacific loon, Gavia pacifica (B)
• Common loon, Gavia immer (B)
• Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsii (A)

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large water birds, usually with mostly dark feathers and colored skin around their faces. Their bills are long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have four webbed toes on each foot.

• Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum (B)

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds known for the special pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes.

• American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos (B)

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns usually have shorter necks and are more secretive. Birds in this family fly with their necks pulled back, which is different from other long-necked birds like storks.

• American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus (B)
• Great blue heron, Ardea herodias (B)
• Great egret, Ardea alba (A) (B)
• Snowy egret, Egretta thula (A)
• Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea (A)
• Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor (A)
• Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis (A)
• Green heron, Butorides virescens (A)
• Black-crowned night heron, Nycticorax nycticorax (B)
• Yellow-crowned night heron, Nyctanassa violacea (A)

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings and long bodies with rather long legs. Their bills are also long; ibises have bills that curve downwards, while spoonbills have straight, flat bills.

• Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus (A)
• White-faced ibis, Plegadis chihi (B)

New World Vultures

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures look like Old World vultures, but they are not closely related. They look similar because they both adapted to the same lifestyle (eating dead animals). Like Old World vultures, they are scavengers. But unlike Old World vultures, which find dead animals by sight, New World vultures use their good sense of smell to find them.

• Black vulture, Coragyps atratus (A)
• Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura (B)

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Osprey family has only one type of bird. These birds of prey eat fish. They have a very large, strong hooked beak for tearing meat, strong legs, powerful claws, and excellent eyesight.

• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus (B)

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family of birds of prey includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have very large, strong hooked beaks for tearing meat from their prey. They also have strong legs, powerful claws, and sharp eyesight.

• Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos (B)
• Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius (B)
• Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus (B)
• Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii (B)
• American goshawk, Accipiter atricapillus (B)
• Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus (B)
• Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus (B)
• Swainson's hawk, Buteo swainsoni (B)
• Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis (B)
• Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus
• Ferruginous hawk, Buteo regalis (B)

Barn-Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Owls in this family are medium to large with big heads and special heart-shaped faces.

• Barn owl, Tyto Alba (A)

Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are usually solitary birds of prey that hunt at night. They have large eyes that face forward and big ears. They also have a beak like a hawk and a clear circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

• Flammulated owl, Psiloscops flammeolus (A)
• Western screech-owl, Megascops kennicottii (A)
• Eastern screech-owl, Megascops asio (A)
• Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus (B)
• Snowy owl, Bubo scandiacus
• Northern hawk owl, Surnia ulula (B)
• Northern pygmy-owl, Glaucidium gnoma (B)
• Burrowing owl, Athene cunicularia (B)
• Barred owl, Strix varia (B)
• Great grey owl, Strix nebulosa (B)
• Long-eared owl, Asio otus (B)
• Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus (B)
• Boreal owl, Aegolius funereus (B)
• Northern saw-whet owl, Aegolius acadicus (B)

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and short tails.

• Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon (B)

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with bills like chisels, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues for catching insects. Some have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks.

• Lewis's woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis (A) (B)
• Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus (A) (Possibly breeding)
• Acorn woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus (A)
• Red-bellied woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus (A)
• Williamson's sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus (A)
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius (B)
• Red-naped sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalis (B)
• Red-breasted sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruber (A)
• American three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis (B)
• Black-backed woodpecker, Picoides arcticus (B)
• Downy woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens (B)
• Hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus (B)
• Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus (B)
• Pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus (B)

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras. They are birds of prey that are active during the day. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks instead of their claws.

• Crested caracara, Caracara plancus (A)
• American kestrel, Falco sparverius (B)
• Merlin, Falco columbarius (B)
• Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus
• Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus (B)
• Prairie falcon, Falco mexicanus (B)

Tyrant Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are songbirds found across North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers but are stronger and have thicker bills. They don't sing as complex songs as other songbirds. Most of them are plain in color. As their name suggests, most of them eat insects.

• Ash-throated flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens (A)
• Great crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus (B)
• Western kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis (B)
• Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus (B)
• Scissor-tailed flycatcher, Tyrannus forficatus (A)
• Fork-tailed flycatcher, Tyrannus savana (A)
• Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperi (B)
• Western wood-pewee, Contopus sordidulus (B)
• Eastern wood-pewee, Contopus virens (A)
• Yellow-bellied flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris (B)
• Alder flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum (B)
• Willow flycatcher, Empidonax traillii (B)
• Least flycatcher, Empidonax minimus (B)
• Hammond's flycatcher, Empidonax hammondii (B)
• Grey flycatcher, Empidonax wrightii (A)
• Dusky flycatcher, Empidonax oberholseri (B)
• Western flycatcher, Empidonax difficilis (B)
• Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe (B)
• Say's phoebe, Sayornis saya (B)

Vireos and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are small to medium-sized songbirds mostly found in North and South America. They are usually greenish and look like wood warblers, but they have heavier bills.

• White-eyed vireo, Vireo griseus (A)
• Yellow-throated vireo, Vireo flavifrons (A)
• Cassin's vireo, Vireo cassinii (B)
• Blue-headed vireo, Vireo solitarius (B)
• Philadelphia vireo, Vireo philadelphicus (B)
• Warbling vireo, Vireo gilvus (B)
• Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus (B)

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds famous for catching other birds and small animals. They often stick the parts they don't eat onto thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

• Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus (B)
• Northern shrike, Lanius borealis (B)

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger ones are very smart.

• Canada jay, Perisoreus canadensis (B)
• Pinyon jay, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (A)
• Steller's jay, Cyanocitta stelleri (B)
• Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata (B)
• Clark's nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana (B)
• Black-billed magpie, Pica hudsonia (B)
• American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos (B)
• Common raven, Corvus corax (B)

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

Paridae are mostly small, plump woodland birds with short, strong bills. Some have crests on their heads. They are adaptable birds that eat a mix of seeds and insects.

• Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapilla (B)
• Mountain chickadee, Poecile gambeli (B)
• Chestnut-backed chickadee, Poecile rufescens (A)
• Boreal chickadee, Poecile hudsonica (B)

Larks

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small ground birds known for their often fancy songs and display flights. Most larks look quite plain. They eat insects and seeds.

• Horned lark, Eremophila alpestris (B)

Swallows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

This family of birds is built for catching food while flying. They have slender, streamlined bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are made for perching, not walking, and their front toes are partly joined at the base.

• Bank swallow, Riparia riparia (B)
• Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor (B)
• Violet-green swallow, Tachycineta thalassina (B)
• Northern rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis (B)
• Purple martin, Progne subis (B)
• Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica (B)
• Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (B)

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of birds that look like titmice. They are very small birds that eat insects. The adult birds have colored crowns on their heads, which is how they got their name.

• Ruby-crowned kinglet, Corthylio calendula (B)
• Golden-crowned kinglet, Regulus satrapa (B)

Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are a group of songbirds with soft, silky feathers and unique red tips on some of their wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax and give the birds their name. They are forest birds found in northern areas. They eat insects in summer and berries in winter.

• Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus (B)
• Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum (B)

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, unlike most other birds that can only climb up. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet.

• Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis (B)
• White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis (B)
• Pygmy nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea (A)

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds that are brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curved bills, which they use to pull insects out of tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which help them support themselves on vertical trees.

• Brown creeper, Certhia americana (B)

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and not very noticeable birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin, downward-curved bills. Several species often hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects.

• Rock wren, Salpinctes obsoletus (B)
• Carolina wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus (A)
• House wren, Troglodytes aedon (B)
• Pacific wren, Troglodytes pacificus (B)
• Winter wren, Troglodytes hiemalis (B)
• Sedge wren, Cistothorus platensis (B)
• Marsh wren, Cistothorus palustris (B)

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

The mimids are a family of songbirds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and New World catbirds. These birds are known for their amazing singing and their ability to copy many different bird calls and other sounds they hear outside. They usually have dull grey and brown feathers.

• Grey catbird, Dumetella carolinensis (B)
• Curve-billed thrasher, Toxostoma curvirostre (A)
• Brown thrasher, Toxostoma rufum (B)
• Bendire's thrasher, Toxostoma bendirei (A)
• Sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus (A) (B)
• Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos (A)

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings and mynas are small to medium-sized songbirds from the Old World with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly, and most live in large groups. They prefer open areas and eat insects and fruit. Many species have dark feathers with a shiny, metallic look.

• European starling, Sturnus vulgaris (B) (I)

Dippers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds that live in water environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. These birds have special features that let them go underwater and walk on the bottom to find insect larvae to eat.

• American dipper, Cinclus mexicanus (B)

Thrushes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds found mostly in the Old World. They are plump, with soft feathers, and are small to medium-sized. They eat insects or sometimes everything (omnivores), often finding food on the ground. Many thrushes have beautiful songs.

• Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis (B)
• Western bluebird, Sialia mexicana (B)
• Mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides (B)
• Townsend's solitaire, Myadestes townsendi (B)
• Veery, Catharus fuscescens (B)
• Grey-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimus (B)
• Swainson's thrush, Catharus ustulatus (B)
• Hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus (B)
• Wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina (A)
• American robin, Turdus migratorius (B)
• Varied thrush, Ixoreus naevius (B)

Old World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. Generally, sparrows are small, plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects.

• House sparrow, Passer domesticus (B) (I)
• Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus (A) (I)

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are small songbirds with medium to long tails. They are slender birds that find food on the ground in open areas, mainly eating insects.

• Eastern yellow wagtail, Motacilla tschutschensis (A)
• American pipit, Anthus rubescens (B)
• Sprague's pipit, Anthus spragueii (B)

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are songbirds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-sized and have strong beaks, usually shaped like cones. All finches have twelve tail feathers and nine main flight feathers. These birds fly with a bouncy motion, flapping their wings and then gliding with them closed. Most finches sing well.

• Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla (A)
• Evening grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus (B)
• Pine grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator (B)
• Grey-crowned rosy-finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis (B)
• House finch, Haemorhous mexicanus (B)
• Purple finch, Haemorhous purpureus (B)
• Cassin's finch, Haemorhous cassinii (B)
• Common redpoll, Acanthis flammea (B)
• Hoary redpoll, Acanthis hornemanni
• Red crossbill, Loxia curvirostra (B)
• White-winged crossbill, Loxia leucoptera (B)
• Pine siskin, Spinus pinus (B)
• Lesser goldfinch, Spinus psaltria (A)
• American goldfinch, Spinus tristis (B)

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

Calcariidae are a group of songbirds mostly found in North America. They mainly live in open fields, where their feather colors help them blend in with their surroundings.

• Lapland longspur, Calcarius lapponicus
• Chestnut-collared longspur, Calcarius ornatus (B)
• Smith's longspur, Calcarius pictus
• Thick-billed longspur, Rhyncophanes mccownii (B)
• Snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis

New World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

Until 2017, these birds were part of a different family. Most of them are called sparrows, but they are not closely related to the Old World sparrows. Many of these birds have unique patterns on their heads.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This bird was once thought to be a type of wood-warbler, but experts were unsure. In 2017, it was placed into its own family.

• Yellow-breasted chat, Icteria virens (B)

Troupials and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

Icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful songbirds found only in North and South America. This family includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as their main feather color, often brightened with yellow, orange, or red.

• Yellow-headed blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (B)
• Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus (B)
• Eastern meadowlark, Sturnella magna (A)
• Western meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta (B)
• Orchard oriole, Icterus spurius (A)
• Bullock's oriole, Icterus bullockii (B)
• Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula (B)
• Red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus (B)
• Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater (B)
• Rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus (B)
• Brewer's blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus (B)
• Common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula (B)
• Great-tailed grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus (A)

New World Warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

The New World warblers are a group of small, often colorful songbirds found only in North and South America. Most live in trees, but some spend more time on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects.

Cardinals and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

The cardinals are a family of strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different feather colors.

• Summer tanager, Piranga rubra (A)
• Scarlet tanager, Piranga olivacea (A)
• Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana (B)
• Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis (A)
• Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus (B)
• Black-headed grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus(B)
• Blue grosbeak, Passerina caerulea (A)
• Lazuli bunting, Passerina amoena (B)
• Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea (A)
• Painted bunting, Passerina ciris (A)
• Dickcissel, Spiza americana (A)