List of birds of Grand Canyon National Park facts for kids

Welcome to the amazing world of birds found in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona! This list tells you about the different kinds of birds that live or visit this famous park. It's based on information from the National Park Service (NPS) from April 2019.

Scientists group birds into families and orders, which helps us understand how they are related. This list follows a special order created by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). The names of the bird families come from the Clements taxonomy.

There are 359 different bird species in Grand Canyon National Park! Most of them are regularly seen there, either living there all the time, visiting in summer or winter, or just passing through during migration. Some birds are seen more often than others. Here's what the tags next to their names mean:

• R (Rare): These birds are usually seen only a few times each year. (44 species)
• U (Uncommon): You might see these birds monthly in the right places and seasons. (64 species)
• O (Occasional): These birds show up in the park at least once every few years, but not necessarily every year. (135 species)
• Unk (Unknown): We don't have enough information about how often this bird is seen. (1 species)
• I (Introduced): These are birds that humans brought to North America. (5 species)

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are perfectly built for life in water! They have webbed feet for swimming, flat bills for finding food, and special oily feathers that shed water easily.

New World Quail

Order: Galliformes   Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, round birds that live on the ground. They look a bit like the quails from other parts of the world, but they are not closely related.

• Gambel's quail, Callipepla gambelii

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

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

• Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo
• Dusky grouse, Dendragapus obscurus (U)
• Chukar, Alectoris chukar (I) (U)

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized birds that dive in freshwater. They have special lobed toes that make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, so they are quite clumsy on land.

• Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps (U)
• Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (U)
• Western grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis
• Clark's grebe, Aechmophorus clarkii

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with sturdy bodies, short necks, and thin bills. They have a soft, fleshy area at the base of their bill called a cere.

• Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I) (U)
• Band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata (U)
• Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (I)
• Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

• Greater roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus (U)
• Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (O)

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 small bills. Their soft feathers are colored to blend in with bark or leaves, helping them hide.

• Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
• Common poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii

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.

• White-throated swift, Aeronautes saxatalis

Hummingbirds

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds famous for hovering in mid-air by flapping their wings incredibly fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward!

• Black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri
• Costa's hummingbird, Calypte costae
• Calliope hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope (U)
• Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus
• Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds like rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They usually live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are often shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, perfect for walking on soft, uneven ground. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are not strong flyers.

• American coot, Fulica americana

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. Unlike herons, which look similar but are not related, cranes fly with their necks stretched out, not pulled back. Many cranes have fancy and loud dances to attract a mate.

• Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (O)

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts, which are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and long, upward-curving bills. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

• American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (U)

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers and dotterels. 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 around the world, especially near water.

• Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (U)

Sandpipers and Allies

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, and snipes. Most of these birds eat small bugs they find in mud or soil. Different bill and leg lengths allow many species to feed in the same areas without competing for food.

• Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia
• Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata (U)
• Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (U)

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

This family includes gulls and terns. Gulls are usually gray or white, often with black markings on their heads or wings. They have strong, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are generally medium to large seabirds, often grey or white with black on their heads. Most terns dive for fish, but some pick insects off the water's surface.

• Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis (R)
• Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (O)
• Forster's tern, Sterna forsteri (O)

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck, but they are not related to ducks. They are mostly gray or black and have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well and fly okay, but they are very awkward on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies.

• Common loon, Gavia immer (R)

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy, wading birds with long legs, long necks, and strong bills. They have wide wingspans. Unlike other wading birds like herons, storks don't have special powder to clean fish slime off their feathers. Storks also don't have a voice box, so they are silent.

• Wood stork, Mycteria americana (O)

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

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

• Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum (O)

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a unique pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their order, they have four webbed toes.

• American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos (R)

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 tend to 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.

• Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
• Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax (U)

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

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

• White-faced ibis, Plegadis chihi (U)

New World Vultures

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures are not closely related to vultures from other parts of the world, but they look similar because they adapted to the same lifestyle. Like other vultures, they are scavengers, meaning they eat dead animals. Unlike Old World vultures, which find food by sight, New World vultures have a great sense of smell to find carcasses.

• California condor, Gymnogyps californianus (Reintroduced in 1996 after being gone for a century; first successful nesting was in 2003)
• Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Osprey family has only one species: the Osprey! This bird of prey eats fish. It has a very large, strong, hooked beak, powerful legs, sharp talons, and excellent eyesight.

• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, and harriers. These birds of prey have very large, powerful, hooked beaks to tear meat from their prey. They also have strong legs, powerful talons, and sharp eyesight.

• Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos (U)
• Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius (U)
• Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus
• Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii
• Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis

Barn-Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

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

• Barn owl, Tyto alba (O)

Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

These are the typical or "true" owls. They are usually solitary birds of prey that hunt at night. They have large eyes that face forward, good hearing, a hawk-like beak, and a clear circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

• Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus
• Spotted owl, Strix occidentalis (U)

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

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

• Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon (U)

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues for catching insects. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks.

• Williamson's sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus
• Hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus
• Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus

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, not their talons.

• American kestrel, Falco sparverius
• Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus
• Prairie falcon, Falco mexicanus (R)

Tyrant Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are songbirds found across North and South America. They look a bit like flycatchers from other parts of the world but are stronger and have sturdier bills. Most of them eat insects.

• Ash-throated flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens
• Western kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis (U)
• Western wood-pewee, Contopus sordidulus
• Black phoebe, Sayornis nigricans
• Say's phoebe, Sayornis saya

Vireos and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are a group of small to medium-sized songbirds found in the New World. They are usually greenish and look like wood-warblers, but they have heavier bills.

• Bell's vireo, Vireo bellii
• Plumbeous vireo, Vireo plumbeus
• Warbling vireo, Vireo gilvus

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

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

• Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus (U)

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger species are very intelligent.

• Pinyon jay, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
• Steller's jay, Cyanocitta stelleri
• Woodhouse's scrub-jay, Aphelocoma woodhouseii
• Common raven, Corvus corax

Penduline-Tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Remizidae

The Verdin is the only member of this family in the New World and is one of the smallest songbirds in North America. It's mostly gray, and adults have a bright yellow head and a reddish "shoulder patch." Verdins eat insects and are usually found alone, except when they pair up to build their noticeable nests.

• Verdin, Auriparus flaviceps (R)

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

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

• Mountain chickadee, Poecile gambeli
• Juniper titmouse, Baeolophus ridgwayi

Larks

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

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

• Horned lark, Eremophila alpestris

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 better for perching than walking.

• Violet-green swallow, Tachycineta thalassina
• Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica (U)
• Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (R)

Long-tailed Tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are a family of small songbirds with medium to long tails. They build woven, bag-like nests in trees. Most of them eat a mix of insects.

• Bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of birds that look a bit like some warblers. They are very tiny birds that eat insects. Adults have colored crowns on their heads, which is how they got their name.

• Ruby-crowned kinglet, Corthylio calendula

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, giving them their name. These birds live in northern forests and eat insects in summer and berries in winter.

• Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum (U)

Silky-Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ptiliogonatidae

Silky-flycatchers are a small family of songbirds mostly found in Central America. They are related to waxwings, and most species have small crests.

• Phainopepla, Phainopepla nitens (U)

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, which is unusual for birds. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet.

• White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis
• Pygmy nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

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

• Brown creeper, Certhia americana

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds look and act like some Old World warblers, moving constantly through leaves to find insects. Gnatcatchers are mostly soft bluish-gray and have the long, sharp bill typical of insect-eating birds. Many species have distinct black patterns on their heads (especially males) and long, often upright, black-and-white tails.

• Blue-gray gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea
• Black-tailed gnatcatcher, Polioptila melanura (U)

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard to see, 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
• Canyon wren, Catherpes mexicanus
• House wren, Troglodytes aedon
• Marsh wren, Cistothorus palustris

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

This family includes thrashers and mockingbirds. These birds are famous for their amazing songs and their ability to copy many different bird calls and other sounds they hear outside. They usually have dull gray and brown feathers.

• Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos (U)
• Sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus (U)

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings 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 (I) (U)

Dippers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds that live near water 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

Thrushes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds, mostly found in the Old World. They are plump, soft-feathered, small to medium-sized birds that eat insects or sometimes everything. They often feed on the ground. Many thrushes have beautiful songs.

• Western bluebird, Sialia mexicana
• Mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides
• American robin, Turdus migratorius
• Hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus

Olive Warbler

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Peucedramidae

The olive warbler has a gray body with some olive-green on its wings and two white stripes on its wings. The male's head and chest are orange, and it has a black patch through its eye. This is the only species in its family.

• Olive warbler, Peucedramus taeniatus (O)

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 mainly eat seeds, but they also eat small insects.

• House sparrow, Passer domesticus (I)

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are small songbirds with medium to long tails. They are slender birds that eat insects on the ground in open areas.

• American pipit, Anthus rubescens (U)

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 a cone. All finches have twelve tail feathers and nine main wing feathers. These birds fly with a bouncy motion, flapping and then gliding with closed wings. Most of them sing well.

• House finch, Haemorhous mexicanus
• Cassin's finch, Haemorhous cassinii
• Pine siskin, Spinus pinus
• Lesser goldfinch, Spinus psaltria
• American goldfinch, Spinus tristis (U)

New World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

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

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This species used to be considered a wood-warbler, but scientists weren't sure it truly belonged there. In 2017, it was placed in its own family.

• Yellow-breasted chat, Icteria virens

Troupials and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized songbirds, often very colorful, and are only found in the New World. Most species are mainly black, often brightened with yellow, orange, or red.

• Western meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta
• Hooded oriole, Icterus cucullatus
• Scott's oriole, Icterus parisorum
• Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater
• Brewer's blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus
• Great-tailed grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus

New World Warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

Wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful songbirds found only in the New World. 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

Cardinals are a family of strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different colored feathers.

• Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana
• Black-headed grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus
• Blue grosbeak, Passerina (Guiraca) caerulea
• Lazuli bunting, Passerina amoena

See also

• List of birds of Arizona