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List of birds of Maine facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Black capped chickadee cp
The black-capped chickadee is the state bird of Maine

This is a list of all the different types of birds found in Maine, a state in the United States. This list was put together by the Maine Bird Records Committee (MBRC) and was last updated in December 2022.

Maine is home to 470 known bird species! Some of these birds are very special:

  • 141 are rare or accidental visitors. This means they don't usually live in Maine.
  • Five species were introduced by humans and now live here.
  • Three species are sadly extinct, meaning they no longer exist anywhere.

There are also a few other categories of birds not included in the main count of 470:

  • Two species were introduced but didn't stay.
  • Two are regularly released, like for hunting, but don't live wild.
  • Ten are hypothetical, meaning there isn't strong proof they were seen.

This list follows the order used by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). The names of the bird families come from another system called the Clements taxonomy.

Most birds on this list live in Maine regularly. They might be here all year, just for summer or winter, or they might be passing through during migration. Here are some special tags you'll see:

  • (R) Rare or accidental: These birds are unusual visitors to Maine. If someone sees one, they need to provide extra proof!
  • (I) Introduced: Humans brought these birds to North America, either on purpose or by accident.
  • (E) Extinct: These birds used to live in Maine but are now gone forever.
  • (H) Hypothetical: There's no solid proof (like a photo or specimen) that these birds were seen in Maine.
  • (FI) Failed introduced: These birds were introduced and bred for a while but never truly settled down in Maine.
  • (NE) Not established: These birds are often released or have escaped. They don't live wild in Maine or visit naturally.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great in water! They have webbed feet and special oily feathers that shed water easily. Maine has recorded 47 different species in this group.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and their relatives. They are ground-dwelling birds, often plump with wide, short wings. Many are hunted for food. Turkeys have a fleshy part under their beak called a wattle and a fleshy part hanging from their beak called a snood. Female turkeys are smaller and less colorful than males. Turkeys are very large birds, almost 6 feet wide with their wings spread! Grouse live in cooler areas and are also hunted. Males have fancy courtship dances. These birds have feathered legs and usually stay in one place all year. Eight species have been seen in Maine.

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds that live in freshwater. They have lobed toes, making them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, so they are clumsy on land. Six species have been recorded in Maine.

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with sturdy bodies, short necks, and thin bills. Six species have been recorded in Maine.

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos and roadrunners. These birds have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Nightjars and Allies

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers are camouflaged to look like tree bark or leaves. Three species have been recorded in Maine.

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. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Hummingbirds

Rubythroathummer65
Ruby-throated hummingbird

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds famous for hovering in the air. They can flap their wings very fast and are the only birds that can fly backward! Five species have been recorded in Maine.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

VirginiaRail23
Virginia rail

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds. They include rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Most of these birds live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are usually shy and hard to spot. They have strong legs and long toes, which help them walk on soft ground. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are not strong flyers. Nine species have been recorded in Maine.

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. Unlike herons, which look similar, cranes fly with their necks stretched out. Most cranes have fancy and loud courtship dances. One species has been recorded in Maine.

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. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Oystercatchers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

Oystercatchers are large, noticeable, and noisy birds. They have strong bills that they use to smash or pry open molluscs like clams. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, pointed wings. They live in open areas worldwide, often near water. Eleven species have been recorded in Maine.

Sandpipers and Allies

Hudsonian Godwit - Churchill - Canada 01 (15657156459)
Hudsonian godwit
Purple Sandpiper winter
Purple sandpiper
GreaterYellowlegs23
Greater yellowlegs

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, and snipes. Most of these birds eat small bugs they find in mud or soil. Birds with different leg and bill lengths can feed in the same area without competing for food. Thirty-eight species have been recorded in Maine.

Skuas and Jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

These are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown with white marks on their wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large, dark gulls but are strong, acrobatic flyers. Five species have been recorded in Maine.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

Alcids look a bit like penguins because of their black and white colors and upright posture. However, they are not closely related and can fly! Auks live on the open sea and only come to land to nest. Nine species have been recorded in Maine.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

This family includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. They are medium to large seabirds, usually gray or white with black marks. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Thirty-one species have been recorded in Maine.

Tropicbirds

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slim white birds that live in tropical oceans. They have very long central tail feathers. Their long wings and heads have black markings. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Loons

Commonloonudfs
Common loon

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 gray or black and have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim and fly well, but they are very awkward on land because their legs are at the back of their bodies. Four species have been recorded in Maine.

Albatrosses

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Diomedeidae

Albatrosses are among the largest flying birds. The great albatrosses have the biggest wingspans of any living bird! Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Southern Storm-Petrels

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Wilson's storm-petrel

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

Storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds. They are related to petrels and eat tiny sea creatures and small fish from the water's surface while hovering. They fly with a fluttering, sometimes bat-like motion. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Northern Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

These storm-petrels look and act much like the southern storm-petrels. However, they have enough genetic differences to be placed in their own family. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Shearwaters and Petrels

Northern Fulmar
Northern fulmar

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

This group includes medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and a long outer wing feather. Nine species have been recorded in Maine.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy wading birds with long legs, long necks, and strong bills. They have wide wings. Unlike other wading birds, storks don't have special powder to clean off fish slime. They also don't have a voice box, so they are mute. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Frigatebirds

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds found in tropical oceans. They are black or black and white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that can inflate. They cannot swim or walk well and cannot take off from flat ground. They have the largest wingspan for their body weight of any bird, allowing them to stay in the air for over a week! Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium to large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish. Three species have been recorded in Maine.

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large water birds, usually with dark feathers and colored skin on their faces. Their bills are long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have four webbed toes. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds known for the distinctive pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Egretta thula1
Snowy egret

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 have shorter necks and are more secretive. Birds in this family fly with their necks pulled back, unlike storks or ibises. Thirteen species have been recorded in Maine.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings and long bodies, necks, and legs. Ibises have long, downward-curving bills, while spoonbills have straight, flattened bills that look like spoons. Four species have been recorded in Maine.

New World Vultures

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but they look similar because they evolved to do the same job: eating dead animals. Unlike Old World vultures, New World vultures have a good sense of smell to find food. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

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

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

RT hawks
Red-tailed hawks at nest

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, and kites. These birds of prey have very large, strong, hooked beaks for tearing meat, strong legs, powerful claws, and sharp eyesight. Seventeen species have been recorded in Maine.

Barn-Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with big heads and unique heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful claws. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Owls

EasternScreechOwlBillWaller
Eastern screech-owl

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are usually solitary birds of prey that hunt at night. They have large eyes that face forward, hawk-like beaks, and a circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. Twelve species have been recorded in Maine.

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

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

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras. Unlike hawks and eagles, these birds of prey kill with their beaks instead of their claws. Five species have been recorded in Maine.

New World and African Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae

Parrots are birds of various sizes with a unique curved beak. They can move their upper beak slightly. All parrots have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward on each foot. Most of the over 150 species in this family live in the Americas. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Empidonax traillii
Willow flycatcher

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 sturdier bills. They don't have the complex songs of many other songbirds. Most are quite plain in color. As their name suggests, most eat insects. Twenty-one species have been recorded in Maine.

Vireos and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are a group of small to medium-sized songbirds. They are usually greenish and look like wood warblers, but they have heavier bills. Nine species have been recorded in Maine.

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds known for catching other birds and small animals. They sometimes impale their prey on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

  • Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus (R) extirpated
  • Northern shrike, Lanius borealis

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

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Blue jay

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger ones are very intelligent. Seven species have been recorded in Maine.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mostly small, stocky woodland birds with short, strong bills. Some have crests on their heads. They are adaptable and eat a mix of seeds and insects. Three species have been recorded in Maine.

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. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Swallows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

This family of birds is built for catching food in the air. They have slender, streamlined bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are better for perching than walking. Seven species have been recorded in Maine.

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of birds that look like titmice. They are very small birds that eat insects. Adult kinglets have colorful crowns on their heads, which is how they got their name. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are a group of birds with soft, silky feathers and unique red tips on some of their wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax, giving them their name. They are tree-dwelling birds of northern forests. They eat insects in summer and berries in winter. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

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 only climb up. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet. Two species have been recorded in Maine.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curving bills that they use to pull insects from tree bark. Like woodpeckers, they use their stiff tail feathers to support themselves on vertical trees. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds look and act like Old World warblers. They move constantly through leaves looking for insects. Gnatcatchers are mostly soft bluish-gray and have the typical long, sharp bill of an insect-eater. Many species have distinct black patterns on their heads and long, often cocked, black and white tails. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard-to-spot 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. Seven species have been recorded in Maine.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

This family of songbirds includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and New World catbirds. These birds are famous for their amazing singing and their ability to copy many different bird calls and other sounds. They usually have dull gray and brown feathers. Four species have been recorded in Maine.

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds 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 metallic shine. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Thrushes and Allies

Hylocichla mustelina (cropped)
Wood thrush

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 have beautiful songs. Thirteen species have been recorded in Maine.

Old World Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large family of small songbirds found mostly in the Old World. These are mainly small tree-dwelling birds that eat insects, often catching them while flying. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Old World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. They are generally small, plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are slender, insect-eating songbirds with medium to long tails. They feed on the ground in open areas. One species has been recorded in Maine.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Carduelis-tristis-001
American goldfinch

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are songbirds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-sized and have strong, often cone-shaped beaks. 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 sing well. Fourteen species have been recorded in Maine.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

This group of songbirds was once thought to be part of the New World sparrows. However, they are different in several ways and are usually found in open grassy areas. Four species have been recorded in Maine.

New World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

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

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This bird was once thought to be a wood-warbler, but experts weren't sure. In 2017, it was placed in its very own family!

Troupials and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized, often colorful songbirds found only in the Americas. Most species are mainly black, often with bright yellow, orange, or red colors. Fifteen species have been recorded in Maine.

New World Warblers

Commonyellowthroat159
Common yellowthroat
Dendroica-fusca-001
Blackburnian warbler
Dendroica-pensylvanica-003
Chestnut-sided warbler

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

Wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful songbirds found only in the Americas. Most live in trees, but some spend more time on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects. Forty-two species have been recorded in Maine.

Cardinals and Allies

Grosbeak (Razmear)
Rose-breasted grosbeak

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. Eleven species have been recorded in Maine.

Images for kids

  • Spy pond goose

    Canada goose

  • Blackduck

    American black duck

  • Bristol.zoo.common.eider.arp

    Common eider

  • Long-tailed-duck

    Long-tailed duck

  • Eastern Towhee-27527-2

    Eastern towhee

  • Chipping Sparrow

    Chipping sparrow

  • Saltmarsh sharp tailed sparrow

    Saltmarsh sparrow

See also

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List of birds of Maine Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.