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List of birds of Northwest Territories facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Falco rusticolus white cropped
The gyrfalcon is the official bird of the Northwest Territories.

Welcome to a list of amazing birds found in the Northwest Territories in Canada! This list shows all the different kinds of birds that have been seen here. There are 296 types of birds in total.

Some birds are marked with special notes:

  • (A) Accidental: This means the bird doesn't usually live in the Northwest Territories. It just visits by accident!
  • (I) Introduced: These birds were brought to the Northwest Territories by people, either on purpose or by mistake.
  • (extinct): This means the bird no longer exists anywhere in the world.
  • (possibly extinct): This means the bird might no longer exist, but we are not 100% sure.

This list follows the order used by bird experts from the American Ornithological Society. We use Canadian English spellings for bird names.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

These birds are part of the Anatidae family. They are ducks, geese, and swans. They love water and have webbed feet to help them swim. Their bills are flat, and their feathers are great at shedding water.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

These birds are part of the Phasianidae family. They are land birds, usually plump with broad, short wings. Many of them are hunted for sport or raised for food.

Grebes

These birds are part of the Podicipedidae family. Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds that live in freshwater. They have lobed toes, which make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, so they are clumsy on land.

Pigeons and Doves

These birds are part of the Columbidae family. Pigeons and doves are sturdy birds with short necks and thin bills. They eat seeds, fruit, and plants. They are special because both parents make "crop milk" to feed their young.

Nightjars and Allies

These birds are part of the Caprimulgidae family. 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 camouflaged to look like tree bark or leaves.

Hummingbirds

These birds are part of the Trochilidae family. Hummingbirds are tiny birds that can hover in the air by flapping their wings super fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward!

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

These birds are part of the Rallidae family. This is a big family of small to medium-sized birds. They include rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They often live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are usually shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, which help them walk on soft ground.

Cranes

These birds are part of the Gruidae family. Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. Unlike herons, cranes fly with their necks stretched out. Many cranes have fancy and loud dances to find a mate.

Stilts and Avocets

These birds are part of the Recurvirostridae family. 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.

Plovers and Lapwings

These birds are part of the Charadriidae family. This family includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, pointed wings. They live in open areas all over the world, often near water.

Sandpipers and Allies

These birds are part of the Scolopacidae family. This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, and many others. 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 places without competing for food.

Skuas and Jaegers

These birds are part of the Stercorariidae family. Skuas and jaegers are medium to large birds, usually grey or brown. They often have white marks on their wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They are strong, acrobatic fliers.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

These birds are part of the Alcidae family. Alcids look a bit like penguins because they are black and white and stand upright. However, they can fly! Auks live in the open sea and only come to land to nest.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

These birds are part of the Laridae family. This family includes gulls, terns, and kittiwakes. They are medium to large seabirds. They are usually grey or white, often with black marks on their heads or wings. They have strong, longish bills and webbed feet.

Loons

These birds are part of the Gaviidae family. 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 spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well and fly okay, but they are very awkward on land because their legs are at the back of their bodies.

Shearwaters and Petrels

These birds are part of the Procellariidae family. These are medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and a long outer wing feather.

Boobies and Gannets

These birds are part of the Sulidae family. This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large seabirds that live near coasts. They dive headfirst into the water to catch fish.

  • Northern gannet, Morus bassanus

Cormorants and Shags

These birds are part of the Phalacrocoracidae family. Cormorants are medium to large water birds. They usually have dark feathers and colored skin on their faces. Their bills are long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have four webbed toes.

Pelicans

These birds are part of the Pelecanidae family. Pelicans are very large water birds with a special pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

These birds are part of the Ardeidae family. 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. These birds fly with their necks pulled back, unlike storks or ibises.

New World Vultures

These birds are part of the Cathartidae family. New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but they look similar because they evolved in similar ways. Like Old World vultures, they eat dead animals (carcasses). But unlike Old World vultures, New World vultures have a good sense of smell to find food.

Osprey

This bird is part of the Pandionidae family. The Osprey is a fish-eating bird of prey. It has a very large, strong hooked beak to tear meat from its prey. It also has strong legs, powerful claws, and excellent eyesight. This family has only one type of bird.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

These birds are part of the Accipitridae family. This family includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. These birds of prey have very large, strong hooked beaks for tearing meat. They also have strong legs, powerful claws, and keen eyesight.

Owls

These birds are part of the Strigidae family. Typical owls are usually solitary birds of prey that are active at night. They have large eyes that face forward and big ears. They have a hawk-like beak and a circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

Kingfishers

These birds are part of the Alcedinidae family. Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and short tails.

Woodpeckers

These birds are part of the Picidae family. Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks. They have short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues to catch insects. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks.

Falcons and Caracaras

These birds are part of the Falconidae family. 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.

Tyrant Flycatchers

These birds are part of the Tyrannidae family. Tyrant flycatchers are found across North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers but are stronger and have tougher bills. Most of them are insect eaters.

Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis

These birds are part of the Vireonidae family. Vireos are small to medium-sized birds mostly found in the New World. They are usually greenish and look like wood warblers, but they have stronger bills.

Shrikes

These birds are part of the Laniidae family. Shrikes are known for catching other birds and small animals. They sometimes stick the uneaten parts of their prey on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

  • Northern shrike, Lanius borealis

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

These birds are part of the Corvidae family. This family includes crows, ravens, jays, magpies, and nutcrackers. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger ones are very smart.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

These birds are part of the Paridae family. Paridae are mostly small, sturdy woodland birds with short, strong bills. Some have crests on their heads. They can adapt well and eat a mix of seeds and insects.

Larks

These birds are part of the Alaudidae family. Larks are small land birds often known for their fancy songs and display flights. Most larks look quite plain. They eat insects and seeds.

Swallows

These birds are part of the Hirundinidae family. Swallows are built for catching food in the air. They have slender bodies, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide mouth. Their feet are good for perching, not walking.

Leaf Warblers

These birds are part of the Phylloscopidae family. Leaf warblers are a family of small insect-eating birds. They are mostly found in Eurasia and parts of Africa. The Arctic warbler breeds as far east as Alaska. These birds come in various sizes, often green above and yellow below, or more muted grey-green to grey-brown.

  • Kamchatka leaf warbler, Phylloscopus examinandus (A)

Kinglets

These birds are part of the Regulidae family. Kinglets are a small family of birds that look like titmice. They are very small insect-eating birds. Adult kinglets have colored crowns, which is how they got their name.

Waxwings

These birds are part of the Bombycillidae family. Waxwings are a group of birds with soft, silky feathers. They have unique red tips on some wing feathers that look like sealing wax, giving them their name. These birds live in northern forests. They eat insects in summer and berries in winter.

Nuthatches

These birds are part of the Sittidae family. Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, unlike most other birds that only climb upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet.

Treecreepers

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

Wrens

These birds are part of the Troglodytidae family. Wrens are small and not very noticeable birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin, down-curved bills. Many species hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

These birds are part of the Mimidae family. This family includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and catbirds. These birds are famous for their singing. They can copy many different bird calls and other sounds they hear outside. They usually have dull grey and brown feathers.

Starlings

These birds are part of the Sturnidae family. Starlings and mynas are small to medium-sized birds 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.

Dippers

These birds are part of the Cinclidae family. 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 can dive underwater and walk on the bottom to find insect larvae to eat.

Thrushes and Allies

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

Old World Flycatchers

These birds are part of the Muscicapidae family. The Old World flycatchers are a large family of small birds. These are mainly small tree-dwelling insectivores. Many of them catch their prey while flying.

Old World Sparrows

These birds are part of the Passeridae family. Old World sparrows are small birds. They are generally small, plump, brownish or greyish birds with short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects.

Wagtails and Pipits

These birds are part of the Motacillidae family. This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are slender, ground-feeding insect-eaters that live in open areas. They have medium to long tails.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

These birds are part of the Fringillidae family. Finches are seed-eating birds. 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. Most of them sing well.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

These birds are part of the Calcariidae family. This group of birds was once thought to be New World sparrows. However, they are different in many ways and usually live in open grassy areas.

New World Sparrows

These birds are part of the Passerellidae 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.

Troupials and Allies

These birds are part of the Icteridae family. The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized birds, often very colorful. They are found only in the New World. This family includes blackbirds and orioles. Most species are mainly black, often with bright yellow, orange, or red colors.

New World Warblers

These birds are part of the Parulidae family. The wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful birds found only in the New World. Most live in trees, but some live more on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects.

Cardinals and Allies

These birds are part of the Cardinalidae family. Cardinals are strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Male and female birds often have different colored feathers.

See also

  • List of birds
  • Lists of birds by region
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List of birds of Northwest Territories Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.