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List of birds of Vermont facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The birds of Vermont are all the different types of birds that have been seen in the U.S. state of Vermont. This list is put together by the Vermont Bird Records Committee (VBRC). As of November 2020, there were 388 different bird species on the list!

Many of these birds live in Vermont all the time, some visit in summer or winter, and others just pass through during migration. Some birds are very rare visitors, called vagrants. There are 103 vagrant species on the list, and 14 others are rare in certain parts of the state. Six of the vagrants are even hypothetical, meaning there isn't strong proof like a photo or a second person seeing them.

Seven species were introduced to North America or Vermont by people. One species is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world. Two other species are extirpated, which means they no longer live in Vermont but can still be found elsewhere.

This list follows the order used by the American Ornithological Society (AOS), which is a group that studies birds. The names of the bird families come from the Clements taxonomy.

Here are some special tags you'll see next to some bird names:

  • V (Vagrant): These birds are rarely seen in Vermont and need extra proof if someone spots them.
  • B (Burlington): These birds are rare if seen outside the Burlington area.
  • C (Lake Champlain): These birds are rare if seen outside the Lake Champlain Basin.
  • K (Northeast Kingdom): These birds are rare if seen outside the Northeast Highlands.
  • I (Introduced): A species brought to North America by humans.
  • X (Extinct): A species that no longer exists anywhere.
  • E (Extirpated): A species no longer found in Vermont, but still exists elsewhere.
  • H (Hypothetical): A single sighting that doesn't have photo proof or a second witness.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

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Canada goose

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are amazing swimmers! They have webbed feet, flat bills, and special oily feathers that shed water easily. Forty-three different species from this family have been seen in Vermont.

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. Only one species has been recorded in Vermont.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and grouse. These are ground-dwelling birds that vary in size. They are usually plump with wide, short wings. Many of these birds are hunted for sport or raised for food. Six species have been seen in Vermont.

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds that live 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. Four species and one species pair have been recorded in Vermont.

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 Vermont.

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos and roadrunners. These birds come in different sizes, but they usually have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Nightjars and Allies

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Common nighthawk

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 blend in with bark or leaves, helping them hide. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

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. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Hummingbirds

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds that can hover in mid-air by flapping their wings incredibly fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward! Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

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American coot

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, which help them walk on soft, uneven ground. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are not very strong fliers. Six species have been recorded in Vermont.

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 "dances" to attract a mate. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

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. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Plovers and Lapwings

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Killdeer

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 all over the world, especially near water. Six species have been recorded in Vermont.

Sandpipers and Allies

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Wilson's phalarope

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. Their different leg and bill lengths allow many species to feed in the same places without competing for food. Thirty-two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Skuas and Jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

Skuas and jaegers are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown. They often have 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 they have a fleshy area called a cere above their upper beak. They are strong, agile fliers. Three species have been recorded in Vermont.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

This family includes auks, murres, and puffins. These birds have short wings and live on the open sea. They only come to land to breed. Six species have been recorded in Vermont.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

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Ring-billed gull

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, including gulls and terns. They are usually gray or white, often with black marks on their heads or wings. They have strong, longish bills and webbed feet. Twenty-three species have been recorded in Vermont.

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. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck, but they are not related to ducks. Their feathers are mostly gray or black, and they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim very well and fly adequately, but they are almost helpless on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies. Four species have been recorded in Vermont.

Southern Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

Storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds. They are related to petrels and eat tiny crustaceans and small fish from the water's surface, often while hovering. Their flight is fluttery, sometimes like a bat. Until 2018, these three species were grouped with other storm-petrels.

Northern Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

Even though the birds in this family look and act similar to the Southern Storm-Petrels, they have enough genetic differences to be in their own family.

Shearwaters and Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and a long outer primary feather. Three species have been recorded in Vermont.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

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

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large seabirds that live near coasts and dive headfirst into the water to catch fish. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

  • Brown booby, Sula leucogaster (V)
  • Northern gannet, Morus bassanus (C)

Anhingas

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Anhinga

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas are water birds that look like cormorants, with very long necks and long, straight beaks. They eat fish and often swim with only their neck above the water. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large aquatic 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. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Pelicans

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American white pelican

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 Vermont.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

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Great blue heron

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, unlike storks or ibises. Eleven species have been recorded in Vermont.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings and long bodies with long necks and legs. Their bills are also long; ibises have bills that curve downward, while spoonbills have straight, distinctively flattened bills. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

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 in similar ways to do the same job. Like Old World vultures, they are scavengers, meaning they eat dead animals. However, New World vultures have a good sense of smell to find carcasses, unlike Old World vultures who rely on sight. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

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

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family of birds of prey includes hawks, eagles, and kites. These birds have very large, powerful hooked beaks to tear meat from their prey. They also have strong legs, powerful talons, and sharp eyesight. Twelve species have been recorded in Vermont.

Barn-Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with big heads and a special heart-shaped face. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are small to large birds of prey that hunt alone at night. They have large eyes that face forward and big ears. They have a hawk-like beak and a clear circle of feathers around each eye, called a facial disk. Ten species have been recorded in Vermont.

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 Vermont.

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. Some have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while others have only three toes. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks. Ten species have been recorded in Vermont.

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras, which are birds of prey active during the day. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks, not their talons. Six species have been recorded in Vermont.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are songbirds found all over North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers but are stronger and have more powerful bills. They don't have the complex songs of other songbirds. Most are quite plain in color. As their name suggests, most of them eat insects. Fourteen species have been recorded in Vermont.

Vireos, Shrike-babblers, and Erpornis

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. Seven species have been recorded in Vermont.

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds famous for catching other birds and small animals. They often impale the parts they don't eat on thorns, like a butcher! A shrike's beak is hooked, similar to a bird of prey. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

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

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mostly 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. Three species have been recorded in Vermont.

Larks

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small ground birds known for their often fancy songs and display flights. Most larks are quite plain in color. They eat insects and seeds. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

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. Seven species have been recorded in Vermont.

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of birds that look a bit like titmice. They are very tiny 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 Vermont.

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 the birds their name. They are forest birds that live in northern areas. They eat insects in the summer and berries in the winter. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, which most other birds can't do! Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet. Two species have been recorded in Vermont.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

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

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds look and act like Old World warblers, constantly moving through leaves to find 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 (especially males) and long, often upright, black-and-white tails. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard to see 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. Six species have been recorded in Vermont.

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 voices and their ability to copy many different bird calls and other sounds. They tend to be dull gray and brown in color. Three species have been recorded in Vermont.

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly and often gather in large groups. They prefer open areas and eat insects and fruit. Their feathers are usually dark with a shiny, metallic look. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

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. Eleven species have been recorded in Vermont.

Old World Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large family of small songbirds. These are mainly small birds that live in trees and eat insects, often catching them while flying. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Old World Sparrows

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House sparrow

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. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are slender, ground-feeding insect-eaters that live in open areas. One species has been recorded in Vermont.

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 primary flight feathers. These birds fly with a bouncing motion, alternating between flapping and gliding with closed wings. Most finches sing well. Ten species have been recorded in Vermont.

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. Three species have been recorded in Vermont.

New World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

Until 2017, these species were part of a different 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. Twenty-four species have been recorded in Vermont.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This species was once thought to be a wood-warbler, but experts were never quite sure. In 2017, it was placed into its own family!

Troupials and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

This family includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized songbirds, often very colorful, and found only in the Americas. Most species have black as their main feather color, often with bright yellow, orange, or red. Twelve species have been recorded in Vermont.

New World Warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

Wood-warblers are a group of small and often colorful songbirds found only in the Americas. Most live in trees, but some, like the ovenbird, live more on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects. Thirty-six species have been recorded in Vermont.

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. The males and females often have different colored feathers. Ten species have been recorded in Vermont.

Images for kids

See also

  • List of mammals of Vermont
  • List of birds
  • Lists of birds by region
  • List of North American birds
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List of birds of Vermont Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.