Checklist of the Birds of Thunder Bay District, Ontario
This 5th edition comprises the 361 species of birds which have been recorded within the Thunder Bay District of Ontario as of December 31, 2010. (Including the 4 extinct/extirpated species). This Checklist has been compiled using information supplied by members and friends of TBFN. This is the official Checklist of the Birds of Thunder Bay District.
Nomenclature and taxonomy follow the Seventh Edition of the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds and its supplements. The Thunder Bay District checklist is updated regularly on this website to include new species or to reflect taxonomical changes made by the AOU.
Rare Bird Documentation
Species marked with asterisks are considered rare. If any of these species (or any not on the Checklist), are observed, complete details of the sighting should be recorded and forwarded to the Bird Records Chairman of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, ngescott(at)shaw(dot)caNick Escott.
Printed Copies
The 4th edition of the checklist list is also available as a booklet entitled "Checklist of the Birds of Thunder Bay District, Ontario", Fourth Edition, 2004, published by The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists. Copies are available ($2.00 each) at TBFN meetings.
A booklet version of the 5th edition suitable for printing and taking to the field will soon be available here.
Status and rarity codes
S - Summer resident; usually nests in the Thunder Bay District
W - Winter resident
P - Permanent resident; breeds here
M - Spring and/or fall migrant; expected every year
C - Casual in the District of Thunder Bay, has been reported in 3 to 7 of the past 10 years
A - Accidental in The District of Thunder Bay, has been reported in no more than 2 of the past 10 years
E - Extinct or extirpated; not expected to be seen
Rare Species
** - Species considered rare in Northern Ontario by the Ontario Bird Records Committee
* - Additional species considered rare in Thunder Bay District
DUCKS, GEESE and SWANS |
|
| Greater White-Fronted Goose (C) | |
| Snow Goose (M) | |
| Ross'S Goose (M) | |
| x | Brant (A) |
| Cackling Goose (M) | |
| Canada Goose (S) | |
| xx | Mute Swan (A) |
| x | Trumpeter Swan (A) |
| Tundra Swan (M) | |
| Wood Duck (S) | |
| Gadwall (M) | |
| xx | Eurasian Wigeon (C) |
| American Wigeon (S) | |
| American Black Duck (S) | |
| Mallard (S) | |
| Blue-Winged Teal (S) | |
| xx | Cinnamon Teal (A) |
| Northern Shoveler (M) | |
| Northern Pintail (M) | |
| xx | Garganey (A) |
| Green-Winged Teal (S) | |
| Canvasback (M) | |
| Redhead (M) | |
| Ring-Necked Duck (S) | |
| xx | Tufted Duck (A) |
| Greater Scaup (M) | |
| Lesser Scaup (M) | |
| xx | Harlequin Duck (M) |
| Surf Scoter (M) | |
| White-Winged Scoter (M) | |
| Black Scoter (M) | |
| Long-Tailed Duck (M) | |
| Bufflehead (S) | |
| Common Goldeneye (P) | |
| xx | Barrow'S Goldeneye (A) |
| Hooded Merganser (S) | |
| Common Merganser (S) | |
| Red-Breasted Merganser (S) | |
| Ruddy Duck (M) | |
PARTRIDGES and GROUSE |
|
| E | Gray Partridge (E) |
| E | Ring-Necked Pheasant (E) |
| Ruffed Grouse (P) | |
| Spruce Grouse (P) | |
| x | Willow Ptarmigan (A) |
| Sharp-Tailed Grouse (P) | |
| xx | Greater Prairie-Chicken (E) |
LOONS |
|
| Red-Throated Loon (M) | |
| x | Pacific Loon (C) |
| Common Loon (S) | |
| xx | Yellow-Billed Loon (A) |
GREBES |
|
| Pied-Billed Grebe (S) | |
| Horned Grebe (M) | |
| Red-Necked Grebe (S) | |
| xx | Eared Grebe (A) |
| xx | Western Grebe (A) |
SHEARWATERS and PETRELS |
|
| xx | Northern Fulmar (A) |
CORMORANTS and PELICANS |
|
| Double-Crested Cormorant (S) | |
| American White Pelican (S) | |
HERONS and BITTERNS |
|
| American Bittern (S) | |
| xx | Least Bittern (A) |
| Great Blue Heron (S) | |
| xx | Great Egret (A) |
| xx | Snowy Egret (A) |
| xx | Little Blue Heron (A) |
| xx | Tricolored Heron (A) |
| xx | Cattle Egret (C) |
| xx | Green Heron (A) |
| xx | Black-Crowned Night-Heron (A) |
VULTURES |
|
| xx | Black Vulture (A) |
| Turkey Vulture (S) | |
HAWKS, KITES and EAGLES |
|
| Osprey (S) | |
| Bald Eagle (P) | |
| Northern Harrier (S) | |
| Sharp-Shinned Hawk (S) | |
| Cooper'S Hawk (S) | |
| Northern Goshawk (P) | |
| Broad-Winged Hawk (S) | |
| xx | Swainson'S Hawk (A) |
| Red-Tailed Hawk (S) | |
| Rough-Legged Hawk (M) | |
| Golden Eagle (M) | |
CARACARAS and FALCONS |
|
| xx | Crested Caracara (A) |
| American Kestrel (S) | |
| Merlin (S) | |
| Gyrfalcon (W) | |
| Peregrine Falcon (S) | |
RAILS, GALLINULES and COOTS |
|
| xx | Yellow Rail (A) |
| Virginia Rail (S) | |
| Sora (S) | |
| xx | Common Moorhen (A) |
| American Coot (M) | |
CRANES |
|
| Sandhill Crane (S) | |
PLOVERS |
|
| Black-Bellied Plover (M) | |
| American Golden-Plover (M) | |
| xx | Snowy Plover (A) |
| Semipalmated Plover (M) | |
| xx | Piping Plover (A) |
| Killdeer (S) | |
STILTS and AVOCETS |
|
| xx | American Avocet (A) |
SANDPIPERS and PHALAROPES |
|
| Spotted Sandpiper (S) | |
| Solitary Sandpiper (S) | |
| Greater Yellowlegs (S) | |
| xx | Willet (M) |
| Lesser Yellowlegs (M) | |
| Upland Sandpiper (C) | |
| Whimbrel (M) | |
| Hudsonian Godwit (C) | |
| Marbled Godwit (M) | |
| Ruddy Turnstone (M) | |
| Red Knot (C) | |
| Sanderling (M) | |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper (M) | |
| xx | Western Sandpiper (A) |
| Least Sandpiper (M) | |
| White-Rumped Sandpiper (M) | |
| Baird'S Sandpiper (M) | |
| Pectoral Sandpiper (M) | |
| xx | Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper (A) |
| x | Purple Sandpiper (A) |
| Dunlin (M) | |
| Stilt Sandpiper (M) | |
| Buff-Breasted Sandpiper (M) | |
| Short-Billed Dowitcher (M) | |
| Long-Billed Dowitcher (M) | |
| Wilson'S Snipe (S) | |
| American Woodcock (S) | |
| Wilson'S Phalarope (C) | |
| x | Red-Necked Phalarope (C) |
| x | Red Phalarope (A) |
GULLS and TERNS |
|
| xx | Ivory Gull (A) |
| x | Sabine'S Gull (A) |
| Bonaparte'S Gull (S) | |
| x | Little Gull (A) |
| x | Franklin'S Gull (A) |
| Ring-Billed Gull (S) | |
| xx | California Gull (A) |
| Herring Gull (S) | |
| Thayer'S Gull (M) | |
| Iceland Gull (M) | |
| xx | Lesser Black-Backed Gull (A) |
| Glaucous Gull (W) | |
| x | Great Black-Backed Gull (M) |
| Caspian Tern (S) | |
| Black Tern (C) | |
| Common Tern (S) | |
| x | Forster's Tern (A) |
JAEGERS |
|
| xx | Pomarine Jaeger (A) |
| x | Parasitic Jaeger (C) |
| x | Long-Tailed Jaeger (A) |
PIGEONS and DOVES |
|
| Rock Pigeon (P) | |
| xx | Band-Tailed Pigeon (A) |
| xx | Eurasian Collared-Dove (A) |
| xx | White-Winged Dove (C) |
| Mourning Dove (P) | |
| E | Passenger Pigeon (Extinct) (E) |
| xx | Common Ground-Dove (A) |
CUCKOOS and ANIS |
|
| x | Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (C) |
| Black-Billed Cuckoo (S) | |
| xx | Groove-Billed Ani (A) |
OWLS |
|
| xx | Barn Owl (A) |
| Great Horned Owl (P) | |
| Snowy Owl (W) | |
| Northern Hawk Owl (P) | |
| xx | Burrowing Owl (A) |
| Barred Owl (P) | |
| Great Gray Owl (P) | |
| Long-Eared Owl (S) | |
| Short-Eared Owl (S) | |
| Boreal Owl (P) | |
| Northern Saw-Whet Owl (S) | |
GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS and HUMMINGBIRDS |
|
| Common Nighthawk (S) | |
| Eastern Whip-Poor-Will (S) | |
| Chimney Swift (S) | |
| xx | Green Violet-Ear (A) |
| Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (S) | |
| xx | Rufous Hummingbird (C) |
KINGFISHERS |
|
| Belted Kingfisher (S) | |
WOODPECKERS |
|
| x | Red-Headed Woodpecker (M) |
| x | Red-Bellied Woodpecker (W) |
| Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (S) | |
| Downy Woodpecker (P) | |
| Hairy Woodpecker (P) | |
| American Three-Toed Woodpecker (P) | |
| Black-Backed Woodpecker (P) | |
| Northern Flicker (S) | |
| Pileated Woodpecker (P) | |
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS |
|
| Olive-Sided Flycatcher (S) | |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee (S) | |
| Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher (S) | |
| Alder Flycatcher (S) | |
| xx | Willow Flycatcher (A) |
| Least Flycatcher (S) | |
| xx | Dusky Flycatcher (A) |
| Eastern Phoebe (S) | |
| xx | Say'S Phoebe (A) |
| xx | Ash-Throated Flycatcher (A) |
| Great Crested Flycatcher (S) | |
| xx | Sulphur-Bellied Flycatcher (A) |
| xx | Tropical/Couch'S Kingbird (A) |
| Western Kingbird (C) | |
| Eastern Kingbird (S) | |
| xx | Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher (C) |
| xx | Fork-Tailed Flycatcher (A) |
SHRIKES |
|
| xx | Loggerhead Shrike (C) |
| Northern Shrike (W) | |
VIREOS |
|
| xx | White-Eyed Vireo (A) |
| xx | Bell's Vireo (A) |
| x | Yellow-Throated Vireo (A) |
| Blue-Headed Vireo (S) | |
| x | Warbling Vireo (A) |
| Philadelphia Vireo (S) | |
| Red-Eyed Vireo (S) | |
CROWS and JAYS |
|
| Gray Jay (P) | |
| Blue Jay (P) | |
| xx | Clark'S Nutcracker (A) |
| x | Black-Billed Magpie (A) |
| American Crow (P) | |
| Common Raven (P) | |
LARKS |
|
| Horned Lark (M) | |
SWALLOWS |
|
| x | Purple Martin (C) |
| Tree Swallow (S) | |
| xx | Violet-Green Swallow (A) |
| Northern Rough-Winged Swallow (S) | |
| Bank Swallow (S) | |
| Cliff Swallow (S) | |
| Barn Swallow (S) | |
CHICKADEES, NUTHATCHES and CREEPERS |
|
| Black-Capped Chickadee (P) | |
| Boreal Chickadee (P) | |
| Red-Breasted Nuthatch (P) | |
| White-Breasted Nuthatch (P) | |
| Brown Creeper (S) | |
WRENS |
|
| xx | Rock Wren (A) |
| xx | Carolina Wren (A) |
| xx | Bewick'S Wren (A) |
| House Wren (S) | |
| Winter Wren (S) | |
| Sedge Wren (C) | |
| Marsh Wren (M) | |
KINGLETS and GNATCATCHERS |
|
| Golden-Crowned Kinglet (S) | |
| Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (S) | |
| xx | Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (A) |
THRUSHES |
|
| xx | Northern Wheatear (A) |
| Eastern Bluebird (S) | |
| xx | Mountain Bluebird (C) |
| Townsend'S Solitaire (W) | |
| Veery (S) | |
| Gray-Cheeked Thrush (M) | |
| Swainson'S Thrush (S) | |
| Hermit Thrush (S) | |
| x | Wood Thrush (C) |
| American Robin (S) | |
| Varied Thrush (W) | |
MOCKINGBIRDS and THRASHERS |
|
| Gray Catbird (S) | |
| Northern Mockingbird (M) | |
| xx | Sage Thrasher (C) |
| Brown Thrasher (M) | |
STARLINGS |
|
| European Starling (P) | |
PIPITS and WAXWINGS |
|
| American Pipit (M) | |
| xx | Sprague'S Pipit (A) |
| Bohemian Waxwing (W) | |
| Cedar Waxwing (S) | |
WOOD-WARBLERS |
|
| xx | Blue-Winged Warbler (A) |
| x | Golden-Winged Warbler (C) |
| Tennessee Warbler (S) | |
| Orange-Crowned Warbler (M) | |
| Nashville Warbler (S) | |
| xx | Virginia'S Warbler (A) |
| Northern Parula (S) | |
| Yellow Warbler (S) | |
| Chestnut-Sided Warbler (S) | |
| Magnolia Warbler (S) | |
| Cape May Warbler (S) | |
| Black-Throated Blue Warbler (S) | |
| Yellow-Rumped Warbler (S) | |
| Black-Throated Green Warbler (S) | |
| xx | Townsend'S Warbler (A) |
| Blackburnian Warbler (S) | |
| xx | Yellow-Throated Warbler (A) |
| x | Pine Warbler (C) |
| xx | Prairie Warbler (A) |
| Palm Warbler (S) | |
| Bay-Breasted Warbler (S) | |
| Blackpoll Warbler (M) | |
| Black-And-White Warbler (S) | |
| American Redstart (S) | |
| Ovenbird (S) | |
| Northern Waterthrush (S) | |
| xx | Kentucky Warbler (A) |
| Connecticut Warbler (S) | |
| Mourning Warbler (S) | |
| Common Yellowthroat (S) | |
| xx | Hooded Warbler (A) |
| Wilson'S Warbler (S) | |
| Canada Warbler (S) | |
| xx | Yellow-Breasted Chat (C) |
EMBERIZIDS |
|
| xx | Green-Tailed Towhee (A) |
| xx | Spotted Towhee (A) |
| xx | Eastern Towhee (W) |
| xx | Cassin'S Sparrow (A) |
| American Tree Sparrow (M) | |
| Chipping Sparrow (S) | |
| Clay-Colored Sparrow (S) | |
| xx | Brewer'S Sparrow (A) |
| xx | Field Sparrow (C) |
| Vesper Sparrow (S) | |
| xx | Lark Sparrow (C) |
| xx | Black-Throated Sparrow (A) |
| xx | Lark Bunting (A) |
| Savannah Sparrow (S) | |
| xx | Grasshopper Sparrow (C) |
| Le Conte'S Sparrow (S) | |
| x | Nelson'S Sparrow (C) |
| Fox Sparrow (M) | |
| Song Sparrow (S) | |
| Lincoln'S Sparrow (S) | |
| Swamp Sparrow (S) | |
| White-Throated Sparrow (S) | |
| Harris'S Sparrow (M) | |
| White-Crowned Sparrow (M) | |
| xx | Golden-Crowned Sparrow (A) |
| Dark-Eyed Junco (S) | |
| Lapland Longspur (M) | |
| x | Smith'S Longspur (C) |
| xx | Chestnut-Collared Longspur (A) |
| Snow Bunting (M) | |
TANAGERS |
|
| xx | Summer Tanager (C) |
| Scarlet Tanager (S) | |
| xx | Western Tanager (C) |
CARDINALS and allies |
|
| Northern Cardinal (P) | |
| Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (S) | |
| xx | Black-Headed Grosbeak (A) |
| xx | Blue Grosbeak (A) |
| xx | Lazuli Bunting (C) |
| Indigo Bunting (S) | |
| xx | Painted Bunting (A) |
| xx | Dickcissel (C) |
BLACKBIRDS |
|
| Bobolink (S) | |
| Red-Winged Blackbird (S) | |
| x | Eastern Meadowlark (C) |
| Western Meadowlark (M) | |
| Yellow-Headed Blackbird (M) | |
| Rusty Blackbird (S) | |
| Brewer'S Blackbird (S) | |
| Common Grackle (S) | |
| Brown-Headed Cowbird (S) | |
| xx | Orchard Oriole (A) |
| xx | Bullock's Oriole (A) |
| Baltimore Oriole (M) | |
| xx | Scott's Oriole (A) |
FINCHES |
|
| xx | Gray-Crowned Rosy Finch (C) |
| Pine Grosbeak (W) | |
| Purple Finch (S) | |
| House Finch (P) | |
| Red Crossbill (P) | |
| White-Winged Crossbill (P) | |
| Common Redpoll (W) | |
| Hoary Redpoll (W) | |
| Pine Siskin (P) | |
| American Goldfinch (S) | |
| Evening Grosbeak (P) | |
OLD WORLD SPARROWS |
|
| House Sparrow (P) | |
