List of birds of Ontario

Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae The family Anatidae includes ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils. • Black-bellied whistling duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (A) • Fulvous whistling duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (A) • Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (B) • Ross's goose, Anser rossii (B) • Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons • Tundra bean goose, Anser serrirostris (A) • Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus (A) • Brant, Branta bernicla • Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis (A) • Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii • Canada goose, Branta canadensis (B) • Mute swan, Cygnus olor (B) (I) • Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator (B) • Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (B) • Wood duck, Aix sponsa (B) • Garganey, Spatula querquedula (A) • Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (B) • Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera (A) (B) • Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (B) • Gadwall, Mareca strepera (B) • Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope • American wigeon, Mareca americana (B) • Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (B) • American black duck, Anas rubripes (B) • Mottled duck, Anas fulvigula (A) • Northern pintail, Anas acuta (B) • Green-winged teal, Anas crecca (B) • Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (B) • Redhead, Aythya americana (B) • Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris (B) • Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula (A) • Greater scaup, Aythya marila (B) • Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis (B) • King eider, Somateria spectabilis (B) • Common eider, Somateria mollissima (B) • Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus • Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata (B) • White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi (B) • Black scoter, Melanitta americana (B) • Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis (B) • Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola (B) • Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula (B) • Barrow's goldeneye, Bucephala islandica • Smew, Mergellus albellus (A) • Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus (B) • Common merganser, Mergus merganser (B) • Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator (B) • Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (B) File:Canada-Goose-Szmurlo.jpg|Canada goose File:Höckerschwan.jpg|Mute swan File:Greater-scaup-male2.jpg|Greater scaup File:Bristol.zoo.common.eider.arp.jpg|Common eider File:Bucephala clangula.jpg|Common goldeneye File:Kappensäger männlich seitlich 050501.jpg|Hooded merganser ==New World quail==

Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits. • Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus (B) ==Pheasants, grouse, and allies==

Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of pheasants, partridges, grouse, turkeys, and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans. • Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (B) • Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus (B) • Spruce grouse, Canachites canadensis (B) • Willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus (B) • Rock ptarmigan, Lagopus muta (A) • Sharp-tailed grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus (B) • Greater prairie chicken, Tympanuchus cupido (Ex) • Grey partridge, Perdix perdix (B) (I) • Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (B) (I) ==Grebes==

Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae Grebes small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. • Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps (B) • Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus (B) • Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena (B) • Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (B) • Western grebe, Aechmorphorus occidentalis (A) ==Pigeons and doves==

Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. • Rock pigeon, Columba livia (B) (I) • White-crowned pigeon, Patagioenas leucocephala (A) • Band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata (A) • Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (I) • Passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (E) • Inca dove, Columbina inca (A) • Common ground dove, Columbina passerina (A) • White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica • Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (B) ==Cuckoos==

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. • Groove-billed ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris (A) • Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (B) • Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (B) ==Nightjars and allies==

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae Nightjars are medium-sized ground-nesting nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. • Lesser nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis (A) • Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (B) • Common poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii (A) • Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis (B) • Eastern whip-poor-will, Antrostomus vociferus (B) ==Swifts==

Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. • Black swift, Cypseloides niger (A) • White-collared swift, Streptoprocne zonaris (A) • Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (B) ==Hummingbirds==

Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backward. • Mexican violetear, Colibri thalassinus (A) • Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris (B) • Black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri (A) • Anna's hummingbird, Calypte anna (A) • Costa's hummingbird, Calypte costae (A) • Calliope hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope (A) • Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus (A) • Broad-billed hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris (A) ==Rails, gallinules, and coots==

Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots. The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general, they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers. • King rail, Rallus elegans (B) • Virginia rail, Rallus limicola (B) • Sora, Porzana carolina (B) • Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata (B) • American coot, Fulica americana (B) • Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (A) • Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis (B) • Black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis (A) ==Limpkins==

Order: GruiformesFamily: Aramidae The limpkin is a large wading bird that feeds on molluscs, especially apple snails. • Limpkin, Aramus guarauna (A) ==Cranes==

Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". • Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (B) • Whooping crane, Grus americana (A) ==Stilts and avocets==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. • Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (A) (B) • American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (B) ==Oystercatchers==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large, obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. • American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus (A) ==Plovers and lapwings==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water. • Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola • American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica (B) • Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus (A) • Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (B) • Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A) • Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (B) • Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (B) • Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus (A) • Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia (A) • Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus (A) • Mountain plover, Charadrius montanus (A) ==Sandpipers and allies==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. • Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (B) • Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus (B) • Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis (A) (possibly extinct) • Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (A) • Slender-billed curlew, Numenius tenuirostris (A) • Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (A) • Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica (B) • Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa (B) • Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres • Red knot, Calidris canutus • Ruff, Calidris pugnax • Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (A) • Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus (B) • Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A) • Sanderling, Calidris alba • Dunlin, Calidris alpina (B) • Purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima • Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii • Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) • Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla (B) • White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis • Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis • Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (B) • Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla (B) • Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri • Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus (B) • Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus • American woodcock, Scolopax minor (B) • Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata (B) • Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia (B) • Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (B) • Wandering tattler, Tringa incana (A) • Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (B) • Willet, Tringa semipalmata • Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus • Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis (A) • Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (B) • Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor (B) • Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (B) • Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius File:Catoptrophorus semipalmatus edit.jpg|Willet File:Western Sandpiper.jpg|Western sandpiper File:Calidris-alpina-001 edit.jpg|Dunlin File:Wilson's Snipe on a fencepost, central Utah.jpg|Wilson's snipe File:RedNeckedPhalaropeIceland2006.jpg|Red-necked phalarope ==Skuas and jaegers==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae The family Stercorariidae are large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. They are strong, acrobatic fliers. • Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus • Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (B) • Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus ==Auks, murres, and puffins==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture, and some of their habits, however, they are only distantly related to the penguins and are able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest. • Dovekie, Alle alle (A) • Thick-billed murre, Uria lomvia (A) • Razorbill, Alca torda (A) • Black guillemot, Cepphus grylle (B) • Long-billed murrelet, Brachyramphus perdix (A) • Ancient murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus (A) • Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica (A) ==Gulls, terns, and skimmers==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns, kittiwakes, and skimmers. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. • Black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla • Ivory gull, Pagophila eburnea (A) • Sabine's gull, Xema sabini • Bonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia (B) • Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus • Little gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus (B) • Ross's gull, Rhodostethia rosea (A) • Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla • Franklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan • Black-tailed gull, Larus crassirostris (A) • Heermann's gull, Larus heermanni (A) • Common gull, Larus canus (A) • Short-billed gull, Larus brachyrhynchus (A) • Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis (B) • California gull, Larus californicus (A) (B) • Herring gull, Larus argentatus (B) • Iceland gull, Larus glaucoides • Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus • Slaty-backed gull, Larus schistisagus (A) • Glaucous-winged gull, Larus glaucescens (A) • Glaucous gull, Larus hyperboreus • Great black-backed gull, Larus marinus (B) • Kelp gull, Larus dominicanus (A) • Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus (A) • Least tern, Sternula antillarum (A) • Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (B) • Black tern, Chlidonias niger (B) • White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus (A) • Common tern, Sterna hirundo (B) • Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea (B) • Forster's tern, Sterna forsteri (B) • Royal tern, Thalasseus maximus (A) • Sandwich tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis (A) • Elegant tern, Thalasseus elegans (A) • Black skimmer, Rynchops niger (A) File:Laughing gull - natures pics.jpg|Laughing gull File:Larus-delawarensis-021.jpg|Ring-billed gull File:Larus-glaucoides-002.jpg|Iceland gull File:Chlidonias niger.jpg|Black tern ==Loons==

Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae Loons, known as divers in Europe, are aquatic birds the size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. Their plumage is largely grey or black, and they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well and fly adequately, but, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body, are almost helpless on land. • Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata (B) • Pacific loon, Gavia pacifica (B) • Common loon, Gavia immer (B) • Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsii (A) ==Albatrosses==