Riding Mountain Bird Checklist

In the following checklist, species known to breed within Riding Mountain National Park are indicated by a (***), and those suspected of breeding are indicated by a (?).

Seasons are defined as follows: Spring - April to late June, Summer - July and August, Fall - September to early November, and Winter - November to March.

Key to Seasonal Abundance Values in the Checklist:

A - Abundant: Likely to be found on all outings, often widespread or in large flocks.

C - Common: Likely to be found on most outings, sometimes in large numbers.

U - Uncommon: Likely to be found from time to time every year, usually in small numbers.

R - Rare: Found only a few times per year, or at only a few localities, usually in small numbers.

O - Occasional: Not found annually, commonly, only single birds are found.

Abundance values represent the maximum during the given period. For example, a species that is absent until mid-May, but then arrives in large numbers, would be listed as Common or Abundant in Spring. These values therefore reflect the ease with which a species can be found in its preferred habitat during a certain time of the year, and not necessarily its absolute abundance. The 262 birds in this list are grouped according to Families, and names follow the A.O.U. Checklist of North American Birds (6th ed., 1983) and its supplements.

( __ )

 Common Loon

***

C

C

C

-

 

( __ )

 Clark's Grebe

-

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Eared Grebe

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Horned Grebe

***

C

U

C

-

( __ )

 Pied-billed Grebe

***

C

U

C

-

( __ )

 Red-necked Grebe

***

C

U

C

-

( __ )

 Western Grebe

-

U

U

U

-

 

( __ )

 American White Pelican

-

U

U

-

-

 

( __ )

 Double-crested Cormorant

***

C

C

-

-

 

( __ )

 American Bittern

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Black-crowned Night-Heron

***

C

C

-

-

( __ )

 Great Blue Heron

***

C

C

U

-

( __ )

 Great Egret

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Snowy Egret

-

O

-

-

-

 

( __ )

 Tundra Swan

-

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Canada Goose

***

A

U

A

-

( __ )

 Greater White-fronted Goose

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Ross' Goose

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Snow Goose

-

A

-

A

-

( __ )

 American Black Duck

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 American Wigeon

-

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Blue-winged Teal

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Gadwall

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Green-winged Teal

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Mallard

***

A

A

A

R

( __ )

 Northern Pintail

***

A

C

A

-

( __ )

 Northern Shoveler

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Wood Duck

***

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Black Scoter

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Bufflehead

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Canvasback

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Common Goldeneye

***

A

C

A

-

( __ )

 Common Merganser

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Greater Scaup

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Hooded Merganser

***

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Lesser Scaup

***

A

C

A

-

( __ )

 Red-breasted Merganser

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Redhead

***

C

U

C

-

( __ )

 Ring-necked Duck

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Ruddy Duck

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 White-winged Scoter

***

R

R

R

-

 

( __ )

 Turkey Vulture

***

U

U

U

-

 

( __ )

 Bald Eagle

***

U

U

U

R

( __ )

 Golden Eagle

-

R

-

R

R

( __ )

 Broad-winged Hawk

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Cooper's Hawk

***

U

U

U

R

( __ )

 Northern Goshawk

***

U

U

U

U

( __ )

 Northern Harrier

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Red-tailed Hawk

***

A

A

A

R

( __ )

 Rough-legged Hawk

-

C

-

C

R

( __ )

 Sharp-shinned Hawk

***

C

U

C

-

( __ )

 Swainson's Hawk

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Osprey

***

R

R

R

-

 

( __ )

 American Kestrel

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Gyrfalcon

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Merlin

***

C

C

C

R

( __ )

 Peregrine Falcon

-

O

-

-

-

 

( __ )

 Gray (Hungarian) Partridge

***

R

R

R

R

( __ )

 Ring-necked Pheasant

?

R

R

R

R

( __ )

 Ruffed Grouse

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 Sharp-tailed Grouse

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 Spruce Grouse

***

U

U

U

U

 

( __ )

 Wild Turkey

***

R

R

R

R

 

( __ )

 American Coot

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Sora

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Virginia Rail

***

U

U

U

-

 

( __ )

 Sandhill Crane

-

U

U

U

-

 

( __ )

 American Golden Plover

-

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Black-bellied Plover

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Killdeer

***

A

C

A

-

( __ )

 Semipalmated Plover

-

U

-

U

-

 

( __ )

 American Avocet

***

R

R

R

-

 

( __ )

 American Woodcock

***

R

R

R

-

( __ )

 Baird's Sandpiper

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Common Snipe

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Dunlin

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Greater Yellowlegs

-

C

-

C

-

( __ )

 Least Sandpiper

-

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Lesser Yellowlegs

-

C

-

C

-

( __ )

 Marbled Godwit

***

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Pectoral Sandpiper

-

C

-

C

-

( __ )

 Red Knot

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Red-necked Phalarope

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Ruddy Turnstone

-

U

-

R

-

( __ )

 Sanderling

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Semipalmated Sandpiper

-

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Short-billed Dowitcher

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Solitary Sandpiper

***

C

U

C

-

( __ )

 Spotted Sandpiper

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Stilt Sandpiper

-

R

-

R

-

( __ )

 Upland Sandpiper

***

R

R

-

-

( __ )

 White-rumped Sandpiper

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Willet

?

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Wilson's Phalarope

?

U

U

U

-

 

( __ )

 Bonaparte's Gull

***

U

R

U

-

( __ )

 California Gull

-

R

-

-

-

( __ )

 Franklin's Gull

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Herring Gull

-

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Ring-billed Gull

***

A

C

A

-

( __ )

 Sabine's Gull

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Black Tern

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Caspian Tern

-

R

R

-

-

( __ )

 Common Tern

-

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Forster's Tern

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Parasitic Jaeger

-

O

-

-

-

 

( __ )

 Band-tailed Pigeon

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Mourning Dove

***

A

A

A

R

( __ )

 Rock Dove

***

C

C

C

C

 

( __ )

 Black-billed Cuckoo

-

U

U

R

-

 

( __ )

 Barred Owl

***

U

U

U

U

( __ )

 Eastern Screech Owl

***

R

R

R

-

( __ )

 Great Gray Owl

***

R

R

R

R

( __ )

 Great Horned Owl

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 Long-eared Owl

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Northern Hawk Owl

***

R

R

R

R

( __ )

 Northern Saw-whet Owl

***

C

C

U

R

( __ )

 Short-eared Owl

***

U

U

U

R

( __ )

 Snowy Owl

-

-

-

-

U

 

( __ )

 Common Nighthawk

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Whip-poor-will

?

O

-

-

-

 

( __ )

 Chimney Swift

***

U

U

-

-

 

( __ )

 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Rufous Hummingbird

-

O

-

-

-

 

( __ )

 Belted Kingfisher

***

C

C

C

-

 

( __ )

 Northern Flicker

***

A

C

A

-

( __ )

 Black-backed Woodpecker

***

U

U

U

U

( __ )

 Downy Woodpecker

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 Hairy Woodpecker

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 Pileated Woodpecker

***

U

U

U

U

( __ )

 Red-headed Woodpecker

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Three-toed Woodpecker

***

U

U

U

U

( __ )

 Red-breasted Sapsucker

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

***

A

C

C

-

 

( __ )

 Alder Flycatcher

***

C

C

R

-

( __ )

 Great Crested Flycatcher

***

C

C

-

-

( __ )

 Least Flycatcher

***

A

A

R

-

( __ )

 Olive-sided Flycatcher

***

C

C

R

-

( __ )

 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

***

R

R

-

-

( __ )

 Eastern Kingbird

***

C

C

R

-

( __ )

 Western Kingbird

***

U

U

R

-

( __ )

 Eastern Phoebe

***

C

C

-

-

( __ )

 Eastern Wood-Pewee

***

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Western Wood-Pewee

***

U

U

-

-

 

( __ )

 Horned Lark

***

A

U

C

R

 

( __ )

 Bank Swallow

***

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Barn Swallow

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Cliff Swallow

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Tree Swallow

***

A

A

R

-

( __ )

 Purple Martin

***

U

U

-

-

 

( __ )

 American Crow

***

A

A

A

R

( __ )

 Black-billed Magpie

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 Blue Jay

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 Common Raven

***

A

A

A

A

( __ )

 Gray Jay

***

A

A

A

A

 

( __ )

 Black-capped Chickadee

***

A

A

A

A

( __ )

 Boreal Chickadee

***

C

C

C

C

 

( __ )

 Red-breasted Nuthatch

***

C

C

C

C

( __ )

 White-breasted Nuthatch

***

C

C

C

C

 

( __ )

 Brown Creeper

***

U

U

U

R

 

( __ )

 House Wren

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Marsh Wren

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Sedge Wren

***

C

C

U

-

( __ )

 Winter Wren

***

R

R

R

-

 

( __ )

 American Robin

***

A

A

A

R

( __ )

 Eastern Bluebird

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Mountain Bluebird

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Golden-crowned Kinglet

***

C

C

C

R

( __ )

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Gray-cheeked Thrush

-

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Hermit Thrush

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Swainson's Thrush

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Varied Thrush

-

O

-

O

-

( __ )

 Wood Thrush

***

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Veery

***

C

C

R

-

 

( __ )

 Brown Thrasher

***

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Gray Catbird

***

C

C

-

-

 

( __ )

 American Pipit

***

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Sprague's Pipit

***

U

U

R

-

 

( __ )

 Bohemian Waxwing

?

-

-

R

U

( __ )

 Cedar Waxwing

***

A

A

U

-

 

( __ )

 Loggerhead Shrike

***

U

U

R

-

( __ )

 Northern Shrike

-

-

-

R

U

 

( __ )

 European Starling

***

C

C

C

U

 

( __ )

 Philadelphia Vireo

***

U

U

R

-

( __ )

 Red-eyed Vireo

***

A

A

U

-

( __ )

 Solitary Vireo

***

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Warbling Vireo

***

U

U

R

-

( __ )

 Yellow-throated Vireo

***

R

R

-

-

 

( __ )

 American Redstart

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Bay-breasted Warbler

***

U

R

U

-

( __ )

 Black-and-white Warbler

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Blackburnian Warbler

***

C

C

U

-

( __ )

 Blackpoll Warbler

-

C

-

C

-

( __ )

 Black-throated Blue Warbler

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Black-throated Green Warbler

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Canada Warbler

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Cape May Warbler

***

C

U

R

-

( __ )

 Chestnut-sided Warbler

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Common Yellowthroat

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Connecticut Warbler

***

U

U

R

-

( __ )

 Golden-winged Warbler

***

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Magnolia Warbler

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Mourning Warbler

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Nashville Warbler

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Northern Parula

?

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Northern Waterthrush

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Orange-crowned Warbler

***

C

U

C

-

( __ )

 Ovenbird

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Palm Warbler

?

C

-

C

-

( __ )

 Pine Warbler

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Prairie Warbler

-

-

O

-

-

( __ )

 Tennessee Warbler

***

A

C

C

-

( __ )

 Wilson's Warbler

?

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 Yellow Warbler

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

***

A

C

A

-

( __ )

 Indigo Bunting

***

U

U

-

-

( __ )

 Lazuli Bunting

?

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Northern Cardinal

?

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

***

C

C

U

-

( __ )

 Scarlet Tanager

***

R

R

-

-

( __ )

 Summer Tanager

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Western Tanager

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 American Tree Sparrow

-

C

-

C

-

( __ )

 Chestnut-collared Longspur

-

R

R

-

-

( __ )

 Chipping Sparrow

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Clay-colored Sparrow

***

C

C

U

-

( __ )

 Dark-eyed Junco

***

A

C

A

R

( __ )

 Eastern Towhee

***

U

U

U

-

( __ )

 Fox Sparrow

-

C

-

U

-

( __ )

 Harris Sparrow

-

C

-

U

-

( __ )

 Lapland Longspur

-

C

-

C

R

( __ )

 Lark Bunting

-

O

-

-

-

( __ )

 Lark Sparrow

***

R

R

R

-

( __ )

 Le Conte's Sparrow

***

U

R

U

-

( __ )

 Lincoln's Sparrow

***

A

C

C

-

( __ )

 Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

***

R

R

R

-

( __ )

 Savannah Sparrow

***

C

U

U

-

( __ )

 Snow Bunting

-

-

-

C

A

( __ )

 Song Sparrow

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 Swamp Sparrow

***

C

C

U

-

( __ )

 Vesper Sparrow

***

C

C

C

-

( __ )

 White-crowned Sparrow

-

U

-

U

-

( __ )

 White-throated Sparrow

***

A

A

C

-

( __ )

 Bobolink

***

C

C

R

-

( __ )

 Brewer's Blackbird

***

U

U

U

R

( __ )

 Brown-headed Cowbird

***

A

A

U

-

( __ )

 Common Grackle

***

A

C

C

-

( __ )

 Baltimore Oriole

***

C

U

R

-

( __ )

 Red-winged Blackbird

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Rusty Blackbird

***

U

R

U

-

( __ )

 Western Meadowlark

***

A

A

A

-

( __ )

 Yellow-headed Blackbird

***

C

C

C

-

 

( __ )

 American Goldfinch

***

A

A

C

R

( __ )

 Common Redpoll

-

-

-

U

A

( __ )

 Evening Grosbeak

***

C

U

C

C

( __ )

 Hoary Redpoll

-

-

-

R

U

( __ )

 Pine Grosbeak

-

-

-

R

C

( __ )

 Pine Siskin

***

A

C

A

U

( __ )

 Purple Finch

***

C

C

C

R

( __ )

 Red Crossbill

?

U

U

U

U

( __ )

 White-winged Crossbill

***

U

U

U

U

 

( __ )

 House Sparrow

***

C

C

C

C