Birds of North America checklist (part one)
Check all the birds you have seen in your life. Even if you're not a birder, this poll is for you! You can check off every bird you have seen; if you don't know what one bird is, look it up online by opening a new window/tab. Got it? I'll be interested to see the results, so please take!
Check all the waterfowl. (Ducks)
| 93% (14) | Mallard (the green-headed duck you usually see in parks) | |
|---|---|---|
| 66% (10) | American Black duck (northeast only) | |
| 26% (4) | Mottled duck (gulf coast area only) | |
| 53% (8) | Northern pintail | |
| 40% (6) | Gadwall | |
| 53% (8) | American wigeon | |
| 13% (2) | Eurasian wigeon | |
| 60% (9) | Green-winged Teal | |
| 46% (7) | Blue-winged Teal | |
| 20% (3) | Cinnamon teal | |
| 13% (2) | Garganey (rare) | |
| 40% (6) | Northern shoveler | |
| 40% (6) | Lesser scaup | |
| 33% (5) | Greater scaup | |
| 66% (10) | Ring-necked duck | |
| 26% (4) | Tufted duck | |
| 33% (5) | Canvasback | |
| 26% (4) | Redhead | |
| 6% (1) | Common pochard | |
| 20% (3) | Long-tailed Duck (formerly called Oldsquaw) | |
| 13% (2) | Surf scoter | |
| 13% (2) | White-winged Scoter | |
| 20% (3) | Black Scoter | |
| 20% (3) | Harlequin duck | |
| 26% (4) | Common eider | |
| 20% (3) | King eider | |
| 13% (2) | Steller's eider | |
| 20% (3) | Spectacled eider | |
| 20% (3) | Common goldeneye | |
| 13% (2) | Barrow's Goldeneye | |
| 46% (7) | Bufflehead | |
| 53% (8) | Ruddy duck | |
| 20% (3) | Masked duck | |
| 60% (9) | Common merganser | |
| 46% (7) | Red-breasted merganser | |
| 46% (7) | Hooded merganser | |
| 13% (2) | Smew (rare) | |
| 66% (10) | Wood duck | |
| 20% (3) | Black-bellied whistling-duck (Southeast) | |
| 20% (3) | Fulvous Whistling-duck (gulf area only) | |
| 46% (7) | Muscovy duck |
15 voters have answered this question.
Geese and Swans.
| 100% (15) | Canada Goose | |
|---|---|---|
| 33% (5) | Cackling Goose | |
| 20% (3) | Greater White-fronted Goose | |
| 26% (4) | Brant | |
| 66% (10) | Snow goose | |
| 26% (4) | Ross's goose | |
| 20% (3) | Emporer Goose | |
| 13% (2) | Barnacle Goose | |
| 80% (12) | Mute Swan | |
| 33% (5) | Tundra swan | |
| 46% (7) | Trumpeter Swan |
15 voters have answered this question.
"Gamebirds." Some are introduced; almost all have very restricted ranges, so if you're not sure of a bird, be sure to look up a photo of its range.
| 13% (2) | Plain Chachalaca | |
|---|---|---|
| 26% (4) | California Quail | |
| 26% (4) | Gambel's Quail | |
| 20% (3) | Montezuma Quail | |
| 13% (2) | Mountain Quail | |
| 46% (7) | Northern Bobwhite | |
| 20% (3) | Scaled Quail | |
| 20% (3) | Chukar | |
| 20% (3) | Gray Partridge | |
| 13% (2) | Greater Prairie-chicken | |
| 13% (2) | Lesser Prairie-chicken | |
| 13% (2) | Greater Sage-grouse | |
| 6% (1) | Gunnison Sage-grouse | |
| 13% (2) | Himalayan Snowcock (There's only one place you can see them, and you have to go on a separate trip that is targeted of seeing them, so unless you went on a trip to see a himalayan snowcock, you didn't see one!) | |
| 60% (9) | Ring-necked Pheasant | |
| 13% (2) | Rock ptarmigan | |
| 6% (1) | Willow ptarmigan | |
| 6% (1) | White-tailed ptarmigan | |
| 13% (2) | Sharp-tailed Grouse | |
| 46% (7) | Ruffed Grouse | |
| 6% (1) | Sooty Grouse | |
| 6% (1) | Dusky Grouse | |
| 13% (2) | Spruce Grouse | |
| 93% (14) | Wild turkey |
15 voters have answered this question.
Loons and grebes.
| 81% (9) | Common loon | |
|---|---|---|
| 18% (2) | Yellow-billed loon (restricted range) | |
| 45% (5) | Red-throated loon | |
| 18% (2) | Pacific Loon | |
| 18% (2) | Arctic loon (VERY restricted range; Alaska only) | |
| 9% (1) | Western Grebe | |
| 9% (1) | Clark's grebe | |
| 54% (6) | Pied-billed Grebe | |
| 18% (2) | Least Grebe (Very restricted range; south Texas only) | |
| 18% (2) | Red-necked Grebe | |
| 27% (3) | Horned Grebe | |
| 18% (2) | Eared Grebe |
11 voters have answered this question.
Tubenoses. (You usually have to go on boating or sea birding trips to see them; many that are found in North America only on rare occasions aren't included.)
| 42% (3) | Black-browed Albatross | |
|---|---|---|
| 42% (3) | Black-footed Albatross | |
| 14% (1) | Short-tailed Albatross | |
| 28% (2) | Black-capped Petrel | |
| 14% (1) | Bermuda Petrel (extremely restricted range) | |
| 0% (0) | Fea's Petrel | |
| 28% (2) | Northern Fulmar | |
| 0% (0) | Mottled petrel | |
| 0% (0) | Herald Petrel | |
| 0% (0) | Murphy's Petrel | |
| 0% (0) | Cook's Petrel | |
| 0% (0) | Audubon's Shearwater | |
| 14% (1) | Black-vented Shearwater | |
| 14% (1) | Buller's Shearwater | |
| 14% (1) | Flesh-footed Shearwater | |
| 28% (2) | Manx Shearwater | |
| 14% (1) | Greater Shearwater | |
| 14% (1) | Sooty Shearwater | |
| 14% (1) | Pink-footed Shearwater | |
| 14% (1) | Short-tailed Shearwater |
7 voters have answered this question.
Storm-petrels and tropicbirds. Some have restricted ranges, and some are rarer than others; you usually have to go on sea birding trips to see these.
| 83% (5) | Wilson's Storm-petrel | |
|---|---|---|
| 33% (2) | Leach's Storm-petrel | |
| 16% (1) | Band-rumped Storm-Petrel | |
| 33% (2) | Black Storm-Petrel | |
| 0% (0) | Ashy Storm-Petrel | |
| 16% (1) | Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel | |
| 16% (1) | Least Storm-Petrel | |
| 16% (1) | Red-billed tropicbird | |
| 16% (1) | Red-tailed tropicbird (super rare) | |
| 0% (0) | White-tailed Tropicbird |
6 voters have answered this question.
Frigatebirds, Boobies, Cormorants, and Pelicans. Boobies have restricted ranges; the northern gannet does not, and is widespread along the east coast.
| 28% (4) | Magnificent Frigatebird | |
|---|---|---|
| 21% (3) | Blue-footed Booby | |
| 7% (1) | Red-footed Booby | |
| 14% (2) | Masked Booby | |
| 21% (3) | Brown Booby | |
| 35% (5) | Northern Gannet | |
| 7% (1) | Brandt's Cormorant | |
| 42% (6) | Double-crested Cormorant | |
| 28% (4) | Great Cormorant | |
| 21% (3) | Neotropic Cormorant | |
| 14% (2) | Pelagic Cormorant | |
| 14% (2) | Red-faced Cormorant (Alaska only) | |
| 57% (8) | Anhinga (Southeast; very common there, so if you've been to disney, you probably saw one.) | |
| 50% (7) | American White pelican | |
| 78% (11) | Brown Pelican |
14 voters have answered this question.
Long-legged Waders. Includes cranes and storks, even though they aren't really related to any bird in the heron/ibis family. A good bit are only found in the southeast, but others are found continent-wide, so look up range maps if you're not sure. Typing in "______ range map" , the _ being the bird, is the easiest way.
| 33% (5) | American Bittern | |
|---|---|---|
| 26% (4) | Least Bittern | |
| 80% (12) | Great Blue Heron | |
| 60% (9) | Great Egret | |
| 46% (7) | Snowy Egret | |
| 53% (8) | Cattle Egret | |
| 33% (5) | Reddish Egret | |
| 40% (6) | Tricolored heron | |
| 53% (8) | Little blue heron | |
| 60% (9) | Green heron | |
| 53% (8) | Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Do not confuse with the WAY more common Great blue heron) | |
| 53% (8) | Black-crowned Night-heron | |
| 66% (10) | White ibis | |
| 46% (7) | Glossy ibis | |
| 26% (4) | White-faced Ibis (the more western of the ibises) | |
| 53% (8) | Roseate Spoonbill | |
| 46% (7) | Wood stork | |
| 13% (2) | Jabiru (rare, only seen on occasion in the whole continent) | |
| 40% (6) | American/Greater Flamingo | |
| 46% (7) | Sandhill Crane | |
| 40% (6) | Whooping Crane |
15 voters have answered this question.
Vultures, Kites, eagles, hawks, falcons, and other birds of prey.
| 86% (13) | Black Vulture | |
|---|---|---|
| 93% (14) | Turkey Vulture | |
| 13% (2) | California Condor (very rare, and has a now very restricted range) | |
| 73% (11) | Osprey | |
| 100% (15) | Bald eagle | |
| 73% (11) | Golden Eagle | |
| 26% (4) | Northern Harrier | |
| 13% (2) | Mississippi Kite | |
| 13% (2) | White-tailed Kite | |
| 33% (5) | Swallow-tailed Kite (restricted to Florida and rare around the gulf coast) | |
| 20% (3) | Snail Kite (endangered and restricted to florida) | |
| 73% (11) | Red-tailed Hawk (most commonly seen hawk; found in almost every part of the continent.) | |
| 40% (6) | Rough-legged Hawk | |
| 33% (5) | Ferruginous Hawk | |
| 46% (7) | Broad-winged Hawk (east only) | |
| 60% (9) | Red-shouldered Hawk (east and the west coast) | |
| 33% (5) | Gray Hawk (very restricted range) | |
| 20% (3) | Hook-billed Kite (south texas only) | |
| 20% (3) | Swainson's Hawk | |
| 26% (4) | White-tailed Hawk (Texas only) | |
| 26% (4) | Short-tailed Hawk (Florida only) | |
| 33% (5) | Harris's Hawk (southwest only) | |
| 20% (3) | Zone-tailed hawk (southwest only) | |
| 20% (3) | Common Black-hawk | |
| 20% (3) | Crested Caracara | |
| 46% (7) | Sharp-shinned Hawk | |
| 66% (10) | Cooper's hawk (the really small hawk that you see swooping low and fast through neighbor hoods; they are gray with orange and white barred underparts and they often hunt birds.) | |
| 20% (3) | Northern Goshawk | |
| 53% (8) | American Kestrel | |
| 33% (5) | Merlin | |
| 60% (9) | Peregrine Falcon | |
| 20% (3) | Prairie Falcon | |
| 26% (4) | Gyrfalcon |
15 voters have answered this question.
Rails, Gallinules, Coots, and Limpkin. (A lot of them are only found along coasts or the east, so check range maps online.)
| 40% (4) | Limpkin | |
|---|---|---|
| 70% (7) | American Coot | |
| 70% (7) | Common moorhen | |
| 30% (3) | Purple Gallinule | |
| 10% (1) | Sora | |
| 30% (3) | Clapper Rail | |
| 20% (2) | King Rail | |
| 20% (2) | Virginia Rail | |
| 10% (1) | Black Rail | |
| 20% (2) | Yellow Rail |
10 voters have answered this question.
Plovers and relatives.
| 28% (4) | American Golden-plover | |
|---|---|---|
| 21% (3) | Pacific Golden-plover | |
| 21% (3) | Black-bellied Plover | |
| 78% (11) | Killdeer | |
| 7% (1) | Mountain Plover | |
| 57% (8) | Piping Plover | |
| 35% (5) | Semipalmated Plvoer | |
| 21% (3) | Wilson's Plover | |
| 57% (8) | American Oystercatcher | |
| 7% (1) | Black Oystercatcher | |
| 14% (2) | American Avocet | |
| 21% (3) | Black-necked Stilt | |
| 14% (2) | Northern Jacana |
14 voters have answered this question.
Sandpipers and relatives. (There are a lot of similarities and confusions in this category, so be careful and do your best.)
| 42% (6) | American Woodcock | |
|---|---|---|
| 35% (5) | Wilson's Snipe | |
| 42% (6) | Sanderling | |
| 35% (5) | Dunlin | |
| 35% (5) | Red knot | |
| 42% (6) | Least Sandpiper | |
| 42% (6) | Semipalmated Sandpiper | |
| 28% (4) | Western Sandpiper | |
| 35% (5) | Pectoral Sandpiper | |
| 14% (2) | White-rumped Sandpiper | |
| 7% (1) | Baird's Sandpiper | |
| 14% (2) | Buff-breasted Sandpiper | |
| 42% (6) | Ruddy Turnstone | |
| 14% (2) | Black Turnstone (west coast only) | |
| 14% (2) | Surfbird (west coast only) | |
| 21% (3) | Purple Sandpiper (East) | |
| 14% (2) | Rock Sandpiper (West) | |
| 35% (5) | Spotted Sandpiper | |
| 35% (5) | Solitary Sandpiper | |
| 35% (5) | Lesser Yellowlegs | |
| 35% (5) | Greater Yellowlegs | |
| 7% (1) | Wandering tattler | |
| 14% (2) | Long-billed Dowitcher | |
| 28% (4) | Short-billed Dowitcher | |
| 21% (3) | Stilt Sandpiper | |
| 28% (4) | Willet | |
| 7% (1) | Marbled Godwit | |
| 7% (1) | Hudsonian Godwit | |
| 21% (3) | Bar-tailed Godwit (Alaska only) | |
| 21% (3) | Whimbrel | |
| 7% (1) | Bristle-thighed Curlew | |
| 7% (1) | Long-billed Curlew | |
| 14% (2) | Upland Sandpiper | |
| 7% (1) | Wilson's phalarope | |
| 7% (1) | Red-necked Phalarope | |
| 7% (1) | Red phalarope | |
| 21% (3) | Eskimo Curlew (EXTINCT, but let's just say it counts if you saw a specimen in a museum :) |
14 voters have answered this question.
Gulls and Terns. There are a lot of similarities in this group, so beware; also, not all are found only on the coast. In fact, almost all gulls are found inland as well as along the coast.
| 78% (11) | Herring Gull (A common gull) | |
|---|---|---|
| 64% (9) | Ring-billed Gull (An EXTREMELY abundant gull, found all over, and is often found inland in huge flocks in winter.) | |
| 35% (5) | California Gull (common gull of the west) | |
| 28% (4) | Mew Gull | |
| 21% (3) | Western Gull (very common; west coast only) | |
| 57% (8) | Great Black-backed gull (the biggest gulls in the world and the darkest, too. Common; east coast only.) | |
| 21% (3) | Glaucous-winged Gull (west only) | |
| 28% (4) | Glaucous Gull (common mostly in the arctic, but found in the south on occasion, and common at the great lakes and niagara falls.) (Is our palest-winged common Gull, while the Great black-backed Gull is the darkest.) | |
| 14% (2) | Iceland Gull (northeastern coast only) | |
| 14% (2) | Thayer's Gull | |
| 50% (7) | Laughing Gull (very common; east coast only) | |
| 7% (1) | Franklin's Gull | |
| 21% (3) | Black-legged Kittiwake (uncommon on both coasts) | |
| 7% (1) | Sabine's Gull | |
| 14% (2) | Heermann's Gull (uncommon; coastal western USA only) | |
| 28% (4) | Forster's Tern | |
| 64% (9) | Common Tern (One of the most common terns) | |
| 21% (3) | Arctic Tern | |
| 28% (4) | Roseate Tern (scarce; only portions of the east coast) | |
| 21% (3) | Caspian Tern | |
| 35% (5) | Royal Tern (fairly common; east coast and Southern California) | |
| 21% (3) | Elegant tern (rare; coastal California) | |
| 28% (4) | Sandwich tern (east coast only) | |
| 14% (2) | Sooty tern (east coast only) | |
| 7% (1) | Bridled Tern (east coast only) | |
| 14% (2) | Aleutian Tern (Alaska Only) | |
| 21% (3) | Brown Noddy ( Only coastal south Florida) | |
| 14% (2) | Black Tern (mostly just inland; scarce) | |
| 35% (5) | Least tern (threatened but seen often in reserves, especially Cape May, NJ) | |
| 14% (2) | Gull-billed Tern | |
| 28% (4) | Black Skimmer | |
| 14% (2) | Great Skua | |
| 7% (1) | Pomarine Jaeger | |
| 14% (2) | Parasitic Jaeger | |
| 14% (2) | Long-tailed Jaeger |
14 voters have answered this question.
Auks, murres, and Puffins. (Many have restricted ranges; a good bit are only found in Alaska or on the Aleutian Islands.)
| 66% (6) | Atlantic Puffin | |
|---|---|---|
| 22% (2) | Horned Puffin (restricted range) | |
| 55% (5) | Tufted Puffin (west coast only) | |
| 44% (4) | Rhinoceros Auklet (west coast only) | |
| 33% (3) | Common Murre (both coasts in the north) | |
| 22% (2) | Thick-billed Murre | |
| 33% (3) | Razorbill | |
| 33% (3) | Great Auk (EXTINCT, but check the box anyway if you've seen a dead one in a museum.) | |
| 22% (2) | Pigeon Guillemot | |
| 22% (2) | Black Guillemot | |
| 11% (1) | Cassin's Auklet | |
| 11% (1) | Ancient Murrelet | |
| 11% (1) | Marbled Murrelet | |
| 22% (2) | Kittlitz's murrelet (rare, restricted) | |
| 22% (2) | Xantus's Murrelet (rare, restricted) | |
| 22% (2) | Craveri's Murrelet (rare, restricted) | |
| 11% (1) | Dovekie | |
| 22% (2) | Parakeet Auklet (alaska only) | |
| 22% (2) | Least Auklet (alaska only) | |
| 22% (2) | Crested Auklet (alaska only) | |
| 11% (1) | Whiskered auklet (aleutian islands only) |
9 voters have answered this question.
Pigeons and Doves. Some have restricted ranges.
| 86% (13) | Rock Pigeon (just check, I know you've seen it!) | |
|---|---|---|
| 20% (3) | Band-tailed Pigeon (restricted range in west) | |
| 26% (4) | White-crowned Pigeon (South Florida Only) | |
| 13% (2) | Red-billed pigeon (rare; extreme south texas only) | |
| 86% (13) | Mourning Dove (the common dove of towns and farms) | |
| 53% (8) | White-winged Dove | |
| 53% (8) | Eurasian Collared-dove. Southeast only. | |
| 26% (4) | Inca Dove (southwest only) |
15 voters have answered this question.
Parrots, cuckoos, and allies
| 41% (5) | Carolina Parakeet (EXTINCT, but check if you've seen them in a museum) | |
|---|---|---|
| 41% (5) | Monk Parakeet | |
| 25% (3) | Yellow-billed Cuckoo | |
| 16% (2) | Black-billed Cuckoo | |
| 33% (4) | Mangrove Cuckoo (coastal south Florida only) | |
| 25% (3) | Smooth-billed Ani (very restricted range) | |
| 25% (3) | Groove-billed Ani (very restricted range) | |
| 50% (6) | Greater Roadrunner |
12 voters have answered this question.
Owls.
| 73% (11) | Barn Owl | |
|---|---|---|
| 100% (15) | Great Horned Owl | |
| 40% (6) | Long-eared Owl | |
| 40% (6) | Short-eared Owl | |
| 66% (10) | Eastern Screech-owl | |
| 46% (7) | Western Screech-owl | |
| 20% (3) | Whiskered Screech-Owl (Southeastern Arizona only) | |
| 20% (3) | Flammulated Owl (west only) | |
| 33% (5) | Elf Owl (southwest) | |
| 46% (7) | Barred Owl | |
| 33% (5) | Spotted Owl (restricted range in west and southwest) | |
| 46% (7) | Great Gray Owl | |
| 53% (8) | Snowy Owl | |
| 26% (4) | Northern Hawk-owl | |
| 20% (3) | Northern Saw-whet Owl | |
| 26% (4) | Boreal Owl | |
| 40% (6) | Burrowing Owl | |
| 20% (3) | Northern Pygmy-Owl |
15 voters have answered this question.
Nighthawks and Nightjars. There's a lot of confusion in this category, so I narrowed the choices down to the most common.
| 80% (8) | Common Nighthawk | |
|---|---|---|
| 20% (2) | Lesser Nighthawk (southwest) | |
| 10% (1) | Common Pauraque | |
| 50% (5) | Whip-poor-will | |
| 20% (2) | Chuck-will's Widow | |
| 10% (1) | Common Poorwill |
10 voters have answered this question.
Swifts, hummers, trogons, and kingfishers.
| 84% (11) | Chimney Swift (common swift, found in towns and cities) | |
|---|---|---|
| 15% (2) | Black Swift | |
| 7% (1) | Vaux's Swift | |
| 7% (1) | White-throated Swift | |
| 69% (9) | Ruby-throated Hummingbird (The hummer of the east) | |
| 30% (4) | Black-chinned Hummingbird | |
| 23% (3) | Anna's Hummingbird | |
| 15% (2) | Costa's Hummingbird | |
| 15% (2) | Broad-tailed Hummingbird | |
| 30% (4) | Rufous Hummingbird | |
| 15% (2) | Allen's Hummingbird | |
| 15% (2) | Calliope Hummingbird | |
| 15% (2) | Broad-billed Hummingbird | |
| 7% (1) | Elegant Trogon | |
| 61% (8) | Belted Kingfisher | |
| 15% (2) | Ringed Kingfisher | |
| 15% (2) | Green Kingfisher |
13 voters have answered this question.
Woodpeckers. I <3 the Ivory-billed! :) By the way, I will put an "E" for woodpeckers mostly found in the east, "W" for ones of the west, "T" for Texas/Arizona only, and "B" for most of the continent.
| 53% (7) | Red-headed Woodpecker E | |
|---|---|---|
| 15% (2) | Acorn Woodpecker W | |
| 23% (3) | Lewis's Woodpecker W | |
| 15% (2) | White-headed Woodpecker W | |
| 69% (9) | Red-bellied Woodpecker E | |
| 7% (1) | Golden-fronted Woodpecker T | |
| 15% (2) | Nuttall's Woodpecker W | |
| 15% (2) | Ladder-backed Woodpecker W | |
| 69% (9) | Downy Woodpecker B | |
| 53% (7) | Hairy Woodpecker B | |
| 23% (3) | American Three-toed Woodpecker B | |
| 7% (1) | Black-backed Woodpecker B | |
| 15% (2) | Red-cockaded woodpecker (endangered) E | |
| 53% (7) | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker E | |
| 23% (3) | Red-naped Sapsucker W | |
| 15% (2) | Red-breasted Sapsucker W | |
| 7% (1) | Williamson's Sapsucker W | |
| 23% (3) | Arizona Woodpecker T | |
| 46% (6) | Northern Flicker B | |
| 15% (2) | Gilded Flicker T | |
| 46% (6) | Pileated Woodpecker B | |
| 15% (2) | Ivory-billed Woodpecker E (AWESOME BIRDEE! Rediscovered; thought extinct till 2004 when a video was taken of one. Now, only seen a few times a month, it is critically endangered. I HIGHLY doubt you've seen one.) |
13 voters have answered this question.
Last group; Swallows.
| 78% (11) | Purple Martin | |
|---|---|---|
| 71% (10) | Tree Swallow | |
| 7% (1) | Violet-Green Swallow | |
| 85% (12) | Barn Swallow | |
| 21% (3) | Cliff Swallow | |
| 7% (1) | Cave Swallow | |
| 21% (3) | Bank Swallow | |
| 35% (5) | Northern Rough-winged Swallow |
14 voters have answered this question.
You're done! But there's a part 2 to this checklist! I'll give you a break.
| 25% (4) | Phew! Glad that's over! That was the longest poll ever! | |
|---|---|---|
| 62% (10) | Okay, see ya. Good poll. | |
| 18% (3) | I was so confused! I'm not a good birder.. | |
| 18% (3) | I am NOT doing a part 2! I'm sick of this! |
16 voters have answered this question.
This poll was created on 2012-08-22 21:53:20
by Emrald Ye
