List of birds of Manitoba

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The great grey owl is the official provincial bird of Manitoba Strix nebulosaRB.jpg
The great grey owl is the official provincial bird of Manitoba

This list of birds of Manitoba includes all the bird species confirmed in the Canadian province of Manitoba as determined by the Manitoba Avian Research Committee (MARC). As of 2021 there were 404 species on this list. [1] Of them, 70 are rare or accidental, 23 are classed as occasional, and eight have been introduced to Manitoba or elsewhere in North America. One species is extinct and two species have been extirpated; one of them might be extinct.

Contents

This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 62nd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). [2] Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that Canadian English spellings are used and the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.

The following codes are used to describe some categories of occurrence. The MARC Checklist provides abundance codes by region and season, and species may be abundant at one time and place and accidental in another. Therefore, an (A) or (O) code is used here only if the Checklist does not have a code for greater abundance anywhere.


Ducks, geese, and waterfowl

Canada goose Canada-Goose-Szmurlo.jpg
Canada goose
Mute swan Hockerschwan.jpg
Mute swan
Greater scaup Greater-scaup-male2.jpg
Greater scaup
Common eider Bristol.zoo.common.eider.arp.jpg
Common eider
Common goldeneye Bucephala clangula.jpg
Common goldeneye
Hooded merganser Kappensager mannlich seitlich 050501.jpg
Hooded merganser

Order: Anseriformes    Family: 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.

Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Ruffed grouse RuffedGrouse23.jpg
Ruffed grouse

Order: Galliformes    Family: 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.

Grebes

Horned grebe Podiceps auritus1.jpg
Horned grebe

Order: Podicipediformes    Family: 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.

Pigeons and doves

Mourning dove Zenaida macroura1.jpg
Mourning dove

Order: Columbiformes    Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Cuckoos

Yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus-americanus-001.jpg
Yellow-billed cuckoo

Order: Cuculiformes    Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

Nightjars and allies

Common nighthawk Common Nighthawk.JPG
Common nighthawk

Order: Caprimulgiformes    Family: 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.

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes    Family: 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.

Hummingbirds

Ruby-throated hummingbird Rubythroathummer65.jpg
Ruby-throated hummingbird

Order: Apodiformes    Family: 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.

Rails, gallinules, and coots

American coot Fulica americana.jpg
American coot

Order: Gruiformes    Family: 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.

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes    Family: 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".

Stilts and avocets

American avocet AmericanAvocet23.jpg
American avocet

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: 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.

Plovers and lapwings

Killdeer Killdeer.jpg
Killdeer

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: 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.

Sandpipers and allies

Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus edit.jpg
Willet
Western sandpiper Western Sandpiper.jpg
Western sandpiper
Dunlin Calidris-alpina-001 edit.jpg
Dunlin
Wilson's snipe Common snipe fencepost.jpg
Wilson's snipe
Red-necked phalarope RedNeckedPhalaropeIceland2006.jpg
Red-necked phalarope

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: 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.

Skuas and jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: 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.

Auks, murres, and puffins

Black guillemot Tystie1.jpg
Black guillemot

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: 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.

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Laughing gull Laughing gull - natures pics.jpg
Laughing gull
Ring-billed gull Larus-delawarensis-021.jpg
Ring-billed gull
Iceland gull Larus-glaucoides-002.jpg
Iceland gull
Black tern Chlidonias niger.jpg
Black tern

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: 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.

Loons

Red-throated loon RedthroatedLoon23.jpg
Red-throated loon

Order: Gaviiformes    Family: 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.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes    Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They lack the powder down that other wading birds such as herons, spoonbills, and ibises use to clean off fish slime. Storks lack a pharynx and are mute. One species occurs in Ontario as an accidental.

Boobies and gannets

Northern gannet Northern Gannet 2006 2.jpg
Northern gannet

Order: Suliformes    Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Cormorants and shags

Double-crested cormorant Phalacrocorax-auritus-007.jpg
Double-crested cormorant

Order: Suliformes    Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed.

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes    Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus 28079.JPG
American bittern
Great blue heron Great Blue Heron On Rock1.jpg
Great blue heron

Order: Pelecaniformes    Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and warier. Unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills, members of this family fly with their necks retracted.

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes    Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which comprises the ibises and spoonbills. Its members have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary flight feathers. They are strong fliers and, despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

New World vultures

Turkey vulture Turkey vulture Bluff.jpg
Turkey vulture

Order: Cathartiformes    Family: Cathartidae

The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carcasses.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes    Family: Pandionidae

Pandionidae is a family of fish-eating birds of prey possessing a very large, powerful hooked beak for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. The family is monotypic.

Hawks, eagles, and kites

Red-tailed hawk Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Full Body 1880px.jpg
Red-tailed hawk
Golden eagle GoldenEagle-Nova.jpg
Golden eagle

Order: Accipitriformes    Family: Accipitridae

The Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds mostly have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.

Barn-owls

Order: Strigiformes    Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Owls

Northern saw-whet owl Northern Saw-whet Owl, Reifel BC 1.jpg
Northern saw-whet owl

Order: Strigiformes    Family: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes    Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Woodpeckers

Downy woodpecker Downy Woodpecker01.jpg
Downy woodpecker

Order: Piciformes    Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers, sapsuckers, and flickers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

Falcons and caracaras

Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus nest USFWS.jpg
Peregrine falcon

Order: Falconiformes    Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Tyrant flycatchers

Acadian flycatcher Acadian Flycatcher.jpg
Acadian flycatcher
Least flycatcher Empidonax-minimus-001.jpg
Least flycatcher
Eastern kingbird Tyrannus-tyrannus-001.jpg
Eastern kingbird

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most are rather plain. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.

Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis

Yellow-throated vireo Vireo-flavifrons-001.jpg
Yellow-throated vireo

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Vireonidae

The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills.

Shrikes

Northern shrike Lanius excubitor 1 (Marek Szczepanek).jpg
Northern shrike

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for the habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.

Crows, jays, and magpies

Blue jay Cyanocitta-cristata-004.jpg
Blue jay

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Corvidae

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Tits, chickadees, and titmice

Black-capped chickadee Poecile-atricapilla-001.jpg
Black-capped chickadee

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Paridae

Chickadees and titmice are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.

Larks

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Swallows

Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor1.jpg
Tree swallow

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is a group of passerines characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. These adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and short bills with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

Kinglets

Ruby-crowned kinglet Regulus calendula1.jpg
Ruby-crowned kinglet

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Regulidae

The kinglets are a small family of birds which resemble the titmice. They are very small insectivorous birds. The adults have coloured crowns, giving rise to their name.

Waxwings

Cedar waxwing Cedar Waxwing-27527-1.jpg
Cedar waxwing

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Bombycillidae

The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests.

Nuthatches

Red-breasted nuthatch Red-breasted-Nuthatch.jpg
Red-breasted nuthatch

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Polioptilidae

Gnatcatchers are a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.

Wrens

Carolina wren Carolina Wren 2.jpg
Carolina wren

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.

Mockingbirds and thrashers

Northern mockingbird Mockingbird in Bay Ridge (85082).jpg
Northern mockingbird

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Mimidae

The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalization, especially their remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. The species tend towards dull greys and browns in their appearance.

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

Thrushes and allies

Eastern bluebird Eastern Bluebird-27527-2.jpg
Eastern bluebird
American robin Turdus-migratorius-002.jpg
American robin

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

Old World flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Muscicapidae

The Old World flycatchers are a large family of small passerine birds. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.

Old World sparrows

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or greyish birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed-eaters, but they also consume small insects.

Wagtails and pipits

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Motacillidae

Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.

Finches, euphonias, and allies

Purple finch Purple Finch.jpg
Purple finch
Red crossbill Red Crossbills (Male).jpg
Red crossbill
American goldfinch Carduelis-tristis-002.jpg
American goldfinch

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Fringillidae

Finches are small to moderately large seed-eating passerine birds with a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have 12 tail feathers and nine primaries flight feathers. Finches have a bouncing flight, alternating bouts of flapping with gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.

Longspurs and snow buntings

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Calcariidae

The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that were traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.

New World sparrows

Eastern towhee Eastern Towhee-27527-2.jpg
Eastern towhee
American tree sparrow Spizella-arborea-002 edit2.jpg
American tree sparrow
Dark-eyed junco Dark-eyed Junco-27527-3.jpg
Dark-eyed junco

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Passerellidae

Until 2017, these species were considered part of the family Emberizidae. Most of the species are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many of these have distinctive head patterns.

Yellow-breasted chat

Yellow-breasted chat YellowbreastedChat23.jpg
Yellow-breasted chat

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Icteriidae

This species was historically placed in the wood-warblers (Parulidae) but nonetheless most authorities were unsure if it belonged there. It was placed in its own family in 2017.

Troupials and allies

Red-winged blackbird Red winged blackbird - natures pics.jpg
Red-winged blackbird
Common grackle Quiscalus-quiscula-001.jpg
Common grackle

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Icteridae

The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the blackbirds, meadowlarks, cowbirds, grackles and New World orioles. Most species have black as a predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red.

New World warblers

Blue-winged warbler Blue-winged Warbler.jpg
Blue-winged warbler
Northern parula Northernparalua20.jpg
Northern parula
American redstart Setophaga ruticilla.jpg
American redstart
Common yellowthroat Common yellowthroat.jpg
Common yellowthroat

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Parulidae

The wood-warblers are a group of small often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are more terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.

Cardinals and allies

Rose-breasted grosbeak Rose-breasted Grosbeak-2752.jpg
Rose-breasted grosbeak

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals and grosbeaks are a family of robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.

References

    1. "Checklist of the Birds of Manitoba" (PDF). Manitoba Avian Research Committee. 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
    2. "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. June 29, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.

    See also