A Checklist of Michigan Birds

by R. B. Payne, Autumn 1998

The list includes all birds known to have occurred under natural conditions, or introduced birds that have established wild breeding populations in Michigan, where the bird has been seen at least ten times in recent years. These are the birds we may expect to see. Other rarities are always a possibility.

 

Names of species, families, and orders are adapted from "The AOU Check-List of North American Birds," Sixth Edition, 1983. Common names of orders are those in most common usage. Common names of families and subfamilies are adapted from AOU names, in some cases in short form useful in our part of North America.

The abundance codes are impressions of numbers relative to other species in the same habitats and with similar life styles. In most cases we do not know their actual numbers. In many cases, their abundance varies in different parts of the state. The localities where breeding birds were observed in the 1980's are mapped in R. Brewer, G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams, Jr. (eds.), 1991, "The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan," Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. The list and information are adapted and updated from "A Distributional Checklist of the Birds of Michigan," University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Misc. Publ. 164, 1983, where more details are given. Sightings and photographs of unusual birds and new information on the nesting and distribution of birds should written and sent for our permanent records, to the Curator of Birds, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

 * - breeding record for Michigan

 S - summer resident
 W - winter resident or visitor  u - uncommon   c - common or abundant
 E - extinct  T - transient, in migration e - extirpated (or formerly occurred, when used with a season code)  r - rare (occasional, not seen on most days in season)  i - irregular (cyclic or irruptive)
 P - permanent resident  V - vagrant, outside migration route  f - fairly common  x - accidental (fewer than 10 records in recent years)  l - local (occurs in less than 10% of the state)


Order Gaviiformes, Loons

Family Gaviidae, Loons
 ______Red-throated Loon, xS, uT, xW  _____*Common Loon, uS, fT, rW

Order Podicipediformes, Grebes

Family Podicipedidae, Grebes

 _____*Pied-billed Grebe, cS, rW  _____*Red-necked Grebe, xS, uT, xW  ______Western Grebe, rV, xW
 ______Horned Grebe, rS, fT, rW  ______Eared Grebe, rV, xW  

Order Pelecaniformes, Pelicans and Allies

Family Pelecanidae, Pelicans

______American White Pelican, rV

Family Phalacrocoracidae, Cormorants

_____*Double-crested Cormorant, fS, fT, rW

Order Ciconiiformes, Large Wading Birds

Family Ardeidae, Herons and Bitterns

 _____*Great Blue Heron, cS, luW  _____*Green-backed Heron, cS
 _____*Great Egret, fS  _____*Black-crowned Night-heron, fS, rW
 _____*Cattle Egret, uS  _____*Yellow-crowned Night-heron, lrS
 ______Snowy Egret, rS  _____*Least Bittern, uS
 ______Little Blue Heron, rS  _____*American Bittern, uS, xW

Family Threskiornithidae, Ibises and Spoonbills

______Glossy Ibis, rV

Order Anseriformes, Waterfowl

Family Anatidae, Swans, Geese and Ducks

 ______Tundra Swan, xS, cT, rW  _____*Canavasback, rS, fT, lfW
 _____*Mute Swan, fP, fT, luW  _____*Redhead, rS, cT, rW
 ______Greater White-fronted Goose, rV  _____*Ring-necked Duck, uS, cT, rW
 ______Snow Goose, xS, cT, rW  ______Greater Scaup, rS, fT, uW
______Brant, rT, xW  ______Lesser Scaup, rS, cT, uW
 _____*Canada Goose, cS, cT, fW  ______Harlequin Duck, rV, rW
 _____*Wood Duck, fS, rW  ______Oldsquaw, fT, uW
 _____*Green-winged Teal, uS, cT, rW  ______Black Scoter, uT, xW
 _____*American Black Duck, fS, uW  ______Surf Scoter, uT, xW
 _____*Mallard, cS, fW  ______White-winged Scoter, uT, rW
 _____*Northern Pintail, rS, cT, rW  _____*Common Goldeneye, uS, cT, fW
 _____*Blue-winged Teal, cS, xW  ______Bufflehead, rS, fT, uW
 _____*Northern Shoveler, rS, fT, rW  _____*Hooded Merganser, uS, fT, rW
 _____*Gadwall, uS, fT, rW  _____*Common Merganser, fS, cT, fW
 ______Eurasian Wigeon, rV  _____*Red-breasted Merganser, fS, cT, uW
 _____*American Wigeon, rS, cT, rW  _____*Ruddy Duck, rS, cT, rW

 

Order Falconiformes, Diurnal Raptors

Family Cathartidae, American Vultures

_____*Turkey Vulture, fS

Family Accipitridae, Kites, Eagles, and Hawks

 _____*Bald Eagle, uS, rW  _____*Broad-winged Hawk, fS, cT
 _____*Northern Harrier, uS, fT, rW  ______Swainson's Hawk, rT
 _____*Sharp-shinned Hawk, uS, cT, rW  _____*Red-tailed Hawk, cS, fW
 _____*Cooper's Hawk, uS, cT, fW  ______Rough-legged Hawk, fT, ifW
 _____*Northern Goshawk, uP  ______Golden Eagle, rT, rW
 _____*Red-shouldered Hawk, uS, rW  _____*Osprey, uS, fT

Family Falconidae, Caracaras and Falcons

 _____*American Kestrel, cS, uW  _____*Peregrine Falcon, eS, rT, xW
 _____*Merlin, lrS, uT, rW  _____ Gyrfalcon, irW

Order Galliformes, Gamebirds

Family Phasianidae, Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys and Quail

 _____*Ring-necked Pheasant, fP  _____*Sharp-tailed Grouse, lrP
 _____*Spruce Grouse, uP  _____*Wild Turkey, uP
 _____*Ruffed Grouse, fP  _____*Northern Bobwhite, uP

Order Gruiformes, Rails and Cranes

Family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

 _____*Yellow Rail, rS,rT  _____*Sora, fS, xW
 _____*King Rail, lrS, xW  _____*Common Moorhen, fS, xW
 _____*Virginia Rail, fS, rW  _____*American Coot, cS, uW

Family Gruidae, Cranes

_____*Sandhill Crane, uS, fT,xW

Order Charadriiformes, Shorebirds, Gulls and Allies

Family Charadriidae, Plovers and Lapwings

 ______Black-bellied Plover, fT  ______Semipalmated Plover, cT  _____*Killdeer, cS, cT, rW
 ______Lesser Golden Plover, fT  _____*Piping Plover, lrS  

Family Recurvirostridae, Stilts and Avocets

______American Avocet, rT

Family Scolopacidae, Sandpipers and Phalaropes

 ______Greater Yellowlegs, fT  ______Red Knot, uT  ______Stilt Sandpiper, uT
 ______Lesser Yellowlegs, cT  ______Sanderling, cT, xW  ______Buff-breasted Sandpiper, uT
 ______Solitary Sandpiper, fT  ______Semipalmated Sandpiper, cT  ______Ruff, rV
 ______Willet, rT  ______Western Sandpiper, uT  ______Short-billed Dowitcher, fT
 _____*Spotted Sandpiper, cT, cS  ______Least Sandpiper, cT  ______Long-billed Dowitcher, uT
 _____*Upland Sandpiper, uS, uS  ______White-rumped Sandpiper, uT  _____*Common Snipe, fS, cT, rW
 ______Whimbrel, uT  ______Baird's Sandpiper, uT _____*American Woodcock, cS, xW 
 ______Hudsonian Godwit, rT  ______Pectoral Sandpiper, cT  _____*Wilson's Phalarope, xS, uT
 ______Marbled Godwit, rT  ______Purple Sandpiper, rT, xW  ______Red-necked Phalarope, uT
 ______Ruddy Turnstone, cT  ______Dunlin, cT  ______Red Phalarope, rT

Family Laridae, Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Skimmers

 ______Pomarine Jaeger, rT, xW  ______Iceland Gull, rT, rW
 ______Parasitic Jaeger, uT  ______Lesser Black-backed Gull, xV
 ______Laughing Gull, rV, xW  ______Glaucous Gull, xS, rW
 ______Franklin's Gull, uT  ______Great Black-backed Gull, xS, luW
 _____*Little Gull, xS, rT, xW  ______Black-legged Kittiwake, uT, xW
 ______Common Black-headed Gull, rV, xW  ______Sabine's Gull, rT
 _____*Bonaparte's Gull, rS, cT, rW  _____*Caspian Tern, fS, fT
 _____*Ring-billed Gull, cS, cT, rW  _____*Common Tern, fS, cT
 _____*Herring Gull, cS, cT, fW  _____*Forster's Tern, fS, cT
 ______Thayer's Gull, rT, rW  _____*Black Tern, uS, fT

Order Columbiformes, Pigeons and Doves

Family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves

 _____*Rock Dove, cP  _____*Mourning Dove, cS, fW

Order Cuculiformes, Cuckoos

Family Cuculidae, Cuckoos

 _____*Black-billed Cuckoo, fS  _____*Yellow-billed Cuckoo, fS

Order Strigiformes, Owls

Family Tytonidae, Barn Owls

_____*Barn Owl, rP

Family Strigidae, Typical Owls

 _____*Eastern Screech-Owl, fP  _____*Great Gray Owl, xS, irW
 _____*Great Horned Owl, cP  _____*Long-eared Owl, uP, uT, uW
 ______Snowy Owl, iuW  _____*Short-eared Owl, rS, uT, uW
 _____*Northern Hawk Owl, xS, irW  ______Boreal Owl, iuW
 _____*Barred Owl, fP  _____*Northern Saw-whet Owl, uS, fT, uW

Order Caprimulgiformes, Goatsuckers and Allies

Family Caprimulgidae, Goatsuckers

 _____*Common Nighthawk, cS, cT  _____*Whip-poor-will, cS

Order Apodiformes, Swifts and Hummingbirds

 Family Apodidae, Swifts

_____*Chimney Swift, cS

 Family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds

_____*Ruby-throated Hummingbird, fS

Order Coraciiformes, Kingfishers and Allies

Family Alcedinidae, Kingfishers

_____*Belted Kingfisher, fS, uW

Order Piciformes, Woodpeckers and Allies

Family Picidae, Woodpeckers

_____*Red-headed Woodpecker, fS, uW  _____*Downy Woodpecker, cP  ____*Black-backed Woodpecker, uP
_____*Red-bellied Woodpecker, fP  _____*Hairy Woodpecker, fP  _____*Northern Flicker, cS, uW
____*Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, uS, fT, rW  _____*Three-toed Woodpecker, xS, rW  _____*Pileated Woodpecker, uP

Order Passeriformes, Perching Birds

Family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers

 _____*Olive-sided Flycatcher, fS, fT  _____*Alder Flycatcher, fS  _____*Great Crested Flycatcher, cS
 _____*Eastern Wood-Pewee, cS  _____*Willow Flycatcher, fS  _____*Western Kingbird, lrS, rT
 _____*Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, uS, fT  _____*Least Flycatcher, cS, cT  _____*Eastern Kingbird, cS
 _____*Acadian Flycatcher, uS  _____*Eastern Phoebe, fS  _____ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, rV

Family Alaudidae, Larks

_____*Horned Lark, cS, fW

Family Hirundinidae, Swallows

 _____*Purple Martin, fS  _____*Northern Rough-winged Swallow, fS, cT  _____*Cliff Swallow, uS, fT
 _____*Tree Swallow, cS,cT  _____*Bank Swallow, cS, cT  _____*Barn Swallow, cS, cT

Family Corvidae, Jays, Magpies and Crows

 _____*Gray Jay, uS, uW  _____*American Crow, cS, fW
 _____*Blue Jay, cP, cT  _____*Common Raven, fP

Family Paridae, Titmice

 _____*Black-capped Chickadee, cP, uT  _____*Boreal Chickadee, uP, iuW  _____*Tufted Titmouse, fP

Family Sittidae, Nuthatches

 _____*Red-breasted Nuthatch, fS, icW  _____*White-breasted Nuthatch, cP

Family Certhiidae, Creepers

_____*Brown Creeper, uS, cT, uW

Family Troglodytidae, Wrens
 _____*Carolina Wren, flP  _____*House Wren, cS  _____*Sedge Wren, uS, xW
 _____*Bewick's Wren, eS, rV  _____*Winter Wren, fS, rW  _____*Marsh Wren, fS, xW

Family Sylviidae, Old World Warblers

___*Golden-crowned Kinglet, uS, cT, uW ___*Ruby-crowned Kinglet, uS, cT, rW ___*Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, fS, cT

Family Turdidae, Thrushes
 _____*Eastern Bluebird, fS, rW  ______Gray-cheeked Thrush, fT  _____*Wood Thrush, cS
 ______Townsend's Solitaire, xV, rW  _____*Swainson's Thrush, fS, cT  _____*American Robin, cS, cT, uW
 _____*Veery, fS, fT  _____*Hermit Thrush, fS, cT, rW  ______Varied Thrush, rV, rW

Family Mimidae, Mockingbirds, Thrashers and Allies

 _____*Gray Catbird, cS, xW  _____*Northern Mockingbird, uS, rW  _____*Brown Thrasher, fS, rW

Family Motacillidae, Wagtails and Pipits


______American Pipit, fT, xW

Family Bombycillidae, Waxwings

 ______Bohemian Waxwing, iuW  _____*Cedar Waxwing, cS, cT, ifW

Family Laniidae, Shrikes

 ______Northern Shrike, iuW  _____*Loggerhead Shrike, rP

Family Sturnidae, Starlings

_____*European Starling, cP, cT

 

Family Vireonidae, Vireos

 _____*White-eyed Vireo, luS, xV  _____*Warbling Vireo, cS
 _____*Bell's Vireo, lrS  _____*Philadelphia Vireo, rS, uT
 _____*Solitary Vireo, uS, fT  _____*Red-eyed Vireo, cS
 _____*Yellow-throated Vireo, fS  

 

Family Parulidae, Wood-Warblers

 ____*Blue-winged Warbler, fS  _____*Blackburnian Warbler, fS, cT  _____*Ovenbird, cS, cT
 _____*Golden-winged Warbler, fS ____*Yellow-throated Warbler, lrS, rV  _____*Northern Waterthrush, fS, fT
___*Tennessee Warbler, uS, cT  _____*Pine Warbler, uS, uT,xW  _____*Louisiana Waterthrush, uS
____Orange-crowned Warbler, uT, xW  _____*Kirtland's Warbler, luS  _____*Kentucky Warbler, lrS, rV
_____*Nashville Warbler, fS, cT  _____*Prairie Warbler, lrS  _____*Connecticut Warbler, uS
_____*Northern Parula, uS, uT  _____*Palm Warbler, lrS, cT  _____*Mourning Warbler, fS
 ____*Yellow Warbler, cS, cT  _____*Bay-breasted Warbler, lrS, cT  _____*Common Yellowthroat, cS, cT
_____*Chestnut-sided Warbler, fS, cT  ______Blackpoll Warbler, xS, cT  _____*Hooded Warbler, luS
_____*Magnolia Warbler, fS, cT  _____*Cerulean Warbler, uS  ______Wilson's Warbler, fT
____*Cape May Warbler, iuS, fT, xW _____*Black-and-white Warbler, fS, cT  _____*Canada Warbler, fS
____*Black-throated Blue Warbler, uS, fT  _____*American Redstart, cS, cT  _____*Yellow-breasted Chat, uS, xW
___*Yellow-rumped Warbler, fS, cT, rW  _____*Prothonotary Warbler, uS  
___*Black-throated Green Warbler, fS, cT  _____*Worm-eating Warbler, rS, rV  

Family Thraupidae, Tanagers

 ______Summer Tanager, lrS, rV  _____*Scarlet Tanager, cS

Family Emberizidae, Buntings

Subfamily Cardinalinae, Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Allies

 _____*Northern Cardinal, cP  _____*Indigo Bunting, cS, xW
 _____*Rose-breasted Grosbeak, cS, xW  _____*Dickcissel, iuS
 _____ Black-headed Grosbeak, xV, rW  

Subfamily Emberizinae, New World Sparrows
 _____*Rufous-sided Towhee, cS, rW  ______Sharp-tailed Sparrow, rT
 ______American Tree Sparrow, cT, cW  ______Fox Sparrow, fT, uW
 _____*Chipping Sparrow, cS, xW  _____*Song Sparrow, cS, uW
 _____*Clay-colored Sparrow, fS, uT  _____*Lincoln's Sparrow, uS, fT, xW
 _____*Field Sparrow, cS, rW  _____*Swamp Sparrow, cS, cT, uW
 _____*Vesper Sparrow, fS, rW  _____*White-throated Sparrow, cS, cT, uW
 _____*Lark Sparrow, eS, rV  ______White-crowned Sparrow, fT, rW
 _____*Savannah Sparrow, cS, cT, rW  ______Harris' Sparrow, rT, xW
 _____*Grasshopper Sparrow, uS  _____*Dark-eyed Junco, fS, cW
 _____*Henslow's Sparrow, uS  ______Lapland Longspur, fT, uW
 _____*Le Conte's Sparrow, luS, rT  ______Snow Bunting, cT, ifW

Family Icteridae, American Blackbirds

 _____*Bobolink, fS  _____*Brewer's Blackbird, fS, xW
 _____*Red-winged Blackbird, cS, uW  _____*Common Grackle, cS, cT, uW
 _____*Eastern Meadowlark, cS, rW  _____*Brown-headed Cowbird, cS, uW
 _____*Western Meadowlark, uS, rW  _____*Orchard Oriole, uS
 _____*Yellow-headed Blackbird, lrS  _____*Baltimore Oriole, cS, xW
 _____*Rusty Blackbird, xS, cT, rW  

Family Fringillidae, Finches

Subfamily Carduelinae, Cardueline Finches
 _____*Pine Grosbeak, xS, ifW  ______Common Redpoll, icW
 _____*Purple Finch, fS, cT, ifW  ______Hoary Redpoll, irW
 _____*House Finch, cP  _____*Pine Siskin, ifS, cT, ifW
 _____*Red Crossbill, iuS, ifW  _____*American Goldfinch, cS, cT, ifW
 _____*White-winged Crossbill, irS, iuW  _____*Evening Grosbeak, fS, icW

Family Passeridae, Old World Sparrows

_____*House Sparrow, cP