A Checklist of Michigan Birds

by R. B. Payne

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. Other rarities are always a possibility.

Names of species, families, and orders are adapted from R. T. Pettingill, Birds of Eastern and Central North America, 5th ed., 2002.

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.

*__ breeding record for Michigan

E__ extinct

P__ permanent resident

S__ summer resident

T__ transient, in migration

V__ vagrant, outside migration route

W__ winter resident or visitor

c__ common or abundant

f__ fairly common

u__ uncommon

r__ rare (occasional, not seen on most days in season)

x__ accidental (fewer than 10 records in recent years)

e__ extirpated (or formerly occurred, when used with a season code)

i__ irregular (cyclic or irruptive)

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

____Horned Grebe, rS, fT, rW

____Eared Grebe, rV, xW

____Western 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

____*Great Egret, fS

____*Cattle Egret, uS

____Snowy Egret, rS

____Little Blue Heron, rS

____*Green Heron, cS

____*Black-crowned Night-heron, fS, rW

____*Yellow-crowned Night-heron, lrS

____*Least Bittern, uS

____*American Bittern, uS, xW

Family Threskiornithidae, Ibises and Spoonbills

____Glossy Ibis, rV

Family Cathartidae, American Vultures

____*Turkey Vulture, fS

Order Anseriformes, Waterfowl

Family Anatidae, Swans, Geese and Ducks

____*Trumpeter Swan, uP

____Tundra Swan, xS, cT, rW

____*Mute Swan, fP, fT, luW

____Greater White-fronted Goose, rV

____Snow Goose, xS, cT, rW

____*Canada Goose, cS, cT, fW

____Brant, rT, xW

____*Wood Duck, fS, rW

____Eurasian Wigeon, rV

____*American Wigeon, rS, cT, rW

____*Gadwall, uS, fT, rW

____*Green-winged Teal, uS, cT, rW

____*Mallard, cS, fW

____*American Black Duck, fS, uW

____*Northern Pintail, rS, cT, rW

____*Blue-winged Teal, cS, xW

____*Northern Shoveler, rS, fT, rW

____*Canvasback, rS, fT, lfW

____*Redhead, rS, cT, rW

____*Ring-necked Duck, uS, cT, rW

____Greater Scaup, rS, fT, uW

____Lesser Scaup, rS, cT, uW

____Harlequin Duck, rV, rW

____Long-tailed Duck, fT, uW

____Black Scoter, uT, xW

____Surf Scoter, uT, xW

____White-winged Scoter, uT, rW

____*Common Goldeneye, uS, cT, fW

____Bufflehead, rS, fT, uW

____*Hooded Merganser, uS, fT, rW

____*Red-breasted Merganser, fS, cT, uW

____*Common Merganser, fS, cT, fW

____*Ruddy Duck, rS, cT, rW

Order Falconiformes, Diurnal Raptors

Family Pandionidae, Osprey

____*Osprey, uS, fT

Family Accipitridae, Kites, Eagles, and Hawks

____*Northern Harrier, uS, fT, rW

____*Sharp-shinned Hawk, uS, cT, rW

____*Cooper's Hawk, uS, cT, fW

____*Northern Goshawk, uP

____*Bald Eagle, uS, rW

____*Red-shouldered Hawk, uS, rW

____*Broad-winged Hawk, fS, cT

____Swainson's Hawk, rT

____*Red-tailed Hawk, cS, fW

____Rough-legged Hawk, fT, ifW

____Golden Eagle, rT, rW

Family Falconidae, Caracaras and Falcons

____*American Kestrel, cS, uW

____*Merlin, lrS, uT, rW

____Gyrfalcon, irW

____*Peregrine Falcon, eS, rT, xW

Order Galliformes, Gamebirds

Family Phasianidae, Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys and Quail

____*Ring-necked Pheasant, fP

____*Spruce Grouse, uP

____*Ruffed Grouse, fP

____*Sharp-tailed Grouse, lrP

____*Wild Turkey, uP

Family Odontophoridae, New World Quail

____*Northern Bobwhite, uP

Order Gruiformes, Rails and Cranes

Family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules and Coots

____*Yellow Rail, rS,rT

____*King Rail, lrS, xW

____*Virginia Rail, fS, rW

____*Sora, fS, xW

____*Common Moorhen, fS, xW

____*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

____American Golden Plover, fT

____Semipalmated Plover, cT

____*Piping Plover, lrS

____*Killdeer, cS, cT, rW

Family Recurvirostridae, Stilts and Avocets

____Black-necked Stilt, xV

____American Avocet, rT

Family Scolopacidae, Sandpipers and Phalaropes

____*American Woodcock, cS, xW

____*Common Snipe, fS, cT, rW

____Short-billed Dowitcher, fT

____Long-billed Dowitcher, uT

____Hudsonian Godwit, rT

____Marbled Godwit, rT

____Eskimo Curlew, eT

____Whimbrel, uT

____*Upland Sandpiper, uS, uS

____Greater Yellowlegs, fT

____Lesser Yellowlegs, cT

____Solitary Sandpiper, fT

____*Spotted Sandpiper, cT, cS

____Willet, rT

____Ruddy Turnstone, cT

____Red Knot, uT

____Sanderling, cT, xW

____Semipalmated Sandpiper, cT

____Western Sandpiper, uT

____Least Sandpiper, cT

____White-rumped Sandpiper, uT

____Baird's Sandpiper, uT

____Pectoral Sandpiper, cT

____Dunlin, cT

____Purple Sandpiper, rT, xW

____Curlew Sandpiper, xV

____Stilt Sandpiper, uT

____Buff-breasted Sandpiper, uT

____Ruff, rV

____*Wilson's Phalarope, xS, uT

____Red-necked Phalarope, uT

____Red Phalarope, rT

Family Laridae, Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Skimmers

____Pomarine Jaeger, rT, xW

____Parasitic Jaeger, uT

____Heermann's Gull, xV

____Mew Gull, xV

____*Ring-billed Gull, cS, cT, rW

____Great Black-backed Gull, xS, luW

____Glaucous Gull, xS, rW

____Iceland Gull, rT, rW

____Thayer's Gull, rT, rW

____California Gull, xV

____*Herring Gull, cS, cT, fW

____Lesser Black-backed Gull, xV

____Common Black-headed Gull, rV, xW

____*Bonaparte's Gull, rS, cT, rW

____Long-tailed Jaeger, xV

____Laughing Gull, rV, xW

____Franklin's Gull, uT

____*Little Gull, xS, rT, xW

____Black-legged Kittiwake, uT, xW

____Sabine's Gull, rT

____*Caspian Tern, fS, fT

____*Common Tern, fS, cT

____*Forster's Tern, fS, cT

____Least Tern, xV

____*Black Tern, uS, fT

Family Alcidae, Auks, Murres and Puffins

____Dovekie, xV

____Thick-billed Murre, ixV

____Ancient Murrelet, xV

Order Columbiformes, Pigeons and Doves

Family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves

____*Rock Dove, cP

____Band-tailed Pigeon, xV

____*Mourning Dove, cS, fW

____*Passenger Pigeon, E

____Common Ground Dove, xV

Order Cuculiformes, Cuckoos

Family Cuculidae, Cuckoos

____*Black-billed Cuckoo, fS

____*Yellow-billed Cuckoo, fS

____Groove-billed Ani, xV

Order Strigiformes, Owls

Family Tytonidae, Barn Owls

____*Barn Owl, rP

Family Strigidae, Typical Owls

____*Eastern Screech-Owl, fP

____*Great Horned Owl, cP

____Snowy Owl, iuW

____Burrowing Owl, xV

____*Barred Owl, fP

____*Great Gray Owl, xS, irW

____*Northern Hawk Owl, xS, irW

____Boreal Owl, iuW

____*Northern Saw-whet Owl, uS, fT, uW

____*Long-eared Owl, uP, uT, uW

____*Short-eared Owl, rS, uT, uW

Order Caprimulgiformes, Goatsuckers and Allies

Family Caprimulgidae, Goatsuckers

____*Common Nighthawk, cS, cT

____Chuck-will's-widow, lrS

____*Whip-poor-will, cS

Order Apodiformes, Swifts and Hummingbirds

Family Apodidae, Swifts

____*Chimney Swift, cS

____White-throated Swift, xV

Family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds

____*Ruby-throated Hummingbird, fS

____Rufous Hummingbird, xV

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

____*Red-bellied Woodpecker, fP

____*Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, uS, fT, rW

____*Downy Woodpecker, cP

____*Hairy Woodpecker, fP

____*Three-toed Woodpecker, xS, rW

____*Black-backed Woodpecker, uP

____*Northern Flicker, cS, uW

____*Pileated Woodpecker, uP

Order Passeriformes, Perching Birds

Family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers

____*Olive-sided Flycatcher, fS, fT

____*Eastern Wood-Pewee, cS

____*Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, uS, fT

____*Acadian Flycatcher, uS

____*Alder Flycatcher, fS

____*Willow Flycatcher, fS

____*Least Flycatcher, cS, cT

____*Eastern Phoebe, fS

____Say's Phoebe, xV

____*Great Crested Flycatcher, cS

____*Western Kingbird, lrS, rT

____*Eastern Kingbird, cS

____Gray Kingbird, xV

____Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, rV

Family Laniidae, Shrikes

____Northern Shrike, iuW

____*Loggerhead Shrike, rP

Family Vireonidae, Vireos

____*White-eyed Vireo, luS, xV

____*Bell's Vireo, lrS

____*Solitary Vireo, uS, fT

____*Yellow-throated Vireo, fS

____*Warbling Vireo, cS

____*Philadelphia Vireo, rS, uT

____*Red-eyed Vireo, cS

Family Corvidae, Jays, Magpies and Crows

____*Gray Jay, uS, uW

____*Blue Jay, cP, cT

____Black-billed Magpie, rV

____*American Crow, cS, fW

____*Common Raven, fP

Family Alaudidae, Larks

____*Horned Lark, cS, fW

Family Hirundinidae, Swallows

____*Purple Martin, fS

____*Tree Swallow, cS,cT

____*Northern Rough-winged Swallow, fS, cT

____*Bank Swallow, cS, cT

____*Cliff Swallow, uS, fT

____*Barn Swallow, cS, cT

Family Paridae, Titmice

____*Black-capped Chickadee, cP, uT

____Carolina Chickadee, ex

____*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

____Rock Wren, xV

____*Carolina Wren, flP

____*Bewick's Wren, eS, rV

____*Winter Wren, fS, rW

____*House Wren, cS

____*Sedge Wren, uS, xW

____*Marsh Wren, fS, xW

Family Regulidae, kinglets

____*Golden-crowned Kinglet, uS, cT, uW

____*Ruby-crowned Kinglet, uS, cT, rW

Family Sylviidae, Old World Warblers

____*Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, fS, cT

Family Turdidae, Thrushes

____Northern Wheatear, xV

____*Eastern Bluebird, fS, rW

____Townsend's Solitaire, xV, rW

____*Veery, fS, fT

____Gray-cheeked Thrush, fT

____*Swainson's Thrush, fS, cT

____*Hermit Thrush, fS, cT, rW

____*Wood Thrush, cS

____*American Robin, cS, cT, uW

____Varied Thrush, rV, rW

Family Mimidae, Mockingbirds, Thrashers and Allies

____*Gray Catbird, cS, xW

____ Sage Thrasher, xV

____*Northern Mockingbird, uS, rW

____*Brown Thrasher, fS, rW

Family Sturnidae, Starlings

____*European Starling, cP, cT

Family Motacillidae, Wagtails and Pipits

____ White Wagtail, xV

____ American Pipit, fT, xW

____ Sprague's Pipit, xV

Family Bombycillidae, Waxwings

____ Bohemian Waxwing, iuW

____*Cedar Waxwing, cS, cT, ifW

Family Parulidae, Wood-Warblers

____*Blue-winged Warbler, fS

____*Golden-winged Warbler, fS

____*Tennessee Warbler, uS, cT

____Orange-crowned Warbler, uT, xW

____*Nashville Warbler, fS, cT

____*Northern Parula, uS, uT

____*Yellow Warbler, cS, cT

____*Chestnut-sided Warbler, fS, cT

____*Magnolia Warbler, fS, cT

____*Cape May Warbler, iuS, fT, xW

____*Black-throated Blue Warbler, uS, fT

____*Yellow-rumped Warbler, fS, cT, rW

____ Black-throated Gray Warbler, xV

____*Black-throated Green Warbler, fS, cT

____*Blackburnian Warbler, fS, cT

____*Yellow-throated Warbler, lrS, rV

____*Pine Warbler, uS, uT, xW

____*Kirtland's Warbler, luS

____*Prairie Warbler, lrS

____*Palm Warbler, lrS, cT

____*Bay-breasted Warbler, lrS, cT

____ Blackpoll Warbler, xS, cT

____*Cerulean Warbler, uS

____*Black-and-white Warbler, fS, cT

____*American Redstart, cS, cT

____*Prothonotary Warbler, uS

____*Worm-eating Warbler, rS, rV

____*Ovenbird, cS, cT

____*Northern Waterthrush, fS, fT

____*Louisiana Waterthrush, uS

____*Kentucky Warbler, lrS, rV

____*Connecticut Warbler, uS

____*Mourning Warbler, fS

____*Common Yellowthroat, cS, cT

____*Hooded Warbler, luS

____Wilson's Warbler, fT

____*Canada Warbler, fS

____Painted Redstart, xV

____*Yellow-breasted Chat, uS, xW

Family Thraupidae, Tanagers

____ Summer Tanager, lrS, rV

____*Scarlet Tanager, cS

Family Emberizidae, New World Sparrows

____Green-tailed Towhee, xV

____*Eastern Towhee, cS, rW

____Bachman's Sparrow, xV

____Cassin's Sparrow, xV

____American Tree Sparrow, cT, cW

____*Chipping Sparrow, cS, xW

____*Clay-colored Sparrow, fS, uT

____*Field Sparrow, cS, rW

____*Vesper Sparrow, fS, rW

____*Lark Sparrow, eS, rV

____Black-throated Sparrow, xV

____Lark Bunting, xS, xV

____*Savannah Sparrow, cS, cT, rW

____Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, rT

____*Le Conte's Sparrow, luS, rT

____*Henslow's Sparrow, uS

____*Grasshopper Sparrow, uS

____Fox Sparrow, fT, uW

____*Song Sparrow, cS, uW

____*Lincoln's Sparrow, uS, fT, xW

____*Swamp Sparrow, cS, cT, uW

____Golden-crowned Sparrow, xW

____White-crowned Sparrow, fT, rW

____*White-throated Sparrow, cS, cT, uW

____Harris' Sparrow, rT, xW

____*Dark-eyed Junco, fS, cW

____McCown's Longspur, xV

____Lapland Longspur, fT, uW

____Smith's Longspur, xV

____Chestnut-collared Longspur, xV

____Snow Bunting, cT, ifW

Family Cardinalidae, Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Allies

____*Northern Cardinal, cP

____*Rose-breasted Grosbeak, cS, xW

____ Black-headed Grosbeak, xV, rW

____*Indigo Bunting, cS, xW

____ Painted Bunting, xV

____*Dickcissel, iuS

Family Icteridae, American Blackbirds

____*Bobolink, fS

____*Red-winged Blackbird, cS, uW

____*Eastern Meadowlark, cS, rW

____*Western Meadowlark, uS, rW

____*Yellow-headed Blackbird, lrS

____*Rusty Blackbird, xS, cT, rW

____*Brewer's Blackbird, fS, xW

____*Common Grackle, cS, cT, uW

____*Brown-headed Cowbird, cS, uW

____*Orchard Oriole, uS

____*Baltimore Oriole, cS, xW

Family Fringillidae, northern finches

____Rosy Finch, xW

____*Pine Grosbeak, xS, ifW

____*Purple Finch, fS, cT, ifW

____*House Finch, cP

____*Red Crossbill, iuS, ifW

____*White-winged Crossbill, irS, iuW

____Common Redpoll, icW

____Hoary Redpoll, irW

____*Pine Siskin, ifS, cT, ifW

____*American Goldfinch, cS, cT, ifW

____*Evening Grosbeak, fS, icW

Family Passeridae, Old World Sparrows

____*House Sparrow, cP