This list of Ontario birds is a listing of all the bird species seen naturally in the Canadian province of Ontario as determined by the Ontario Bird Records Committee (OBRC). There are, as of 2008, 478 species on this list, 291 of which are known to breed in the province.[1] Ontario has a considerable variety of bird species. One of the factors in this diversity is the size and range of environments in Ontario. Another is the Great Lakes–many birds use the shores as a stopping point during migration.[2]
Several common birds in Ontario, such as the House Sparrow, the Rock Dove, the European Starling, and the Mute Swan are introduced species, meaning that they are not native to this continent but were brought here by man from Europe or elsewhere.[3]
This list is presented in taxonomic order and follows The Check-list of North American Birds, published by the American Ornithologists' Union.[3] The table of contents is grouped into passerines (the largest order of birds) and non-passerines. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family accounts.
The taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) used in the accompanying bird lists adhere to the conventions of the AOU's (1998) Check-list of North American birds, the recognized scientific authority on the taxonomy and nomenclature of North America birds. The AOU's Committee on Classification and Nomenclature, the body responsible for maintaining and updating the Check-list, "strongly and unanimously continues to endorse the biological species concept (BSC), in which species are considered to be genetically cohesive groups of populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups" (AOU 1998). See Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy for an alternative phylogenetic arrangement based on DNA-DNA hybridization.
Unless otherwise noted, all species listed below are considered to occur regularly in North America as permanent residents, summer or winter residents or visitors, or migrants. The following codes are used to denote certain categories of species:
Order: Anseriformes. Family: Anatidae
The family Anatidae includes ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These are birds that are modified for 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. There are 131 species worldwide and 44 species in Ontario.[5]
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. There are 180 species worldwide and nine in Ontario.[6]
Order: Galliformes. Family: Odontophoridae
The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits. There are 32 species worldwide, all found only in the Americas but only one occurs in Ontario.[7]
Order: Gaviiformes. Family: Gaviidae
Loons, known as divers in Europe, are aquatic birds size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. Their plumage is largely grey or black, 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. There are five species worldwide, four of which can be found in Ontario.[7]
Order: Podicipediformes. Family: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds. They breed on fresh water, but often visit the sea whilst migrating and in winter. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers; however, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, making them quite ungainly on land. There are 19 species worldwide.[8][9] Of these, five species have been recorded in Ontario.
Order: Procellariiformes. Family: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized 'true petrels', characterised by united nostrils with medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are 75 species worldwide and five found in Ontario.[10]
Order: Procellariiformes. Family: Hydrobatidae
The storm-petrels are the smallest of seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. There are 21 species worldwide and three found in Ontario, all of which are accidentals.[10]
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish. There are eight species worldwide and one found in Ontario.[11]
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes. There are eight species worldwide and two in Ontario.[11]
Order: Pelecaniformes. 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, a distinguishing feature among the Pelecaniformes order. Three species can be found in Ontario.
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Anhingidae
Darters are cormorant-like water birds with very long necks and long, straight beaks. They often swim with only the neck above water, and are fish-eaters. There are four species worldwide, one of which is found in Ontario as an accidental.[11]
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large sea-birds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black or black and white, with long wings and deeply-forked tails. The males have inflatable coloured throat pouches. They do not swim or walk, and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week. There are five species worldwide and one Ontario species.[11]
Order: Ciconiiformes. 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 more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of this family fly with their necks retracted. There are 61 species worldwide of which 11 occur in Ontario.[7]
Order: Ciconiiformes. 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. There are 36 species worldwide of which one occurs in Ontario.[7]
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. There are 19 species worldwide and one in Ontario.[7]
Order: Ciconiiformes. 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. There are seven species worldwide, all found only in the Americas and two Ontario species.
Order: Falconiformes. Family: Accipitridae
The Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey and include 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. There are 233 species worldwide of which 15 occur in Ontario.[12]
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 feet. There are 62 species worldwide and six Ontario species.[12]
Order: Gruiformes. Family: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakesgallinules, 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, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers. There are 143 species worldwide and eight Ontario species.[13]
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". There are 15 species worldwide of which two occur in Ontario.[7]
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Charadriidae
The family 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, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species worldwide of which eight occur in Ontario.[14]
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large, obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. There are 11 species worldwide and one Ontario species.[7]
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and the stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are nine species worldwide of which two occur in Ontario.[14]
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Scolopacidae
The Scolopacidae are 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 species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 89 species worldwide of which 39 occur in Ontario.[14]
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large birds 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. There are 108 species worldwide and 31 Ontario species.[11]
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 a hooked tip, 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. There are eight species worldwide and three in Ontario.[7]
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 not related to the penguins at all, being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest. The family consists of auks, murres and puffinsThere are 24 species worldwide and seven Ontario species, six of which are accidentals.[7]
Order: Columbiformes. Family: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. There are 308 species worldwide of which seven occur in Ontario.[15]
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. Many Old World cuckoo species are brood parasites. There are 138 species worldwide of which three occur in Ontario.[7]
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Tytonidae
Barn owls are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are 16 species worldwide, one of which can be found in Ontario.[7]
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Strigidae
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. There are 195 species worldwide of which 11 occur in Ontario.[7]
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. There are 86 species worldwide of which five occur in Ontario.[16]
Order: Apodiformes. Family: Apodidae
Swifts are small aerial birds, spending 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 that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are 98 species worldwide of which two occur in Ontario.[17]
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 backwards. There are 337 species worldwide and five Ontario species.[7]
Order: Coraciiformes. Family: Cerylidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are 93 species worldwide and one occurs in Ontario.[18]
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. There are 218 species worldwide of which 10 occur in Ontario.[7]
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 with stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, are rather plain. As the name implies, most are insectivorous. There are 429 species worldwide, all found only in the Americas and 26 Ontario species.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for the habit of some species of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are 31 species worldwide of which two occur in Ontario.[19]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Vireonidae
The vireos are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills. There are 52 species worldwide and nine Ontario species.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Corvidae
The Corvidae family includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size for the bird order Passeriformes. Some of the larger species show high levels of learning behaviour. There are 120 species worldwide of which eight occur in Ontario.[20]
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. There are 91 species worldwide and one in Ontario.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Hirundinidae
The Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. The family includes swallows and martins. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species worldwide of which eight occur in Ontario.[21]
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. There are species 59 worldwide and four species in Ontario.[7]
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. There are 24 species worldwide of which two occur in Ontario.[22]
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. There are six species worldwide of which one occurs in Ontario.[22]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Troglodytidae
Wrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. There are 79 species worldwide and seven Ontario species.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Regulidae
The kinglets are a small family of birds which resemble the titmice. They are very small insectivorous birds in the genus Regulus. The adults have coloured crowns, giving rise to their name. There are five species worldwide and two in Ontario.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sylviidae
Gnatcatchers are a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are about 300 species worldwide and one Ontario Species.[7]
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. There are 335 species worldwide of which 15 occur in Ontario.[23]
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 grays and browns in their appearance. There are 35 species worldwide and four Ontario species.[7]
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. There are 125 species worldwide of which one occurs in Ontario.[24]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Motacillidae
The Motacillidae are 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. There are 54 species worldwide and two found in Ontario.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of passerine birds characterised by 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. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter. There are three species worldwide and two Ontario species.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Ptilogonatidae
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 like are more terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores. There are 119 species worldwide and 46 Ontario species.[25]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Thraupidae
The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. They are seedeaters, but their preference tends towards fruit and nectar. Most have short, rounded wings. There are 256 species worldwide and three Ontario species.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Emberizidae
The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds that includes American sparrows, towhees, juncos and longspurs. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns. There are species 275 worldwide and 34 Ontario species.[26]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Cardinalidae
Cardinals and grosbeaks are a family of passerine birds that are robust, seed-eating birds, with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages. There are 43 species worldwide and nine Ontario species.[7]
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Icteridae
The Icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the Blackbirds, meadowlarks, cowbirds, grackles and New World oriole. Most species have black as a predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. There are 98 species worldwide and 15 that occur in Ontario.[7]
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 primary flight feathers. Finches have a bouncing flight, alternating bouts of flapping with gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. There are 137 species worldwide, of which 14 occur in Ontario.[26]
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, and they also consume small insects. There are 35 species worldwide and two Ontario species.[7]
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