A BIRDER'S CHECKLIST FOR THE OTTAWA - GATINEAU DISTRICT

Compiled by
The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Birds Committee

This checklist shows a general seasonal status of birds found within a 50-km (30-mile) radius of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario.

The three major geographical features of the Ottawa district are the Ottawa River, the Canadian Shield to the north and east and the St. Lawrence Lowlands to the south and west. The Ottawa River is a band of water and Riparian habitat. The Shield consists of rocky, deciduous hills with some areas of Boreal affinity. The Lowlands are an open corn belt, in part on the clay bed of the Champlain Sea, that has wooded areas, urban areas and areas of  micro-habitat such as Mer Bleue Bog, Richmond Fen, Larose Forest and the sewage lagoons.

A more detailed Birder's Checklist may be purchased at most nature shops in the Ottawa area.

OR

Information about the purchase of the Birder's Checklist maybe obtained at OFNC Publications.

Sightings of rare or uncommon birds within the Ottawa circle are of great interest. The Bird Records Sub-committee is actively collecting observations used to produce the club's checklists. The club also maintains a Bird Status Line with the latest sightings of interest in the National Capital Region.

If you observe any species coded in RED on this checklist, please consider notifying the Bird Status Line and submitting a Rare Bird Report. Other species with a maximum status of "rare" on this Checklist are also worthy of a call to the Status Line.

Notifying the Bird Status Line or telephone (613) 860-9000.

 Reporting rare birds

SEASONS
Spring

March - May
Summer

June - July
Fall

August - November
Winter December - February

 

 

 

DETECTION CODES
C Common to Abundant - Found easily in the proper habitat.
U Uncommon to Fairly Common - Found with some effort.
R Rare - Found with difficulty or with special effort.
I Very Rare or Not Normally Present. ( Includes Accidentals and Casuals - Exceptional Records).
E First column to the right of the species, indicates that the species is an erratic visitor
* First column to the right of the species name, indicates that the species has bred in the district.
? First column to the right of the species name, indicates that the species is suspected to have the bred in the district, however confirmation is still required.
   
  Family List

  [Loons] [Grebes] [Shearwaters & Petrels] [Storm Petrels] [Gannets[ [Pelicans[ [Cormorants[ [Herons & Bitterns] [Ibises]

[Vultures [ [Ducks, Geese & Swans] [Hawks, Kites & Eagles] [Caracaras & Falcons] [Partridges & Grouse Wild Turkeys]

[Rails, Gallinules &  Coots ] [Cranes] [Plovers] [Stilts & Avocets]

[Sandpipers & Phalaropes] [Skuas, Gulls, Terns & Shimers]

[Auks, Murres & Puffins] [Pigeons & Doves] [Cuckoos & Anis  ] [Barn Owls] [Typical Owls] [Goatsucker] [Swifts]

[Hummingbirds] [Kingfishers] [Woodpeckers] [Tyrant Flycatchers] [Shrikes]  [Vireos] [Crows &Jays]

[Larks] [Swallows] [Chickadees & Titmice ] [Nuthatches] [Creepers[ [Wrens]

[Kinglets[ [Gnatcatchers] [Thrushes] ] [Mockingbirds & Thrashers] [Starlings] [Pipits[ [Waxwings[

    [Wood Warblers] [Tanagers] [Emberizids] [Cardinals & Allies]

[Blackbirds] [Finches] [Old World Sparrows]

Species Spring Summer Fall Winter

Loons

Family List
Red-throated Loon  

I

 

R

I
Common Loon

*

C

U

C

I
Yellow-billed Loon  

I

      

Grebes

Family List
Pied-billed Grebe

*

U

U

U

I
Horned Grebe  

U

I

U

I
Red-necked Grebe  

U

I

U

I

Eared Grebe

     

 

I

  

Shearwaters & Petrels

Family List
Northern Fulmar  

 

  

I

I
Manx Shearwater  

 

I

    
Audubon's Shearwater       

I

  

Storm Petrels

Family List
Wilson's Storm-Petrel      

I

 
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel    

 

I

 

Gannets

Family List
Northern Gannet      

I

I

Pelicans

Family List
American White Pelican

*

I

I

    

Cormorants

Family List
Double-crested Cormorant

?

U

U

C

I

Herons Bitterns & Ibises

Family List
American Bittern

*

U

U

U

  
Least Bittern

*

R

R

R

  
Great Blue Heron

*

C

C

C

I
Great Egret   

I

I

I

  
Snowy Egret  

I 

I

      
Little Blue Heron  

I

I

    
Tricolored Heron  

I

      
Cattle Egret  

I

I

I

  
Green Heron

*

U

U

U

  
Black-crowned Night-Heron

 

R

U

U

   
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron    

I

          

Ibises

Family List
Glossy Ibis  

I

      

Vultures

Family List
Black Vulture  

I

      
Turkey Vulture

*

U

U

R

  
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Ducks, Geese, & Swans

Family List
Fulvous Whistling-Duck  

I

I

I

  
Greater White-fronted Goose  

I

 

I

I
Snow Goose  

U

I

U

I

Ross's Goose

  

I

      
Canada Goose

*

C

U

C

R
Brant

E

R

I

R

I
Mute Swan  

I

I

I

  
Tundra Swan  

I

I

I

    
Wood Duck

*

U

U

U

R
Gadwall

*

U

R

U

I
Eurasian Wigeon  

I

  

I

  
American Wigeon

*

C

U

C

I
American Black Duck

*

C

U

C

U
Mallard

*

C

C

C

C
Blue-winged Teal

*

C

C

C

I
Northern Shoveler

*

U

R

U

I
Northern Pintail

*

C

U

C

I
Green-winged Teal

*

C

U

C

I
Canvasback  

R

 

R

I
Redhead  

R

I

R

I
Ring-necked Duck

*

C

U

C

R
Greater Scaup  

U

I

U

R
Lesser Scaup

*

C

R

C

R
King Eider  

 

 

I

I
Harlequin Duck  

 

 

I

I
Surf Scoter  

R

 

U

I
White-winged Scoter  

U

I

U

I
Black Scoter  

I

 

U

I
Long-tailed Duck  

U

I

U

R
Bufflehead  

C

I

C

R
Common Goldeneye

*

C

R

C

C
Barrow's Goldeneye  

I

I

I

R
Hooded Merganser

*

U

R

C

R
Common Merganser

*

C

U

C

U
Red-breasted Merganser  

R

I

R

R
Ruddy Duck

*

R

R

R

I
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Hawks, Kites & Eagles

Family List
Osprey

*

U

U

U

 
Swallow-tailed Kite

 

Pre 1881
Bald Eagle

*

R

I

R

I
Northern Harrier

*

U

U

U

R
Sharp-shinned Hawk

*

U

U

C

R
Cooper's Hawk

*

U

U

U

R
Northern Goshawk

*

U

U

U

U
Red-shouldered Hawk

*

U

U

R

I
Broad-winged Hawk

*

U

U

U

 
Swainson's Hawk   

 

 

I

 
Red-tailed Hawk

*

C

C

C

U
Rough-legged Hawk

E

U

I

U

U
Golden Eagle  

I

I

R

I

Caracaras & Falcons

Family List
American Kestrel

*

C

C

C

U
Merlin

*

R

I

R

I
Gyrfalcon

E

I

 

I

I
Peregrine Falcon

*

R

I

R

I

Partridges & Grouse

Family List
Gray Partridge

*

U

U

U

U
Ring-necked Pheasant

*

Nearly Extripated
Ruffed Grouse

*

U

U

U

U
Spruce Grouse  

Extripated

Rails, Gallinules, Coots & Cranes

Family List
Yellow Rail

*

R

I

I

 
King Rail  

 

I

 

 
Virginia Rail

*

U

U

U

 
Sora

*

U

U

U

 
Purple Gallinule  

I

 

 

I 
Common Moorhen

*

U

U

U

 
American Coot

*

U

U

U

I

Cranes

Family List
Sandhill Crane

*

R

R

R

I
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Plovers

Family List
Black-bellied Plover  

U

R

U

 
American Golden-Plover  

I

R

U

 
Semipalmated Plover  

U

C

U

 

Piping Plover

  

I

I

I

 
Killdeer

*

C

C

C

 

Stilts & Avocets

Family List
American Avocet  

I

 

 

 

Sandpipers & Phalaropes

Family List
Greater Yellowlegs  

U

U

C

 
Lesser Yellowlegs  

U

U

C

 
Spotted Redshank  

 

I

 

 
Solitary Sandpiper  

U

U

U

 
Willet  

I

I

I

 
Spotted Sandpiper

*

C

C

C

 
Upland Sandpiper

*

U

U

R

 
Whimbrel  

R

R

I

 
Hudsonian Godwit  

I

I

R

 
Marbled Godwit  

I

I

 

 
Ruddy Turnstone  

U

R

U

 
Red Knot  

R

R

R

 
Sanderling  

R

U

U

 
Semipalmated Sandpiper  

C

C

C

 
Western Sandpiper  

I

I

I

 
Little Stint  

 

I

 

 
Least Sandpiper  

C

C

U

 
White-rumped Sandpiper  

R

R

U

 
Baird's Sandpiper  

 

R

R

 
Pectoral Sandpiper  

U

U

C

 
Purple Sandpiper  

I

 

R

 
Dunlin  

U

R

C

 
Curlew Sandpiper

 

I

                

                

                
Stilt Sandpiper  

I

R

U

 
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  

 

R

R

 
Ruff  

I

I

I

 
Short-billed Dowitcher  

U

R

U

 
Long-billed Dowitcher  

 

I

R

 
Wilson's Snipe

*

C

C

U

I
American Woodcock

*

C

U

U

 
Wilson's Phalarope

*

U

U

R

 
Red-necked Phalarope  

R

R

U

 
Red Phalarope                                                 

                

 

I

 
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Skuas,Gulls, Terns & Skimmers

Family List
Pomarine Jaeger                                    

I

                 
Parasitic Jaeger  

 

I

I

 
Long-tailed Jaeger  

 

I

                   
Laughing Gull  

I

I

I

 
Franklin's Gull  

I

I

I

 
Little Gull  

I

I

I

 
Black-headed Gull  

 

 

I

I
Bonaparte's Gull  

U

U

U

 
Mew Gull  

 

 

I

 
Ring-billed Gull

*

C

C

C

R
California Gull  

 

 

I

 
Herring Gull

*

C

C

C

R
Thayer's Gull  

I

 

R

R
Iceland Gull  

U

 

U

R
Lesser Black-backed Gull  

R

I

R

I
Glaucous Gull  

U

I

U

R
Great Black-backed Gull  

U

R

C

R
Sabine's Gull  

 

 

I

 
Black-legged Kittiwake  

I

 

I

I
Caspian Tern  

I

R

I

 
Common Tern

*

U

U

U

 
Arctic Tern  

R

 

I

 
Forster's Tern  

I

I

I

 
Black Tern

*

U

U

U

 

Auks, Murres & Puffins

Family List
Dovekie   

 

 

I

 
Thick-billed Murre  

I

 

 

I
Atlantic Puffin  

 

 

I

 

Pigeons & Doves

Family List
Rock Pigeon

*

C

C

C

C
Mourning Dove

*

C

C

C

U
Passenger Pigeon

?

Extinct

Cuckoos & Anis

Family List
Black-billed Cuckoo

*

U

U

I

 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo

*

R

R

I

 

Barn Owls

Family List
Barn Owl

*

I

 

I

I

Typical Owls

Family List
Eastern Screech-Owl

*

U

U

U

R
Great Horned Owl

*

C

C

C

C
Snowy Owl  

U

I

U

U
Northern Hawk Owl

E  *

I

I

I

R
Barred Owl

*

U

U

U

U
Great Gray Owl

E

R

 

I

R
Long-eared Owl

*

U

R

R

R
Short-eared Owl

*

R

R

R

I
Boreal Owl

E

I

 

I

I
Northern Saw-whet Owl

*

U

R

U

R
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Goatsuckers

Family List
Common Nighthawk

*

U

U

R

 
Whip-poor-will

*

U

U

U

 

Swifts

Family List
Chimney Swift

*

U

U

U

 

Hummingbirds

Family List
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

*

U

U

R

 

Kingfishers

Family List
Belted Kingfisher

*

U

U

U

I

Woodpeckers

Family List
Red-headed Woodpecker

*

R

R

I

I
Red-bellied Woodpecker  

I

I

I

I
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

*

C

C

C

I
Downy Woodpecker

*

C

C

C

C
Hairy Woodpecker

*

C

C

C

C
Three-toed Woodpecker

E

R

 

I

R
Black-backed Woodpecker

E

U

R

R

U
Northern Flicker

*

C

C

C

R
Pileated Woodpecker

*

U

U

U

U

Tyrant Flycatchers

Family List
Olive-sided Flycatcher

*

U

U

R

 
Eastern Wood-Pewee

*

C

C

U

 
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

*

R

R

R

 
Alder Flycatcher

*

C

C

U

 
Willow Flycatcher

*

R

U

R

 
Least Flycatcher

*

C

C

U

 
Eastern Phoebe

*

U

U

U

 
Great Crested Flycatcher

*

C

C

U

 
Cassin's Kingbird      

I

  
Western Kingbird  

I

 

 

 
Eastern Kingbird

*

C

C

U

 
Gray Kingbird  

 

 

I

 
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher  

 

 

I

 

Shrikes

Family List
Northern Shrike

E

U

 

U

U
Loggerhead Shrike

*

R

R

I

 

Vireos

Family List
White-eyed Vireo  

 

 

I

 
Blue-headed Vireo

*

U

U

U

 
Yellow-throated Vireo

*

R

R

I

 
Warbling Vireo

*

C

C

U

 
Philadelphia Vireo

*

U

R

R

 
Red-eyed Vireo

*

C

C

U

 

Crows & Jays

Family List
Gray Jay

E  *

R

I

I

R
Blue Jay

*

C

C

C

C
American Crow

*

C

C

C

C
Common Raven

*

U

U

U

U

Larks

Family List
Horned Lark

*

C

U

U

U

Swallows

Family List
Purple Martin

*

U

U

U

 
Tree Swallow

*

C

C

U

 
Northern Rough-winged Swallow

*

U

U

U

 
Bank Swallow

*

C

C

U

 
Cliff Swallow

*

U

U

U

 
Barn Swallow

*

C

C

U

 
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Chickadees & Titmice

Family List
Black-capped Chickadee

*

C

C

C

C
Boreal Chickadee

E

R

 

R

R
Tufted Titmouse  

 

 

I

I

Nuthatches

Family List
Red-breasted Nuthatch

E  *

C

C

U

U
White-breasted Nuthatch

*

C

C

C

C

Creepers

Family List
Brown Creeper

*

C

U

U

U

Wrens

Family List
Carolina Wren

*

I

I

I

I
House Wren

*

U

U

U

 
Winter Wren

*

U

U

U

 
Sedge Wren

*

U

U

R

 
Marsh Wren

*

U

U

U

 

Kinglets

Family List
Golden-crowned Kinglet

*

C

U

C

R
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

*

C

U

C

I

Gnatcatchers

Family List
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

*

R

R

I

 

Thrushes

Family List
Northern Wheatear  

I

 

I

 
Eastern Bluebird

*

U

U

U

 
Townsend's Solitaire  

I

 

I

I
Veery

*

C

C

U

 
Gray-cheeked Thrush  

U

 

U

 
Swainson's Thrush

*

C

U

C

I
Hermit Thrush

*

U

U

U

I
Wood Thrush

*

U

U

U

 
Fieldfare  

 

 

 

I
American Robin

*

C

C

C

R
Varied Thrush  

 

 

I

I

Mockingbirds & Thrashers

Family List
Gray Catbird

*

C

C

U

 
Northern Mockingbird

*

R

R

R

R
Brown Thrasher

*

U

U

U

I

Starlings

Family List
European Starling

*

C

C

C

C
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Pipits

Family List
American Pipit  

U

I

C

I

Waxwings

Family List
Bohemian Waxwing

E

U

 

U

U
Cedar Waxwing

E*

U

C

U

R

Wood Warblers

Family List
Blue-winged Warbler                                        

I

 

 

 
Golden-winged Warbler

*

U

R

I

 
Tennessee Warbler

?

C

R

C

 
Orange-crowned Warbler  

R

 

U

 
Nashville Warbler

*

C

C

C

I
Northern Parula

*

U

R

U

I
Yellow Warbler

*

C

C

C

 
Chestnut-sided Warbler

*

C

C

U

 
Magnolia Warbler

*

U

U

U

 
Cape May Warbler

*

U

R

U

 
Black-throated Blue Warbler

*

U

U

U

 
Yellow-rumped Warbler

*

C

U

C

R
Black-throated Green Warbler

*

C

C

U

I
Blackburnian Warbler

*

U

U

U

 
Yellow-throated Warbler  

I

 

I

I
Pine Warbler

*

U

U

R

I
Prairie Warbler  

I

I

 

 
Palm Warbler

*

U

I

U

 
Bay-breasted Warbler

?

U

U

U

 
Blackpoll Warbler  

U

I

U

 
Cerulean Warbler

*

R

I

 

 
Black-and-white Warbler

*

C

C

U

 
American Redstart

*

C

C

U

 
Prothonotary Warbler  

I

 

I

 
Worm-eating Warbler  

I

 

 

 
Ovenbird

*

C

C

U

I
Northern Waterthrush

*

C

C

U

 
Louisiana Waterthrush

 

I

I

 

 
Connecticut Warbler  

I

I

I

 
Mourning Warbler

*

U

U

R

 
Common Yellowthroat

*

C

C

U

I
Hooded Warbler  

I

I

 

 
Wilson's Warbler  

U

U

U

 
Canada Warbler

*

U

U

U

 
Yellow-breasted Chat  

I

I

I

 
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Tanagers

Family List
Summer Tanager  

I

 

 

 
Scarlet Tanager

*

C

C

U

 

Emberizids

Family List
Spotted Towhee  

I

 

 

I
Eastern Towhee

*

U

U

R

I
American Tree Sparrow  

C

 

C

C
Chipping Sparrow

*

C

C

U

I
Clay-colored Sparrow

*

U

U

R

I
Field Sparrow

*

U

U

U

I
Vesper Sparrow

*

U

U

U

I
Lark Sparrow                   

I

                                  
Savannah Sparrow

*

C

C

C

I
Grasshopper Sparrow

*

U

U

R

 
Henslow's Sparrow

*

I

I

I

 
Le Conte's Sparrow

*

I

I

 

 
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow  

 

I

I

 
Fox Sparrow  

U

 

U

I
Song Sparrow

*

C

C

C

R
Lincoln's Sparrow

*

U

R

U

 
Swamp Sparrow

*

C

C

U

I
White-throated Sparrow

*

C

C

C

U
Harris's Sparrow  

I

 

I

I
White-crowned Sparrow

*

U

 

U

I
Dark-eyed Junco

*

C

U

C

U
Lapland Longspur

E

U

 

U

U
Snow Bunting  

C

 

C

C

Cardinals & Allies

Family List
Northern Cardinal

*

U

U

U

U
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

*

C

C

U

I
Indigo Bunting

*

U

C

U

 
Dickcissel  

 

I

I

 
Species

Spring

 Summer Fall Winter

Blackbirds

Family List
Bobolink

*

C

C

U

I
Red-winged Blackbird

*

C

C

C

R
Eastern Meadowlark

*

C

C

U

I
Western Meadowlark

 

I

I

I

 
Yellow-headed Blackbird  

I

I

I

 
Rusty Blackbird  

U

I

U

R
Brewer's Blackbird  

I

 

I

 
Common Grackle

*

C

C

U

R
Brown-headed Cowbird

*

C

C

U

R
Orchard Oriole  

I

I

I

 
Baltimore Oriole

*

C

C

U

I

Finches

Family List
Pine Grosbeak

E

U

 

U

U
Purple Finch

E  *

C

C

U

U
House Finch

*

C

C

C

U
Red Crossbill

E  *

U

R

R

U
White-winged Crossbill

E  *

I

R

U

U
Common Redpoll

E

U

 

U

U
Hoary Redpoll

E

R

 

R

R
Pine Siskin

E  *

U

U

U

U
American Goldfinch

*

C

C

C

U
Evening Grosbeak

E  *

U

U

C

C

Old World Sparrows

Family List
House Sparrow

*

C

C

C

C

Revised June 2005