List of birds of Alberta facts for kids

This is a list of the birds that are found across the province of Alberta, Canada.

The great horned owl is the bird of Alberta.

Geese, swans and ducks

Canada goose

Mallard

Barrow's goldeneye

• Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons)
• Snow goose (Chen caerulescens)
• Ross's goose (Chen rossii)
• Brant (Branta bernicla)
• Cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii)
• Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
• Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator)
• Tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus)
• Wood duck (Aix sponsa)
• Gadwall (Anas strepera)
• Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope)
• American wigeon (Anas americana)
• American black duck (Anas rubripes)
• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
• Blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
• Cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera)
• Northern shoveler (Anas clypeata)
• Northern pintail (Anas acuta)
• Garganey (Anas querquedula)
• Green-winged teal (Anas crecca)
• Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
• Redhead (Aythya americana)
• Ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris)
• Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
• Greater scaup (Aythya marila)
• Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis)
• King eider (Somateria spectabilis)
• Common eider (Somateria mollissima)
• Harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus)
• Surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
• White-winged scoter (Melanitta fusca)
• Black scoter (Melanitta americana)
• Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis)
• Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
• Common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
• Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica)
• Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
• Common merganser (Mergus merganser)
• Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator)
• Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)

Partridges, pheasants, grouse and turkeys

Spruce grouse

• Gray partridge (Perdix perdix)
• Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
• Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus)
• Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
• Spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis)
• Willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)
• White-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura)
• Dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus)
• Sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)
• Greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)
• Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Loons

• Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata)
• Pacific loon (Gavia pacifica)
• Common loon (Gavia immer)
• Yellow-billed loon (Gavia adamsii)

Grebes

• Pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
• Horned grebe (Podiceps auritus)
• Red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena)
• Eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
• Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
• Clark's grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)

Pelicans and cormorants

• American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
• Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

Bitterns, herons, and ibises

Great blue heron

• American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
• Great blue heron (Ardea herodias)
• Great egret (Ardea alba)
• Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
• Little blue heron (Egretta caerulea)
• Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor)
• Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
• Green heron (Butorides virescens)
• Black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
• Yellow-crowned night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea)
• White-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi)

New World vultures, Eagles, hawks, osprey and falcons

Broad-winged hawk

• Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)
• Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
• Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
• Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus)
• Sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus)
• Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
• Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
• Broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus)
• Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
• Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis)
• Rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus)
• Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
• American kestrel (Falco sparverius)
• Merlin (Falco columbarius)
• Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
• Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
• Prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus)
• Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Rails, coots and cranes

Sora

• Yellow rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)
• Virginia rail (Rallus limicola)
• Sora (Porzana carolina)
• American coot (Fulica americana)
• Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis)
• Common crane (Grus grus)
• Whooping crane (Grus americana)

Plovers

• Black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
• American golden-plover (Pluvialis dominica)
• Pacific golden-plover (Pluvialis fulva)
• Lesser sand-plover (Charadrius mongolus)
• Snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus)
• Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
• Piping plover (Charadrius melodus)
• Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
• Mountain plover (Charadrius montanus)

Avocets

• Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
• American avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

Sandpipers and phalaropes

Wandering tattler

Pectoral sandpiper

• Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
• Solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
• Wandering tattler (Tringa incana)
• Spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus)
• Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
• Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
• Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
• Upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)
• Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis)
• Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
• Long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus)
• Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica)
• Marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa)
• Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
• Black turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)
• Surfbird (Calidris virgata)
• Red knot (Calidris canutus)
• Sanderling (Calidris alba)
• Semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
• Western sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
• Red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis)
• Little stint (Calidris minuta)
• Least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
• White-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
• Baird's sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)
• Pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
• Sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)
• Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
• Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
• Stilt sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)
• Spoon-billed sandpiper (Calidris pygmea)
• Buff-breasted sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)
• Ruff (Calidris pugnax)
• Short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
• Long-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
• Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata)
• American woodcock (Scolopax minor)
• Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)
• Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
• Red phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius)

Skuas

• Pomarine jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
• Parasitic jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)
• Long-tailed jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)

Gulls, terns and skimmers

Ring-billed gull

• Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
• Ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea)
• Sabine's gull (Xema sabini)
• Bonaparte's gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
• Little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus)
• Franklin's gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
• Mew gull (Larus canus)
• Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis)
• California gull (Larus californicus)
• Herring gull (Larus argentatus)
• Thayer's gull (Larus thayeri)
• Iceland gull (Larus glaucoides)
• Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus)
• Slaty-backed gull (Larus schistisagus)
• Glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens)
• Glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)
• Great black-backed gull (Larus marinus)
• Least tern (Sternula antillarum)
• Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
• Black tern (Chlidonias niger)
• Common tern (Sterna hirundo)
• Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea)
• Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri)

Alcids

• Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle)
• Long-billed murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix)
• Ancient murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus)

Pigeons and doves

• Rock dove (Columba livia)
• Band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)
• Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
• White-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica)
• Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura)

Corvidae

• Common raven (Corvus Corax)
• American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Cuckoos

• Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
• Black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

Owls

Great grey owl

• Barn owl (Tyto alba)
• Flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus)
• Western screech-owl (Megascops kennicottii)
• Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio)
• Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)
• Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
• Northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula)
• Northern pygmy-owl (Glaucidium gnoma)
• Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia)
• Barred owl (Strix varia)
• Great gray owl (Strix nebulosa)
• Long-eared owl (Asio otus)
• Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus)
• Boreal owl (Aegolius funereus)
• Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus)

Nighthawks and goatsuckers

• Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
• Common poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)
• Eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus)

Swifts and hummingbirds

Ruby-throated hummingbird

• Black swift (Cypseloides niger)
• White-throated swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)
• Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
• Black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
• Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna)
• Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae)
• Calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope)
• Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

Kingfishers

• Belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

Woodpeckers

Red-bellied woodpecker

• Lewis's woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)
• Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
• Acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
• Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
• Williamson's sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus)
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
• Red-naped sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis)
• Red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)
• Downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
• Hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
• American three-toed woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis)
• Black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus)
• Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus)
• Pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Songbirds

Hermit thrush

Blue-winged warbler

Red crossbill

• Olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)
• Western wood-pewee (Contopus sordidulus)
• Yellow-bellied flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris)
• Alder flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)
• Willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)
• Least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)
• Hammond's flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii)
• Gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii)
• Dusky flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri)
• "Western" flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)
• Eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
• Say's phoebe (Sayornis saya)
• Great crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
• Western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
• Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
• Scissor-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
• Fork-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus savana)
• Loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
• Northern shrike (Lanius excubitor)
• Yellow-throated vireo (Vireo flavifrons)
• Cassin's vireo (Vireo cassinii)
• Blue-headed vireo (Vireo solitarius)
• Warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus)
• Philadelphia vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)
• Red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
• Gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis)
• Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
• Blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
• Pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus)
• Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana)
• Black-billed magpie (Pica hudsonia)
• Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris)
• Purple martin (Progne subis)
• Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
• Violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
• Northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
• Bank swallow (Riparia riparia)
• Cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
• Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
• Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
• Mountain chickadee (Poecile gambeli)
• Chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
• Boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonica)
• Red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)
• White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
• Brown creeper (Certhia americana)
• Rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)
• Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
• House wren (Troglodytes aedon)
• Winter wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)
• Sedge wren (Cistothorus platensis)
• Marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris)
• American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus)
• Golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
• Ruby-crowned kinglet (Regulus calendula)
• Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
• Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
• Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis)
• Western bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
• Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides)
• Townsend's solitaire (Myadestes townsendi)
• Veery (Catharus fuscescens)
• Gray-cheeked thrush (Catharus minimus)
• Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
• Hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus)
• Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
• American robin (Turdus migratorius)
• Varied thrush (Ixoreus naevius)
• Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
• Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
• Sage thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus)
• Brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
• Bendire's thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei)
• Curve-billed thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre)
• European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
• Siberian accentor (Prunella montanella)
• American pipit (Anthus rubescens)
• Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii)
• Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
• Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
• Blue-winged warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)
• Golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera)
• Tennessee warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)
• Orange-crowned warbler (Oreothlypis celata)
• Nashville warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)
• Northern parula (Setophaga americana)
• Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia)
• Chestnut-sided warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)
• Magnolia warbler (Setophaga magnolia)
• Cape May warbler (Setophaga tigrina)
• Black-throated blue warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)
• Yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga coronata)
• Black-throated gray warbler (Setophaga nigrescens)
• Black-throated green warbler (Setophaga virens)
• Townsend's warbler (Setophaga townsendi)
• Hermit warbler (Setophaga occidentalis)
• Blackburnian warbler (Setophaga fusca)
• Yellow-throated warbler (Setophaga dominica)
• Pine warbler (Setophaga pinus)
• Palm warbler (Setophaga palmarum)
• Bay-breasted warbler (Setophaga castanea)
• Blackpoll warbler (Setophaga striata)
• Hooded warbler (Setophaga citrina)
• American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
• Black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia)
• Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)
• Northern waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
• Connecticut warbler (Oporornis agilis)
• Kentucky warbler (Geothlypis formosa)
• Mourning warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)
• MacGillivray's warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei)
• Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
• Wilson's warbler (Cardellina pusilla)
• Canada warbler (Cardellina canadensis)
• Yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens)
• Summer tanager (Piranga rubra)
• Scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea)
• Western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
• Green-tailed towhee (Pipilo chlorurus)
• Spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
• Eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
• Cassin's sparrow (Peucaea cassinii)
• American tree sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)
• Chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina)
• Clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida)
• Brewer's sparrow (Spizella breweri)

Field sparrow

Lapland bunting

• Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
• Vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
• Lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)
• Black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata)
• Lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys)
• Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
• Grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
• Baird's sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii)
• Le Conte's sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii)
• Nelson's sparrow (Ammodramus nelsoni)
• Fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca)
• Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
• Lincoln's sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
• Swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
• White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
• Harris's sparrow (Zonotrichia querula)
• White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
• Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
• Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)
• McCown's longspur (Calcarius mccownii)
• Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)
• Smith's longspur (Calcarius pictus)
• Chestnut-collared longspur (Calcarius ornatus)
• Snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
• Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
• Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
• Black-headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
• Lazuli bunting (Passerina amoena)
• Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea)
• Painted bunting (Passerina ciris)
• Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
• Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
• Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
• Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
• Western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
• Yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
• Rusty blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)
• Brewer's blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
• Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
• Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)
• Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula)
• Bullock's oriole (Icterus bullockii)
• Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)
• Gray-crowned rosy-finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis)
• Pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)
• Purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus)
• Cassin's finch (Haemorhous cassinii)
• House finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
• Red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
• White-winged crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)
• Common redpoll (Acanthis flammea)
• Hoary redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni)
• Pine siskin (Spinus pinus)
• American goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
• Evening grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)
• House sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Images for kids

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  The great horned owl is the provincial bird of Alberta

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  Pacific loon