Ontario bird checklist

587 bird species in 77 families have been recorded in Ontario, according to eBird; about 354 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.

The most common birds in Ontario right now

  1. 1Ring-billed Gull
  2. 2Rock Pigeon
  3. 3Canada Goose
  4. 4House Sparrow
  5. 5European Starling
  6. 6Yellow-rumped Warbler
  7. 7American Crow
  8. 8Mallard
  9. 9Dark-eyed Junco
  10. 10Great Blue Heron
The top 20, and how they are ranked

Ontario bird checklist

587 species · loading the checklist tools…

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

  • Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
  • Fulvous Whistling-Duck
  • Bar-headed Goose
  • Emperor Goose
  • Snow Goose
  • Ross's Goose
  • Graylag Goose
  • Swan Goose
  • Greater White-fronted Goose
  • Tundra Bean-Goose
  • Pink-footed Goose
  • Brant
  • Barnacle Goose
  • Cackling Goose
  • Canada Goose
  • Red-breasted Goose
  • Mute Swan
  • Black Swan
  • Trumpeter Swan
  • Tundra Swan
  • Whooper Swan
  • Egyptian Goose
  • Ruddy Shelduck
  • South African Shelduck
  • Common Shelduck
  • Muscovy Duck
  • Wood Duck
  • Mandarin Duck
  • Baikal Teal
  • Garganey
  • Blue-winged Teal
  • Cinnamon Teal
  • Northern Shoveler
  • Gadwall
  • Falcated Duck
  • Eurasian Wigeon
  • American Wigeon
  • Chiloe Wigeon
  • Mallard
  • American Black Duck
  • Mottled Duck
  • White-cheeked Pintail
  • Northern Pintail
  • Green-winged Teal
  • Red-crested Pochard
  • Canvasback
  • Redhead
  • Ring-necked Duck
  • Tufted Duck
  • Greater Scaup
  • Lesser Scaup
  • King Eider
  • Common Eider
  • Harlequin Duck
  • Surf Scoter
  • White-winged Scoter
  • Black Scoter
  • Long-tailed Duck
  • Bufflehead
  • Common Goldeneye
  • Barrow's Goldeneye
  • Smew
  • Hooded Merganser
  • Common Merganser
  • Red-breasted Merganser
  • Ruddy Duck

Guineafowl

  • Helmeted Guineafowl

New World Quail

  • Northern Bobwhite
  • California Quail
  • Gambel's Quail

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

  • Wild Turkey
  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Sharp-tailed Grouse
  • Greater Prairie-Chicken
  • Willow Ptarmigan
  • Rock Ptarmigan
  • Spruce Grouse
  • Gray Partridge
  • Reeves's Pheasant
  • Golden Pheasant
  • Lady Amherst's Pheasant
  • Ring-necked Pheasant
  • Indian Peafowl
  • Red Junglefowl
  • Common Quail
  • Japanese Quail
  • Chukar
  • Rock Partridge

Pigeons and Doves

  • Rock Pigeon
  • White-crowned Pigeon
  • Band-tailed Pigeon
  • Passenger Pigeon
  • Oriental Turtle-Dove
  • Eurasian Collared-Dove
  • African Collared-Dove
  • Ring-necked Dove
  • Diamond Dove
  • Inca Dove
  • Common Ground Dove
  • White-winged Dove
  • Mourning Dove

Cuckoos

  • Groove-billed Ani
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  • Black-billed Cuckoo

Nightjars and Allies

  • Lesser Nighthawk
  • Common Nighthawk
  • Common Poorwill
  • Chuck-will's-widow
  • Eastern Whip-poor-will

Swifts

  • Black Swift
  • White-collared Swift
  • Chimney Swift

Hummingbirds

  • Mexican Violetear
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Black-chinned Hummingbird
  • Anna's Hummingbird
  • Costa's Hummingbird
  • Calliope Hummingbird
  • Rufous Hummingbird
  • Broad-billed Hummingbird

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

  • King Rail
  • Virginia Rail
  • Sora
  • Common Gallinule
  • American Coot
  • Purple Gallinule
  • Yellow Rail
  • Black Rail

Limpkin

  • Limpkin

Cranes

  • Sandhill Crane
  • Demoiselle Crane
  • Whooping Crane

Stilts and Avocets

  • Black-necked Stilt
  • American Avocet

Oystercatchers

  • American Oystercatcher

Plovers and Lapwings

  • Black-bellied Plover
  • American Golden-Plover
  • Eurasian Dotterel
  • Killdeer
  • Common Ringed Plover
  • Semipalmated Plover
  • Piping Plover
  • Siberian Sand-Plover
  • Wilson's Plover
  • Snowy Plover

Sandpipers and Allies

  • Upland Sandpiper
  • Hudsonian Whimbrel
  • Eurasian Whimbrel
  • Eskimo Curlew
  • Long-billed Curlew
  • Slender-billed Curlew
  • Black-tailed Godwit
  • Hudsonian Godwit
  • Marbled Godwit
  • Short-billed Dowitcher
  • Long-billed Dowitcher
  • American Woodcock
  • Wilson's Snipe
  • Wilson's Phalarope
  • Red Phalarope
  • Red-necked Phalarope
  • Spotted Sandpiper
  • Solitary Sandpiper
  • Wandering Tattler
  • Marsh Sandpiper
  • Lesser Yellowlegs
  • Willet
  • Spotted Redshank
  • Greater Yellowlegs
  • Ruddy Turnstone
  • Red Knot
  • Surfbird
  • Ruff
  • Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
  • Curlew Sandpiper
  • Stilt Sandpiper
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  • Sanderling
  • Dunlin
  • Purple Sandpiper
  • Baird's Sandpiper
  • Little Stint
  • White-rumped Sandpiper
  • Least Sandpiper
  • Pectoral Sandpiper
  • Western Sandpiper
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper

Skuas and Jaegers

  • Long-tailed Jaeger
  • Parasitic Jaeger
  • Pomarine Jaeger

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

  • Atlantic Puffin
  • Long-billed Murrelet
  • Black Guillemot
  • Razorbill
  • Dovekie
  • Thick-billed Murre
  • Ancient Murrelet

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

  • Little Gull
  • Ross's Gull
  • Black-legged Kittiwake
  • Ivory Gull
  • Sabine's Gull
  • Bonaparte's Gull
  • Black-headed Gull
  • Laughing Gull
  • Franklin's Gull
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Heermann's Gull
  • Common Gull
  • Short-billed Gull
  • Ring-billed Gull
  • Kelp Gull
  • American Herring Gull
  • Vega Gull
  • Great Black-backed Gull
  • Glaucous Gull
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull
  • California Gull
  • Glaucous-winged Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Iceland Gull
  • Black Skimmer
  • Sooty Tern
  • Least Tern
  • Caspian Tern
  • Black Tern
  • White-winged Tern
  • Forster's Tern
  • Arctic Tern
  • Common Tern
  • Sandwich Tern
  • Elegant Tern
  • Royal Tern

Flamingos

  • Chilean Flamingo
  • American Flamingo

Grebes

  • Pied-billed Grebe
  • Horned Grebe
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Eared Grebe
  • Western Grebe

Loons

  • Red-throated Loon
  • Pacific Loon
  • Common Loon
  • Yellow-billed Loon

Albatrosses

  • Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross

Southern Storm-Petrels

  • Wilson's Storm-Petrel

Northern Storm-Petrels

  • Leach's Storm-Petrel
  • Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

Shearwaters and Petrels

  • Northern Fulmar
  • Black-capped Petrel
  • Great Shearwater
  • Short-tailed Shearwater
  • Manx Shearwater
  • Sargasso Shearwater

Storks

  • Wood Stork

Frigatebirds

  • Magnificent Frigatebird

Boobies and Gannets

  • Northern Gannet
  • Brown Booby

Anhingas

  • Anhinga

Cormorants and Shags

  • Great Cormorant
  • Double-crested Cormorant
  • Neotropic Cormorant

Ibises and Spoonbills

  • White Ibis
  • Scarlet Ibis
  • Glossy Ibis
  • White-faced Ibis
  • Roseate Spoonbill

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

  • American Bittern
  • Least Bittern
  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron
  • Black-crowned Night Heron
  • Little Blue Heron
  • Tricolored Heron
  • Reddish Egret
  • Snowy Egret
  • Little Egret
  • Green Heron
  • Western Cattle-Egret
  • Great Egret
  • Great Blue Heron

Pelicans

  • American White Pelican
  • Brown Pelican

New World Vultures

  • Black Vulture
  • Turkey Vulture

Osprey

  • Osprey

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

  • White-tailed Kite
  • Swallow-tailed Kite
  • Golden Eagle
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • Cooper's Hawk
  • American Goshawk
  • Northern Harrier
  • Bald Eagle
  • Mississippi Kite
  • Harris's Hawk
  • Broad-winged Hawk
  • Red-shouldered Hawk
  • Swainson's Hawk
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Rough-legged Hawk
  • Ferruginous Hawk

Barn-Owls

  • American Barn Owl

Owls

  • Eastern Screech-Owl
  • Snowy Owl
  • Great Horned Owl
  • Northern Hawk Owl
  • Burrowing Owl
  • Barred Owl
  • Great Gray Owl
  • Long-eared Owl
  • Short-eared Owl
  • Boreal Owl
  • Northern Saw-whet Owl

Kingfishers

  • Belted Kingfisher

Woodpeckers

  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • Lewis's Woodpecker
  • Red-headed Woodpecker
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • American Three-toed Woodpecker
  • Black-backed Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Northern Flicker

Falcons and Caracaras

  • Crested Caracara
  • Eurasian Kestrel
  • American Kestrel
  • Merlin
  • Gyrfalcon
  • Peregrine Falcon
  • Prairie Falcon

Cockatoos

  • Cockatiel

Old World Parrots

  • Rose-ringed Parakeet
  • Red-rumped Parrot
  • Budgerigar
  • Red-headed Lovebird
  • Rosy-faced Lovebird

New World and African Parrots

  • Red-bellied Parrot
  • Monk Parakeet
  • Green-cheeked Parakeet
  • Nanday Parakeet
  • Blue-and-yellow Macaw
  • Scarlet Macaw

Tyrant Flycatchers

  • Olive-sided Flycatcher
  • Western Wood-Pewee
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee
  • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
  • Acadian Flycatcher
  • Alder Flycatcher
  • Willow Flycatcher
  • Least Flycatcher
  • Gray Flycatcher
  • Dusky Flycatcher
  • Western Flycatcher
  • Eastern Phoebe
  • Say's Phoebe
  • Vermilion Flycatcher
  • Ash-throated Flycatcher
  • Great Crested Flycatcher
  • Great Kiskadee
  • Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
  • Variegated Flycatcher
  • Tropical Kingbird
  • Cassin's Kingbird
  • Thick-billed Kingbird
  • Western Kingbird
  • Eastern Kingbird
  • Gray Kingbird
  • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
  • Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis

  • Black-capped Vireo
  • White-eyed Vireo
  • Bell's Vireo
  • Yellow-throated Vireo
  • Blue-headed Vireo
  • Plumbeous Vireo
  • Philadelphia Vireo
  • Eastern Warbling Vireo
  • Red-eyed Vireo

Shrikes

  • Loggerhead Shrike
  • Northern Shrike

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

  • Canada Jay
  • Blue Jay
  • Florida Scrub-Jay
  • Black-billed Magpie
  • Clark's Nutcracker
  • Eurasian Jackdaw
  • American Crow
  • Fish Crow
  • Chihuahuan Raven
  • Common Raven

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

  • Carolina Chickadee
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Boreal Chickadee
  • Eurasian Blue Tit
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Great Tit

Larks

  • Horned Lark

Swallows

  • Bank Swallow
  • Tree Swallow
  • Violet-green Swallow
  • Purple Martin
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  • Barn Swallow
  • Cliff Swallow
  • Cave Swallow

Bulbuls

  • White-eared Bulbul

Leaf Warblers

  • Yellow-browed Warbler

Kinglets

  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet

Nuthatches

  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch

Treecreepers

  • Brown Creeper

Gnatcatchers

  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Wrens

  • Rock Wren
  • Northern House Wren
  • Winter Wren
  • Sedge Wren
  • Marsh Wren
  • Carolina Wren
  • Bewick's Wren

Starlings

  • Common Hill Myna
  • European Starling

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

  • Gray Catbird
  • Brown Thrasher
  • Sage Thrasher
  • Northern Mockingbird

Thrushes and Allies

  • Eastern Bluebird
  • Mountain Bluebird
  • Townsend's Solitaire
  • Varied Thrush
  • Veery
  • Gray-cheeked Thrush
  • Bicknell's Thrush
  • Swainson's Thrush
  • Hermit Thrush
  • Wood Thrush
  • Eurasian Blackbird
  • Fieldfare
  • American Robin

Old World Flycatchers

  • Siberian Rubythroat
  • Northern Wheatear

Waxwings

  • Bohemian Waxwing
  • Cedar Waxwing

Silky-flycatchers

  • Phainopepla

Weavers and Allies

  • Northern Red Bishop
  • Southern Red Bishop

Waxbills and Allies

  • Double-barred Finch
  • Zebra Finch
  • Java Sparrow
  • Red-cheeked Cordonbleu

Old World Sparrows

  • House Sparrow
  • Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Wagtails and Pipits

  • White Wagtail
  • American Pipit
  • Sprague's Pipit

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

  • Common Chaffinch
  • Brambling
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Pine Grosbeak
  • Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
  • House Finch
  • Purple Finch
  • Cassin's Finch
  • European Greenfinch
  • Oriental Greenfinch
  • Yellow-fronted Canary
  • Redpoll
  • Red Crossbill
  • White-winged Crossbill
  • European Goldfinch
  • Gray-crowned Goldfinch
  • Island Canary
  • Eurasian Siskin
  • Pine Siskin
  • Lesser Goldfinch
  • American Goldfinch

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

  • Lapland Longspur
  • Chestnut-collared Longspur
  • Smith's Longspur
  • Thick-billed Longspur
  • Snow Bunting

New World Sparrows

  • Cassin's Sparrow
  • Bachman's Sparrow
  • Grasshopper Sparrow
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Clay-colored Sparrow
  • Field Sparrow
  • Brewer's Sparrow
  • Black-throated Sparrow
  • Lark Sparrow
  • Lark Bunting
  • American Tree Sparrow
  • Fox Sparrow
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Golden-crowned Sparrow
  • Harris's Sparrow
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Vesper Sparrow
  • LeConte's Sparrow
  • Nelson's Sparrow
  • Savannah Sparrow
  • Baird's Sparrow
  • Henslow's Sparrow
  • Song Sparrow
  • Lincoln's Sparrow
  • Swamp Sparrow
  • Green-tailed Towhee
  • Spotted Towhee
  • Eastern Towhee

Yellow-breasted Chat

  • Yellow-breasted Chat

Troupials and Allies

  • Yellow-headed Blackbird
  • Bobolink
  • Western Meadowlark
  • Eastern Meadowlark
  • Orchard Oriole
  • Hooded Oriole
  • Bullock's Oriole
  • Altamira Oriole
  • Baltimore Oriole
  • Scott's Oriole
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Rusty Blackbird
  • Brewer's Blackbird
  • Common Grackle
  • Great-tailed Grackle

New World Warblers

  • Ovenbird
  • Worm-eating Warbler
  • Louisiana Waterthrush
  • Northern Waterthrush
  • Golden-winged Warbler
  • Blue-winged Warbler
  • Black-and-white Warbler
  • Prothonotary Warbler
  • Swainson's Warbler
  • Tennessee Warbler
  • Orange-crowned Warbler
  • Nashville Warbler
  • Virginia's Warbler
  • Connecticut Warbler
  • MacGillivray's Warbler
  • Mourning Warbler
  • Kentucky Warbler
  • Common Yellowthroat
  • Hooded Warbler
  • American Redstart
  • Kirtland's Warbler
  • Cape May Warbler
  • Cerulean Warbler
  • Northern Parula
  • Magnolia Warbler
  • Bay-breasted Warbler
  • Blackburnian Warbler
  • Northern Yellow Warbler
  • Chestnut-sided Warbler
  • Blackpoll Warbler
  • Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • Palm Warbler
  • Pine Warbler
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • Yellow-throated Warbler
  • Prairie Warbler
  • Grace's Warbler
  • Black-throated Gray Warbler
  • Townsend's Warbler
  • Hermit Warbler
  • Black-throated Green Warbler
  • Canada Warbler
  • Wilson's Warbler
  • Painted Redstart

Cardinals and Allies

  • Hepatic Tanager
  • Summer Tanager
  • Scarlet Tanager
  • Western Tanager
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Pyrrhuloxia
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Black-headed Grosbeak
  • Blue Grosbeak
  • Lazuli Bunting
  • Indigo Bunting
  • Varied Bunting
  • Painted Bunting
  • Dickcissel

Tanagers and Allies

  • Saffron Finch

Most common birds in Ontario

Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Ontario’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.

  1. Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
  2. Rock PigeonColumba livia
  3. Canada GooseBranta canadensis
  4. House SparrowPasser domesticus
  5. European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  6. Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata
  7. American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
  8. MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  9. Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis
  10. Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
  11. Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
  12. Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
  13. Double-crested CormorantNannopterum auritum
  14. Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
  15. Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
  16. American RobinTurdus migratorius
  17. Green-winged TealAnas crecca
  18. White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
  19. Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
  20. White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys

Largest bird families in Ontario

Among its regular birds.

  • Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl41
  • New World Warblers29
  • Sandpipers and Allies29
  • Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers24
  • New World Sparrows20
  • Tyrant Flycatchers12
  • Hawks, Eagles, and Kites11
  • Troupials and Allies11

Reported in the last 30 days

296 species reported to eBird in Ontario in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:

Rock Pigeon, European Starling, American Crow, Common Goldeneye, Red-tailed Hawk, White-throated Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, House Sparrow, Canada Goose, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Blue Jay, Great Blue Heron, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Trumpeter Swan, Black-capped Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Mallard, Mute Swan, Nashville Warbler, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Swamp Sparrow, American Black Duck, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-crowned Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Double-crested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Common Merganser, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Hairy Woodpecker, White-winged Scoter, …

Other regions of Canada