Greenland bird checklist
123 bird species in 33 families have been recorded in Greenland, according to eBird; about 104 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.
Species data: eBird.org, updated · How these lists are made
The most common birds in Greenland right now
1Glaucous Gull
2Iceland Gull
3Black-legged Kittiwake
4Common Eider
5Red-breasted Merganser
6Mallard
7Great Black-backed Gull
8White-tailed Eagle
9Northern Fulmar
10Common Raven
Greenland bird checklist
123 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Snow Goose
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Pink-footed Goose
- Brant
- Barnacle Goose
- Cackling Goose
- Canada Goose
- Whooper Swan
- Common Shelduck
- Northern Shoveler
- Eurasian Wigeon
- American Wigeon
- Mallard
- American Black Duck
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
- Tufted Duck
- Greater Scaup
- King Eider
- Common Eider
- Harlequin Duck
- Long-tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
- Red-breasted Merganser
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Rock Ptarmigan
Pigeons and Doves
- Mourning Dove
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Sora
Cranes
- Sandhill Crane
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- European Golden-Plover
- American Golden-Plover
- Common Ringed Plover
Sandpipers and Allies
- Hudsonian Whimbrel
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Common Snipe
- Wilson's Snipe
- Red Phalarope
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Common Redshank
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Red Knot
- Ruff
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Purple Sandpiper
- Baird's Sandpiper
- Little Stint
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Semipalmated Sandpiper
Skuas and Jaegers
- Long-tailed Jaeger
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Great Skua
Auks, Murres, and Puffins
- Tufted Puffin
- Atlantic Puffin
- Horned Puffin
- Black Guillemot
- Razorbill
- Dovekie
- Thick-billed Murre
- Common Murre
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Little Gull
- Ross's Gull
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Ivory Gull
- Sabine's Gull
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Franklin's Gull
- Common Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- American Herring Gull
- European Herring Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Iceland Gull
- Arctic Tern
- Common Tern
Grebes
- Horned Grebe
Loons
- Red-throated Loon
- Pacific Loon
- Common Loon
Southern Storm-Petrels
- Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Northern Storm-Petrels
- Leach's Storm-Petrel
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Northern Fulmar
- Great Shearwater
- Sooty Shearwater
- Manx Shearwater
Boobies and Gannets
- Northern Gannet
Cormorants and Shags
- Great Cormorant
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- White-tailed Eagle
Owls
- Snowy Owl
- Short-eared Owl
Falcons and Caracaras
- Merlin
- Gyrfalcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Rook
- Common Raven
Larks
- Horned Lark
Swallows
- Cliff Swallow
Starlings
- European Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- Redwing
- Eurasian Blackbird
- Fieldfare
- American Robin
Old World Flycatchers
- Northern Wheatear
Waxwings
- Bohemian Waxwing
Wagtails and Pipits
- White Wagtail
- Meadow Pipit
- American Pipit
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Redpoll
- Pine Siskin
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
- Lapland Longspur
- Snow Bunting
New World Sparrows
- White-crowned Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
Troupials and Allies
- Bobolink
New World Warblers
- Northern Yellow Warbler
Most common birds in Greenland
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 Greenland’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
- Common EiderSomateria mollissima
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Common RavenCorvus corax
- Sooty ShearwaterArdenna grisea
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
- DovekieAlle alle
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinus
Largest bird families in Greenland
Among its regular birds.
- Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl23
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers14
- Sandpipers and Allies13
- Auks, Murres, and Puffins8
- Shearwaters and Petrels4
- Skuas and Jaegers4
- Plovers and Lapwings4
- Thrushes and Allies4
Reported in the last 30 days
49 species reported to eBird in Greenland in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, White-tailed Eagle, Black-legged Kittiwake, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Eider, Mallard, Common Raven, Great Black-backed Gull, Sooty Shearwater, Northern Fulmar, Snow Bunting, Redpoll, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Purple Sandpiper, Black Guillemot, Dovekie, Red-throated Loon, Lapland Longspur, Meadow Pipit, Bohemian Waxwing, Black-headed Gull, Pomarine Jaeger, King Eider, Common Murre, Great Cormorant, Peregrine Falcon, Parasitic Jaeger, Long-tailed Duck, Red Phalarope, Thick-billed Murre, Common Loon, Atlantic Puffin, Canada Goose, Northern Wheatear, Arctic Tern, Great Shearwater, Rock Ptarmigan, Ivory Gull, Razorbill, …
Get to know some of them
Sooty Shearwater
Snow Bunting
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black Guillemot
Red-throated Loon
Lapland Longspur
Black-headed Gull
Meadow Pipit
Common Murre
King Eider
Great Cormorant
Long-tailed Duck
Parasitic Jaeger
Peregrine Falcon
Canada Goose
Common Loon