Printable bird watching checklist

A bird watching checklist you can print or download as a PDF. Start from the common backyard birds of North America below, or load every bird recorded in your state, then choose a layout and paper size.

Bird watching checklist

38 species · loading the checklist tools…

  • Rock Pigeon
  • Eurasian Collared-Dove
  • Mourning Dove
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Anna's Hummingbird
  • Cooper's Hawk
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Northern Flicker
  • Blue Jay
  • American Crow
  • Carolina Chickadee
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Northern House Wren
  • Carolina Wren
  • European Starling
  • Northern Mockingbird
  • Eastern Bluebird
  • American Robin
  • Cedar Waxwing
  • House Sparrow
  • House Finch
  • Purple Finch
  • Pine Siskin
  • American Goldfinch
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Song Sparrow
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Common Grackle
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Choosing a layout

Compact puts three columns of small check boxes on each page, which is the closest thing to a pocket field card: a whole state list usually fits on a few sheets. Large print uses one column with big type for easier reading outdoors. Field survey adds four tally boxes beside each bird for counting by time or by stop.

If you want pictures, the With photos layout shows each bird’s photo above its name; print it from your browser.

A more compact version

Change the order to Grouped by family to keep similar birds together, remove birds you will not see from the Edit list tab, and choose A4 or US Letter so nothing is cut off at the edge. Ticking birds before you print is optional; ticked birds print with a mark and their count.

Paper or phone

The same list works on your phone: open the Tick off tab and tap birds as you see them. It keeps working without signal, and you can print a clean copy of it later.