Our List of Birds We Have Observed and Identified

We see a great diversity of bird life around our shores and forest because part of our forest stewardship plan aims to enhance habitat types and natural food sources. Below is a list of the species we have observed over the decades. Of course the cast of characters changes with the seasons and the years. For more information on any of these birds, we suggest visiting the Minnesota Ornithological Union or the Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory. Clicking on the scientific name will show you a picture of the bird, you can hear what it sounds like, and learn much about its distribution and ecology.

Common NameScientific Name
American crowCorvus brachyrhynchos
American redstartSetophaga ruticilla
American robinTurdus migratorius
American white pelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos
American woodcockScolopax minor
bald eagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
Baltimore orioleIcterus galbula
barn swallowHirundo rustica
barred owlStrix varia
belted kingfisherCeryle alcyon
black capped chickadeeParus atricapillus
black ternChlidonias niger
blue jayCyanocitta cristata
boreal chickadee Poecile hudsonicus
brown creeperCerthia familiaris
brown thrasherToxostoma rufum
bufflehead Bucephala albeola
Canada gooseBranta canadensis
Canada jay Perisoreus canadensis
cedar waxwingBombycilla cedrorum
chipping sparrowSpizella passerina
common loonGavia immer
common nighthawkChordeiles minor
common redpoll Acanthis flammea
common yellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
downy woodpeckerPicoides pubescens
eastern phoebeSayornis phoebe
eastern wood peweeContopus virens
evening grosbeakCoccothraustes vespertinus
flicker (northern)Colaptes auratus
fox sparrowPasserella iliaca
gold finch (American)Carduelis tristis
goldeneye (common)Bucephala clangula
gray catbirdDumetella carolinensis
great blue heronArdea herodias
great grey owl Strix nebulosa
great horned owlBubo virginianus
green heronButorides virescens
green winged tealAnas crecca
hairy woodpeckerPicoides villosus
hermit thrushCatharus guttatus
herring gullLarus argentatus
house finchCarpodacus mexicanus
house sparrowPasser domesticus
house wrenTroglodytes aedon
dark-eyed juncoJunco hyemalis
killdeerCharadrius vociferus
mallardAnas platyrhynchos
merganser (common)Mergus merganser
northern saw-whet owlAegolius acadicus
ospreyPandion haliaetus
oven birdSeiurus aurocapillus
pied billed grebePodilymbus podiceps
pileated woodpeckerDryocopus pileatus
pine grosbeak Pinicola enucleator
pine siskin Spinus pinus
pine warblerDendroica pinus
purple finchCarpodacus purpureus
purple martinProgne subis
red-bellied woodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus
red eyed vireoVireo olivaceus
red tailed hawkButeo jamaicensis
red winged blackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
red-breasted nuthatchSitta canadensis
ring-necked pheasantPhasianus colchicus
rose-breasted grosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
ruby throated hummingbirdArchilochus colubris
ruby-crowned kingletRegulus calendula
ruffed grouseBonasa umbellus
scarlet tanagerPiranga olivacea
screech owl (eastern)Otus asio
sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus
snowy owlBubo scandiacus
spotted sandpiperActitis macularia
Tennessee warblerVermivora peregrina
turkey vultureCathartes aura
veeryCatharus fuscescens
white throated sparrowZonotrichia albicollis
white-breasted nuthatchSitta carolinensis
wood duckAix sponsa
yellow bellied sapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
yellow-headed blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus