Breeding Bird Species in Douglas County

The source of this data is Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas

Note: Understanding scientific names.  Each bird has at least one common name, but often there are several, and this can be confusing.  The scientific name is a two-word naming system, using Latin, that is accepted around the world.  The first word refers to the "genus" or sub-family of the bird.  The second word refers to the specie of a specific bird. 

The two words together form a unique name and give a hint to possible "relatives."  For example, the ducks below are all of the same "order," and are grouped into a small number of "families."  Not included in the table is the sub-family or genus.  This system of organization, or taxonomy, groups birds with similar physical characteristics.

This list can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking here (requires Adobe Acrobat).

Order	Family	Species	Common Name
Anseriformes	Anatidae	Aix sponsa	Wood Duck
		Anas americana	American Wigeon
		Anas crecca	Green-winged Teal
		Anas discors	Blue-winged Teal
		Anas platyrhynchos	Mallard
		Anas rubripes	American Black Duck
		Aythya collaris	Ring-necked Duck
		Branta canadensis	Canada Goose
		Cygnus buccinator	Trumpeter Swan
		Cygnus olor	Mute Swan
		Lophodytes cucullatus	Hooded Merganser
	Anatinae	Mergus merganser	Common Merganser
	Apodidae	Caprimulgus vociferus	Chimney Swift
	Trochilidae	Archilochus colubris	Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ardeidae	Gaviidae	Gavia immer	Common Loon
Caprimulgiformes	Caprimulgidae	Caprimulgus vociferus	Whip-poor-will
	Chordeilinae	Chordeiles minor	Common Nighthawk
Charadriiformes	Charadriidae	Charadrius vociferus	Killdeer
	Laridae	Chlidonias niger	Black Tern
	Scolopacinae	Actitis macularia	Spotted Sandpiper
		Bartramia longicauda	Upland Sandpiper
		Gallinago delicata	Wilson's Snipe
		Scolopax minor	American Woodcock
Ciconiiformes	Ardeidae	Ardea herodias	Great Blue Heron
		Botaurus lentiginosus	American Bittern
		Butorides virescens	Green Heron
		Ixobrychus exilis	Least Bittern
	Cathartidae	Cathartes aura	Turkey Vulture
Columbiformes	Columbidae	Columba livia	Rock Dove
		Zenaida macroura	Mourning Dove
Coraciiformes	Alcedinidae	Ceryle alcyon	Belted Kingfisher
Cuculiformes	Coccyzinae	Coccyzus americanus	Yellow-billed Cuckoo
		Coccyzus erythropthalmus	Black-billed Cuckoo
Falconiformes	Accipitridae	Accipiter gentilis	Northern Goshawk
		Accipiter striatus	Sharp-shinned Hawk
		Buteo jamaicensis	Red-tailed Hawk
		Buteo platypterus	Broad-winged Hawk
		Circus cyaneus	Northern Harrier
		Accipiter cooperii	Cooper's Hawk
		Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Bald Eagle
	Falconidae	Falco columbarius	Merlin
		Falco sparverius	American Kestrel
		Falco peregrinus	Peregrine Falcon
	Pandioninae	Pandion haliaetus	Osprey
Galliformes	Phasianidae	Bonasa umbellus	Ruffed Grouse
	Phasianidae	Phasianus colchicus	Ring-necked Pheasant
	Tetraoninae	Tympanuchus phasianellus	Sharp-tailed Grouse
Gruiformes	Gruidae	Grus canadensis	Sandhill Crane
	Rallidae	Fulica americana	American Coot
		Porzana carolina	Sora
		Rallus limicola	Virginia Rail
Laridae	Larinae	Larus argentatus	Herring Gull
		Larus delawarensis	Ring-billed Gull
	Sterninae	Sterna hirundo	Common Tern
Passeriformes	Alaudidae	Eremophila alpestris	Horned Lark
	Bombycillidae	Bombycilla cedrorum	Cedar Waxwing
	Cardinalidae	Passerina cyanea	Indigo Bunting
		Pheucticus ludovicianus	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
	Carduelinae	Loxia curvirostra	Red Crossbill
	Certhiidae	Certhia americana	Brown Creeper
	Corvidae	Corvus brachyrhynchos	American Crow
		Corvus corax	Common Raven
		Cyanocitta cristata	Blue Jay
		Perisoreus canadensis	Gray Jay
	Emberizidae	Ammodramus leconteii	Le Conte's Sparrow
		Ammodramus savannarum	Grasshopper Sparrow
		Junco hyemalis	Dark-eyed Junco
		Melospiza georgiana	Swamp Sparrow
		Melospiza lincolnii	Lincoln's Sparrow
		Melospiza melodia	Song Sparrow
		Passerculus sandwichensis	Savannah Sparrow
		Pipilo erythrophthalmus	Eastern Towhee
		Pooecetes gramineus	Vesper Sparrow
		Spizella pallida	Clay-colored Sparrow
		Spizella passerina	Chipping Sparrow
		Spizella pusilla	Field Sparrow
		Zonotrichia albicollis	White-throated Sparrow
	Fringillidae	Carduelis pinus	Pine Siskin
		Carduelis tristis	American Goldfinch
		Carpodacus mexicanus	House Finch
		Carpodacus purpureus	Purple Finch
		Coccothraustes vespertinus	Evening Grosbeak
		Loxia leucoptera	White-winged Crossbill
	Hirundinidae	Hirundo rustica	Barn Swallow
		Progne subis	Purple Martin
		Riparia riparia	Bank Swallow
		Stelgidopteryx serripennis	Northern Rough-winged Swallow
		Tachycineta bicolor	Tree Swallow
		Petrochelidon pyrrhonota	Cliff Swallow
	Icteridae	Agelaius phoeniceus	Red-winged Blackbird
		Dolichonyx oryzivorus	Bobolink
		Euphagus cyanocephalus	Brewer's Blackbird
		Icterus galbula	Baltimore Oriole
		Molothrus ater	Brown-headed Cowbird
		Quiscalus quiscula	Common Grackle
		Sturnella magna	Eastern Meadowlark
		Sturnella neglecta	Western Meadowlark
		Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus	Yellow-headed Blackbird
	Mimidae	Dumetella carolinensis	Gray Catbird
		Toxostoma rufum	Brown Thrasher
	Paridae	Poecile atricapilla	Black-capped Chickadee
		Poecile hudsonica	Boreal Chickadee
	Parulidae	Dendroica caerulescens	Black-throated Blue Warbler
		Dendroica coronata	Yellow-rumped Warbler
		Dendroica fusca	Blackburnian Warbler
		Dendroica magnolia	Magnolia Warbler
		Dendroica palmarum	Palm Warbler
		Dendroica pensylvanica	Chestnut-sided Warbler
		Dendroica petechia	Yellow Warbler
		Dendroica pinus	Pine Warbler
		Dendroica tigrina	Cape May Warbler
		Dendroica virens	Black-throated Green Warbler
		Geothlypis trichas	Common Yellowthroat
		Mniotilta varia	Black-and-white Warbler
		Oporornis agilis	Connecticut Warbler
		Oporornis philadelphia	Mourning Warbler
		Parula americana	Northern Parula
		Seiurus aurocapillus	Ovenbird
		Seiurus noveboracensis	Northern Waterthrush
		Setophaga ruticilla	American Redstart
		Vermivora chrysoptera	Golden-winged Warbler
		Vermivora peregrina	Tennessee Warbler
		Vermivora ruficapilla	Nashville Warbler
		Wilsonia canadensis	Canada Warbler
	Passeridae	Passer domesticus	House Sparrow
	Regulidae	Regulus calendula	Ruby-crowned Kinglet
		Regulus satrapa	Golden-crowned Kinglet
	Sittidae	Sitta canadensis	Red-breasted Nuthatch
		Sitta carolinensis	White-breasted Nuthatch
	Sturnidae	Sturnus vulgaris	European Starling
	Sylviidae	Polioptila caerulea	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
	Thraupidae	Piranga olivacea	Scarlet Tanager
	Troglodytidae	Cistothorus palustris	Marsh Wren
		Cistothorus platensis	Sedge Wren
		Troglodytes aedon	House Wren
		Troglodytes troglodytes	Winter Wren
	Turdidae	Catharus fuscescens	Veery
		Catharus guttatus	Hermit Thrush
		Catharus ustulatus	Swainson's Thrush
		Hylocichla mustelina	Wood Thrush
		Sialia sialis	Eastern Bluebird
		Turdus migratorius	American Robin
	Tyrannidae	Contopus cooperi	Olive-sided Flycatcher
		Contopus virens	Eastern Wood-Pewee
		Empidonax alnorum	Alder Flycatcher
		Empidonax flaviventris	Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
		Empidonax minimus	Least Flycatcher
		Myiarchus crinitus	Great Crested Flycatcher
		Sayornis phoebe	Eastern Phoebe
		Tyrannus tyrannus	Eastern Kingbird
	Vireonidae	Vireo flavifrons	Yellow-throated Vireo
		Vireo gilvus	Blue-headed Vireo
		Vireo gilvus	Warbling Vireo
		Vireo olivaceus	Red-eyed Vireo
Piciformes	Picidae	Colaptes auratus	Northern Flicker
		Dryocopus pileatus	Pileated Woodpecker
		Melanerpes carolinus	Red-bellied Woodpecker
		Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Red-headed Woodpecker
		Picoides arcticus	Black-backed Woodpecker
		Picoides pubescens	Downy Woodpecker
		Picoides villosus	Hairy Woodpecker
		Sphyrapicus varius	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Podicipediformes	Podicipedidae	Podilymbus podiceps	Pied-billed Grebe
Strigiformes	Strigidae	Aegolius acadicus	Northern Saw-whet Owl
		Bubo virginianus	Great Horned Owl
		Strix varia	Barred Owl