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Bird Index

This checklist is composed of 313 regular species of birds which occur regularly within the state of Minnesota. This checklist is followed by an additional list of 28 casual species which have occurred somewhere in the state in three to eight of the past ten years. Checklist adapted from Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. For more information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology click the highlighted birds below.

Seasonal ease of viewing codes are provided for the Saint John's University region.
C=Common: Regularly present, easy to find and see in appropriate habitat at Saint's John's.
U=Uncommon: Regularly present, less easy to find and see at Saint John's.
R=Rare: Irregularly present, a year or two may elapse between sightings at Saint John's.
X=Casual: Has occurred at least once at Saint John's (Outside of normal range).
__= Yet to be recorded in this season at Saint John's.

Common Name Summer Resident Migrant (Spring or Fall) Winter Resident

WATERFOWL

Snow Goose

__ R __

Canada Goose

C C R

Trumpeter Swan

__

R __

Tundra Swan

__ R __

Wood Duck

C C __

Gadwall

__ U __

American Wigeon

__ U __

American Black Duck

__ R __

Mallard

C C R

Blue-winged Teal

C C __

Northern Shoveler

A C __

Northern Pintail

__ U __

Green-winged Teal

R C __

Canvasback

__ R __

Redhead

__ U __

Ring-necked Duck

R C __

Greater Scaup

__ A __

Lesser Scaup

__ C __

Bufflehead

__ C __

Common Goldeneye

__ R __

Hooded Merganser

U C __

Common Merganser

__ R __

Red-breasted Merganser

__ R __

Ruddy Duck

__ R __

GROUSE, PTARMIGANS

Gray Partridge

A A A

Ringed-necked Pheasant

U U U

Ruffed Grouse

R R R

TURKEYS

Wild Turkey

C C C

LOON

Common Loon

C C __

GREBES

Pied-billed Grebe

U U __

Horned Grebe

__ R __

Red-necked Grebe

__ A __

Eared Grebe

__ A __

PELICANS

American White Pelican

__ R __

CORMORANTS

Double-crested Cormorant

__ U __

HERONS

American Bittern

__ R __

Great Blue Heron

C C __

Great Egret

R R __

Cattle Egret

__ A __

Green Heron

U U __

Black-crowned Night-Heron

R R __

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

A A __

VULTURES

Turkey Vulture

C C __

HAWKS, EAGLES, & ALLIES

Osprey

__ U __

Bald Eagle

U U U

Northern Harrier

U U __

Sharp-shinned Hawk

__ U __

Cooper's Hawk

U U __

Northern Goshawk

__ A A

Red-shouldered Hawk

U U A

Broad-winged Hawk

U U __

Red-tailed Hawk

C C U

Rough-legged Hawk

__ __ R

FALCONS

American Kestrel

U U __

Merlin

__ R __

Peregrine Falcon

__ R __

RAILS, GALLINULES, & COOTS

Yellow Rail

__ A __

Virginia Rail

__ U __

Sora

U U __

Common Moorhen

A __ __

American Coot

U C __

CRANES

Sandhill Crane

U U __

PLOVERS

American Golden-Plover

__ R __

Semipalmated Plover

__ U __

Killdeer

C C __

SANDPIPERS

Greater Yellowlegs

__ R __

Lesser Yellowlegs

__ C __

Solitary Sandpiper

__ C __

Spotted Sandpiper

R C __

Upland Sandpiper

__ R __

Semipalmated Sandpiper

__ U __

Least Sandpiper

__ C __

Baird's Sandpiper

__ U __

Pectoral Sandpiper

__ C __

Stilt Sandpiper

__ R __

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

__ A __

Short-billed Dowitcher

__ U __

Common Snipe

__ C __

American Woodcock

U U __

Wilson's Phalarope

__ R __

GULLS AND TERNS

Franklin's Gull

__ U __

Bonaparte's Gull

__ R __

Ring-billed Gull

R U __

Herring Gull

__ R __

Caspian Tern

__ R __

Forster's Tern

__ R __

Black Tern

U U __

PIGEONS AND DOVES

Rock Pigeon

C C C

Mourning Dove

C C R

CUCKOOS

Black-billed Cuckoo

R R __

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

U U __

OWLS

Eastern Screech-Owl

R R R

Great Horned Owl

R R R

Snowy Owl

__ __ A

Barred Owl

U U U

Great Gray Owl

__ __ A

Long-eared Owl

A A A

Short-eared Owl

__ R __

Boreal Owl

__ __ A

Northern Saw-whet Owl

R R A

NIGHTJARS

Common Nighthawk

U C __

Whip-poor-will

__ R __

SWIFTS

Chimney Swift

C C __

HUMMINGBIRDS

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

C C __

KINGFISHERS

Belted Kingfisher

U U __

WOODPECKERS

Red-headed Woodpecker

R U A

Red-bellied Woodpecker

C C U

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

U U __

Downy Woodpecker

C C C

Hairy Woodpecker

C C C

Black-backed Woodpecker

__ __ A

Northern Flicker

C C A

Pileated Woodpecker

C C C

FLYCATCHERS

Olive-side Flycatcher

__ R __

Eastern Wood-Pewee

C C __

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

__ R __

Alder Flycatcher

__ R __

Willow Flycatcher

R R __

Least Flycatcher

C C __

Eastern Phoebe

C C __

Great Crested Flycatcher

C C __

Western Kingbird

__ A __

Eastern Kingbird

C C __

SHRIKES

Northern Shrike

__ R R

VIREOS

Yellow-throated Vireo

__ C __

Blue-headed Vireo

__ U __

Warbling Vireo

U R __

Philadelphia Vireo

__ R __

Red-eyed Vireo

C C __

JAYS, CROWS, MAGPIES

Gray Jay

__ __ A

Blue Jay

C C U

American Crow

C C U

LARKS

Horned Lark

R U R

SWALLOWS

Purple Martin

C C __

Tree Swallow

C C __

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

U U __

Bank Swallow

U U __

Cliff Swallow

C C __

Barn Swallow

C C __

CHICKADEES

Black-capped Chickadee

C C C

Boreal Chickadee

__ __ A

NUTHATCHES

Red-breasted Nuthatch

R U U

White-breasted Nuthatch

C C C

CREEPERS

Brown Creeper

R U R

WRENS

House Wren

C C __

Winter Wren

__ U __

Sedge Wren

U U __

Marsh Wren

U U __

KINGLETS

Golden-crowned Kinglet

__ U R

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

__ U R

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

U U __

THRUSHES

Eastern Bluebird

C C A

Veery

U U __

Gray-cheeked Thrush

__ R __

Swainson's Thrush

__ C __

Hermit Thrush

__ C __

Wood Thrush

R R __

American Robin

C C U

MIMIC THRUSHES

Gray Catbird

C C __

Northern Mockingbird

__ R __

Brown Thrasher

U U __

STARLINGS

European Starling

C C U

PIPITS

American Pipit

__ R __

WAXWINGS

Bohemian Waxwing

__ R R

Cedar Waxwing

C C U

WARBLERS

Blue-winged Warbler

A A __

Golden-winged Warbler

__ R __

Tennessee Warbler

__ C __

Orange-crowned Warbler

__ U __

Nashville Warbler

R C __

Northern Parula

__ U __

Yellow Warbler

C C __

Chestnut-sided Warbler

U C __

Magnolia Warbler

__ U __

Cape May Warbler

__ U __

Yellow-rumped Warbler

__ C __

Black-throated Green Warbler

__ U __

Blackburian Warbler

__ U __

Pine Warbler

__ U __

Palm Warbler

__ U __

Bay-breasted Warbler

__ U __

Cerulean Warbler

U U __

Black-and-white Warbler

__ C __

American Redstart

C C __

Prothonotary Warbler

__ A __

Ovenbird

C C __

Northern Waterthrush

__ U __

Louisiana Waterthrush

__ A __

Connecticut Warbler

__ R __

Mourning Warbler

R U __

Common Yellowthroat

C C __

Wilson's Warbler

__ C __

Canada Warbler

__ U __

TANAGERS

Scarlet Tanager

U U __

SPARROWS

Eastern Towhee

__ R __

American Tree Sparrow

__ C U

Chipping Sparrow

C C __

Clay-colored Sparrow

R U __

Field Sparrow

R R __

Vesper Sparrow

R U __

Lark Sparrow

__ A __

Savannah Sparrow

__ U __

Fox Sparrow

__ U __

Song Sparrow

C C __

Lincoln's Sparrow

__ U __

Swamp Sparrow

U C __

White-throated Sparrow

__ C A

Harris's Sparrow

__ U __

White-crowned Sparrow

__ U __

Dark-eyed Junco

__ C C

Lapland Longspur

__ R __

Snow Bunting

__ __ A

CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS, AND ALLIES

Northern Cardinal

C C C

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

C C __

Indigo Bunting

U U __

Dickcissel

__ R __

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, & ALLIES

Bobolink

__ R __

Red-winged Blackbird

C C R

Eastern Meadowlark

R R __

Western Meadowlark

U U __

Yellow-headed Blackbird

U U __

Rusty Blackbird

__ U A

Brewer's Blackbird

__ R __

Common Grackle

C C __

Brown-headed Cowbird

C C __

Orchard Oriole

R R __

Baltimore Oriole

C C __

FINCHES

Pine Grosbeak

__ R R

Purple Finch

R U R

House Finch

C C U

Red Crossbill

R R R

White-winged Crossbilled

__ R R

Common Redpoll

__ R U

Pine Siskin

A R R

American Goldfinch

C C U

Evening Grosbeak

__ R R

WEAVERS

House Sparrow

C C C

CASUAL SPECIES

Prairie Warbler

  A  

 

Season ease of viewing codes are provided for the Saint John's University region.
C=Commonly Seen: Present, easy to find in appropriate habitat and regularly seen.
U=Uncommonly Seen: Presently in appropriate habitat, but may be difficult to see.
R=Rarely Seen: Present in appropriate habitat once or twice per season.
A=Accidentally Seen: Rarely seen, Saint John's is outside its usual range.
__=Yet to be recorded this season at Saint John's University
A special thank you to Cornell Lab of Ornithology for allowing us to link to their website. Saint John's Arboretum would also like to thank Phil Chu, Norm Ford, Bob Rodgers, Bob Russell, and Bruce Wollmering OSB for help in completion of this list.