Rice County Bird List

This aims to be an all-time list of birds we've seen or identified by sound in Rice County. The basic list was compiled in January 2011 from memory and some notes. New additions will be noted with dates.

If you're looking for a more complete checklist for the area, the 2010 Cowling Arboretum Bird Checklist is a great resource, as is the River Bend Nature Center's checklist.

Anseriforms: Swans, geese, ducks

• Canada Goose
• Greater White-fronted Goose 3/19/2011
• Tundra Swan
• Wood Duck
• American Wigeon
• Gadwall 3/19/2011
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Blue-winged Teal
• Green-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Redhead
• Ring-necked Duck 3/19/2011
• Lesser Scaup
• Bufflehead
• Red-breasted Merganser
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Ruddy Duck

Galliforms: Grouse, Ptarmigan

• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey

Gaviiformes: Loons

• Common Loon

Podicipediformes: Grebes

• Pied-billed Grebe

Pelecaniformes: Pelicans; Cormorants

• American White Pelican
• Double-crested Cormorant

Ciconiiformes: Herons; American Vultures

• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Green Heron
• Turkey Vulture

Falconiformes: Hawks and Eagles; Falcons

• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Cooper's Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Kestrel

Gruiformes: Rails and Coots; Cranes

• American Coot
• Whooping Crane 9/9/2011

Charadriiformes: Plovers; Sandpipers; Gulls and Terns

• Killdeer
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Wilson's Phalarope
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Forster's Tern 5/5/11 central Northfield

Columbiformes: Pigeons and Doves

• Rock Pigeon
• Mourning Dove

Cuculiformes: Cuckoos and Anis

Strigiformes: True Owls

• Barred Owl Jan. 2012 Carleton Arboretum
• Great Horned Owl  2012 Carleton Arboretum

Caprimulgiformes: Nighthawks

• Common Nighthawk

 Apodiformes: Swifts; Hummingbirds

• Chimney Swift
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 Coraciiformes: Kingfishers

• Belted Kingfisher

 Piciformes: Woodpeckers

• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Pileated Woodpecker

Passeriformes: Tyrant flycatchers; Shrikes; Vireos; Jays and Crows; Larks; Swallows; Titmice and Chickadees; Nuthatches; Creepers; Wrens; Kinglets; Gnatcatchers; Thrushes; Mimic Thrushes; Starlings; Pipits; Waxwings; Warblers; Tanagers; Sparrows; Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings and Dickcissel; Blackbirds, Grackles and Orioles; Finches; Old world sparrows

• Eastern Wood-Pewee
• Eastern Phoebe
• Great Crested Flycatcher
• Eastern Kingbird
• Northern Shrike
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• House Wren
• Eastern Bluebird
• Veery
• Swainson's Thrush 5/14/2011
• Hermit Thrush
• Wood Thrush
• American Robin
• Gray Catbird
• European Starling
• Cedar Waxwing
• Tennesssee Warbler 5/15 
• Orange-crowned Warbler 5/15/11
• Chestnut-sided Warbler 5/15/11
• Yellow-rumped Warbler  4/24/11
• Black-and-white Warbler 5/7/2011
• Blackburnian Warbler 5/15/11
• Bay-breasted Warbler 5/15/11
• Blackpoll Warbler 5/15/11
• Yellow Warbler
• Northern Waterthrush 5/7/11
• Common Yellowthroat 5/15/11
• American Redstart
• Scarlet Tanager  5/15/11
• American Tree Sparrow
• Chipping Sparrow
• Clay-colored Sparrow
• Swamp Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Field Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow 4/12/2013
• Song Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow 4/30/2011
• White-throated Sparrow
• Harris's Sparrow 5/8/2011
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Snow Bunting
• Northern Cardinal
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Indigo Bunting
• Bobolink
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Meadowlark, Western (poss. Eastern?)
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Baltimore Oriole
• Orchard Oriole 5/12/2012
• Purple Finch 5/1/11
• House Finch
• Common Redpoll
• Pine Siskin
• American Goldfinch
• House Sparrow