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Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World
Northwest Territories
This checklist includes all bird species found in Northwest Territories , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to .
The taxonomic order and nomenclature follows Howard and Moore 4th edition (incl. corrigenda vol.1-2). If you prefer to view the list based on a different authority, click on one of the list available below. Globally threatened species (status in red) were identified by Birdlife International in Birdlife Data Zone (species).
Bird Checklists of the World is part of Avibase and Bird links to the World, which are designed and maintained by Denis Lepage, and hosted by Birds Canada, which is a co-partner of Birdlife International.
© Denis Lepage 2025
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Country or region: Northwest Territories [map]
Number of species: 303
Number of globally threatened species: 14
Number of extinct species: 1
Number of introduced species: 2
Date last reviewed: 2020-02-20
Last modified: 2024-11-27
Number of globally threatened species: 14
Number of extinct species: 1
Number of introduced species: 2
Date last reviewed: 2020-02-20
Last modified: 2024-11-27
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| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | |
| Trumpeter Swan | Cygnus buccinator | |
| Tundra Swan | Cygnus columbianus | |
| Brent Goose | Branta bernicla | |
| Cackling Goose | Branta hutchinsii | |
| Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | |
| Snow Goose | Anser caerulescens | |
| Ross's Goose | Anser rossii | |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | |
| Long-tailed Duck | Clangula hyemalis | Vulnerable |
| King Eider | Somateria spectabilis | |
| Common Eider | Somateria mollissima | Near-threatened |
| Surf Scoter | Melanitta perspicillata | |
| Velvet Scoter | Melanitta fusca | |
| Black Scoter | Melanitta americana | Near-threatened |
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | |
| Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | |
| Barrow's Goldeneye | Bucephala islandica | |
| Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | |
| Goosander | Mergus merganser | |
| Red-breasted Merganser | Mergus serrator | |
| Harlequin Duck | Histrionicus histrionicus | |
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | |
| Redhead | Aythya americana | |
| Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | |
| Greater Scaup | Aythya marila | |
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | |
| Northern Shoveler | Spatula clypeata | |
| Cinnamon Teal | Spatula cyanoptera | Rare/Accidental |
| Blue-winged Teal | Spatula discors | |
| Gadwall | Mareca strepera | |
| Eurasian Wigeon | Mareca penelope | Rare/Accidental |
| American Wigeon | Mareca americana | |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | |
| American Black Duck | Anas rubripes | Rare/Accidental |
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | |
| Common Teal | Anas crecca | |
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| Ruffed Grouse | Bonasa umbellus | |
| Willow Grouse | Lagopus lagopus | |
| Rock Ptarmigan | Lagopus muta | |
| White-tailed Ptarmigan | Lagopus leucura | |
| Dusky Grouse | Dendragapus obscurus | |
| Spruce Grouse | Falcipennis canadensis | |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | Tympanuchus phasianellus | |
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| Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps | |
| Red-necked Grebe | Podiceps grisegena | |
| Slavonian Grebe | Podiceps auritus | Vulnerable |
| Black-necked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | Rare/Accidental |
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| Rock Dove | Columba livia | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | Rare/Accidental |
| Passenger Pigeon | Ectopistes migratorius | Rare/Accidental Extinct |
| White-winged Dove | Zenaida asiatica | Rare/Accidental |
| Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | |
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| Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | |
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| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris | Rare/Accidental |
| Calliope Hummingbird | Selasphorus calliope | Rare/Accidental |
| Rufous Hummingbird | Selasphorus rufus | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
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| Yellow Rail | Coturnicops noveboracensis | |
| Sora | Porzana carolina | |
| American Coot | Fulica americana | |
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| Sandhill Crane | Antigone canadensis | |
| Whooping Crane | Grus americana | Endangered |
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| Red-throated Diver | Gavia stellata | |
| Pacific Loon | Gavia pacifica | |
| Great Northern Diver | Gavia immer | |
| White-billed Diver | Gavia adamsii | Near-threatened |
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| Northern Fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | Rare/Accidental |
| Short-tailed Shearwater | Ardenna tenuirostris | Rare/Accidental |
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| American White Pelican | Pelecanus erythrorhynchos | |
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| American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus | Rare/Accidental |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | Rare/Accidental |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Rare/Accidental |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Rare/Accidental |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | Rare/Accidental |
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| Northern Gannet | Morus bassanus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus | Rare/Accidental |
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| American Avocet | Recurvirostra americana | Rare/Accidental |
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| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Vulnerable |
| Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva | Rare/Accidental |
| American Golden Plover | Pluvialis dominica | |
| Semipalmated Plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | |
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | Near-threatened |
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| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | |
| Eskimo Curlew | Numenius borealis | Critically endangered (possibly extinct) |
| Long-billed Curlew | Numenius americanus | Rare/Accidental |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
| Hudsonian Godwit | Limosa haemastica | Vulnerable |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Near-threatened |
| Red Knot | Calidris canutus | Near-threatened |
| Surfbird | Calidris virgata | Rare/Accidental |
| Stilt Sandpiper | Calidris himantopus | Near-threatened |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Near-threatened |
| Purple Sandpiper | Calidris maritima | |
| Baird's Sandpiper | Calidris bairdii | |
| Least Sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | Near-threatened |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis | Vulnerable |
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper | Calidris subruficollis | Vulnerable |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | Near-threatened |
| Western Sandpiper | Calidris mauri | Rare/Accidental |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus griseus | Vulnerable |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Near-threatened |
| Wilson's Snipe | Gallinago delicata | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | |
| Wandering Tattler | Tringa incana | |
| Willet | Tringa semipalmata | Rare/Accidental |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | Vulnerable |
| Greater Yellowlegs | Tringa melanoleuca | Near-threatened |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Steganopus tricolor | |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | |
| Grey Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | |
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| Least Auklet | Aethia pusilla | Rare/Accidental |
| Black Guillemot | Cepphus grylle | |
| Little Auk | Alle alle | Rare/Accidental |
| Brunnich's Guillemot | Uria lomvia | |
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| Long-tailed Skua | Stercorarius longicaudus | |
| Arctic Skua | Stercorarius parasiticus | |
| Pomarine Skua | Stercorarius pomarinus | |
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| Black-legged Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | Vulnerable |
| Ivory Gull | Pagophila eburnea | Near-threatened |
| Sabine's Gull | Xema sabini | |
| Bonaparte's Gull | Chroicocephalus philadelphia | |
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | Rare/Accidental |
| Franklin's Gull | Leucophaeus pipixcan | |
| Black-tailed Gull | Larus crassirostris | Rare/Accidental |
| Mew Gull | Larus canus | |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | |
| California Gull | Larus californicus | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | Rare/Accidental |
| American Herring Gull | Larus smithsonianus | |
| Thayer's Gull | Larus thayeri | |
| Iceland Gull | Larus glaucoides | |
| Slaty-backed Gull | Larus schistisagus | Rare/Accidental |
| Glaucous-winged Gull | Larus glaucescens | Rare/Accidental |
| Glaucous Gull | Larus hyperboreus | |
| Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia | |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | |
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| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | Rare/Accidental |
| Black Vulture | Coragyps atratus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | |
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| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | |
| Hen Harrier | Circus cyaneus | |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | |
| Cooper's Hawk | Accipiter cooperii | Rare/Accidental |
| Northern Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | |
| Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Buteo platypterus | Rare/Accidental |
| Swainson's Hawk | Buteo swainsoni | |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | |
| Rough-legged Buzzard | Buteo lagopus | |
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| Hawk Owl | Surnia ulula | |
| Tengmalm's Owl | Aegolius funereus | |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | Aegolius acadicus | Rare/Accidental |
| Northern Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | Rare/Accidental |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | |
| Barred Owl | Strix varia | |
| Great Grey Owl | Strix nebulosa | |
| Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiacus | Vulnerable |
| Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | |
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| Pileated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus | |
| Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus varius | |
| Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | |
| Hairy Woodpecker | Picoides villosus | |
| American Three-toed Woodpecker | Picoides dorsalis | |
| Black-backed Woodpecker | Picoides arcticus | |
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| Belted Kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon | |
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| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | |
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | |
| Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | |
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| Western Kingbird | Tyrannus verticalis | Rare/Accidental |
| Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus | |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus crinitus | Rare/Accidental |
| Ash-throated Flycatcher | Myiarchus cinerascens | Rare/Accidental |
| Eastern Phoebe | Sayornis phoebe | |
| Say's Phoebe | Sayornis saya | |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | Empidonax flaviventris | |
| Alder Flycatcher | Empidonax alnorum | |
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus | |
| Hammond's Flycatcher | Empidonax hammondii | Rare/Accidental |
| Dusky Flycatcher | Empidonax oberholseri | Rare/Accidental |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi | Near-threatened |
| Western Wood Pewee | Contopus sordidulus | |
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| Blue-headed Vireo | Vireo solitarius | |
| Warbling Vireo | Vireo gilvus | |
| Philadelphia Vireo | Vireo philadelphicus | |
| Red-eyed Vireo | Vireo olivaceus | |
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| Northern Shrike | Lanius borealis | |
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| Gray Jay | Perisoreus canadensis | |
| Black-billed Magpie | Pica hudsonia | |
| Common Raven | Corvus corax | |
| American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | |
| Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Rare/Accidental |
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| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Introduced species |
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| American Pipit | Anthus rubescens | |
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | Rare/Accidental |
| Green-headed Wagtail | Motacilla tschutschensis | Rare/Accidental |
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| Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla | Rare/Accidental |
| Evening Grosbeak | Hesperiphona vespertina | Vulnerable |
| Pine Grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | |
| Gray-crowned Rosy Finch | Leucosticte tephrocotis | |
| House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Rare/Accidental |
| Purple Finch | Haemorhous purpureus | |
| Common Redpoll | Acanthis flammea | |
| Arctic Redpoll | Acanthis hornemanni | |
| Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | |
| White-winged Crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | |
| Pine Siskin | Spinus pinus | |
| American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Rare/Accidental |
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| Lapland Longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | |
| Smith's Longspur | Calcarius pictus | |
| Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | |
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| Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Spizella pallida | |
| Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus | Rare/Accidental |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis | |
| Harris's Sparrow | Zonotrichia querula | Near-threatened |
| White-throated Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | |
| White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys | |
| Golden-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia atricapilla | |
| Fox Sparrow | Passerella iliaca | |
| American Tree Sparrow | Passerella arborea | |
| Le Conte's Sparrow | Ammospiza leconteii | |
| Nelson's Sparrow | Ammospiza nelsoni | |
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | |
| Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | |
| Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | |
| Swamp Sparrow | Melospiza georgiana | |
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| Ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapilla | |
| Northern Waterthrush | Parkesia noveboracensis | |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia | |
| Tennessee Warbler | Leiothlypis peregrina | |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | Leiothlypis celata | |
| Nashville Warbler | Leiothlypis ruficapilla | Rare/Accidental |
| Connecticut Warbler | Oporornis agilis | Rare/Accidental |
| Mourning Warbler | Geothlypis philadelphia | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | |
| American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | |
| Cape May Warbler | Setophaga tigrina | |
| Magnolia Warbler | Setophaga magnolia | |
| Bay-breasted Warbler | Setophaga castanea | |
| Yellow Warbler | Setophaga petechia | |
| Blackpoll Warbler | Setophaga striata | Near-threatened |
| Palm Warbler | Setophaga palmarum | |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | Setophaga coronata | |
| Townsend's Warbler | Setophaga townsendi | Rare/Accidental |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | Setophaga virens | Rare/Accidental |
| Canada Warbler | Cardellina canadensis | |
| Wilson's Warbler | Cardellina pusilla | |
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| Yellow-headed Blackbird | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | |
| Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus | Rare/Accidental |
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | Rare/Accidental |
| Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula | Rare/Accidental |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | |
| Rusty Blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | Vulnerable |
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | |
| Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | Near-threatened |
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| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Pheucticus ludovicianus | |
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana | Rare/Accidental |
| Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | Rare/Accidental |
| Blue Grosbeak | Passerina caerulea | Rare/Accidental |
| Lazuli Bunting | Passerina amoena | Rare/Accidental |
| Western Tanager | Piranga ludoviciana | |
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| Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus | |
| Siberian Tit | Poecile cinctus | |
| Boreal Chickadee | Poecile hudsonicus | |
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| Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris | |
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| Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | |
| Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | |
| Violet-green Swallow | Tachycineta thalassina | |
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| Kamtschatka Leaf Warbler | Seicercus examinandus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula | |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa | |
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| Bohemian Waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | |
| Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | |
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| American Treecreeper | Certhia americana | Rare/Accidental |
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| Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | |
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| Boulder Wren | Salpinctes obsoletus | Rare/Accidental |
| Winter Wren | Troglodytes hiemalis | |
| Marsh Wren | Cistothorus palustris | |
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| Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | Rare/Accidental |
| Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum | Rare/Accidental |
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| Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Introduced species |
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| American Dipper | Cinclus mexicanus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | |
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| Mountain Bluebird | Sialia currucoides | |
| Townsend's Solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | |
| Varied Thrush | Ixoreus naevius | |
| Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | Catharus minimus | |
| Hermit Thrush | Catharus guttatus | |
| American Robin | Turdus migratorius | |
References (partial list)
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