Birds of Washington: The Official State Checklist

All 185 birds on the list

• American bushtit Psaltriparus minimus
• American coot Fulica americana
• American goldfinch Spinus tristis
• American goshawk Accipiter gentilis
• American kestrel Falco sparverius
• American robin Turdus migratorius
• American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
• American wigeon Mareca americana
• Anna's hummingbird Calypte anna
• Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Barred owl Strix varia
• Barrow's goldeneye Bucephala islandica
• Belted kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
• Black oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani
• Black scoter Melanitta nigra
• Black turnstone Arenaria melanocephala
• Black-backed woodpecker Picoides arcticus
• Black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapillus
• Black-crowned night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax
• Black-necked stilt Himantopus mexicanus
• Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
• Brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
• Bullock's oriole Icterus bullockii
• Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia
• California quail Callipepla californica
• Calliope hummingbird Selasphorus calliope
• Canada Geese Branta canadensis
• Caspian tern Sterna caspia
• Cassin's auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus
• Cassin's finch Haemorhous cassinii
• Cassin's vireo Vireo cassinii
• Cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
• Chestnut-backed chickadee Poecile rufescens
• Chipping sparrow Spizella passerina
• Cinnamon teal Anas cyanoptera
• Clark's grebe Aechmophorus clarkii
• Columbian sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus
• Common goldeneye Bucephala clangula
• Common loon Gavia immer
• Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
• Cooper's hawk Astur cooperii
• Dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis
• Double-crested cormorant Nannopterum auritum
• Downy woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
• Dusky Canada goose Branta canadensis occidentalis
• Dusky grouse Dendragapus obscurus
• Eastern kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
• Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto
• Eurasian wigeon Mareca penelope
• Evening grosbeak Hesperiphona vespertina
• Ferruginous hawk Buteo regalis
• Flammulated owl Psiloscops flammeolus
• Forster's tern Sterna forsteri
• Franklin's gull Leucophaeus pipixcan
• Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos
• Golden-crowned kinglet Regulus satrapa
• Golden-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
• Grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
• Gray flycatcher Empidonax wrightii
• Great blue heron Ardea herodias
• Great egret Ardea alba
• Great gray owl Strix nebulosa
• Great horned owl Bubo virginianus
• Greater sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus
• Greater yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
• Green-winged teal Anas carolinensis
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus
• Hairy woodpecker Picoides villosus
• Harlequin duck Histrionicus histrionicus
• Hooded merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
• Horned grebe Podiceps auritus
• Horned puffin Fratercula corniculata
• House finch Carpodacus mexicanus
• House wren Troglodytes aedon
• Indigo bunting Passerina cyanea
• Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
• Lazuli bunting Passerina amoena
• Lesser goldfinch Spinus psaltria
• Lesser yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
• Lewis's woodpecker Melanerpes lewis
• Lincoln's sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
• Loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus
• Long-billed curlew Numenius americanus
• Long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis
• Mallard duck Anas platyrhynchos
• Mandarin duck Aix galericulata
• Marbled godwit Limosa fedoa
• Marbled murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus
• Marsh wren Cistothorus palustris
• Merlin Falco columbarius
• Mountain quail Oreortyx pictus
• Mourning dove Zenaida macroura
• Northern flicker Colaptes auratus
• Northern harrier Circus hudsonius
• Northern pintail Anas acuta
• Northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus
• Northern shoveler Anas clypeata
• Northern spotted owl Strix occidentalis caurina
• Orange-crowned warbler Leiothlypis celata
• Oregon vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus affinis
• Osprey Pandion haliaetus
• Pacific coast band-tailed pigeon Patagioenas fasciata monilis
• Pelagic cormorant Urile pelagicus
• Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
• Pied-billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps
• Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba
• Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
• Prairie falcon Falco mexicanus
• Purple martin (Western North America subspecies) Progne subis arboricola
• Pygmy nuthatch Sitta pygmaea
• Red knot Calidris canutus
• Red-breasted nuthatch Sitta canadensis
• Red-breasted sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
• Red-necked grebe Podiceps grisegena
• Red-tailed hawk Buteo jamaicensis
• Red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
• Rhinocerous auklet Cerorhinca monocerata
• Ring-necked pheasant Phasianus colchicus
• Rock sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis
• Rough-legged hawk Buteo lagopus
• Ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus
• Rufous hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
• Sage thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus
• Sagebrush sparrow Artemisiospiza nevadensis
• Sanderling Calidris alba
• Sandhill crane Antigone canadensis
• Sandhill crane (greater) Antigone canadensis tabida
• Savannah sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
• Sharp-shinned hawk Accipiter striatus
• Sharp-tailed sandpiper Calidris acuminata
• Short-eared owl Asio flammeus
• Short-tailed albatross Phoebastria albatrus
• Slender-billed white-breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis aculeata
• Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
• Snow goose Anser caerulescens
• Snowy owl Nyctea scandiaca
• Sooty grouse Dendragapus fuliginosus
• Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularius
• Spotted towhee Pipilo maculatus
• Spruce grouse Canachites canadensis
• Steller's jay Cyanocitta stelleri
• Streaked horned lark Eremophila alpestris strigata
• Surf scoter Melanitta perspicillata
• Swainson's hawk Buteo swainsoni
• Three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus
• Townsend's warbler Dendroica townsendi
• Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor
• Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator
• Tufted puffin Fratercula cirrhata
• Tundra swan Cygnus columbianus
• Turkey vulture Cathartes aura
• Upland sandpiper Bartramia longicauda
• Varied thrush Ixoreus naevius
• Vaux's swift Chaetura vauxi
• Vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus
• Violet-green swallow Tachycineta thalassina
• Virginia rail Rallus limicola
• Warbling vireo Vireo gilvus
• Western barn owl Tyto alba
• Western bluebird Sialia mexicana
• Western flycatcher Empidonax difficilis
• Western grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis
• Western High Arctic brant Branta bernicla
• Western kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
• Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
• Western screech owl Otus kennicotii macfarlanei
• Western snowy plover Anarynchus nivosus
• Western tanager Piranga ludoviciana
• Western wood-pewee Contopus sordidulus
• White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
• White-headed woodpecker Dryobates albolarvatus
• White-tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucura rainierensis
• White-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
• White-winged scoter Melanitta fusca
• Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo
• Willet Tringa semipalmata
• Willow flycatcher Empidonax traillii
• Wilson's warbler Cardellina pusilla
• Wood duck Aix sponsa
• Yellow warbler Setophaga petechia
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
• Yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
• Yellow-breasted chat Icteria virens
• Yellow-headed blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
• Yellow-rumped warbler Setophaga coronata

Birds people confuse

Bald eagle or Golden eagle?

Bald eagle Not stated

No confirmed photo of Golden eagle

Golden eagle Not stated

Young bald eagles lack the white head and tail and are often mistaken for golden eagles. Bald eagles have unfeathered lower legs and hold their wings flat when soaring; TWRA says golden eagles have feathered legs, limited white under the wing, and lift the outer wing in a slight V.

Bald eagle or Turkey vulture?

Bald eagle Not stated

Turkey vulture Not stated

Turkey vultures hold their wings in a shallow V; bald eagles soar on flat wings.

Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.

When birds are active in Washington

Records of birds in Washington peak in January, March to July and September. They show when people record birds, not how many there are (about month bars).

How to report

Dangerous wildlife: emergency 911; non-emergency 877-933-9847 or the WDFW online report. Invasive species: Washington Invasive Species Council web form or WA Invasives app; aquatic invasive species hotline 1-888-WDFW-AIS, [email protected]. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

About this list

Venom does not apply to birds.