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.

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