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This is a list of bird species confirmed in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Unless otherwise noted, the list is that of Bird Checklists of the World as of March 2021. Of the 298 species on the list, 136 are accidental and two were introduced to North America. One species is extinct; three are extirpated and one of them is possibly extinct.
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 62nd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that Canadian English spellings are used and the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them..
Native names are from the Asuilaak Inuktitut Living Dictionary. There are several dialects of Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun plus two alphabets, Inuktitut syllabics and Latin. The Inuit name or spelling may differ from one region to another and in extreme cases from one community to another. Thus the word bird may be: or .
The following tags are used to categorise some species:
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Nunavut (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Nunavut as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
Traditional usage Beside a food source the Inuit had several other ways of using birds: Skins from larger birds were used as towels. Wings may have been used to dust or sweep. Skins were used as make containers, slippers and if caribou were scarce parkas. Children, mainly boys, would often learn to hunt by throwing stones at small birds.
Ducks (, ), geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
Snow goose (, ) Anser caerulescens Ross's goose () Anser rossii Greater white-fronted goose (, , ) Anser albifrons Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus (A) Brant (, , ) Branta bernicla Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis (A) Canada goose (, ) Branta canadensis Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator (extirpated) Tundra swan (, , ) Cygnus columbianus Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea (A) Wood duck, Aix sponsa (A) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Gadwall, Mareca strepera (A) American wigeon, Mareca americana Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos American black duck, Anas rubripes Northern pintail (, (flies toward sky)), Anas acuta Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (A) Redhead, Aythya americana (A) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Greater scaup, Aythya marila Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis Steller's eider, Polysticta stelleri (A) King eider , female: , male: , (one with a nose)) Somateria spectabilis Common eider (, , female: , male: ) Somateria mollissima Harlequin duck (, (flies short distances and lands)) Histrionicus histrionicus Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata White-winged scoter (), Melanitta deglandi Black scoter, Melanitta americana Long-tailed duck (), , ) Clangula hyemalis Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula Barrow's goldeneye, Bucephala islandica Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus Common merganser, Mergus merganser Red-breasted merganser (, (looks to have hair)) Mergus serrator Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (A)
Pheasants, grouse, and allies Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Spruce grouse (), Canachites canadensis Willow ptarmigan (willow grouse, , , ) Lagopus lagopus Rock ptarmigan (ptarmigan, , , ) Lagopus muta Sharp-tailed grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus (A)
Grebes Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps (A) Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena (A)
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. They feed on seeds, fruit and plants. Unlike most other birds, the doves and pigeons produce "crop milk," which is secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Both sexes produce this highly nutritious substance to feed to the young.
Passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (extinct) White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica (A) Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (A)
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.
Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (A)
Nightjars and allies Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves.
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (A)
Swifts Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
The swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Black swift, Cypseloides niger (A) Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (A)
Hummingbirds Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus (A)
Rails, gallinules, and coots Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Virginia rail, Rallus limicola (A) Corn crake, Crex crex (A) Sora, Porzana carolina (A) Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (A) American coot, Fulica americana (A) Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis
Cranes Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Sandhill crane (, ) Antigone canadensis Whooping crane, Grus americana (A)
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (A)
Plovers and lapwings Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus (A) Black-bellied plover (grey plover, , ) Pluvialis squatarola American golden-plover ( (), , ) Pluvialis dominica Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus Common ringed plover ( ()) Charadrius hiaticula Semipalmated plover () Charadrius semipalmatus Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (A)
Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (A) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis (extirpated, possibly extinct) Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (A) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa Ruddy turnstone () Arenaria interpres Red knot (, ) Calidris canutus Ruff, Calidris pugnax (A) Stilt sandpiper (, ) Calidris himantopus Sanderling () Calidris alba Dunlin () Calidris alpina Purple sandpiper () Calidris acuminata Baird's sandpiper (, ) Calidris bairdii Least sandpiper () Calidris minutilla White-rumped sandpiper (, ) Calidris fuscicollis Buff-breasted sandpiper () Calidris subruficollis Pectoral sandpiper () Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper (, ) Calidris pusilla Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (A) Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor (A) Red-necked phalarope () Phalaropus lobatus Red phalarope (, haavraq) Phalaropus fulicaria
Skuas and jaegers (, , , ) Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
Skuas and Jaegers are in general medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. They are strong, acrobatic fliers.
Great skua, Stercorarius skua (A) Pomarine jaeger (pomarine skua, , ) Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic jaeger (, ) Stercorarius parasiticus Long-tailed jaeger (, ) Stercorarius longicaudus
Auks (), murres, and puffins Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae
Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture, and some of their habits, however they are only distantly related to the penguins and are able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.
Dovekie (little auk, (), ) Alle alle Common murre, Uria aalge (A) Thick-billed murre (, , ) Uria lomvia Razorbill () Alca torda Black guillemot ( (), ) Cepphus grylle Atlantic puffin () Fratercula arctica Horned puffin, Fratercula corniculata (A)
Gulls (ᓇᐅᔭᖅ, naujaq), terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns, kittiwakes, and skimmers. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.
Black-legged kittiwake (, ) Rissa tridactyla Ivory gull (, ) Pagophila eburnea Sabine's gull (, , , ) Xema sabini Bonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus Little gull, Hydrocoleus minutus Ross's gull () Rhodostethia rosea Franklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan (A) Common gull, Larus canus (A) Short-billed gull, Larus brachyrhynchus (A) Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis California gull, Larus californicus (A) Herring gull (, ) Larus argentatus