This is a comprehensive listing of the bird species recorded in Isle Royale National Park, which is on an island in Lake Superior. Administratively it is part of the U.S. state of Michigan, but it is closer to the Canadian province of Ontario. Unless otherwise noted, this list is based on one published by the National Park Service (NPS).
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 66th Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS).Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, N. A. Mason, and P. C. Rasmussen. 2025. Check-list of North American Birds (online). American Ornithological Society. https://checklist.americanornithology.org/taxa/ retrieved September 5, 2025 Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.
This list contains 255 species when taxonomic changes have been made. Unless otherwise noted, all are considered to occur regularly in Isle Royale National Park as permanent residents, summer or winter visitors, or migrants. The tags below are used to designate the abundance of some less-common species.
(R) Rare - "usually seen only a few times each year" per the NPS (34 species) (U) Uncommon - "likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season and may be locally common" per the NPS (75 species) (O) Occasional - "occur in a park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year" per the NPS (68 species) (H) Historical - "not in park" per the NPS, but historical records exist (1 species) (Unc) Unconfirmed - "Attributed to the park based on weak...or no evidence, giving minimal indication of the species' occurrence in the park" per the NPS (11 species) (PP) Probably present - "High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed" per the NPS (3 species) (Unk) Unknown - Abundance is not known per the NPS (12 species) (I) Introduced - a species introduced to North America by humans (4 species)
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
The family 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 (U) Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons (Unk) Canada goose, Branta canadensis Mute swan, Cygnus olor (I) (O) Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator (Unc) Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (O) Wood duck, Aix sponsa (U) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (U) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (O) Gadwall, Mareca strepera (O) American wigeon, Mareca americana (O) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (U) American black duck, Anas rubripes Northern pintail, Anas acuta (O) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca (U) Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (O) Redhead, Aythya americana (O) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris (U) Greater scaup, Aythya marila Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus (Unk) Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata (R) White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi (U) Black scoter, Melanitta americana (O) Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus (U) Common merganser, Mergus merganser Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (O)
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 (U) Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus (U) Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena (U) Western grebe, Aechmorphorus occidentalis (Unc)
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (U) Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I) (O)
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.
Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (O) Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (R)
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 colored to resemble bark or leaves.
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (U) Eastern whip-poor-will, Antrostomus vociferus (O)
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 very long, swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (U)
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.
Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris (U)
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 (U)
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 tend to be weak fliers.
Virginia rail, Rallus limicola (O) Sora, Porzana carolina (R) American coot, Fulica americana (O)
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.
Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola (U) American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica (O) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (U) Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (O)
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 (Unc) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus (O) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica (U) Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa (O) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres (U) Red knot, Calidris canutus (Unc) Sanderling, Calidris alba (O) Dunlin, Calidris alpina (O) Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii (U) Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla (U) White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis (U) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (O) Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla (O) Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus (U) Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus (U) American woodcock, Scolopax minor (U) Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (U) Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (U) Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (O) Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor (Unc) Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (Unk)
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
Skuas and jaegers are in general medium to large birds, typically with gray 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.
Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (O)
Gulls, 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 gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.
Bonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia (U) Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis (U) Herring gull, Larus argentatus Iceland gull, Larus glaucoides (O) Glaucous gull, Larus hyperboreus (O) Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (O) Black tern, Chlidonias niger (O) Common tern, Sterna hirundo (R)
Loons Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons are aquatic birds the size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. Their plumage is largely gray or black, and they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well and fly adequately, but are almost hopeless on land, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body.
Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata (O) Common loon, Gavia immer Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsii (Unc)
Cormorants and shags Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of colored skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the order Suliformes.
Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum
Pelicans
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.
American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos (O)
Herons, egrets, and bitterns
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secretive. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.
American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus (U) Great blue heron, Ardea herodias Green heron, Butorides virescens (H) Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax (O)
New World vultures Order: CathartiformesFamily: Cathartidae
The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers, however, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carcasses.
Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura (O)
Osprey Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
Pandionidae is a monotypic family of fish-eating birds of prey, possessing a very large, powerful hooked beak for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus (U)
Hawks, eagles, and kites Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae