An Activity Guide About the Songbirds of British Columbia Species List of All Songbirds found in British Columbia
A WORD from the
"Now let me give you a few tips before you continue with this list. First let me warn you, there are a lot of us songbirds and this list is loooong. To make things a bit easier, I have divided us up into 25 families.
We are all listed by our common names with our scientific names in brackets. Oh, and there are a few symbols that you may see beside our names ...
nest in British Columbia
"Here's a list that you can use to skip ahead to a particular family:"
Family LANIIDAE: Shrikes Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Family ALAUDIDAE: Larks Sky Lark (Alauda arvensis) Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
Family HIRUNDINIDAE: Swallows Purple Martin (Progne subis) Tree Swallow (Tachycineta Bicolor) Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Family AEGITHALIDAE: Long-tailed Tits Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
Family SITTIDAE: Nuthatches Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)
Family CERTHIIDAE: Creepers Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)
Family TROGLODYTIDAE: Wrens Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Family CINCLIDAE: Dippers American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus)
Family MUSCICAPIDAE: Thrushes & Relatives Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) Townsend's Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) Veery (Catharus fuscescens) Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) Dusky Thrush (Turdus naumanni) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)
Family STURNIDAE: Starlings & Relatives European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus)
Family MOTACILLIDAE: Wagtails & Pipits Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) Black-backed Wagtail (Motacilla lugens) Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus) American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) Spragues Pipit (Anthus spragueii)
Family BOMBYCILLIDAE: Waxwings Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Family PARULIDAE: Wood Warblers Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina) Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) Northern Parula (Parula americana) Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia) Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina) Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) Black-throated Gray Warbler (Dendroica nigrescens) Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi) Hermit Warbler (Dendroica occidentalis) Black-throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens) Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) Yellow-throated Warbler (Dendroica dominica) Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum) Bay-breasted Warbler (Dendroica castanea) Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata) Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) Mourning Warbler (Oporornis philadelphia) MacGillivray's Warbler (Oporornis tolmiei) Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis) Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus) Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens)
Family THRAUPIDAE: Tanagers Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
Family EMBERIZIDAE: Buntings & Sparrows Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri) Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli) Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) Baird's Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii) Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii) Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus nelsoni) Fox Sparrow (Passerella sp) Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) McCown's Longspur (Calcarius mccownii) Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) McKay's Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus)
Family CARDINALIDAE: Cardinals, Grosbeaks & Relatives Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
Family ICTERIDAE: Blackbirds & Relatives Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula)
Family FRINGILLIDAE: Finches Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) Gray-crowned Rosy-finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) Cassin's Finch (Carpodacus cassinii) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) Hoary Redpoll (Carduelis hornemanni) Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)