List of Oklahoma birds
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List_of_Oklahoma_birds".

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is the state bird of Oklahoma
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is the state bird of Oklahoma

The List of Oklahoma birds lists every wild bird species ever seen in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, as recorded by the Oklahoma Bird Records Committee. The following markings have been used:

  • (I) - Introduced: Birds that have been introduced to North America by the actions of man, either directly or indirectly
  • (E) - Extinct
  • (Ex) - Extirpated: A bird that, while it is not extinct, is no longer found in Oklahoma. The only bird marked (Ex) is the Ivory-billed Woodpecker which was, until 2004 presumed to be extinct, but was reportedly rediscovered in the wild. However it is not now found in Oklahoma
  • (A) - Accidental: Birds that have been seen only a few times, or only once.
  • (H) - Hypothetical: Birds that have had a credible sighting reported, but have not been documented with a specimen or with a suitable photograph

Birds listed as either accidental or hypothetical should not be expected to be found anywhere in Oklahoma with regularity. Except for the accidental and hypothetical birds, only birds that are considered to have established, self-sustaining, wild populations in Oklahoma are included on this list. This means that birds that are probable escapees are not included on this list. The Ringed Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia risoria) was previously considered to be an established wild bird, and, although occasional sightings are reported from residential areas, these birds are probable escapees, and evidence of a true self-sustaining population is lacking. It is, therefore, not included on this list. There are 469 species on this list, including 17 hypothetical species.

This list is presented in taxonomic order and follows The Check-list of North American Birds (7th ed., 1998), published by the American Ornithologists' Union. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family accounts. Introduced, casual, accidental, hypothetical, extirpated and extinct species are included in the total species counts for North America and Oklahoma.


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Contents

Ducks, Geese, and Swans

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae

Greater White-fronted Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Blue-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Common Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye

The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swan. These are birds that are modified for 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. There are 131 species world wide, 61 North American species, and 42 Oklahoma species.

Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys, and Old World quail

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae

Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey

The Phasianidae is a family of birds which 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. There are 180 species world wide, 16 North American species, and 6 Oklahoma species.

New World quail

Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae

The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits. There are 32 species, world-wide, all found only in the Americas, 6 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes Family: Gaviidae

Red-throated Loon
Red-throated Loon

Loons are aquatic birds size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. Their plumage is largely grey or black, they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well, and fly adequately, but, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body, are almost hopeless on land. There are five species world-wide, 5 North American species, and 4 Oklahoma species.

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe

Grebes small to medium-large sized 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. There are 20 species world-wide, 7 North American species, and 7 Oklahoma species.

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae

American White Pelican
American White Pelican

Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes. There are 8 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Cormorants

Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the Pelecaniformes order. There are 36 species world-wide, 6 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Darters

Anhinga
Anhinga

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Anhingidae

Darters are cormorant-like water birds with very long necks and long, straight beaks. They often swim with only the neck above water, and are fish-eaters. There are 4 species world-wide, 1 North American species, and 1 Oklahoma species.

Frigatebirds

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large sea-birds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black or black and white, with long wings and deeply-forked tails. The males have inflatable coloured throat pouches. They do not swim or walk, and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week. There are five species world-wide, three North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ardeidae

Little Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron

The family Ardeidae contains the herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and Egrets are medium to large sized wadng birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secrative. Unlike other long necked birds suck as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted. There are 61 species world wide, 17 North American species, and 12 Oklahoma species.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Threskiornithidae

Roseate Spoonbill
Roseate Spoonbill

The family Threskiornithidae includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings. Their bodies tends to be elongated, the neck more so, with rather long legs. The bill is also long, decurved in the case of the ibises, straight and distinctively flattened in the spoonbills. There are 36 species world wide, 5 North American species, and 4 Oklahoma species.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ciconiidae

Wood Stork
Wood Stork

Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They lack the powder down that other wading birds such as herons, spoonbills and ibises use to clean off fish slime. Storks lack a pharynx and are mute. There are 19 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

New World vultures

Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: 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 located carcasses. There are 7 species world wide, all found only in the Americas, 3 North American species and 2 Oklahoma species

Hawks, Kites, and Eagles

Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae

Osprey
Osprey

The family Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey and include hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. There are 233 species world wide, 28 North American species, and 18 Oklahoma species.

Caracaras and Falcons

American Kestral
American Kestral

Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their feet. There are 62 species world wide, 10 North American species, and 6 Oklahoma species.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae

American Coot
American Coot

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, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers. There are 143 species world wide, 13 North American species, and 8 Oklahoma species.

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae

Whooping Cranes
Whooping Cranes

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". There are 15 species worldwide, 3 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Lapwings and Plovers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae

Snowy Plover
Snowy Plover

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, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species world-wide, 17 North American species, and 8 Oklahoma species.

Stilts and Avocets

Black-necked Stilt
Black-necked Stilt

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and the stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are 9 species world wide, 3 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Sandpipers and Allies

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae

Upland Sandpper
Upland Sandpper
Dunlin
Dunlin
Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's Phalarope

The Scolopacidae are 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 species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 86 species world wide, 65 North American species, and 33 Oklahoma species.

Skuas, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae

Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull

Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes jaegers, skuas, 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. There are 108 species world wide, 54 North American species, and 28 Oklahoma species.

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae

Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. There are 308 species world wide, 18 North American species, and 8 Oklahoma species.

Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and the have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two back. There are 335 species world wide, 8 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis

Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae

Greater Roadrunner
Greater Roadrunner

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Unlike the cuckoo species of the Old World, North American cuckoos are not brood parasites. There are 138 species world wide, 8 North American species, and 4 Oklahoma species.

Barn owls

Barn Owl
Barn Owl

Order: Strigiformes Family: Tytonidae

Barn owls are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are 16 species world wide, 1 North American species, and 1 Oklahoma species.

Typical owls

Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae

Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl

Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. There are 195 species world wide, 21 North American species, and 9 Oklahoma species.

Nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is crypically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. There are 86 species world wide, 9 North American species, and 5 Oklahoma species.

Swifts

Chimney Swift
Chimney Swift

Order: Apodiformes Family: Apodidae

The swifts are small aerial birds, spending 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 lobg swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are 98 species world wide, 9 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Hummingbirds

Order: Apodiformes Family: Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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. There are 337 species world wide, 23 North American species, and 9 Oklahoma species.

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher

Kingfishers are medium sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are 94 species world wide, 3 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward, and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are 218 species world wide, 26 North American species, and 15 Oklahoma species.

Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tyrant flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Tyrannidae

Willow Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher

Tyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust with stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, are rather plain. As the name implies, most are insectivorous. There are 429 species world wide, all found only in the Americas, 45 North American species, and 24 Oklahoma species.

Shrikes

Loggerhead Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike

Order: Passeriformes Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are 31 species world wide 3 North American species, and 2 Oklahoma species.

Vireos

Order: Passeriformes Family: Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo
Bell's Vireo

The vireos are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills. There are 52 species world wide, 16 North American species, and 11 Oklahoma species

Jays, Crows, Magpies, and Ravens

American Crow
American Crow
Black-billed Magpie
Black-billed Magpie

Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae

The Corvidae family includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size for the bird order Passeriformes. Some of the larger species show levels of learned behavior of a high degree. There are 120 species world wide, 21 North American speicies, and 11 Oklahoma species.

Larks

Order: Passeriformes Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. There are 91 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 1 Oklahoma species.

Swallows and Martins

Order: Passeriformes Family: Hirundinidae

Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow

The Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species world wide, 14 North American species, and 8 Oklahoma species.

Chickadees and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae

Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. There are species 59 world wide, 12 North American species and 6 Oklahoma species.

Penduline Tits

Order: Passeriformes Family: Remizidae

The penduline tits are a group of small passerine birds, related to the true tits. They are insectivores. There are 13 species world wide. 1 North American Species, 1 Oklahoma species.

Bushtits

Order: Passeriformes Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet that includes insects. There are 9 species world wide, 1 North American species, and 1 Oklahoma species.

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sittidae

White-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet. There are 24 species world wide, 4 North American species, and 4 Oklahoma species.

Treecreepers

Brown Creeper
Brown Creeper

Order: Passeriformes Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees. There are 6 species world wide, 1 North American species , and 1 Oklahoma species.

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes Family: Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren
Carolina Wren

Wrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. There are 79 species world wide, 9 North American species, and 8 Oklahoma species.

Kinglets