Arboretum Birds

cedar waxwings splash in a puddle

A total of 211 bird species have been found in the University of Guelph Arboretum (see list below).  This 165 hectare area has various habitats including maple/beech forest, old fields, ponds, swamps and beech/hemlock forest, creating many great places to observe birds and other wildlife. No matter what the season, you will find a variety of species on every visit. Want to see what has been seen recently? Click here to see the e-bird hotspot lists.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds become quite tame and delight birders and photographers alike. Photo by Jon Brierley.

Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinals are popular with new and experienced birders. Photo by Josh Crozier.

In the list below, the 87 species marked with an * have been known to breed in this site.  Those marked with (*) may breed here also.  The two species marked with ** are escapees.  One species is marked with !; this is the extinct  Passenger Pigeon.  Historical records indicate that this species may have had a breeding colony along the Speed River close to The Arboretum and thus this species was likely a common sight here long ago.

Bird on Bird House
Our many bird boxes attract species such as Eastern Screech-Owls, Tree Swallows, Eastern Bluebirds, Great Crested Flycatchers, Black-capped Chickadees and, of course, House Wrens (shown here). Photo by Marienna Egressy.

We teach a wide variety of bird workshops at The Arboretum; click here to see which ones are coming up! We also sell Feeder Birds of The Arboretum and Summer Garden Birds of The Arboretum booklets .

Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpeckers often nest in our forests. As you can see, they are efficient at excavating their nesting cavities! Photo by Karl Egressy.

American Robin
American Robins (shown here), Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings and many other species are attracted to berries in The Arboretum in winter. Photo by Chris Earley.

Black-capped Chickadee
Our Black-capped Chickadees may be enticed to your hand if you stand still enough. Photo by Chris Earley.

Birds of The University of Guelph Arboretum

ANSERIFORMES

Ducks, Geese, & Swans 

  • Snow Goose
  • Cackling Goose 
  • Canada Goose *
  • Tundra Swan
  • Wood Duck *
  • American Black Duck
  • Mallard *
  • Blue-winged Teal *
  • Green-winged Teal
  • Bufflehead
  • Common Goldeneye
  • Hooded Merganser *
  • Common Merganser
  • Red-breasted Merganser

GALLIFORMES

New World Quail

  • Northern Bobwhite **

Partridges, Grouse, & Turkeys

  • Chukar **
  • Ruffed Grouse *
  • Wild Turkey

PODICIPEDIFORMES

Grebes 

  • Pied-billed Grebe

COLUMBIFORMES

Pigeons and Doves 

  • Rock Pigeon
  • Mourning Dove *
  • Passenger Pigeon 

CUCULIOFORMES

Cuckoos & Anis

  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo *
  • Black-billed Cuckoo *

CAPRIMULGIFORMES

Goatsuckers 

  • Common Nighthawk
  • Whip-poor-will

APODIFORMES

Swifts  

  • Chimney Swift

Hummingbirds

  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird *

GRUIFORMES

Rails, Gallinules, & Coots 

  • Virginia Rail *
  • Sora *

Cranes

  • Sandhill Crane

CHARADRIIFORMES

Plovers

  • Killdeer *

Sandpipers & Phalaropes

  • Spotted Sandpiper
  • Solitary Sandpiper
  • Greater Yellowleg
  • Lesser Yellowlegs
  • Wilson's Snipe *
  • American Woodcock *
  • Upland Sandpiper 

Gulls, Turns, & Skimmers

  • Franklin's Gull
  • Bonaparte's Gull
  • Ring-billed Gull
  • Herring Gull
  • Iceland Gull
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull
  • Glaucous Gull
  • Great Black-backed Gull
  • Caspian Tern

GAVIIFORMES

Loons

  • Common Loon

SULIFORMES

Cormorants

  • Double-crested Cormorant

PELECANIFORMES

Herons & Bitterns

  • American Bittern *
  • Least Bittern
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Great Egret 
  • Cattle Egret
  • Green Heron *
  • Black-crowned Night-Heron

ACCIPITRIFORMES

Vultures

  • Turkey Vulture *

Osprey

  • Osprey

Hawks, Kites, & Eagles

  • Bald Eagle
  • Northern Harrier *
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk *
  • Cooper's Hawk *
  • Northern Goshawk
  • Red-shouldered Hawk
  • Broad-winged Hawk
  • Red-tailed Hawk *
  • Rough-legged Hawk

STRIGIFORMES

Typical Owls​

  • Eastern Screech-Owl *
  • Great Horned Owl *
  • Snowy Owl
  • Barred Owl
  • Long-eared Owl *
  • Northern Saw-whet Owl

CORACIIFORMES

Kingfishers 

  • Belted Kingfisher *

PICIFORMES

Woodpeckers 

  • Red-headed Woodpecker *
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • Downy Woodpecker *
  • Hairy Woodpecker *
  • Northern Flicker *
  • Pileated Woodpecker *

FALCONIFORMES

Caracaras & Falcons

  • American Kestrel *
  • Merlin
  • Peregrine Falcon

PASSERIFORMES

Tyrant Flycatchers 

  • Olive-sided Flycatcher
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee *
  • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
  • Acadian Flycatcher
  • Alder Flycatcher *
  • Willow Flycatcher *
  • Least Flycatcher
  • Eastern Phoebe *
  • Great Crested Flycatcher *
  • Eastern Kingbird *

Shrikes 

  • Northern Shrike

Vireos 

  • Yellow-throated Vireo
  • Blue-headed Vireo
  • Warbling Vireo *
  • Philadelphia Vireo
  • Red-eyed Vireo *

Crows & Jays

  • Blue Jay *
  • American Crow *
  • Fish Crow
  • Common Raven

Larks 

  • Horned Lark *

Swallows

  • Purple Martin
  • Tree Swallow *
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  • Bank Swallow *
  • Cliff Swallow
  • Barn Swallow *

Chickadees & Tits 

  • Black-capped Chickadee *
  • Boreal Chickadee 
  • Tufted Titmouse

Nuthatches 

  • Red-breasted Nuthatch *
  • White-breasted Nuthatch *

Creepers

  • Brown Creeper *

Wrens 

  • Carolina Wren
  • House Wren *
  • Winter Wren *
  • Sedge Wren *

Gnatchatchers 

  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Kinglets 

  • Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Thrushes 

  • Veery
  • Gray-cheeked Thrush
  • Swainson's Thrush
  • Hermit Thrush
  • Wood Thrush *
  • American Robin *
  • Eastern Bluebird *

Mockingbirds & Thrashers

  • Gray Catbird *
  • Northern Mockingbird *
  • Brown Thrasher *

Starlings

  • European Starling *

Waxwings 

  • Bohemian Waxwing
  • Cedar Waxwing *

Old World Sparrows

  • House Sparrow *

Pipits 

  • American Pipit

Finches

  • Purple Finch *
  • House Finch *
  • Pine Grosbeak
  • Red Crossbill (*)
  • White-winged Crossbill (*)
  • Redpoll
  • Pine Siskin
  • American Goldfinch *
  • Evening Grosbeak

Longspurs & Snow Buntings

  • Lapland Longspur
  • Snow Bunting

Wood-Warblers 

  • Blue-winged Warbler
  • Golden-winged Warbler
  • Tennessee Warbler
  • Orange-crowned Warbler
  • Nashville Warbler
  • Northern Parula
  • Yellow Warbler *
  • Chestnut-sided Warbler
  • Magnolia Warbler
  • Cape May Warbler
  • Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler (*)
  • Black-throated Green Warbler
  • Blackburnian Warbler
  • Pine Warbler *
  • Palm Warbler
  • Bay-breasted Warbler
  • Blackpoll Warbler
  • Cerulean Warbler
  • Prairie Warbler
  • Black-and-white Warbler *
  • American Redstart (*)
  • Prothonotary Warbler
  • Ovenbird
  • Northern Waterthrush *
  • Connecticut Warbler
  • Mourning Warbler (*)
  • Common Yellowthroat *
  • Hooded Warbler
  • Wilson's Warbler
  • Canada Warbler
  • Yellow-breasted Chat

Sparrows (Emberizids)

  • Eastern Towhee *
  • American Tree Sparrow
  • Chipping Sparrow *
  • Clay-colored Sparrow (*)
  • Field Sparrow *
  • Vesper Sparrow *
  • Savannah Sparrow *
  • Grasshopper Sparrow *
  • Fox Sparrow
  • Song Sparrow *
  • Lincoln's Sparrow
  • Swamp Sparrow *
  • White-throated Sparrow (*)
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Dark-eyed Junco

Cardinals & Allies

  • Scarlet Tanager
  • Northern Cardinal *
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak *
  • Indigo Bunting *

Blackbirds

  • Rusty Blackbird
  • Red-winged Blackbird *
  • Bobolink *
  • Common Grackle *
  • Brown-headed Cowbird *
  • Baltimore Oriole *
  • Orchard Oriole 
  • Eastern Meadowlark *
  • Western Meadowlark

TOTAL: 212 species