Prince Edward Island is the smallest province within Canada. It is part of The Maritimes and is separated to the north from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by the Northumberland Strait. The information provided is from the most recent Field Checklist of Birds published by the Government of Prince Edward Island's Department of Agriculture and Forestry, which contains 369 species observed in the province as of 2014. Of these, 78 are accidentals, 38 are occasional, and 13 are hypotheticals as defined below. Two species have been introduced to Prince Edward Island and another four were introduced elsewhere in North America.

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.

The following tags are used to categorise some species. The DAF Checklist provides abundance codes by season, and species may be abundant in one season and accidental in another. Therefore, an (A), (O), or (H) code is used here when a "higher" code does not also apply.

(A) Accidental - "9 or fewer records per century" per the DAF Checklist (O) Occasional - "seen only 1 - 9 times per decade" per the DAF Checklist (H) Hypothetical - "unconfirmed sighting report or bird of unconfirmed origin" per the DAF Checklist (I) Introduced - "Introduced to Prince Edward Island and now established as a breeding population" per the DAF Checklist (INA) North America - Introduced to North America but not directly to Prince Edward Island

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.

Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (A) Snow goose, Anser caerulescens Ross's goose, Anser rossii (O) Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus (A) Brant, Branta bernicla Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis (A) Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii Canada goose, Branta canadensis Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator (H) Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (A) Wood duck, Aix sponsa Garganey, Spatula querquedula (A) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Gadwall, Mareca strepera Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope American wigeon, Mareca americana Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos American black duck, Anas rubripes Northern pintail, Anas acuta Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Canvasback, Aythya valisineria Redhead, Aythya americana Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula (A) Greater scaup, Aythya marila Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis King eider, Somateria spectabilis Common eider, Somateria mollissima Harlequin duck, 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, Mergus serrator Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis

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.

Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus Spruce grouse, Canachites canadensis (I) (Extirpated) Sharp-tailed grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus Grey partridge, Perdix perdix (INA) Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I)

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 Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (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.

Rock pigeon, Columba livia (INA) Passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (Extinct) White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica (A) Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura

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 Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus

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 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 long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.

Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (O)

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

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 Clapper rail, Rallus crepitans (A) King rail, Rallus elegans (A) Sora, Porzana carolina Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata (O) American coot, Fulica americana Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (A) Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis (A)

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

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.

Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (A) American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (A)

Oystercatchers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large, obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus (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, Pluvialis squatarola American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Piping plover, Charadrius melodus Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A) Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia (H)

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 (H) (Extirpated, possibly extinct) Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (H) Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (A) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa (A) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus Ruff, Calidris pugnax (O) Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (A) Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (O) Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina Purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (O) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri (O) Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus (A) American woodcock, Scolopax minor Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Willet, Tringa semipalmata Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius (O)

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, Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (A)

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, Alle alle Common murre, Uria aalge Thick-billed murre, Uria lomvia Razorbill, Alca torda Great auk, Pinguinus impennis (A) (extinct) Black guillemot, Cepphus grylle Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica (A)

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae