This is a comprehensive listing of the bird species recorded in Grand Teton National Park, which is in the U.S. state of Wyoming. 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 262 species when updated to the latest taxonomy. Unless otherwise noted, all are considered to occur regularly in Grand Teton National Park as permanent residents, summer or winter visitors, or migrants. The tags below are used to designate the abundance of some species.
(R) Rare - "usually seen only a few times each year" per the NPS (11 species) (U) Uncommon - "likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season and may be locally common" per the NPS (58 species) (O) Occasional - "occur in a park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year" per the NPS (two species) (NC) Unconfirmed - "Attributed to the park based on weak ("unconfirmed record") or no evidence" per the NPS (80 species) (I) Introduced - a species introduced to North America by humans (four 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 (R) Brant, Branta bernicla (NC) Canada goose, Branta canadensis Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator Wood duck, Aix sponsa (NC) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (U) Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Gadwall, Mareca strepera American wigeon, Mareca americana Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Northern pintail, Anas acuta (U) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (U) Redhead, Aythya americana (U) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Greater scaup, Aythya marila (NC) Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis (U) Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus (U) Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula Barrow's goldeneye, Bucephala islandica Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus (U) Common merganser, Mergus merganser Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator (U) Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (U)
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 Greater sage-grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus (U) Dusky grouse, Dendragapus obscurus Gray partridge, Perdix perdix (I) (NC) Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I) (NC)
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 (NC) Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis Western grebe, Aechmorphorus occidentalis (U) Clark's grebe, Aechmorphorus clarkii (U)
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 Band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata (NC) 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 (NC)
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 Common poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii (NC)
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.
White-throated swift, Aeronautes saxatalis (NC)
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.
Calliope hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus
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
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.
Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis (R) Virginia rail, Rallus limicola (U) Sora, Porzana carolina American coot, Fulica americana
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 (NC) American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (R)
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 (NC) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (NC)
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.
Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (U) Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa (NC) Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus (NC) Sanderling, Calidris alba (NC) Dunlin, Calidris alpina (NC) Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii (NC) Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla (NC) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (NC) Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla (NC) Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus (U) Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius (U) Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (U) Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (NC) Willet, Tringa semipalmata (U) Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (NC) Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (NC)
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.
Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (NC)
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 (NC) Franklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis (U) California gull, Larus californicus Least tern, Sternula antillarum (NC) Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (U) Black tern, Chlidonias niger (NC) Common tern, Sterna hirundo (U) Forster's tern, Sterna forsteri (NC)
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.
Common loon, Gavia immer (U)
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.
Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum
Ibises and spoonbills Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
The family Threskiornithidae includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings. Their bodies tend 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.
White-faced ibis, Plegadis chihi (U)
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 Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis (NC)
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 Great egret, Ardea alba (NC) Snowy egret, Egretta thula (U) Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea (NC) Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis (NC) Black-crowned night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax
New World vultures Order: CathartiformesFamily: Cathartidae