This is a list of bird species recorded in Baxter State Park, in the U.S. state of Maine. As of June 2004 the list contained 178 species when taxonomic changes are taken into account.
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.
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 Canada goose, Branta canadensis Wood duck, Aix sponsa Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos American black duck, Anas rubripes Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Common eider, Somateria mollissima 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
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
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
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 Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I)
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 colored to resemble bark or leaves.
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor Eastern whip-poor-will, Antrostomus vociferus
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
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 Sora, Porzana carolina
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.
Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus
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.
American woodcock, Scolopax minor Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes
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 longish bills and webbed feet.
Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis Great black-backed gull, Larus marinus Common tern, Sterna hirundo
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
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
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 Least bittern, Ixobrychus exilis Great blue heron, Ardea herodias Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea Green heron, Butorides virescens Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
New World vultures Order: CathartiformesFamily: 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 locate carcasses.
Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura
Osprey Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
Pandionidae is a family of fish-eating birds of prey possessing a very large, powerful hooked beak for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. The family is monotypic.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
Hawks, eagles, and kites Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey which includes 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.
Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus Cooper's hawk, Astur cooperii American goshawk, Astur atricapillus Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus Red-shouldered hawk, Buteo lineatus Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus
Owls Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
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.
Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus Snowy owl, Bubo scandiacus Northern hawk owl, Surnia ulula Barred owl, Strix varia Great gray owl, Strix nebulosa Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus Northern saw-whet owl, Aegolius acadicus
Kingfishers Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon
Woodpeckers Order: PiciformesFamily: 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.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius American three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis Black-backed woodpecker, Picoides arcticus Downy woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens Hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus Pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus
Falcons and caracaras Order: FalconiformesFamily: 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 talons.
American kestrel, Falco sparverius Merlin, Falco columbarius Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus
Tyrant flycatchers Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tyrannidae
Tyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have 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.
Great crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperi Eastern wood-pewee, Contopus virens Yellow-bellied flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris Alder flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum Least flycatcher, Empidonax minimus Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe
Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically greenish in color and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills.
White-eyed vireo, Vireo griseus Yellow-throated vireo, Vireo flavifrons Blue-headed vireo, Vireo solitarius Philadelphia vireo, Vireo philadelphicus Warbling vireo, Vireo gilvus Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus
Shrikes Order: PasseriformesFamily: 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 shrike's beak is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.
Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus Northern shrike, Lanius borealis
Crows, jays, and magpies Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae