In Maine, 95 species in 40 genera in 7 families have been reported. Click on a link below or scroll down for more information.
Family Recurvirostridae (2 genera, 2 species)
Himantopus (1 species)
Himantopus mexicanus - Black-necked Stilt
Recurvirostra (1 species)
Recurvirostra americana - American Avocet
Family Haematopodidae (1 genus, 1 species)
Haematopus (1 species)
Haematopus palliatus - American Oystercatcher
Family Charadriidae (4 genera, 11 species)
Pluvialis (4 species)
Pluvialis squatarola - Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis apricaria - European Golden Plover
Pluvialis dominica - American Golden Plover
Pluvialis fulva - Pacific Golden Plover
Charadrius (4 species)
Charadrius vociferus - Killdeer
Charadrius hiaticula - Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus - Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius melodus - Piping Plover
Vanellus (1 species)
Vanellus vanellus - Northern Lapwing
Anarhynchus (2 species)
Anarhynchus wilsonia - Wilson’s Plover
Anarhynchus nivosus - Snowy Plover
Family Scolopacidae (11 genera, 37 species)
Bartramia (1 species)
Bartramia longicauda - Upland Sandpiper
Numenius (2 species)
Numenius phaeopus - Whimbrel
Numenius americanus - Long-billed Curlew
Limosa (3 species)
Limosa lapponica - Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa haemastica - Hudsonian Godwit
Limosa fedoa - Marbled Godwit
Arenaria (1 species)
Arenaria interpres - Ruddy Turnstone
Calidris (17 species)
Calidris tenuirostris - Great Knot
Calidris canutus - Red Knot
Calidris virgata - Surfbird
Calidris pugnax - Ruff
Calidris himantopus - Stilt Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea - Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ruficollis - Red-necked Stint
Calidris alba - Sanderling
Calidris alpina - Dunlin
Calidris maritima - Purple Sandpiper
Calidris bairdii - Baird’s Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla - Least Sandpiper
Calidris fuscicollis - White-rumped Sandpiper
Calidris subruficollis - Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Calidris melanotos - Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris pusilla - Semipalmated Sandpiper
Calidris mauri - Western Sandpiper
Limnodromus (2 species)
Limnodromus griseus - Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceus - Short-billed Dowitcher
Scolopus (1 species)
Scolopus minor - American Woodcock
Gallinago (1 species)
Gallinago delicata - Wilson’s Snipe
Actitis (1 species)
Actitis macularius - Spotted Sandpiper
Tringa (5 species)
Tringa solitaria - Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa brevipes - Gray-tailed Tattler
Tringa flavipes - Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa semipalmata - Willet
Tringa melanoleuca - Greater Yellowlegs
Phalaropus (3 species)
Phalaropus tricolor - Wilson’s Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus - Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicarius - Red Phalarope
Family Stercorariidae (1 genus, 5 species)
Stercorarius (5 species)
Stercorarius skua - Great Skua
Stercorarius maccormicki - South Polar Skua
Stercorarius pomarinus - Pomarine Jager
Stercorarius parasiticus - Parasitic Jaeger
Stercorarius longicaudus - Long-tailed Jaeger
Family Alcidae (6 genera, 8 species)
Alle (1 species)
Alle alle - Dovekie
Uria (2 species)
Uria aalge - Common Murre
Uria lomvia - Thick-billed Murre
Alca (1 species)
Alca torda - Razorbill
Cepphus (1 species)
Cepphus grylle - Black Guillemot
Sunthliboramphus (1 species)
Sunthliboramphus antiquus - Ancient Murrelet
Fratercula (2 species)
Fratercula arctica - Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula cirrhata - Tufted Puffin
Family Laridae (15 genera, 31 species)
Rissa (1 species)
Rissa tridactyla - Black-legged Kittiwake
Pagophila (1 species)
Pagophila eburnea - Ivory Gull
Xema (1 species)
Xema sabini - Sabine’s Gull
Chroicocephalus (2 species)
Chroicocephalus philadelphia - Bonaparte’s Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus - Black-headed Gull
Hydrocoloeus (1 species)
Hydrocoloeus minutus - Little Gull
Leucophaeus (2 species)
Leucophaeus atricilla - Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan - Franklin’s Gull
Larus (9 species)
Larus canus - Common Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus - Short-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis - Ring-billed Gull
Larus argentatus - European Herring Gull
Larus glaucoides - Iceland Gull
Larus fuscus - Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus schistisagus - Slaty-backed Gull
Larus hyperboreus - Glaucous Gull
Larus marinus - Great Black-backed Gull
Onychoprion (2 species)
Onychoprion fuscatus - Sooty Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus - Bridled Tern
Sternula (1 species)
Sternula antillarum - Least Tern
Gelochelidon (1 species)
Gelochelidon nilotica - Gull-billed Tern
Hydroprogne (1 species)
Hydroprogne caspia - Caspian Tern
Chlidonias (2 species)
Chlidonias niger - Black Tern
Chlidonias leucopteris - White-winged Tern
Sterna (4 species)
Sterna dougallii - Roseate Tern
Sterna hirundo - Common Tern
Sterna paradisaea - Arctic Tern
Sterna forsteri - Forster’s Tern
Thalasseus (2 species)
Thalasseus maximus - Royal Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis - Sandwich Tern
Rynchops (1 species)
Rynchops niger - Black Skimmer
Key to the families of Order Charadriiformes reported in Maine (to be completed)
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| Recurvirostridae | |||||
| Haematopodidae | |||||
| Charadriidae | |||||
| Scolopacidae | |||||
| Stercorariidae | |||||
| Alcidae | |||||
| Laridae |
Family Recurvirostridae
Key to the genera of Family Recurvirostridae reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| Himantopus | |||||
| Recurvirostra |
Himantopus (Stilt)
[information to be added]
Himantopus mexicanus (Black-necked Stilt) - This species is rare in Maine.
Recurvirostra (Avocet)
[information to be added]
Recurvirostra americana (American Avocet) - [information to be added]
Family Haematopodidae
Haematopus (Oystercatcher)
[information to be added]
Haematopus palliatus (American Oystercatcher) - [information to be added]
Family Charadriidae
Key to the genera of Family Charadriidae reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| Pluvialis | |||||
| Charadrius | |||||
| Vanellus | |||||
| Anarhynchus |
Pluvialis (Plover)
[information to be added]
Key to the species of Pluvialis reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| P. squatarola | |||||
| P. apricaria | |||||
| P. dominica | |||||
| P. fulva |
Pluvialis squatarola (Black-bellied Plover) - [information to be added]
Pluvialis apricaria (European Golden Plover) - This species is rare in Maine.
Pluvialis dominica (American Golden Plover) - [information to be added]
Pluvialis fulva (Pacific Golden Plover) - Acceptance of this species as a member of Maine’s avifauna is provisional. This species is rare in Maine.
Charadrius (Plover)
[information to be added]
Key to the species of Charadrius reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| C. vociferus | |||||
| C. hiaticula | |||||
| C. semipalmatus | |||||
| C. melodus |
Charadrius vociferus (Killdeer) - [information to be added]
Charadrius hiaticula (Common Ringed Plover) - This species is rare in Maine.
Charadrius semipalmatus (Semipalmated Plover) - [information to be added]
Charadrius melodus (Piping Plover) - [information to be added]
Vanellus (Lapwing)
[information to be added]
Vanellus vanellus (Northern Lapwing) - This species is rare in Maine.
Anarhynchus (Plover)
[information to be added]
Key to the species of Anarhynchus reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| A. wilsonia | |||||
| A. nivosus |
Anarhynchus wilsonia (Wilson’s Plover) - This species is rare in Maine.
Anarhynchus nivosus (Snowy Plover) - This species is rare in Maine.
Family Scolopacidae
Family Stercorariidae
Stercorarius (Skua, Jaeger)
[information to be added]
Key to the species of Stercorarius reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| S. skua | |||||
| S. maccormicki | |||||
| S. pomarinus | |||||
| S. parasiticus | |||||
| S. longicaudus |
Stercorarius skua (Great Skua) - [information to be added]
Stercorarius maccormicki (South Polar Skua) - [information to be added]
Stercorarius pomarinus (Pomarine Jaeger) - [information to be added]
Stercorarius parasiticus (Parasitic Jaeger) - [information to be added]
Stercorarius longicaudus (Long-tailed Jaeger) - [information to be added]
Family Alcidae
Key to the genera of Family Alcidae reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| Alle | |||||
| Uria | |||||
| Alca | |||||
| Cepphus | |||||
| Sunthliboramphus | |||||
| Fratercula |
Alle (Dovekie)
[information to be added]
Alle alle (Dovekie) - [information to be added]
Uria (Murre)
[information to be added]
Key to the species of Uria reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| U. aalge | |||||
| U. lomvia |
Uria aalge (Common Murre) - [information to be added]
Uria lomvia (Thick-billed Murre) - [information to be added]
Alca (Dovekie)
[information to be added]
Alca torda (Dovekie) - [information to be added]
Cepphus (Guillemot)
[information to be added]
Cephus grylle (Black Guillemot) - [information to be added]
Sunthliboramphus (Murrelet)
[information to be added]
Sunthliboramphus antiquus (Ancient Murrelet) - This species is rare in Maine.
Fratercula (Puffin)
[information to be added]
Key to the species of Fratercula reported in Maine
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | |
| F. arctica | |||||
| F. cirrhata |
Fratercula arctica (Atlantic Puffin) - [information to be added]
Fratercula cirrhata (Tufted Puffin) - This species is rare in Maine.
Family Laridae