Our Diverse Bird Life
The Pacific Birds region encompasses many habitats and multiple migratory flyways. Our boundaries are expansive because of the rich and diverse birds that travel our migratory flyways.
From endemic waterbirds in Hawai'i, and threatened oak and prairie woodland species, to the millions of migratory birds in wetlands from Alaska to California, our partnership works on all fronts – keeping common species common and taking strategic action for endangered or threatened species.
Priority Species
Our priority species were selected by reviewing the status of each bird species occurring within the Pacific Birds geography in each of our priority habitats and establishing a list of priority species for conservation action alongside partners. Specific criteria vary across priority habitats and locations. Please see the Strategic plan for each region for further information.
Coastal Wetlands in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska
American White Pelican
Black Oystercatcher
Black Scoter
Black Swift
Brant*
Bristle-thighed Curlew AK
Cassin's Auklet
Clark's Grebe
Common Murre
Harlequin Duck
Horned Grebe
Horned Lark*
Ivory Gull AK
King Eider AK
Kittlitz's Murrelet AK
Long-billed Dowitcher
Long-tailed Duck
Marbled Murrelet
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Pectoral Sandpiper AK
Pelagic Cormorant
Red Knot*
Rock Sandpiper*
Ross's Gull
Sandhill Crane*
Short-billed Gull
Snowy Plover*
Spectacled Eider AK
Steller's Eider* AK
Tricolored Blackbird CA
Tufted Puffin
Upland Sandpiper AK
Wandering Tattler
White-winged Scoter
Yellow-billed Loon
Aleutian Tern AK
American Golden-Plover AK
Ancient Murrelet
Bald Eagle
Bank Swallow
Bar-tailed Godwit AK
Barn Swallow
Barrow's Goldeneye
Black Turnstone
Black-bellied Plover
Black-legged Kittiwake AK
Brandt's Cormorant
Brown Pelican*
Buff-breasted SandpiperAK
California Gull
Canada Goose*
Common Loon
Emperor GooseAK
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Greater White-fronted
Goose*
Greater Yellowlegs
Horned PuffinAK
Hudsonian Godwit AK
Least Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Curlew
McKay's Bunting AK
Northern Pintail
Pacific Loon
Peregrine Falcon
Pigeon Guillemot
Red-faced Cormorant AK
Red-legged Kittiwake AK
Red-necked Grebe
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Snowy Owl AK
Stilt Sandpiper AK
Surf Scoter
Surfbird
Thick-billed Murre
Trumpeter Swan
Western Grebe
Western Gull
Western Sandpiper
Whimbrel
White-rumped Sandpiper AK
American Avocet CA
American Dipper
American Wigeon
Arctic Tern
Black-crowned Night
Heron
Black-necked Stilt
Bonaparte's Gull
Bufflehead
Cackling Goose*
Cinnamon Teal
Dunlin
Forster’s Tern
Greater Scaup
Heermann's Gull
Least Auklet AK
Lesser Scaup
Mallard
Marbled Godwit
Pacific Golden-Plover
Parasitic Jaeger AK
Pomarine Jaeger AK
Purple Martin
Red PhalaropeAK
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-necked Phalarope
Rhinoceros Auklet
Ross’s Goose
Snowy Egret
Solitary Sandpiper AK
Tundra Swan
Western Flycatcher
Whiskered Auklet AK
Willow Flycatcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's Snipe
Alder Flycatcher AK
American Pipit
Arctic Loon AK
Baird's Sandpiper AK
Belted Kingfisher
Black Guillemot AK
Black Tern
Blue-winged Teal
Canvasback
Caspian Tern
Common Eider AK
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Tern
Common Yellowthroat
Crested Auklet AK
Eared Grebe
Elegant Tern
Franklin’s Gull
Gadwall
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Green-winged Teal
Herring Gull
Hooded Merganser
Iceland Gull
Killdeer
Long-tailed Jaeger AK
Marsh Wren
Merlin
Northern Harrier
Northern Shoveler
Northern Waterthrush AK
Parakeet Auklet AK
Red-throated Loon
Red-winged Blackbird
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Ruddy Duck
Rusty Blackbird AK
Sabine's Gull
Semipalmated Plover
Snow Bunting
Snow Goose
Spotted Sandpiper
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Virginia Rail
White-faced Ibis
Willet
Wood Duck
Yellow-headed Blackbird
*Subspecies or subpopulation of conservation concern
AK, CA: occurs only in Alaska or California within continental JV
Coastal Wetlands and Riparian Forests in British Columbia
American Wigeon
Barrow's Goldeneye
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Harlequin Duck
Hooded Merganser
Lesser Snow Goose (Wrangel Island population)
Long-tailed Duck
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Pacific Brant (including Western High Arctic Brant)
Scaup (including Greater and Lesser Scaup)
Surf Scoter
Trumpeter Swan
White-winged Scoter
Wood Duck
Ancient Murrelet
Band-tailed Pigeon
Barn Owl
Barn Swallow
Belted Kingfisher
Black Swift
Brewer’s Blackbird
Bullock’s Oriole
California Gull
Cassin’s Auklet
Cassin’s Vireo
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Clark’s Grebe
Common Loon
Common Murre
Common Nighthawk
Evening Grosbeak
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Great Blue Heron (fannini subspecies)
Horned Grebe
Lesser Yellowlegs
Marbled Murrelet
Mew Gull
Northern Goshawk (laingi subspecies)
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Pacific Wren
Pelagic Cormorant
Peregrine Falcon
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch
Red Knot (roselaari subspecies)
Red-necked Phalarope
Rufous Hummingbird
Short-billed Dowitcher
Sooty Grouse
Spotted Owl
Townsend’s Warbler
Varied Thrush
Vaux’s Swift
Wandering Tattler
Western Grebe
Western Gull
Western Screech-Owl
Western Wood-Pewee
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Willow Flycatcher
Wilson’s Warbler
Wetlands in Hawai‘i
Ae‘o or Hawaiian Stilt
‘Alae ke‘oke‘o or Hawaiian Coot
‘Alae ‘ula or Hawaiian Common Gallinule
Koloa maoli or Hawaiian Duck
Nēnē or Hawaiian Goose
American Wigeon
Koloa māpu or Northern Pintail
Koloa mōhā or Northern Shoveler
Lesser Scaup
‘Akekeke or Ruddy Turnstone
Hunakai or Sanderling
Kioea or Bristle-thighed Curlew
Kōlea or Pacific Golden-Plover
ʻŪlili or Wandering Tattler
Oak and Prairie in the Pacific Northwest
Acorn Woodpecker
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Bell's Sparrow (belli)
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Cassin's Vireo
Chipping Sparrow
Common Nighthawk
Golden Eagle
Grasshopper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Lewis's Woodpecker
Loggerhead shrike
Northern Harrier
Oak Titmouse
Vesper Sparrow (affinis)
Purple Finch
Short-eared owl
Horned Lark (strigata)
Western Bluebird
Western Meadowlark
Western Screech Owl
Western Wood-Pewee
White-breasted Nuthatch (aculeata)
White-tailed kite
The State of Our Birds
The North American Bird Conservation Initiative’s State of the Birds reports provide an overview of how North America’s birds are doing. Each of the reports has a special focus.
To learn more about regional population trends, and the conservation status of bird groups or species, visit our Resources page.
Take Action for Birds
The Pacific Birds partnership works hard to help birds. Collectively our partners are learning about migrations, population dynamics, and the habitats birds need. We follow up by helping partners conserve those habitats.
But anyone can make a difference for birds by following some bird-friendly guidelines and taking some simple actions from home.
Click on the image to learn more.
See the habitats our birds need to thrive.
Caspian Tern
Mick Thompson © Creative Commons
Meet Some Of The Birds We Are Safeguarding
Recap: ʻAlae ʻUla Event at Kukui Grove Mall
The ʻalae ʻula (Hawaiian common gallinule) is an endangered waterbird that is unique to Hawaiʻi. There are only around 700 left in the world! Over 300 people attended a campaign launch event on April 4, 2026 at Kukui Grove Shopping Center on Kauaʻi. Participants learned how they could help protect this special bird through local […]
Artist Holly Kaʻiakapu Features the ʻAlae ʻUla in New Block Print
Throughout 2026, Pacific Birds is celebrating the ʻalae ʻula, or Hawaiian Common Gallinule. This endangered waterbird is endemic to Hawaiʻi, but their population has fallen to an estimated 712 birds. As part of our campaign to raise awareness for the ʻalae ʻula, Pacific Birds commissioned local artist Holly Kaʻiakapu to create this beautiful original block […]
Celebrate the ʻAlae ʻUla! Campaign Launch Event
Event Information Play Video The ʻalae ʻula (Hawaiian common gallinule) is an endangered waterbird that is unique to Hawaiʻi. There are only around 700 left in the world! Learn how you can help protect this special bird at our campaign launch event. Pacific Birds and other sponsors will share local art, moʻolelo, and fun facts […]
Congratulations to the 2025-26 ʻAlae ʻUla Art Contest Winners
This year, Pacific Birds is celebrating the ʻalae ʻula (Hawaiian Common Gallinule). This bird is known as the “fire bringer” from a moʻolelo (legend) that tells how it stole fire from the god Maui and gave it to humans. ʻAlae ʻula and chicks. Credit: Hob Osterlund We began the ʻalae ʻula campaign with an art […]
Help Us Showcase the ʻAlae ʻUla Through Art and Outreach!
Art by Sophia Benton, Chiefess Makahelei Middle School Big news! One of our collaborative projects is in the running for a Kauaʻi County Innovation Grant – and YOU can help us succeed by voting for our project. The ʻalae ʻula (or Hawaiian common gallinule) is an endangered waterbird unique to Hawaiʻi. Friends of Kauaʻi National […]
Why Cats and Nēnē Don’t Mix – It’s Not as Simple as You Think
Play Video Hawai’i’s state bird, the nēnē, faces a rising threat from toxoplasmosis – a cat-borne disease also harming monk seals, dolphins, and more. Pacific Birds’ Hawai’i Conservation Coordinator, Helen Raine, and Thierry Work of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) appear on KITV to explain how toxoplasmosis is threatening native wildlife, and what we can […]
Recovering Native Hawaiian Waterbirds through Culture, History, and Indigenous Partnership
Art by Sophia Benton, Chiefess Makahelei Middle School Pacific Birds is excited to share a new report by Hoku Cody on how including loʻi (taro pondfields) and loko iʻa (fishponds) in waterbird conservation can contribute to a durable and sustainable future for these species while providing sustainable food and ecosystem benefits to local communities. Hoku […]
What Does Valentine’s Day Have to Do with Birds?
What does Valentine’s Day have to do with birds? Apparently, a lot! As the story goes, Valentine’s Day dates back to medieval times when birdwatchers in France noticed many birds began mating around mid-February. They decided to designate a specific day-February 14th-to celebrate the beginning of the mating season. Whether or not this is the […]
Tracking Red Knots: Migration Monitoring and Conservation Efforts in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor
Red knot stretching its wings. Photo: Eric Ellingson, Creative Commons If you’ve ever taken a stroll along the muddy, sandy shorelines of Willapa Bay or boated along the foggy waters of Grays Harbor in late April or early May, chances are you’ve seen a Red Knot. Red knots are small to medium-sized sandpipers named after […]
