List of birds of Nunavut

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The Canadian territory Nunavut has over 100 species of birds nearly all of which are migratory, with only the Common Raven, the Snowy Owl and the ptarmigan spending the winter. Most, if not all birds migrate to Nunavut for breeding purposes and tend to return to the same nesting grounds each year.

Birds may be found all through Nunavut but not all birds are to be seen throughout the territory. Thus the Horned Lark can be found in all areas or Nunavut, except Ellesmere Island, the sparrow is rarely found outside of the mainland and the plovers are usually found only on the east coasts of Baffin Island and Ellesmere Island.

Along with the regular birds can be found the occasional "lost bird" such as the Barn Swallow or Blue Jay but they are not covered here.

Traditional usage

Beside a food source the Inuit had several other ways of using birds:
*Skins from larger birds were used as towels.
*Wings may have been used to dust or sweep.
*Skins were used as make containers, slippers and if caribou were scarce parkas.
*Children, mainly boys, would often learn to hunt by throwing stones at small birds.

Birds, (ᑎᖕᒥᐊᖅ, Tingmiaq [There are several different dialects of Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun plus two writing styles, Inuktitut syllabics and Latin alphabet (Roman orthography). Thus the Inuit name and/or spelling may differ from one region to another and in extreme cases from one community to another.] )

Ducks (Mitiq, Mitik), Geese and Swans, – Anatidae

*Whistling Swan (ᖃᒡᔪᒃ, Qugjuq, Qugyuk) "Cygnus columbianus"
*Tundra Swan (Bewick's Swan, Qugjuk) "Cygnus columbianus"
*Greater white-fronted Goose (White-fronted Goose, ᓂᕐᓕᒃ, Nirlivik, Niglik) "Anser albifrons"
*Snow Goose (ᑲᖑᖅ, Kanguq) "Chen caerulescens"
*Ross's Goose (ᖄᕌᕐᔪᒃ) "Chen rossii or Anser rossii"
*Brant Goose (Brent Goose, ᓂᕐᓕᖕᓇᖅ, Nirliq, Nigliknak) "Branta bernicla"
*Canada Goose (ᓂᕐᓕᒃ ᐅᓗᐊᒍᓪᓕᒃ, Uluagullik) "Branta canadensis"
*Northern Pintail (ᖁᒻᒧᐊᔫᖅ, Qummnajunq (flies toward sky)) "Anas acuta"
*Common Eider (ᒥᑎᖅ ᐊᒪᐅᓕᒡᔪᐊᖅ, Mitiq, Female: Hurluktuq, Male: Amaulik) "Somateria mollissima"
*King Eider (ᒥᑎᖅ ᕿᖔᓕᒃ, Female: Mitiinnaq, Male: Qingalik, Qingalaaq (one with a nose)) "Somateria spectabilis"
*Harlequin Duck (ᐃᕕᒐᖅ, Tulajun (flies short distances and lands)) "Histrionicus histrionicus"
*Oldsquaw (Long-tailed Duck, ᐊᒡᒋᐊᕐᔪᒃ (ᐊᒡᒋᖅ), Aahanngiq, Ahaanliq) "Clangula hyemalis"
*Red-breasted Merganser (ᑲᔾᔨᖅᑑᖅ, Nujaralik (looks to have hair)) "Mergus serrator"

Loons - Gaviidae

*Arctic Loon (Black-throated Diver, ᑲᒡᓗᓕᒃ, Marliq, Kaglulik) "Gavia arctica"
*Red-throated Loon (Red-throated Diver, ᖃᖅᓴᐅᖅ, Qaqhauq, Qaqsauq) "Gavia stellata"
*Pacific Loon (Pacific Diver, ᖃᖅᓴᐅᑦ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖏᑦ) "Gavia pacifica"
*Common Loon (Great Northern Diver, ᑑᓪᓪᓕᒡᔪᐊᖅ, Tuulligjuak) "Gavia immer"
*Yellow-billed Loon (White-billed Diver, ᑑᓪᓪᓕᒡᔪᐊᖅ, Tuullik) "Gavia adamsii"

Tubenoses - Procellariidae

*Northern Fulmar (ᕐᑲᕐᑯᓪᓗᒃ, Qaqulluk) "Fulmarus glacialis"

Birds of prey - Accipitridae

*Rough-legged Hawk (Rough-legged Buzzard, ᑳᔫᖅ (ᖃᓄᐊᔪᐊᖅ), Qirliq) "Buteo lagopus"

Falcons – Falconidae

*Peregrine Falcon (ᑭᒡᒐᕕᐊᕐᔪᒃ, Kilgavik) "Falco peregrinus tundrius"
*Gyr Falcon (ᑭᒡᒐᕕᒃ, Kilgavikpak) "Falco rusticolus"

Grouse – Tetraonidae

*Ptarmigan (Qangqiiq) "Tetraonidae"
*Willow Ptarmigan (Willow Grouse, ᐊᕐᑭᒡᒋᕕᒃ, Aqiligiq uvvalu, Aqilgvik) "Lagopus lagopus"
*Rock Ptarmigan (Ptarmigan, ᐊᕐᑭᒡᒋᖅ ᐊᑕᔪᓕᒃ, Nikhaaktuq Aqiligvik, Aqilgiq) "Lagopus muta" or "mutus" (Official bird of Nunavut)

Cranes – Gruidae

*Sandhill Crane (ᑕᑎᒡᒐᕐᔪᐊᖅ, Tatilgaq) "Grus canadensis"

Plovers – Charadriidae

*Black-bellied Plover (Grey Plover, ᑑᓪᓕᒐᕐᔪᒃ, Quilliquliaq) "Pluvialis squatarola"
*American Golden Plover (American Golden Plover, ᖀᕐᓕᐊᔪᖅ (ᕐᑮᕐᓕᒃ), Tuulligaaq, Tuusiik) "Pluvialis dominica"
*Common Ringed Plover (Ringed Plover, ᖁᓪᓕᕐᑯᓕᐊᖅ (ᓕᕕᓪᓕᕕᓪᓛᖅ)) "Charadrius hiaticula"
*Semipalmated Plover (ᖁᓪᓕᖁᓕᐊᕐᔪᒃ) "Charadrius semipalmatus"

Typical waders – Scolopacidae

*Red-necked Phalarope (ᓴᐅᕐᕌᖅ) "Phalaropus lobatus"
*Red Phalarope (ᓴᐅᕐᕌᖅ, Haavraq) "Phalaropus fulicaria"
*Red Knot (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᖅ, Higjariaq) "Calidris canutus"
*Ruddy Turnstone (Turnstone, ᑐᕻᕕᑎᑎᖅᑭᐅᖅ) "Arenaria interpres"
*Sanderling (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᕐᔪᒃ) "Calidris alba"
*Sandpipers "Scolopacidae"
*Semipalmated Sandpiper (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᖅ, Higyariak) "Calidris pusilla"
*Least Sandpiper (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᖅ) "Calidris minutilla"
*White-rumped Sandpiper (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᕐᔪᒃ, Higjariaq) "Calidris fuscicollis"
*Baird's Sandpiper (ᑐᐃᑐᐃᖅ, Higyariak) "Calidris bairdii"
*Pectoral Sandpiper (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᖅ) "Calidris melanotos"
*Purple Sandpiper (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᕐᔪᒃ) "Calidris acuminata"
*Dunlin (ᑐᐊᒡᒐᔪᖅ) "Calidris alpina"
*Stilt Sandpiper (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᖅ, Higjariaq) "Calidris himantopus"
*Buff-breasted Sandpiper (ᓯᒃᔭᕆᐊᖅ) "Tryngites subruficollis"

Jaegers (Skuas, ᐃᓱᙵᖅ, Ihunngait, Ihunngaq, Isunngait) - Stercorariidae

*Pomarine Jaeger (Pomarine Skua, ᐃᓱᙵᕐᓗᒃ, Isunngarluk) "Stercorarius pomarinus"
*Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua, ᐃᓱᙵᖅ ᓂᐸᖏᐊᖅ, Isunngaq Nipangiaq) "Stercorarius parasiticus"
*Long-tailed Jaeger (Long-tailed Skua, ᐃᓱᙵᖅ, Isunngaq) "Stercorarius longicaudus"

Gulls (ᓇᐅᔭᖅ, Naujaq) – Laridae

*Herring Gull (ᓇᐅᔭ ᖃᒃᓯᒃ, Nauja Quksik) "Larus argentatus"
*Iceland Gull (ᓇᐅᔭᕕᒃ) "Larus glaucoides"
*Glaucous Gull (ᓇᐅᔭᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅ, ᕐᑲᐅᒪᐅᒃ, Naujaq, Naujavigjuaq) "Larus hyperboreus"
*Thayer's Gull (Kumlien's Gull, ᓇᐅᔭᕕᒃ, Iqalgagiaq) "Larus thayeri"
*Ross's Gull (ᓇᐅᔭ) "Rhodostethia rosea"
*Ivory Gull (ᓇᐅᔭᕚᖅ, Naujavaaq) "Pagophila eburnea"
*Black-legged Kittiwake (ᑎᕋᑎᕌᖅ, Tiratira) "Rissa tridactyla"
*Sabine's Gull (ᐃᕐᑭᒡᒐᒋᐊᕐᔪᒃ, Iqalgagiaq, Iqilgagiqq, Iqqiggagiarjuk) "Xema sabini"

Terns – Sternidae

*Arctic Tern (ᐃᒥᖅᑯᑕᐃᓚᖅ, Imitqutailaq, Imiqqutailaq) "Sterna paradisaea"

Auks (Tuulligjuak) - Alcidae

*Atlantic Puffin (ᓯᒡᒍᑲᓪᓚᓖᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᐊᑦ) "Fratercula arctica"
*Black Guillemot (ᐱᑦᑎᐅᓛᖅ (ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛᖅ), Pittiulaaq) "Cepphus grylle"
*Dovekie (Little Auk, ᐊᒃᐸᓕᐊᕐᔪᒃ (ᐊᑉᐸᓕᐊᕐᔪᒃ), Akpaliarjuk) "Alle alle"
*Razorbill (ᐊᑉᐸᐃᑦ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖏᑦ) "Alca torda"
*Thick-billed Murre (Brünnich's Guillemot, ᐊᑉᐸ, Atpa, Akpa) "Uria lomvia"

Owls – Strigidae

*Snowy Owl (ᐅᒃᐱᒡᔪᐊᖅ, Ukpik, Upik, Ookpik) "Bubo scandiacus" sometimes still listed as "Nyctea scandiaca"

Larks – Alaudidae

*Horned Lark (Shore Lark, ᖃᐅᕈᓪᓕᒐᖅ, Qupanuaqpaarjuk) "Eremophila alpestris"

Pipits – Motacillidae

*American Pipit (Buff-bellied Pipit, ᖃᐃᕐᖔᖅ, Qupanuaq) "Anthus rubescens"

Wheatears – Muscicapidae

*Northern Wheatear (ᖁᐸᓄᐊᖅ) "Oenanthe oenanthe"

Crows – Corvidae

*Common Raven (ᑐᓗᒐᖅ, Tulugak, Tulugaq) "Corvus corax"

Finches – Fringillidae

*Common Redpoll (ᓴᒃᓴᒋᐊᖅ, Hakhagiaq) "Carduelis flammea"
*Hoary Redpoll (ᓴᒃᓴᒋᐊᖅ, Hakhagiaq) "Carduelis hornemanni"

Buntings and American sparrows- Emberizidae

*Lapland Longspur (Lapland Bunting, ᕿᕐᓂᖅᑖᖅ, Qupanuaq, Nahaullik) "Calcarius lapponicus"
*Snow Bunting (ᖃᐅᓪᓗᖅᑖᖅ, Amauliqaq, Amaulikkaaq, Amauligijuaq (looks like it has a hood from a woman's parka)) "Plectrophenax nivalis"
*Savannah Sparrow (ᖁᐸᓄᐊᖅ, ) "Passerculus sandwichensis"
*White-crowned Sparrow (ᖁᐸᓄᐊᖅ, ) "Zonotrichia leucophrys"
*Harris's Sparrow (ᖁᐸᓄᐊᖅ, ) "Zonotrichia querula"

ee also

*List of land mammals of Nunavut

Citations

Further reading

*Birds of Nunavut - Introduction by J.S. Wendt, bird descriptions by M. Wyndham (Canadian Wildlife Service) and traditional knowledge by Eva Arreak, published by the Baffin Divisional Board of Education. ISBN 1-55036-544-4 (This is not the same book as "Birds of Nunavut v3.5" by Peter W. Thayer ISBN 1-887148-78-7)
*G. Ohokak, M. Kadlun & B. Harnum "Inuinnaqtun-English Dictionary" published by the [http://www.kitikmeotheritage.ca/products.htm Kitikmeot Heritage Society] and based upon "Kangiryuarniut Uqauhingita Numiktittidjutingit" by R. Lowe
* [http://www.livingdictionary.com/ Asuilaak Living Dictionary]

External links

* [http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/plc/wildtimes/spring96/p5spring96.htm Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, NT]