Where can I find a list of all the birds in the world?

Many a birder has encountered the question of what’s the “correct” common name for a species. Is it “Canadian Goose” or “Canada Goose”? “Bald Eagle” or “American Bald Eagle”? “Marsh Hawk” or “Northern Harrier”?

Clements Checklist of Birds of the World is an excellent place to find a list of the world’s birds and their official names. Every year the list is updated.

Also check out eBird, where you can find lists of the world’s birds, and keep your own life list. eBird is a free online resource that keeps track of your bird sightings, and also makes your data about species, places, and numbers of birds available to scientists and birders all over the world.

According to these lists, the accepted names for the above species are “Canada Goose,” “Bald Eagle,” and “Northern Harrier.” If your particular Canada Goose actually lives in Canada, you can certainly call it a Canadian Canada Goose, or a Canadian goose. But that refers to its citizenship, not its species.