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The migratory bird conventions with Canada and Mexico define "game birds" as those species belonging to the following families: Anatidae (swans, geese, and ducks), Rallidae (rails, gallinules, and coots), Gruidae (cranes), Charadriidae (plovers and lapwings), Haematopodidae (oystercatchers), Recurvirostridae (stilts and avocets), Scolopacidae (sandpipers, phalaropes, and allies), and Columbidae (pigeons and doves).
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which implements the conventions, grants the Secretary of the Interior the authority to establish hunting seasons for any of the migratory game bird species listed below. In actuality, the Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that hunting is appropriate only for those species for which there is a long tradition of hunting, and for which hunting is consistent with their population status and their long-term conservation. It is inconceivable, for example, that we will ever see legalized hunting of plovers, curlews, or the many other species of shorebirds whose populations were devastated by market gunners in the last decades of the 19th century.
Although the Migratory Bird Treaty Act considers some 170 species to be "game birds," less than 60 species are typically hunted each year. The Fish and Wildlife Service publishes migratory game bird regulations in the Federal Register. Those species for which hunting regulations have been established at some point during the past 10 years are designated with an asterisk (*) in the following list. However, such a designation does not necessarily indicate that a given species can be taken legally in your State or locality. For regulations specific to your locality, you should consult with your State's natural resource agency.
Source: The list of hunted species was taken primarily from Appendix 2 of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Issuance of Annual Regulations Permitting the Sport Hunting of Migratory Birds (SEIS 88), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Avocet, American, Recurvirostra americana Brant, Branta bernicla* Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola* Canvasback, Aythya valisneria* Coot, American, Fulica americana* Caribbean, Fulica caribaea Eurasian, Fulica atra Hawaiian (=American), Fulica alai (=americana) Crake, Corn, Crex crex Yellow-breasted, Porzana flaviventer Crane, Common, Grus grus Sandhill, Grus canadensis* Whooping, Grus americana Curlew, Bristle-thighed, Numenius tahitiensis Eskimo, Numenius borealis Far Eastern, Numenius madagascariensis Least (see Curlew, Little) Little (=Least), Numenius minutus Long-billed, Numenius americanus Dotterel, Eurasian, Charadrius morinellus Dove, Inca, Columbina inca Mourning, Zenaida macroura* White-tipped, Leptotila verreauxi* White-winged, Zenaida asiatica* Zenaida, Zenaida aurita* Dowitcher, Long-billed, Limnodromus scolopaceus Short-billed, Limnodromus griseus Duck, American Black, Anas rubripes* Harlequin, Histrionicus histrionicus* Hawaiian, Anas wyvilliana Laysan, Anas laysanensis Masked, Oxyura dominica Mottled, Anas fulvigula* Ring-necked, Aythya collaris* Ruddy, Oxyura jamaicensis* Tufted, Aythya fuligula Wood, Aix sponsa* Dunlin, Calidris alpina
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Eider, Common, Somateria mollissima*
King, Somateria spectabilis*
Spectacled, Somateria fischeri*
Steller's, Polysticta stelleri*
Gadwall, Anas strepera*
Gallinule, Purple, Porphyrula martinica*
Garganey, Anas querquedula
Godwit, Bar-tailed, Limosa lapponica
Black-tailed, Limosa limosa
Hudsonian, Limosa haemastica
Marbled, Limosa fedoa
Golden-Plover, American (=Lesser), Pluvialis dominicus(=dominica)
Lesser (see Golden-Plover, American; and Golden-Plover, Pacific)
Pacific (=Lesser), Pluvialis fulva (=dominica)
Goldeneye, Barrow's, Bucephala islandica*
Common, Bucephala clangula*
Goose, Barnacle, Branta leucopsis
Bean, Anser fabalis
Canada, Branta canadensis*
Emperor, Chen canagica*
Greater White-fronted, Anser albifrons*
Hawaiian, Branta (=Nesochen) sandvicensis
Ross', Chen rossii*
Snow, Chen caerulescens*
Greenshank, Common Tringa nebularia
Ground-Dove, Common, Zenaida passerina
Ruddy, Zenaida talpacoti
Knot, Great, Calidris tenuirostris
Red, Calidris canutus
Lapwing, Northern, Vanellus vanellus
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos*
Merganser, Common, Mergus merganser*
Hooded, Lophodytes cucullatus*
Red-breasted, Mergus serrator*
Moorhen, Common, Gallinula chloropus*
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Oldsquaw, Clangula hyemalis* Oystercatcher, American, Haematopus palliatus Black, Haematopus bachmani Phalarope, Red, Phalaropus fulicaria Red-necked, Phalaropus lobatus Wilson's, Phalaropus tricolor Pigeon, Band-tailed, Columba fasciata* Plain, Columba inornata Red-billed, Columba flavirostris Scaly-naped, Columba squamosa* White-crowned, Columba leucocephala* Pintail, Northern, Anas acuta* White-cheeked, Anas bahamensis Plover, Black-bellied, Pluvialis squatarola Common Ringed, Charadrius hiaticula Great Sand, Charadrius leschensultii Little Ringed, Charadrius dubius Mongolian, Charadrius mongolus Mountain, Charadrius montanus Piping, Charadrius melodus Semipalmated, Charadrius semipalmatus Snowy, Charadrius alexandrinus Wilson's, Charadrius wilsonia Pochard, Baer's, Aythya baeri Common, Aythya ferina Quail-Dove, Bridled, Geotrygon mystacea Key West, Geotrygon chrysia Ruddy, Geotrygon montana Rail, Black, Laterallus jamaicensis Clapper, Rallus longirostris* King, Rallus elegans* Virginia, Rallus limicola* Yellow, Coturnicops noveboracensis Redhead, Aythya americana* Redshank, Spotted, Tringa erythropus Ruff, Philomachus pugnax
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Sanderling, Calidris alba Sandpiper, Baird's, Calidris bairdii Broad-billed, Limicola falcinellus Buff-breasted, Tryngites subruficollis Common, Actitis hypoleucos Curlew, Calidris ferruginea Least, Calidris minutilla Marsh, Trings stagnatilis Pectoral, Calidris melanotos Purple, Calidris maritima Rock, Calidris ptilocnemis Semipalmated, Calidris pusilla Sharp-tailed, Calidris acuminata Solitary, Tringa solitaria Spoonbill, Eurynorhynchus pygmeus Spotted, Actitis macularia Stilt, Calidris himantopus Terek, Xenus cinereus Upland, Bartramia longicauda Western, Calidris mauri White-rumped, Calidris fuscicollis Wood, Tringa glareola Scaup, Greater, Aythya marila* Lesser, Aythya affinis* Scoter, Black, Melanitta nigra* Surf, Melanitta perspicillata* White-winged, Melanitta fusca* Shoveler, Northern, Anas clypeata* Smew, Mergellus albellus Snipe, Common, Gallinago gallinago* Jack, Lymnocryptes minimus Pin-tailed, Gallinago stenura Swinhoe's, Gallinago megala Sora, Porzana carolina* Stilt, Black-necked, Himantopus mexicanus Stint, Little, Calidris minuta Long-toed, Calidris subminuta Red-necked (=Rufous-necked), Calidris ruficollis Temminck's, Calidris temminckii Surfbird, Aphriza, virgata Swan, Trumpeter, Cygnus buccinator* Tundra, Cygnus columbianus* Whooper, Cygnus cygnus Tattler, Gray-tailed, Heteroscelus brevipes Wandering, Heteroscelus incanus Teal, Baikal, Anas formosa Blue-winged, Anas discors* Cinnamon, Anas cyanoptera* Falcated, Anas falcata Green-winged, Anas crecca* Turnstone, Black, Arenaria melanocephala Ruddy, Arenaria interpres Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Whistling-Duck, Black-bellied, Dendrocygna autumnalis* Fulvous, Dendrocygna bicolor* West Indian, Dendrocygna arborea Wigeon, American, Anas americana* Eurasian, Anas penelope Willet, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus Woodcock, American, Scolopax minor* Eurasian, Scolopax rusticola Yellowlegs, Greater, Tringa melanoleuca Lesser, Tringa flavipes
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Family ANATIDAE (Swans, Geese, and Ducks) Dendrocygna bicolor, Fulvous Whistling-Duck* autumnalis, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck* arborea, West Indian Whistling-Duck Cygnus columbianus, Tundra Swan* cygnus, Whooper Swan buccinator, Trumpeter Swan* Anser fabalis, Bean Goose albifrons, Greater White-fronted Goose* Chen caerulescens, Snow Goose* rossii, Ross' Goose* canagica, Emperor Goose* Branta bernicla, Brant* leucopsis, Barnacle Goose canadensis, Canada Goose* (=Nesochen) sandvicensis, Hawaiian Goose Aix sponsa, Wood Duck* Anas crecca, Green-winged Teal* formosa, Baikal Teal falcata, Falcated Teal rubripes, American Black Duck* fulvigula, Mottled Duck* platyrhynchos, Mallard* wyvilliana, Hawaiian Duck laysanensis, Laysan Duck bahamensis, White-cheeked Pintail acuta, Northern Pintail* querquedula, Garganey discors, Blue-winged Teal* cyanoptera, Cinnamon Teal* clypeata, Northern Shoveler* strepera, Gadwall* penelope, Eurasian Wigeon americana, American Wigeon* Aythya ferina, Common Pochard valisneria, Canvasback* americana, Redhead* baeri, Baer's Pochard collaris, Ring-necked Duck* fuligula, Tufted Duck marila, Greater Scaup* affinis, Lesser Scaup* Somateria mollissima, Common Eider* spectabilis, King Eider* fischeri, Spectacled Eider* Polysticta stelleri, Steller's Eider* Histrionicus histrionicus, Harlequin Duck* Clangula hyemalis, Oldsquaw* Melanitta nigra, Black Scoter* perspicillata, Surf Scoter* fusca, White-winged Scoter* Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye* islandica, Barrow's Goldeneye* albeola, Bufflehead* Mergellus albellus, Smew Lophodytes cucullatus, Hooded Merganser* Mergus merganser, Common Merganser* serrator, Red-breasted Merganser* Oxyura jamaicensis, Ruddy Duck* dominica, Masked Duck
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Family RALLIDAE (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
Coturnicops noveboracensis, Yellow Rail
Laterallus jamaicensis, Black Rail
Crex crex, Corn Crake
Rallus longirostris, Clapper Rail*
elegans, King Rail*
limicola, Virginia Rail*
Porzana carolina, Sora*
flaviventer, Yellow-breasted Crake
Porphyrula martinica, Purple Gallinule*
Gallinula chloropus, Common Moorhen*
Fulica atra, Eurasian Coot
alai (=americana), Hawaiian (=American) Coot
americana, American Coot*
caribaea, Caribean Coot
Family GRUIDAE (Cranes)
Grus canadensis, Sandhill Crane*
grus, Common Crane
americana, Whooping Crane
Family CHARADRIIDAE (Plovers and Lapwings)
Vanellus vanellus, Northern Lapwing
Pluvialis squatarola, Black-bellied Plover
dominicus (=dominica), American (=Lesser) Golden-Plover
fulva (=dominica), Pacific (=Lesser) Golden-Plover
Charadrius mongolus, Mongolian Plover
leschensultii, Great Sand Plover
alexandrinus, Snowy Plover
wilsonia, Wilson's Plover
hiaticula, Common Ringed Plover
semipalmatus, Semipalmated Plover
melodus, Piping Plover
dubius, Little Ringed Plover
vociferus, Killdeer
montanus, Mountain Plover
morinellus, Eurasian Dotterel
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Family HAEMATOPODIDAE (Oystercatchers)
Haematopus palliatus, American Oystercatcher
bachmani, Black Oystercatcher
Family RECURVIROSTRIDAE (Stilts and Avocets)
Himantopus mexicanus, Black-necked Stilt
Recurvirostra americana, American Avocet
Family SCOLOPACIDAE (Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies)
Tringa nebularia, Common Greenshank
melanoleuca, Greater Yellowlegs
flavipes, Lesser Yellowlegs
stagnatilis, Marsh Sandpiper
erythropus, Spotted Redshank
glareola, Wood Sandpiper
solitaria, Solitary Sandpiper
Catoptrophorus semipalmatus, Willet
Heteroscelus incanus, Wandering Tattler
brevipes, Gray-tailed Tattler
Actitis hypoleucos, Common Sandpiper
macularia, Spotted Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus, Terek Sandpiper
Bartramia longicauda, Upland Sandpiper
Numenius minutus, Little (=Least) Curlew
borealis, Eskimo Curlew
phaeopus, Whimbrel
tahitiensis, Bristle-thighed Curlew
madagascariensis, Far Eastern Curlew
americanus, Long-billed Curlew
Limosa limosa, Black-tailed Godwit
haemastica, Hudsonian Godwit
lapponica, Bar-tailed Godwit
fedoa, Marbled Godwit
Arenaria interpres, Ruddy Turnstone
melanocephala, Black Turnstone
Aphriza virgata, Surfbird
Calidris tenuirostris, Great Knot
canutus, Red Knot
alba, Sanderling
pusilla, Semipalmated Sandpiper
mauri, Western Sandpiper
ruficollis, Red-necked (=Rufous-necked) Stint
minuta, Little Stint
temminckii, Temminck's Stint
subminuta, Long-toed Stint
minutilla, Least Sandpiper
fuscicollis, White-rumped Sandpiper
bairdii, Baird's Sandpiper
melanotos, Pectoral Sandpiper
acuminata, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
maritima, Purple Sandpiper
ptilocnemis, Rock Sandpiper
alpina, Dunlin
ferruginea, Curlew Sandpiper
himantopus, Stilt Sandpiper
Eurynorhynchus pygmeus, Spoonbill Sandpiper
Limicola falcinellus, Broad-billed Sandpiper
Tryngites subruficollis, Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Philomachus pugnax, Ruff
Limnodromus griseus, Short-billed Dowitcher
scolopaceus, Long-billed Dowitcher
Lymnocryptes minimus, Jack Snipe
Gallinago gallinago, Common Snipe*
stenura, Pin-tailed Snipe
megala, Swinhoe's Snipe
Scolopax rusticola, Eurasian Woodcock
minor, American Woodcock*
Phalaropus tricolor, Wilson's Phalarope
lobatus, Red-necked Phalarope
fulicaria, Red Phalarope
Family COLUMBIDAE (Pigeons and Doves)
Columba squamosa, Scaly-naped Pigeon*
leucocephala, White-crowned Pigeon*
flavirostris, Red-billed Pigeon
inornata, Plain Pigeon
fasciata, Band-tailed Pigeon*
Zenaida asiatica, White-winged Dove*
aurita, Zenaida Dove*
macroura, Mourning Dove*
Columbina inca, Inca Dove
passerina, Common Ground-Dove
talpacoti, Ruddy Ground-Dove
Leptotila verreauxi, White-tipped Dove*
Geotrygon chrysia, Key West Quail-Dove
mystacea, Bridled Quail-Dove
montana, Ruddy Quail-Dove
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