List of birds of Wales
Encyclopedia
This list of birds of Wales includes every species
of bird
that has been recorded in a wild state in Wales
. Compared to the avifauna of Britain
as a whole, Wales has fewer breeding species but these include a number of moorland
species such as Red Grouse
and Black Grouse
, large numbers of seabird
s (particularly on offshore islands such as Skomer
, Grassholm
and Bardsey
) and good populations of several species typical of Welsh Oak woods including Redstart
, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler
. Among the birds of prey
is the Red Kite
which had become extinct in other parts of Britain until being reintroduced
recently. In winter many wildfowl and wader
s are found around the coast, attracted by the mild temperatures. In spring and autumn a variety of migrant
and vagrant birds can be seen, particularly on headlands and islands.
The list is based on Birds in Wales (Lovegrove et al. 1994), Birds in Wales 1992-2000 (Green 2002) and the list of the Welsh Ornithological Society
(Prater & Thorpe 2006) with updates from the Welsh Records Panel's annual reports. The taxonomy
and scientific names follow the official list of the British Ornithologists' Union
(BOU). The English names are the vernacular names used in the 7th edition of the BOU list with the standardized names from that list given in brackets where they differ. The family introductions are based on The New Encyclopedia of Birds (Perrins 2004) except where otherwise stated. The number of species in each family is approximate due to differing opinions on classification; the numbers given in the list are based on The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World
(Clements 2007).
Certain categories of birds are noted with the following tags:
The total number of species on the list is 435 including 133 British rarities, 65 Welsh rarities and 10 introduced species. About 150 species breed annually.
Duck
Order: Anseriformes
. Family: Anatidae
The swans, ducks and geese are medium to large birds that are modified for an aquatic existence with webbed feet and bills
which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent. In many ducks the male is colourful while the female is dull brown. The diet consists of a variety of animals and plants. The family is well-represented in Wales, especially in winter when large numbers visit from Greenland
, Scandinavia
and Russia
. There are about 160 species worldwide, 53 in Britain and 47 in Wales.
Grouse
Order: Galliformes
. Family: Tetraonidae
Grouse are sturdy, medium-sized terrestrial birds of the Northern Hemisphere
. They have feathered feet and nostrils and short, rounded wings. They feed mainly on plant material and lay their eggs
in a simple scrape on the ground. They are gamebirds and large numbers were shot in the past in moorland
areas. There are about 19 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Pheasant
Order: Galliformes
. Family: Phasianidae
These are terrestrial species, feeding and nesting on the ground. They are variable in size but generally plump, with broad and relatively short wings. There are about 155 species worldwide with 6 in Britain and Wales. 4 of these were introduced for hunting
or ornamental purposes but 2 have now apparently died out.
Divers
Order: Gaviiformes
. Family: Gaviidae
Divers are aquatic birds the size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. They swim well, and fly adequately but, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body, are almost hopeless on land. They feed on fish
and other aquatic animals. There are 5 species worldwide with 4 in Britain and Wales. They are all non-breeding visitors in Wales.
Grebe
Order: Podicipediformes. Family: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large diving birds with lobed toes and pointed bills. They are seen mainly on lowland waterbodies and coasts. They feed on aquatic animals and nest
on a floating platform of vegetation. There are about 19 species worldwide with 6 in Britain and Wales.
Albatross
Order: Procellariiformes
. Family: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest flying birds with long, narrow wings for gliding. The majority are found in the Southern Hemisphere
with only vagrants occurring in the North Atlantic. There are at least 13 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Petrel
Order: Procellariiformes
. Family: Procellariidae
These are highly pelagic birds with long, narrow wings and tube-shaped nostrils. They feed at sea on fish, squid
and other marine life. They come to land to breed in colonies, nesting in burrows or on cliffs. There are about 77 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 7 in Wales.
Storm-petrel
Order: Procellariiformes
. Family: Hydrobatidae
The storm-petrels are the smallest of seabird
s, feeding on plankton
and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. They nest in colonies on the ground, most often in burrows. There are about 20 species worldwide, 6 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Gannet
Order: Pelecaniformes
. Family: Pelecanidae
Gannets are large seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and nest in large colonies. They have a torpedo-shaped body, long, narrow, pointed wings and a fairly long tail. There are about 10 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Cormorant
Order: Pelecaniformes
. Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium to large aquatic birds with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked for catching fish and aquatic invertebrates. They nest in colonies, usually by the sea. There are about 39 species worldwide, 3 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Heron
Order: Ciconiiformes
. Family: Ardeidae
Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive. They all fly with their necks retracted. The sharp bill is used to catch fish, amphibian
s and other animals. Many species nest in colonies, often in trees. There are about 63 species worldwide, 12 in Britain and 11 in Wales.
Stork
Order: Ciconiiformes
. Family: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They fly with the neck extended. There are about 19 species worldwide with 2 occurring as vagrants in Britain and Wales.
Ibis
Order: Ciconiiformes
. Family: Threskiornithidae
A family of long-legged, long-necked wading birds. Ibises have long, curved bills. Spoonbils have a flattened bill, wider at the tip. There are about 33 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Hawk
Order: Accipitriformes
. Family: Accipitridae
A family of birds of prey which includes hawks, buzzards, eagles, kites and harriers. These birds have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight. There are about 240 species worldwide, 16 in Britain and 12 in Wales.
Osprey
Order: Accipitriformes
. Family: Pandionidae
A large fish-eating bird of prey belonging to a family of its own. It is mainly brown above and white below with long, angled wings. It is mainly a passage migrant in Wales but has recently begun to breed.
Falcon
Order: Falconiformes
. Family: Falconidae
A family of small to medium-sized, diurnal birds of prey with pointed wings. They do not build their own nests and mainly catch prey in the air. There are about 64 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Rails
Order: Gruiformes
. Family: Rallidae
These birds mainly occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, marshes, or rivers. Many are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. There are about 135 species worldwide, 11 in Britain and 8 in Wales.
Cranes
Order: Gruiformes
. Family: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". There are about 15 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Bustard
Order: Gruiformes
. Family: Otididae
Large, sturdy birds of open plains with long legs and necks and strong feet. There are about 26 species worldwide, 3 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Oystercatcher
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large, obvious and noisy wading birds with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. There are about 11 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Avocet
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Recurvirostridae
A family of fairly large wading birds. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are about 10 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Stone-curlew
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Burhinidae
A small family of medium to large waders with strong black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. There are 9 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Pratincole
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Glareolidae
A family of slender, long-winged wading birds. There are 17 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Plover
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Charadriidae
Small to medium-sized wading birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. There are about 66 species worldwide, 16 in Britain and 12 in Wales.
Sandpipers, snipe
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Scolopacidae
A large, diverse family of wading birds. Different lengths of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are about 89 species worldwide, 53 in Britain and 44 in Wales.
Skua
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Stercorariidae
Medium to large seabirds with mainly grey or brown plumage, sharp claws and a hooked tip to the bill. They chase other seabirds to force them to drop their catches. There are about 7 species worldwide with 4 in Britain and Wales.
Gull
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Laridae
Medium to large seabirds with grey, white and black plumage, webbed feet and strong bills. Many are opportunistic and adaptable feeders. There are about 56 species worldwide, 23 in Britain and 18 in Wales.
Tern
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Sternidae
Terns are slender seabirds with long, pointed wings, a pointed bill and a tail which is usually forked. There are about 44 species worldwide, 16 in Britain and 15 in Wales.
Auk
Order: Charadriiformes
. Family: Alcidae
A family of seabirds which are superficially similar to penguins with their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits but which are able to fly . There are about 23 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Sandgrouse
Order: Pteroclidiformes. Family: Pteroclididae
Sturdy, medium-sized birds with a small head and long, pointed wings. There are 16 species worldwide. 1 has occurred as a vagrant in Britain and Wales.
Pigeons and dove
Order: Columbiformes
. Family: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere
. There are about 308 species worldwide, 7 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Parrot
Order: Psittaciformes. Family: Psittacidae
Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape. They are found mainly in areas with warm climates. There are about 347 species worldwide with 1 introduced species in Britain and Wales.
Cuckoo
Order: Cuculiformes
. Family: Cuculidae
Birds of variable size with slender bodies and long tails. Some species are known for laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. There are about 141 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Barn owl
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Tytonidae
Barn owls are medium-sized to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are about 16 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Typical owl
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Strigidae
Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disc. There are about 199 species worldwide, 8 in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Nightjar
Order: Caprimulgiformes
. Family: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. There are about 91 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Swift
Order: Apodiformes
. Family: Apodidae
The swifts are small aerial birds, spending the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. There are about 100 species worldwide, 7 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Kingfisher
Order: Coraciiformes
. Family: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are about 93 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Bee-eater
Order: Coraciiformes
. Family: Meropidae
A group of near-passerine birds characterised by richly-coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail-feathers. There are about 26 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Roller
Order: Coraciiformes
. Family: Coraciidae
A small family of colourful, medium-sized birds with a crow-like shape that feed mainly on insects. There are about 12 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Hoopoe
Order: Coraciiformes
. Family: Upupidae
A distinctive bird in its own family with a long curved bill, a crest and black-and-white striped wings and tail.
Woodpecker
Order: Piciformes
. Family: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are about 219 species worldwide, 5 in Britain and 4 in Wales.
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. There are about 96 species worldwide, 10 in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Swallow
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Hirundinidae
A group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. There are about 83 species worldwide, 8 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Wagtail
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Motacillidae
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They are slender, ground-feeding insectivores of open country. There are about 66 species worldwide, 15 in Britain and 13 in Wales.
Waxwing
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of passerine birds characterised by soft, silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. There are 3 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Dipper
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Cinclidae
Dark, dumpy, aquatic birds that are able to forage for food on the beds of rivers. There are 5 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Wren
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Troglodytidae
Wrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. There are about 80 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Mockingbird
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Mimidae
Medium-sized passerine birds with long tails. Some are notable for their ability to mimic sounds such as other birds' songs. There are about 35 species worldwide. 3 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Accentor
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Prunellidae
A small family of drab, unobtrusive, insectivorous birds with thin, pointed bills. There are 13 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Thrush
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Turdidae
The thrushes and chats are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. There are about 331 species worldwide including the chats, 42 in Britain and 29 in Wales.
Old World warbler
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sylviidae
A group of small, insectivorous passerine birds. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are about 408 species worldwide, 49 in Britain and 37 in Wales.
Old World flycatcher
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Muscicapidae
The flycatchers are small birds that fly out from a perch to catch insects in the air. There are about 120 species worldwide, 5 in Britain and 4 in Wales.
Babbler
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Timaliidae
Babblers are a large and varied group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. There are about 294 species worldwide including the parrotbills with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Long-tailed tits
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Aegithalidae
Small, long-tailed birds that typically live in flocks for much of the year. There are 8 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Tits are mainly small, stocky, woodland species with short stout bills. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. There are about 59 species worldwide, 6 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Nuthatch
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds with the unusual ability to climb down trees head-first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. There are about 24 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin, pointed, down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. There are 7 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Penduline tit
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Remizidae
Small birds with finely-pointed bills that build purse-like nests hanging from a branch. There are about 13 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Oriole
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Oriolidae
Orioles are colourful, medium-sized passerine birds with far-carrying, fluting songs. There are about 30 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Shrike
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are about 30 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Crow
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Corvidae
The crows and their relatives are fairly large birds with strong bills and are usually intelligent and adaptable. There are about 119 species worldwide with 9 in Britain and Wales.
Starling
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct and most are very gregarious.There are about 114 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Sparrow
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Passeridae
Sparrows tend to be small, plump, brownish or greyish birds with short tails and short, powerful beaks. They are seed-eaters and they also consume small insects. There are about 38 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Vireo
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Vireonidae
The vireos are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. There are about 52 species worldwide. 3 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Finch
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Fringillidae
Seed-eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. There are about 176 species worldwide, 21 in Britain and 16 in Wales.
New World warbler
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Panuridae
A group of small, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal and insectivorous. There are about 118 species worldwide. 18 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Tanager
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Thraupidae
The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. There are about 226 species worldwide. 2 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Bunting
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Emberizidae
The Emberizidae are a large family of seed-eating passerine birds with a distinctively-shaped bill. There are about 372 species worldwide, 27 in Britain and 18 in Wales.
New World oriole
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Icteridae
A group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. There are about 101 species worldwide. 3 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
that has been recorded in a wild state in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Compared to the avifauna of Britain
British avifauna
The British avifauna consists of the birds which have occurred in Great Britain. This article is a general discussion of the topic. A full species list can be found at List of birds of Great Britain....
as a whole, Wales has fewer breeding species but these include a number of moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
species such as Red Grouse
Red grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus...
and Black Grouse
Black Grouse
The Black Grouse or Blackgame is a large bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia in moorland and bog areas near to woodland, mostly boreal...
, large numbers of seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s (particularly on offshore islands such as Skomer
Skomer
Skomer is a 2.92 km² island off the coast of southwest Wales, one of a chain lying within a kilometre off the Pembrokeshire coast and separated from the mainland by the treacherous waters of Jack Sound....
, Grassholm
Grassholm
Grassholm is a small uninhabited island situated off the southwestern Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, lying west of Skomer. It is the westernmost point in Wales and is known for its huge colony of gannets...
and Bardsey
Bardsey Island
Bardsey Island , the legendary "Island of 20,000 saints", lies off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", although its English name refers to the "Island of the Bards", or possibly the island of the Viking chieftan, "Barda". It is ...
) and good populations of several species typical of Welsh Oak woods including Redstart
Common Redstart
The Common Redstart , or often simply Redstart, is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus...
, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler
Wood Warbler
The Wood Warbler is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains...
. Among the birds of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
is the Red Kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
which had become extinct in other parts of Britain until being reintroduced
Reintroduction
Reintroduction is the deliberate release of a species into the wild in zones formerly inhabited by said species but where it has disappeared from for a number of reasons, from captivity or relocated from other areas where the species still survives in...
recently. In winter many wildfowl and wader
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
s are found around the coast, attracted by the mild temperatures. In spring and autumn a variety of migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
and vagrant birds can be seen, particularly on headlands and islands.
The list is based on Birds in Wales (Lovegrove et al. 1994), Birds in Wales 1992-2000 (Green 2002) and the list of the Welsh Ornithological Society
Welsh Ornithological Society
The Welsh Ornithological Society is an organisation which promotes the study and conservation of birds in Wales. Each year it organises a conference and publishes two issues of the journal Welsh Birds, one of which contains the Welsh Bird Report. It was founded on 26 March 1988 at a conference in...
(Prater & Thorpe 2006) with updates from the Welsh Records Panel's annual reports. The taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
and scientific names follow the official list of the British Ornithologists' Union
British Ornithologists' Union
The British Ornithologists' Union aims to encourage the study of birds in Britain, Europe and elsewhere, in order to understand their biology and to aid their conservation....
(BOU). The English names are the vernacular names used in the 7th edition of the BOU list with the standardized names from that list given in brackets where they differ. The family introductions are based on The New Encyclopedia of Birds (Perrins 2004) except where otherwise stated. The number of species in each family is approximate due to differing opinions on classification; the numbers given in the list are based on The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world.It is currently in its sixth edition , and is being published by Cornell University Press. Previous editions were published by the author's own imprint, Ibis Publishing. An...
(Clements 2007).
Certain categories of birds are noted with the following tags:
- BR - British Rarity. A species which occurs only as a rare visitor to Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
with fewer than 100 records in the last 10 years or less than 200 records ever. Records of these species are adjudicated by the British Birds Rarities CommitteeBritish Birds Rarities CommitteeThe British Birds Rarities Committee , established in 1959, is the national bird rarities committee for Britain. It assesses claimed sightings of bird species that are rarely seen in Britain, based on descriptions, photographs and video recordings submitted by observers...
(BBRC). - WR - Welsh Rarity. A species which occurs, on average, 5 times or less each year in Wales and is not considered by the BBRC. Records of these species are adjudicated by the Welsh Records Panel of the Welsh Ornithological Society.
- I - IntroducedIntroduced speciesAn introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. A non-native species whose presence in Wales is a result of accidental or deliberate release of birds into the wild by humans. They have either formed an established, self-sustaining breeding population in the country or have wandered from established populations in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The total number of species on the list is 435 including 133 British rarities, 65 Welsh rarities and 10 introduced species. About 150 species breed annually.
Table of contents |
---|
Non-passerines: Ducks, geese, and swans • Grouse • Pheasants and partridges • Divers • Grebes • Albatrosses • Petrels and shearwaters • Storm petrels • Gannets • Cormorants • Herons and bitterns • Storks • Ibises and spoonbills • Hawks and eagles • Osprey • Falcons • Rails • Cranes • Bustards • Oystercatchers • Avocets and stilts • Stone-curlews • Pratincoles and coursers • Plovers • Sandpipers, snipe and phalaropes • Skuas • Gulls • Terns • Auks • Sandgrouse • Pigeons and doves • Parrots • Cuckoos • Barn owls • Typical owls • Nightjars • Swifts • Kingfishers • Bee-eaters • Rollers • Hoopoe • Woodpeckers |
Passerines: Larks • Swallows and martins • Wagtails and pipits • Waxwings • Dippers • Wrens • Mockingbirds • Accentors • Thrushes and chats • Old World warblers • Old World flycatchers • Babblers • Long-tailed tits • Tits • Nuthatches • Treecreepers • Penduline tits • Orioles • Shrikes • Crows • Starlings • Sparrows • Vireos • Finches • New World warblers • Tanagers • Buntings and New world sparrows • New World orioles and New World blackbirds • |
See also Footnotes References |
DuckDuckDuck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, geeseGooseThe word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
, and swanSwanSwans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s
Order: AnseriformesAnseriformes
The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...
. Family: Anatidae
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
The swans, ducks and geese are medium to large birds that are modified for an aquatic existence with webbed feet and bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent. In many ducks the male is colourful while the female is dull brown. The diet consists of a variety of animals and plants. The family is well-represented in Wales, especially in winter when large numbers visit from Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. There are about 160 species worldwide, 53 in Britain and 47 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Mute Swan Mute Swan The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less... |
Cygnus olor | |
Bewick's Swan Bewick's Swan The Tundra Swan is a small Holarctic swan. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species, Cygnus bewickii of the Palaearctic and the Whistling Swan, C. columbianus proper, of the Nearctic... |
Cygnus columbianus | |
Whooper Swan Whooper Swan The Whooper Swan , Cygnus cygnus, is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American Trumpeter Swan. An old name for the Whooper Swan is Elk; it is so called in Francis Willughby and John Ray's Ornithology of 1676.-Description:The Whooper Swan is similar in... |
Cygnus cygnus | |
Bean Goose Bean Goose The Bean Goose is a medium to large goose breeding in northern Europe and Asia. It was split into two species by the American Ornithologists' Union in 2007, however it is still regarded as a single species by the British Ornithologists' Union – see below... |
Anser fabalis | WR |
Pink-footed Goose Pink-footed Goose The Pink-footed Goose is a goose which breeds in eastern Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. It is migratory, wintering in northwest Europe, especially Great Britain, the Netherlands, and western Denmark... |
Anser brachyrhynchus | |
(Greater) White-fronted Goose White-fronted Goose The Greater White-fronted Goose is a species of goose. The Greater White-fronted Goose is more closely related to the smaller Lesser White-fronted Goose... |
Anser albifrons | |
Lesser White-fronted Goose Lesser White-fronted Goose The Lesser White-fronted Goose is a goose closely related to the larger White-fronted Goose .It breeds in northernmost Asia, but it is a scarce breeder in Europe. There is a re-introduction scheme in Fennoscandia.... |
Anser erythropus | BR |
Greylag Goose Greylag Goose The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser.... |
Anser anser | |
(Greater) Canada Goose Canada Goose The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body.... |
Branta canadensis | I |
Barnacle Goose Barnacle Goose The Barnacle Goose belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species... |
Branta leucopsis | |
Brent Goose Brent Goose The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is... |
Branta bernicla | |
Red-breasted Goose Red-breasted Goose The Red-breasted Goose is an endangered species of goose in the genus Branta. It is sometimes separated in Rufibrenta but appears close enough to the Brent Goose to make this unnecessary, despite its distinct appearance.- Description :All the species of the Branta genus are distinguished by their... |
Branta ruficollis | |
Egyptian Goose Egyptian Goose The Egyptian Goose is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen... |
Alopochen aegyptiacus | I |
Ruddy Shelduck Ruddy Shelduck The Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea, is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae... |
Tadorna ferruginea | BR |
(Common) Shelduck Common Shelduck The Common Shelduck is a waterfowl species shelduck genus Tadorna. It is widespread and common in Eurasia, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb... |
Tadorna tadorna | |
Mandarin Duck Mandarin Duck The Mandarin Duck , or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck. It is 41–49 cm long with a 65–75 cm wingspan.-Description:... |
Aix galericulata | I |
(Eurasian) Wigeon | Anas penelope | |
American Wigeon American Wigeon The American Wigeon, also American Widgeon or Baldpate, is a species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. If this is split up, all wigeons will go into their old genus Mareca again... |
Anas americana | WR |
Gadwall Gadwall The Gadwall is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae.- Description :The Gadwall is 46–56 cm long with a 78–90 cm wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing on average 990 g against her 850 g... |
Anas strepera | |
(Eurasian) Teal Common Teal The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range... |
Anas crecca | |
Green-winged Teal Green-winged Teal The Green-winged Teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Common Teal The Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of... |
Anas carolinensis | WR |
Mallard Mallard The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia.... |
Anas platyrhynchos | |
American Black Duck American Black Duck The American Black Duck is a large dabbling duck. American Black Ducks are similar to Mallards in size, and resemble the female Mallard in coloration, although the Black Duck's plumage is darker... |
Anas rubripes | BR |
(Northern) Pintail Northern Pintail The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator... |
Anas acuta | |
Garganey Garganey The Garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India Santragachi and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758... |
Anas querquedula | |
Blue-winged Teal Blue-winged Teal The Blue-winged Teal is a small dabbling duck from North America.-Description:The Blue-winged Teal is long, with a wingspan of , and a weight of . The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult... |
Anas discors | BR |
(Northern) Shoveler Northern Shoveler The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia... |
Anas clypeata | |
Red-crested Pochard Red-crested Pochard The Red-crested Pochard is a large diving duck.Their breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and southern and central Asia. They are somewhat migratory, and northern birds winter further south and into north Africa.The adult male is unmistakable. It has a rounded orange... |
Netta rufina | |
(Common) Pochard | Aythya ferina | |
Redhead Redhead (duck) The Redhead is a medium-sized diving duck, 37 cm long with an 84 cm wingspan.The adult male has a blue bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, yellow eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a darker bluish bill with a black tip.The breeding habitat is... |
Aythya americana | BR |
Ring-necked Duck Ring-necked Duck The Ring-necked Duck is a smaller diving duck from North America.The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian Tufted Duck, its relative. It has a grey bill with a white band, a shiny purple head, a white breast, yellow eyes and a dark grey back... |
Aythya collaris | WR |
Ferruginous Duck Ferruginous Duck The Ferruginous Duck is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurasia. The species is known colloquially by birders as "Fudge Duck".... |
Aythya nyroca | WR |
Tufted Duck Tufted Duck The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler... |
Aythya fuligula | |
(Greater) Scaup Greater Scaup The Greater Scaup , just Scaup in Europe, or colloquially known as "Bluebill", for its bright blue bill, is small compared to other diving ducks, however it is larger than the closely related Lesser Scaup... |
Aythya marila | |
Lesser Scaup Lesser Scaup The Lesser Scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill... |
Aythya affinis | BR |
(Common) Eider Common Eider The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on... |
Somateria mollissima | |
King Eider King Eider The King Eider is a large sea duck that breeds along northern hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia. The birds spend most of the year in coastal marine ecosystems at high latitudes, and migrate to Arctic tundra to breed in June and July... |
Somateria spectabilis | BR |
Long-tailed Duck Long-tailed Duck The Long-tailed Duck or Oldsquaw is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula; this was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the Long-tailed Duck being placed in Harelda... |
Clangula hyemalis | |
Common Scoter Common Scoter The Common Scoter is a large sea duck, 43-54 cm in length, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia east to the Olenyok River. The American/E Siberian M. americana is sometimes considered a subspecies of M. nigra.It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of Europe as... |
Melanitta nigra | |
Black Scoter Black Scoter The Black or American Scoter is a large sea duck, 43 to 49 centimeters in length. Together with the Common Scoter M. nigra, it forms the subgenus Oidemia; the two are sometimes considered conspecific, the Black Scoter then being referred to as M. nigra americana... |
Melanitta americana | BR |
Surf Scoter Surf Scoter The Surf Scoter is a large sea duck, which breeds in Canada and Alaska. It is placed in the subgenus Melanitta, along with the Velvet and White-winged Scoters, distinct from the subgenus Oidemia, Black and Common Scoters.It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of the northern USA... |
Melanitta perspicillata | WR |
Velvet Scoter Velvet Scoter The Velvet Scoter , also called a Velvet Duck or whitewing , is a large sea duck, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia west of the Yenisey basin. A small, isolated population nests in eastern Turkey... |
Melanitta fusca | |
(Common) Goldeneye Common Goldeneye The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye.... |
Bucephala clangula | |
Smew Smew The Smew is a small duck, which is somewhat intermediate between the typical mergansers and the goldeneyes . It is the only member of the genus Mergellus; sometimes included in Mergus, this genus is distinct and might actually be a bit closer to the goldeneyes... |
Mergellus albellus | |
Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Merganser The Red-breasted Merganser is a diving duck.-Taxonomy:The Red-breasted Merganser was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae.-Description:... |
Mergus serrator | |
Goosander | Mergus merganser | |
Ruddy Duck Ruddy Duck The Ruddy Duck is a small stiff-tailed duck.Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds throughout much of North America, and in South America in the Andes. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds her nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from... |
Oxyura jamaicensis | I |
GrouseGrouseGrouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...
Order: GalliformesGalliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
. Family: Tetraonidae
Grouse are sturdy, medium-sized terrestrial birds of the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. They have feathered feet and nostrils and short, rounded wings. They feed mainly on plant material and lay their eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
in a simple scrape on the ground. They are gamebirds and large numbers were shot in the past in moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
areas. There are about 19 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Red Grouse Red grouse The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus... |
Lagopus lagopus | |
Black Grouse Black Grouse The Black Grouse or Blackgame is a large bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia in moorland and bog areas near to woodland, mostly boreal... |
Tetrao tetrix |
PheasantPheasantPheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s and partridges
Order: GalliformesGalliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
. Family: Phasianidae
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
These are terrestrial species, feeding and nesting on the ground. They are variable in size but generally plump, with broad and relatively short wings. There are about 155 species worldwide with 6 in Britain and Wales. 4 of these were introduced for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
or ornamental purposes but 2 have now apparently died out.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Red-legged Partridge Red-legged Partridge The Red-legged Partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. It is sometimes known as French Partridge, to distinguish it from the Grey or English Partridge.... |
Alectorix rufa | I |
Grey Partridge Grey Partridge The Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge, or Hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds... |
Perdix perdix | |
(Common) Quail Common Quail The Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix, is a small bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is widespread and is found in parts of Europe, .- Description :It is a small rotund bird, essentially streaked brown with... |
Coturnix coturnix | |
(Common) Pheasant Common Pheasant The Common Pheasant , is a bird in the pheasant family . It is native to Georgia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe , it is simply known as the "pheasant"... |
Phasianus colchicus | I |
Golden Pheasant Golden Pheasant The Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant", is a gamebird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae... |
Chrysolophus pictus | I |
Lady Amherst's Pheasant Lady Amherst's Pheasant The Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Chrysolophus amherstiae, is a bird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae.These are native to south western China and Myanmar, but have been introduced elsewhere, and have established a self-supporting, but now declining, feral population in England, the... |
Chrysolophus amherstiae | I |
DiversLoonThe loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia...
Order: GaviiformesGaviiformes
Gaviiformes is an order of aquatic birds containing the loons or divers and their closest extinct relatives. Modern gaviiformes are found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia , though prehistoric species were more widespread.-Classification and evolution:There are five living...
. Family: Gaviidae
Divers are aquatic birds the size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. They swim well, and fly adequately but, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body, are almost hopeless on land. They feed on fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and other aquatic animals. There are 5 species worldwide with 4 in Britain and Wales. They are all non-breeding visitors in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver The Red-throated Loon or Red-throated Diver is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. It breeds primarily in Arctic regions, and winters in northern coastal waters. It is the most widely distributed member of the loon or diver family. Ranging from in length, the Red-throated... |
Gavia stellata | |
Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver The Black-throated Loon is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. The species is known as an Arctic Loon in North America and the Black-throated Diver in Eurasia, its current name is a compromise proposed by the International Ornithological Committee.-Taxonomy:The... |
Gavia arctica | |
Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver The Great Northern Loon, Great Northern Diver, or Common Loon , is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds... |
Gavia immer | |
White-billed Diver | Gavia adamsii | BR |
GrebeGrebeA grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
s
Order: Podicipediformes. Family: PodicipedidaeGrebes are small to medium-large diving birds with lobed toes and pointed bills. They are seen mainly on lowland waterbodies and coasts. They feed on aquatic animals and nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
on a floating platform of vegetation. There are about 19 species worldwide with 6 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Pied-billed Grebe Pied-billed Grebe The Pied-billed Grebe is a species of the grebe family of water birds. Since the Atitlán Grebe, Podilymbus gigas, has become extinct, it is the sole extant member of the genus Podilymbus.-Description:... |
Podilymbus podiceps | BR |
Little Grebe Little Grebe The Little Grebe , also known as Dabchick, member of the grebe family of water birds. At 23 to 29 cm in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.-Description:The Little Grebe is a small water bird with a pointed... |
Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
Great Crested Grebe Great Crested Grebe The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations... |
Podiceps cristatus | |
Red-necked Grebe Red-necked Grebe The Red-necked Grebe is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes... |
Podiceps grisegena | |
Slavonian Grebe Slavonian Grebe The Horned Grebe or Slavonian Grebe, Podiceps auritus, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The Slavonian Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater... |
Podiceps auritus | |
Black-necked Grebe Black-necked Grebe The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, known in North America as the Eared Grebe, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It occurs on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.-Taxonomy:There are three subspecies:*P. n... |
Podiceps nigricollis |
AlbatrossAlbatrossAlbatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
es
Order: ProcellariiformesProcellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
. Family: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest flying birds with long, narrow wings for gliding. The majority are found in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
with only vagrants occurring in the North Atlantic. There are at least 13 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Black-browed Albatross Black-browed Albatross The Black-browed Albatross or Black-browed Mollymawk, Thalassarche melanophrys, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae, and it is the most widespread and common albatross.-Taxonomy:... |
Thalassarche melanophris | BR |
PetrelPetrelPetrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
s and shearwaterShearwaterShearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds. There are more than 30 species of shearwaters, a few larger ones in the genus Calonectris and many smaller species in the genus Puffinus...
s
Order: ProcellariiformesProcellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
. Family: Procellariidae
Procellariidae
The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes , which also includes the albatrosses, the storm-petrels, and the diving petrels.The procellariids are...
These are highly pelagic birds with long, narrow wings and tube-shaped nostrils. They feed at sea on fish, squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
and other marine life. They come to land to breed in colonies, nesting in burrows or on cliffs. There are about 77 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 7 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Northern) Fulmar Northern Fulmar The Northern Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, Fulmar, or Arctic Fulmar is a highly abundant sea bird found primarily in subarctic regions of the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans. Fulmars come in one of two color morphs: a light one which is almost entirely white, and a dark one which is... |
Fulmarus glacialis | |
Cory's Shearwater Cory's Shearwater The Cory's Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.This species breeds on islands and cliffs in the Mediterranean, with the odd outpost on the Atlantic coast of Iberia. The nest is on open ground or among rocks or less often in a burrow where one white egg is laid,... |
Calonectris diomedea | WR |
Great Shearwater Great Shearwater The Great Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. Its relationships are unclear. It belongs in the group of large species that could be separated as genus Ardenna ; within these, it might be allied with the other black-billed, blunt-tailed species Short-tailed... |
Puffinus gravis | WR |
Sooty Shearwater Sooty Shearwater The Sooty Shearwater is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. In New Zealand it is also known by its Māori name tītī and as "muttonbird", like its relatives the Wedge-tailed Shearwater and the Australian Short-tailed Shearwater The Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) is... |
Puffinus griseus | |
Manx Shearwater Manx Shearwater The Manx Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx Shearwaters were called Manks Puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters... |
Puffinus puffinus | |
Balearic Shearwater Balearic Shearwater The Balearic Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It was long regarded a subspecies of the Manx Shearwater; see there for more on the Puffinus puffinus superspecies; following an initial split it was held to be a subspecies of the "Mediterranean Shearwater"... |
Puffinus mauretanicus | |
Macaronesian Shearwater | Puffinus baroli | BR |
Storm-petrelStorm-petrelStorm petrels are seabirds in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. These smallest of seabirds feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.Storm petrels have a cosmopolitan...
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Order: ProcellariiformesProcellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
. Family: Hydrobatidae
The storm-petrels are the smallest of seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s, feeding on plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. They nest in colonies on the ground, most often in burrows. There are about 20 species worldwide, 6 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Wilson's Storm Petrel | Oceanites oceanicus | WR |
(European) Storm Petrel European Storm-petrel The European Storm Petrel or Storm Petrel is a small bird of the storm-petrel family, Hydrobatidae, part of the seabird order Procellariiformes. It is the only member of the genus Hydrobates.-Description:... |
Hydrobates pelagicus | |
Leach's Storm Petrel | Oceanodroma leucorrhoa |
GannetGannetGannets are seabirds comprising the genus Morus, in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies.The gannets are large black and white birds with yellow heads. They have long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up...
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Order: PelecaniformesPelecaniformes
The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...
. Family: Pelecanidae
Gannets are large seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and nest in large colonies. They have a torpedo-shaped body, long, narrow, pointed wings and a fairly long tail. There are about 10 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Northern) Gannet Northern Gannet The Northern Gannet is a seabird and is the largest member of the gannet family, Sulidae.- Description :Young birds are dark brown in their first year, and gradually acquire more white in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years.Adults are long, weigh and have a wingspan... |
Morus bassanus |
CormorantCormorantThe bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
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Order: PelecaniformesPelecaniformes
The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...
. Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium to large aquatic birds with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked for catching fish and aquatic invertebrates. They nest in colonies, usually by the sea. There are about 39 species worldwide, 3 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Great) Cormorant Great Cormorant The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds... |
Phalacrocorax carbo | |
(European) Shag Common Shag The European Shag or Common Shag is a species of cormorant. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern... |
Phalacrocorax aristotelis |
HeronHeronThe herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s and bitternBitternBitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...
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Order: CiconiiformesCiconiiformes
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
. Family: Ardeidae
Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive. They all fly with their necks retracted. The sharp bill is used to catch fish, amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s and other animals. Many species nest in colonies, often in trees. There are about 63 species worldwide, 12 in Britain and 11 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Great) Bittern Great Bittern The Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.-Etymology:... |
Botaurus stellaris | |
American Bittern American Bittern The American Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. New evidence has led the American Ornithologists' Union to move the heron family into the order Pelecaniformes .-Description:... |
Botaurus lentiginosus | BR |
Little Bittern Little Bittern The Little Bittern is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, native to the Old World, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, western and southern Asia, and Madagascar. Birds from temperate regions in Europe and western Asia are migratory, wintering in Africa and further south in... |
Ixobrychus minutus | BR |
(Black-crowned) Night Heron Black-crowned Night Heron The Black-crowned Night Heron commonly abbreviated to just Night Heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia .-Description:Adults are... |
Nycticorax nycticorax | WR |
Green Heron Green Heron The Green Heron is a small heron of North and Central America. It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the Striated Heron , and together they were called "Green-backed Heron"... |
Butorides virescens | BR |
Squacco Heron Squacco Heron The Squacco Heron, Ardeola ralloides, is a small heron, long, of which the body is , with wingspan. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East.-Behaviour:... |
Ardeola ralloides | BR |
Cattle Egret Cattle Egret The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret... |
Bubulcus ibis | BR |
Little Egret Little Egret The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted.... |
Egretta garzetta | |
Great White Egret | Ardea alba | WR |
Grey Heron Grey Heron The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions... |
Ardea cinerea | |
Purple Heron Purple Heron The Purple Heron is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia... |
Ardea purpurea | WR |
StorkStorkStorks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
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Order: CiconiiformesCiconiiformes
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
. Family: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They fly with the neck extended. There are about 19 species worldwide with 2 occurring as vagrants in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Black Stork Black Stork The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in... |
Ciconia nigra | BR |
White Stork White Stork The White Stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to end of tail, with a wingspan... |
Ciconia ciconia | WR |
IbisIbisThe ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae....
es and spoonbillSpoonbillSpoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...
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Order: CiconiiformesCiconiiformes
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
. Family: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae
The family Threskiornithidae includes 34 species of large terrestrial and wading birds, falling into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills. It was formerly known as Plataleidae. The spoonbills and ibises were once thought to be related to other groups of long-legged wading birds in the...
A family of long-legged, long-necked wading birds. Ibises have long, curved bills. Spoonbils have a flattened bill, wider at the tip. There are about 33 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Glossy Ibis Glossy Ibis The Glossy Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas... |
Plegadis falcinellus | BR |
(Eurasian) Spoonbill Common Spoonbill The Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, breeding in southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations... |
Platalea leucorodia |
HawkHawkThe term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s and eagleEagleEagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
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Order: AccipitriformesAccipitriformes
The Accipitriformes is an order that has been proposed to include most of the diurnal birds of prey: hawks, eagles, vultures, and many others, about 225 species in all. For a long time, the majority view has been to include them with the falcons in the Falconiformes, but some authorities have...
. Family: Accipitridae
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...
A family of birds of prey which includes hawks, buzzards, eagles, kites and harriers. These birds have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight. There are about 240 species worldwide, 16 in Britain and 12 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(European) Honey Buzzard Honey Buzzard The European Honey Buzzard , is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers.... |
Pernis apivorus | |
Black Kite Black Kite The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their... |
Milvus migrans | WR |
Red Kite Red Kite The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just... |
Milvus milvus | |
White-tailed Eagle White-tailed Eagle The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers... |
Haliaaetus albicilla | WR |
(Eurasian) Marsh Harrier Western Marsh Harrier The Western Marsh-harrier is a mid-sized harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian Marsh-harrier.... |
Circus aeruginosus | |
Hen Harrier Hen Harrier The Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a historical name for the American form.It migrates... |
Circus cyaneus | |
Montagu's Harrier Montagu's Harrier The Montagu's Harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.-Plumage:... |
Circus pygargus | WR |
(Northern) Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | |
(Eurasian) Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | |
(Common) Buzzard Common Buzzard The Common Buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.-Description:... |
Buteo buteo | |
Rough-legged Buzzard Rough-legged Buzzard The Rough-legged Buzzard , called the Rough-legged Hawk in North America, is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter.The species exhibits a wide variety of plumage patterns... |
Buteo lagopus | WR |
Golden Eagle Golden Eagle The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas... |
Aquila chrysaetos | WR |
OspreyOspreyThe Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
Order: AccipitriformesAccipitriformes
The Accipitriformes is an order that has been proposed to include most of the diurnal birds of prey: hawks, eagles, vultures, and many others, about 225 species in all. For a long time, the majority view has been to include them with the falcons in the Falconiformes, but some authorities have...
. Family: Pandionidae
A large fish-eating bird of prey belonging to a family of its own. It is mainly brown above and white below with long, angled wings. It is mainly a passage migrant in Wales but has recently begun to breed.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Osprey Osprey The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings... |
Pandion haliaetus |
FalconFalconA falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
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Order: FalconiformesFalconiformes
The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...
. Family: Falconidae
Falconidae
The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family is divided into two subfamiles, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and Falconinae, the falcons, kestrels and falconets.-Description:Falcons and...
A family of small to medium-sized, diurnal birds of prey with pointed wings. They do not build their own nests and mainly catch prey in the air. There are about 64 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Common) Kestrel Common Kestrel The Common Kestrel is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European Kestrel, Eurasian Kestrel, or Old World Kestrel. In Britain, where no other brown falcon occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".This species... |
Falco tinnunculus | |
Red-footed Falcon Red-footed Falcon The Red-footed Falcon , formerly Western Red-footed Falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory, wintering in Africa... |
Falco vespertinus | WR |
Merlin Merlin (bird) The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American... |
Falco columbarius | |
(Eurasian) Hobby Eurasian Hobby The Eurasian Hobby , or just simply Hobby, is a small slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis.-Description:... |
Falco subbuteo | |
Gyr Falcon | Falco rusticolus | BR |
Peregrine Falcon Peregrine Falcon The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"... |
Falco peregrinus |
RailsRallidaeThe rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
Order: GruiformesGruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
. Family: Rallidae
Rallidae
The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
These birds mainly occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, marshes, or rivers. Many are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. There are about 135 species worldwide, 11 in Britain and 8 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Water Rail Water Rail The Water Rail is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the warmer parts of its breeding range... |
Rallus aquaticus | |
Spotted Crake Spotted Crake The Spotted Crake is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.Their breeding habitat is marshes and sedge beds across temperate Europe into western Asia. They nest in a dry location in marsh vegetation, laying 6-15 eggs... |
Porzana porzana | WR |
Sora Sora (crake) The Sora is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae, sometimes also referred to as the Sora Rail or Sora Crake.Adults Soras are long, with dark-marked brown upperparts, a blue-grey face and underparts, and black and white barring on the flanks. They have a short thick yellow bill, with black... |
Porzana carolina | BR |
Little Crake Little Crake The Little Crake is a very small waterbird of the family Rallidae.Their breeding habitat is reed beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and just into western Asia. They nest in a dry location in reed vegetation, laying 4-7 eggs... |
Porzana parva | BR |
Baillon's Crake Baillon's Crake The Baillon's Crake is a very small waterbird of the family Rallidae.-Distribution:Their breeding habitat is sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across Asia. They used to breed in Great Britain up to the mid-19th century, but the western European population declined through drainage.... |
Porzana pusilla | BR |
Corn Crake Corn Crake The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter... |
Crex crex | WR |
(Common) Moorhen Common Moorhen The Common Moorhen is a bird in the Rallidae family with an almost worldwide distribution. The North and South American Committees of the AOU and the IOC have voted on or before July 2011 to split the American forms into a new species Common Gallinule, however, no other committee has voted to... |
Gallinula chloropus | |
(Common) Coot Eurasian Coot The Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, also known as Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian Coot.-Distribution:... |
Fulica atra |
CranesCrane (bird)Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
Order: GruiformesGruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
. Family: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". There are about 15 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Common) Crane Common Crane The Common Crane , also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130 cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight of 4.5–6 kg... |
Grus grus | WR |
BustardBustardBustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World...
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Order: GruiformesGruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
. Family: Otididae
Large, sturdy birds of open plains with long legs and necks and strong feet. There are about 26 species worldwide, 3 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Little Bustard Little Bustard The Little Bustard is a large bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus Tetrax. It breeds in southern Europe and in western and central Asia. Southernmost European birds are mainly resident, but other populations migrate further south in winter... |
Tetrax tetrax | BR |
Great Bustard Great Bustard The Great Bustard is in the bustard family, the only member of the genus Otis. It breeds in southern and central Europe, where it is the largest species of bird, and across temperate Asia... |
Otis tarda | BR |
OystercatcherOystercatcherThe oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large, obvious and noisy wading birds with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. There are about 11 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Eurasian) Oystercatcher Eurasian Oystercatcher The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,... |
Haematopus ostralegus |
AvocetAvocetThe four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts.Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer...
s and stiltStiltStilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates....
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets and the stilts .-Description and diet:...
A family of fairly large wading birds. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are about 10 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Black-winged Stilt Black-winged Stilt The Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family . Opinions differ as to whether the birds treated under the scientific name H. himantopus ought to be treated as a single species and if not, how many species to recognize... |
Himantopus himantopus | BR |
(Pied) Avocet Pied Avocet The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and western and Central Asia. It is a migratory species and most winter in Africa or southern Asia... |
Recurvirostra avosetta |
Stone-curlewStone-curlewThe Stone-curlews, also known as Dikkops or Thick-knees are a group of largely tropical birds in the family Burhinidae. Despite the group being classified as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Burhinidae
A small family of medium to large waders with strong black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. There are 9 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Stone Curlew Stone Curlew The Stone Curlew, Eurasian Thick-knee, or Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus is a northern species of the Burhinidae bird family.... |
Burhinus oedicnemus | WR |
PratincolePratincoleThe Pratincoles or Greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers and Egyptian Plover make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails....
s and courserCourserThe Coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Glareolidae
Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadri. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The coursers include the atypical Egyptian Plover, Pluvianus aegyptius, which has sometimes been placed in its own family...
A family of slender, long-winged wading birds. There are 17 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Cream-coloured Courser Cream-coloured Courser The Cream-colored Courser, Cursorius cursor, is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae.Although classed as waders, these are birds of dry open country, preferably semi-desert, where they typically hunt their insect prey by running on the ground.These coursers are found in... |
Cursorius cursor | BR |
Collared Pratincole Collared Pratincole The Collared Pratincole or Common Pratincole, Glareola pratincola, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.Pratincoles are unusual among waders in that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.The Collared Pratincole is a... |
Glareola pratincola | BR |
Black-winged Pratincole Black-winged Pratincole The Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola nordmanni, is a wader in the pratincole bird family, Glareolidae.Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the... |
Glareola nordmanni | BR |
PloverPloverPlovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Charadriidae
Charadriidae
The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...
Small to medium-sized wading birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. There are about 66 species worldwide, 16 in Britain and 12 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Little Ringed Plover Little Ringed Plover The Little Ringed Plover is a small plover. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill... |
Charadrius dubius | |
Ringed Plover Ringed Plover The Common Ringed Plover or Ringed Plover is a small plover.Adults are 17-19.5 cm in length with a 35–41 cm wingspan. They have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes... |
Charadrius hiaticula | |
Killdeer Killdeer The Killdeer is a medium-sized plover.Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead. They have an orange-red eyering... |
Charadrius vociferus | BR |
Kentish Plover Kentish Plover The Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, is a small wader in the plover bird family. Despite its name, this species no longer breeds in Kent, or even Great Britain... |
Charadrius alexandrinus | WR |
Greater Sand Plover Greater Sand Plover The Greater Sand Plover, Charadrius leschenaultii, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as "Greater sandplover", but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is "Greater sand plover".... |
Charadrius leschenaultii | BR |
(Eurasian) Dotterel Eurasian Dotterel The Eurasian Dotterel , or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds.It breeds in the Arctic tundra of northern Eurasia, from Norway to eastern Siberia, and on suitable mountain plateaus such as the Scottish highlands and the Alps... |
Charadrius morinellus | |
American Golden Plover American Golden Plover The American Golden Plover is a medium-sized plover.Adults are spotted gold and black on the crown, back and wings. Their face and neck are black with a white border; they have a black breast and a dark rump. The legs are black.... |
Pluvialis dominica | WR |
Pacific Golden Plover Pacific Golden Plover The Pacific Golden Plover is a medium-sized plover.The 23–26 cm long breeding adult is spotted gold and black on the crown, back and wings. Its face and neck are black with a white border and it has a black breast and a dark rump. The legs are black... |
Pluvialis fulva | BR |
(European) Golden Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | |
Grey Plover Grey Plover The Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding.... |
Pluvialis squatarola | |
Sociable Lapwing Sociable Lapwing The Sociable Lapwing or Sociable Plover is a wader in the lapwing family of birds.It breeds on open grassland in Russia and Kazakhstan. Three to five eggs are laid in a ground nest... |
Vanellus gregarius | BR |
(Northern) Lapwing Northern Lapwing The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia.... |
Vanellus vanellus |
Sandpipers, snipeSnipeA snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
and phalaropePhalaropeA phalarope or wadepiper is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the bird family Scolopacidae. They are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the Actitis and Terek Sandpipers, and also of the turnstones and calidrids...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae
The sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...
A large, diverse family of wading birds. Different lengths of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are about 89 species worldwide, 53 in Britain and 44 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Red) Knot Red Knot The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot... |
Calidris canutus | |
Sanderling Sanderling The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia... |
Calidris alba | |
Semipalmated Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper The Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a very small shorebird. It is sometimes separated with other "stints" in Erolia but although these apparently form a monophyletic group, the present species' old genus Ereunetes had been proposed before Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short stout... |
Calidris pusilla | BR |
Little Stint Little Stint The Little Stint, Calidris minuta , is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia... |
Calidris minuta | |
Temminck's Stint Temminck's Stint Temminck's Stint, Calidris or Erolia temminckii, is a small wader.This stint's breeding habitat is bogs and marshes in the taiga of Arctic northern Europe and Asia. It will breed in southern Scandinavia and occasionally Scotland. It has a distinctive hovering display flight. It nests in a scrape... |
Calidris temminckii | WR |
Least Sandpiper Least Sandpiper The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird.This species has greenish legs and a short thin dark bill. Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least Sandpipers are grey above... |
Calidris minutilla | BR |
White-rumped Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper The White-rumped Sandpiper is a small shorebird.Adults have black legs and a small thin dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and mainly white underneath, with brown streaks on the breast and a white rump. They have a white stripe over their eyes. This bird shows long wings in flight. In winter... |
Calidris fuscicollis | WR |
Baird's Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper The Baird's Sandpiper is a small shorebird. It is among those calidrids sometimes separated in Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short thin dark bill. They are dark brown on top and mainly white underneath with a black patch on the rump. The head and breast are light brown with dark streaks. In... |
Calidris bairdii | BR |
Pectoral Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper The Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos, is a small wader. It is sometimes separated with the "stint" sandpipers in Erolia. This may or may not represent a good monophyletic group, depending on the placement of the phylogenetically enigmatic Curlew Sandpiper , the type species of Erolia... |
Calidris melanotos | WR |
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P... |
Calidris acuminata | BR |
Curlew Sandpiper Curlew Sandpiper The Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia... |
Calidris ferruginea | |
Stilt Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper The Stilt Sandpiper, Calidris himantopus or Micropalama himantopus, is a small shorebird; it bears some resemblance to the smaller calidrid sandpipers or "stints". DNA sequence information is incapable of determining whether it should be placed in Calidris or in the monotypic genus Micropalama... |
Calidris himantopus | BR |
Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper The Purple Sandpiper, Calidris, Arquatella or Erolia maritima is a small shorebird.Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black... |
Calidris maritima | |
Dunlin Dunlin The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East... |
Calidris alpina | |
Broad-billed Sandpiper Broad-billed Sandpiper The Broad-billed Sandpiper is a small wading bird. It is the only member of the genus Limicola; some have proposed that it should be placed in the genus Erolia with the "stint" sandpipers, but more recent research suggests that it is should rather go into the genus Philomachus with the ruff and... |
Limicola falcinellus | BR |
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper The Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tryngites subruficollis, is a small shorebird. It is a calidrid sandpipers and currently considered to be the only member of the genus Tryngites. Indeed, it probably belongs in the genus Calidris itself, or more precisely with the small species thereof which should be... |
Tryngites subruficollis | WR |
Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | |
Jack Snipe Jack Snipe The Jack Snipe, Lymnocryptes minimus is a small stocky wader. It is the smallest snipe, and the only member of the genus Lymnocryptes... |
Lymnocryptes minimus | |
(Common) Snipe Common Snipe The Common Snipe is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World. The breeding habitat is marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout northern Europe and northern Asia... |
Gallinago gallinago | |
Great Snipe Great Snipe The Great Snipe, Gallinago media is a small stocky wader in the genus Gallinago.This bird's breeding habitat is marshes and wet meadows with short vegetation in north-eastern Europe including north-western Russia. Great Snipes are migratory, wintering in Africa... |
Gallinago minima | BR |
Long-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher The Long-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus, is a medium-sized shorebird.Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern... |
Limnodromus scolopaceus | BR |
(Eurasian) Woodcock Eurasian Woodcock The Eurasian Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola, is a medium-small wading bird found in temperate and subarctic Eurasia. It has cryptic camouflage to suit its woodland habitat, with reddish-brown upperparts and buff-coloured underparts... |
Scolopax rusticola | |
Black-tailed Godwit Black-tailed Godwit The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits... |
Limosa limosa | |
Bar-tailed Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit The Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World... |
Limosa lapponica | |
Little Curlew Little Curlew The Little Curlew, Numenius minutus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It is a very small curlew, which breeds in the far north of Siberia. It is closely related to the North American Eskimo Curlew.... |
Numenius minutus | BR |
Whimbrel Whimbrel The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland.... |
Numenius phaeopus | |
(Eurasian) Curlew Eurasian Curlew The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia... |
Numenius arquata | |
Upland Sandpiper Upland Sandpiper The Upland Sandpiper is a large shorebird, closely related to the curlews . Older names are the Upland Plover and Bartram's Sandpiper. It is the only member of the genus Bartramia. The genus name and the old common name Bartram's Sandpiper commemorate the American naturalist William Bartram... |
Bartramia longicauda | BR |
Terek Sandpiper Terek Sandpiper The Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :... |
Xenus cinerea | BR |
Common Sandpiper Common Sandpiper The Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize... |
Actitis hypoleucos | |
Spotted Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper The Spotted Sandpiper is a small shorebird, 18–20 cm long. Together with its sister species, the Common Sandpiper they make up the genus Actitis... |
Tringa macularius | BR |
Green Sandpiper Green Sandpiper The Green Sandpiper is a small wader of the Old World. It represents an ancient lineage of the genus Tringa; its only close living relative is the Solitary Sandpiper . They both have brown wings with little light dots and a delicate but contrasting neck and chest pattern... |
Tringa ochropus | |
Grey-tailed Tattler Grey-tailed Tattler The Grey-tailed Tattler, Tringa brevipes , is a small shorebird.- Description :... |
Heteroscelus brevipes | BR |
Spotted Redshank Spotted Redshank The Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It breeds across northern Scandinavia and northern Asia and migrates south to the Mediterranean, the southern British Isles, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia for the winter... |
Tringa erythropus | |
Greater Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs The Greater Yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca, is a large North American shorebird, similar in appearance to the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs. Its closest relative, however, is the Greenshank, which together with the Spotted Redshank form a close-knit group... |
Tringa melanoleuca | BR |
(Common) Greenshank Greenshank The Common Greenshank is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. Its closest relative is the Greater Yellowlegs, together with which and the Spotted Redshank it forms a close-knit group... |
Tringa nebularia | |
Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs The Lesser Yellowlegs is a medium-sized shorebird similar in appearance to the larger Greater Yellowlegs. It is not closely related to this bird, however, but instead to the much larger and quite dissimilar Willet; merely the fine, clear and dense pattern of the neck shown in breeding plumage... |
Tringa flavipes | BR |
Marsh Sandpiper Marsh Sandpiper The Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia.... |
Tringa stagnatilis | BR |
Wood Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper The Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola, is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :... |
Tringa glareola | |
(Common) Redshank Common Redshank The Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :... |
Tringa totanus | |
(Ruddy) Turnstone Turnstone Turnstones are the bird species in the genus Arenaria in the family Scolopacidae. They are closely related to calidrid sandpipers and might be considered members of the tribe Calidriini.... |
Arenaria interpres | |
Wilson's Phalarope Wilson's Phalarope The Wilson's Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering around the central Andes in South America. They are passage migrants through... |
Phalaropus tricolor | BR |
Red-necked Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope The Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a wader, winters at sea on tropical oceans.... |
Phalaropus lobatus | WR |
Grey Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius |
SkuaSkuaThe skuas are a group of seabirds with about seven species forming the family Stercorariidae and the genus Stercorarius. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America....
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Stercorariidae
Medium to large seabirds with mainly grey or brown plumage, sharp claws and a hooked tip to the bill. They chase other seabirds to force them to drop their catches. There are about 7 species worldwide with 4 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Pomarine Skua Pomarine Skua The Pomarine Skua, Stercorarius pomarinus, known as Pomarine Jaeger in North America, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migrant, wintering at sea in the tropical oceans.- Taxonomy :... |
Stercorarius pomarinus | |
Arctic Skua Arctic Skua The Parasitic Jaeger, also known as the Arctic Skua or Parasitic Skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae.... |
Stercorarius parasiticus | |
Long-tailed Skua Long-tailed Skua The Long-tailed Skua, Stercorarius longicaudus is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae.... |
Stercorarius longicaudus | |
Great Skua Great Skua The Great Skua, Stercorarius skua, is a large seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. In Britain, it is sometimes known by the name Bonxie, a Shetland name of unknown origin.-Description:... |
Stercorarius skua |
GullGullGulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Laridae
Medium to large seabirds with grey, white and black plumage, webbed feet and strong bills. Many are opportunistic and adaptable feeders. There are about 56 species worldwide, 23 in Britain and 18 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Ivory Gull Ivory Gull The Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea is a small gull, the only species in its genus. It breeds in the high arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through Greenland, northernmost North America, and Eurasia.-Taxonomy:... |
Pagophila eburnea | BR |
Sabine's Gull Sabine's Gull The Sabine's Gull is a small gull. Its generic placement is disputed; some authors treat it as the sole species in the genus Xema as Xema sabini, while others retain it in the genus Larus as Larus sabini. It breeds in the arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through northernmost North America... |
Larus sabini | |
(Black-legged) Kittiwake Kittiwake The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R... |
Rissa tridactyla | |
Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull The Bonaparte's Gull is a small gull.The Bonaparte's Gull is a small species, larger only than the Little Gull and the Saunders's Gull among all gull species. Adults are long with a wingspan and a body mass of . They have a black hood and a short thin dark bill. The body is mainly white with... |
Larus philadelphia | BR |
Black-headed Gull Black-headed Gull The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident... |
Larus ridibundus | |
Little Gull Little Gull The Little Gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus or Larus minutus, is a small gull which breeds in northern Europe and Asia. It also has small colonies in parts of southern Canada. It is migratory, wintering on coasts in western Europe, the Mediterranean and the northeast USA. As is the case with many gulls,... |
Larus minutus | |
Ross's Gull Ross's Gull The Ross's Gull is a small gull, the only species in its genus, although it has been suggested it should be moved to the genus Hydrocoloeus, which otherwise only includes the Little Gull.... |
Rhodostethia rosea | BR |
Laughing Gull Laughing Gull The Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. It breeds on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Northernmost populations migrate further south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western... |
Larus atricilla | BR |
Franklin's Gull Franklin's Gull The Franklin's Gull is a small gull.-Description:It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States... |
Larus pipixcan | BR |
Mediterranean Gull Mediterranean Gull The Mediterranean Gull, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus, is a small gull which breeds almost entirely in Europe, mainly in the south east, especially around the Black Sea, and in central Turkey. There are colonies elsewhere in southern Europe, and this species has undergone a dramatic range expansion in... |
Larus melanocephalus | |
Common Gull Common Gull The Common Gull or Mew Gull Larus canus is a medium-sized gull which breeds in northern Asia, northern Europe and northwestern North America. It migrates further south in winter... |
Larus canus | |
Ring-billed Gull Ring-billed Gull The Ring-billed Gull is a medium-sized gull.Adults are length and with a wingspan. The head, neck and underparts are white; the relatively short bill is yellow with a dark ring; the back and wings are silver gray; and the legs are yellow. The eyes are yellow with red rims... |
Larus delawarensis | |
Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull The Lesser Black-backed Gull is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa... |
Larus fuscus | |
Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | |
Yellow-legged Gull Yellow-legged Gull The Yellow-legged Gull , sometimes referred to as Western Yellow-legged Gull , is a large gull of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species... |
Larus michahellis | |
Iceland Gull Iceland Gull The Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides, is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not Iceland, where it is only seen in the winter. It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the eastern USA,... |
Larus glaucoides | |
Glaucous Gull Glaucous Gull The Glaucous Gull is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere and the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the USA, also on the Great... |
Larus hyperboreus | |
Great Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in the world, which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic... |
Larus marinus |
TernTernTerns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Sternidae
Terns are slender seabirds with long, pointed wings, a pointed bill and a tail which is usually forked. There are about 44 species worldwide, 16 in Britain and 15 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Sooty Tern Sooty Tern The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake... |
Onychoprion fuscata | BR |
Bridled Tern Bridled Tern The Bridled Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans.-Description:... |
Onychoprion anaethetus | BR |
Little Tern Little Tern The Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a... |
Sternula albifrons | |
Gull-billed Tern Gull-billed Tern The Gull-billed Tern formerly Sterna nilotica , is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae... |
Gelochelidon nilotica | BR |
Caspian Tern Caspian Tern The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either... |
Hydroprogne caspia | BR |
Whiskered Tern Whiskered Tern The Whiskered Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details.... |
Chlidonias hybrida | |
Black Tern Black Tern The Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, is a small tern generally found in or near inland water in Europe and North America. As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage.- Description :... |
Chlidonias niger | |
White-winged Black Tern | Chlidonias leucoptera | WR |
Sandwich Tern | Sterna sandvicensis | |
Royal Tern Royal Tern The Royal Tern is a seabird in the tern family Sternidae. This bird has two distinctive subspecies. T. m. maximus breeds on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the southern USA and Mexico into the Caribbean. The slightly smaller T. m. albididorsalis breeds in coastal west Africa... |
Sterna maxima | BR |
Lesser Crested Tern Lesser Crested Tern The Lesser Crested Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae... |
Sterna bengalensis | BR |
Forster's Tern Forster's Tern The Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri, is a member of the tern family Sternidae. It breeds inland in North America and winters south to the Caribbean and northern South America.... |
Sterna forsteri | BR |
Common Tern Common Tern The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. It is sometimes... |
Sterna hirundo | |
Roseate Tern Roseate Tern The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details.... |
Sterna dougallii | |
Arctic Tern Arctic Tern The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America... |
Sterna paradisaea |
AukAukAn auk is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. Auks are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits...
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Order: CharadriiformesCharadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
. Family: Alcidae
A family of seabirds which are superficially similar to penguins with their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits but which are able to fly . There are about 23 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Common) Guillemot Common Guillemot The Common Murre or Common Guillemot is a large auk. It is also known as the Thin-billed Murre in North America. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North-Atlantic and North Pacific... |
Uria aalge | |
Razorbill Razorbill The Razorbill is colonial seabird that will only come to land in order to breed. It is the largest living member of the Auk family. This agile bird will choose only one partner for life and females will lay one egg per year. Razorbills will nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed... |
Alca torda | |
Black Guillemot Black Guillemot The Black Guillemot or Tystie is a medium-sized alcid.Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch, a thin dark bill, and red legs and feet. They show white wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are pale grey and the underparts are white. The wings remain black with the large... |
Cepphus grylle | |
Little Auk Little Auk The Little Auk, or Dovekie , is a small auk, the only member of the genus Alle. It breeds on islands in the high Arctic. There are two subspecies: A. a. alle breeds in Greenland, Iceland, Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen, and A. a... |
Alle alle | |
(Atlantic) Puffin Atlantic Puffin The Atlantic Puffin is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill... |
Fratercula arctica |
SandgrouseSandgrouseThe sandgrouse are a family, Pteroclididae, of 16 bird species, the only living members of the order Pteroclidiformes. They are restricted to treeless open country in the Old World, such as plains and semi-deserts. They are distributed across northern, southern and eastern Africa as well as...
Order: Pteroclidiformes. Family: PteroclididaeSturdy, medium-sized birds with a small head and long, pointed wings. There are 16 species worldwide. 1 has occurred as a vagrant in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Pallas's Sandgrouse Pallas's Sandgrouse The Pallas's Sandgrouse is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family named after the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas.... |
Syrrhaptes paradoxus | BR |
Pigeons and doveDovePigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
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Order: ColumbiformesColumbiformes
Columbiformes are an avian order that includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire, long classified as a second family Raphidae. 313 species, found worldwide, comprise the Columbiformes order....
. Family: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere
Cère
The Cère is a long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Dordogne River. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, near the mountain Plomb du Cantal...
. There are about 308 species worldwide, 7 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Rock Dove | Columba livia | |
Stock Dove | Columba oenas | |
(Common) Woodpigeon | Columba palumbus | |
(Eurasian) Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | |
(European) Turtle Dove Turtle Dove The European Turtle Dove , also known as Turtle Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes the doves and pigeons.-Distribution & Status:... |
Streptopelia turtur |
ParrotParrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s
Order: Psittaciformes. Family: PsittacidaeParrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape. They are found mainly in areas with warm climates. There are about 347 species worldwide with 1 introduced species in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Ring-necked Parakeet Rose-ringed Parakeet The Rose-ringed Parakeet , also known as the Ringnecked Parakeet, is a gregarious tropical parakeet species that has an extremely large range. Since the trend of the population appears to be increasing, the species has been evaluated as Least Concern by IUCN in 2009.Rose-ringed parakeets are... (Rose-ringed Parakeet) |
Psittacula krameri | I |
CuckooCuckooThe cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
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Order: CuculiformesCuculiformes
The near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...
. Family: Cuculidae
Birds of variable size with slender bodies and long tails. Some species are known for laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. There are about 141 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Great Spotted Cuckoo Great Spotted Cuckoo The Great Spotted Cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.... |
Clamator glandarius | BR |
(Common) Cuckoo Common Cuckoo The Common Cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.... |
Cuculus canorus | |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus, is a cuckoo. Common folk-names for this bird in the southern United States are Rain Crow and Storm Crow... |
Coccyzus americanus | BR |
Barn owlTytonidaeBarn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...
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Order: Strigiformes. Family: TytonidaeTytonidae
Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...
Barn owls are medium-sized to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are about 16 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Barn Owl Barn Owl The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical... |
Tyto alba |
Typical owlTypical owlTrue owl or Typical owl are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls, the other being the barn owls . The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy unites the Caprimulgiformes with the owl order; here, the typical owls are a subfamily Strigidae...
s
Order: Strigiformes. Family: StrigidaeTypical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disc. There are about 199 species worldwide, 8 in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Eurasian) Scops Owl European Scops Owl The European Scops Owl , also known as the Eurasian Scops Owl or just Scops Owl, is a small owl. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae.This bird breeds in southern... |
Otus scops | BR |
Snowy Owl Snowy Owl The Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals. The bird is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl, Great... |
Bubo scandiaca | BR |
Little Owl Little Owl The Little Owl is a bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain, but was first introduced in 1842, and is now naturalised there... |
Athene noctua | I |
Tawny Owl Tawny Owl The Tawny Owl or Brown Owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants... |
Strix aluco | |
Long-eared Owl Long-eared Owl The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl... |
Asio otus | |
Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may... |
Asio flammeus |
NightjarNightjarNightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...
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Order: CaprimulgiformesCaprimulgiformes
The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution . They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal...
. Family: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. There are about 91 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(European) Nightjar European Nightjar The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia.- Habitat and distribution :... |
Caprimulgus europaeus | |
Common Nighthawk Common Nighthawk The Common Nighthawk is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird, whose presence and identity are best revealed by its vocalization. Typically dark , displaying cryptic colouration and intricate patterns, this bird becomes invisible by day. Once aerial, with its buoyant but erratic flight,... |
Chordeiles minor | BR |
SwiftSwiftThe swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...
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Order: ApodiformesApodiformes
Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts , the tree swifts , and the hummingbirds . In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodimorphae in which hummingbirds are separated as a new order, Trochiliformes...
. Family: Apodidae
The swifts are small aerial birds, spending the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. There are about 100 species worldwide, 7 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Chimney Swift Chimney Swift The Chimney Swift is a small bird .-Physical description:In flight, this bird looks like a flying cigar with long slender curved wings. The plumage is a sooty grey-brown; the throat, breast, underwings and rump are paler. They have short tails.-Reproduction:The breeding season of Chimney Swifts is... |
Chaetura pelagica | BR |
(Common) Swift Common Swift The Common Swift is a small bird, superficially similar to the Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes... |
Apus apus | |
Pallid Swift Pallid Swift The Pallid Swift is a small bird, superficially similar to a Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since the swifts are in the order Apodiformes... |
Apus pallidus | BR |
Alpine Swift Alpine Swift The Alpine Swift syn. is a species of Swift. The bird is superficially similar to a large Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes... |
Apus melba | WR |
Little Swift Little Swift The Little Swift , is a small bird, superficially similar to a Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles... |
Apus affinis | BR |
KingfisherKingfisherKingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
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Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are about 93 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Common) Kingfisher European Kingfisher The Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis, also known as Eurasian Kingfisher or River Kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa... |
Alcedo atthis |
Bee-eaterBee-eaterThe bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers...
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Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Meropidae
A group of near-passerine birds characterised by richly-coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail-feathers. There are about 26 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(European) Bee-eater European Bee-eater The European Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka... |
Merops apiaster | WR |
RollerRollerThe rollers are an Old World family, Coraciidae, of near passerine birds. The group gets its name from the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. Rollers resemble crows in size and build, and share the colourful appearance of kingfishers and...
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Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Coraciidae
A small family of colourful, medium-sized birds with a crow-like shape that feed mainly on insects. There are about 12 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(European) Roller European Roller The European Roller, Coracias garrulus, is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East and Central Asia and Morocco.... |
Coracias garrulus | BR |
HoopoeHoopoeThe Hoopoe is a colourful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes...
Order: CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. Family: Upupidae
A distinctive bird in its own family with a long curved bill, a crest and black-and-white striped wings and tail.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Hoopoe Hoopoe The Hoopoe is a colourful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes... |
Upupa epops |
WoodpeckerWoodpeckerWoodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
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Order: PiciformesPiciformes
Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...
. Family: Picidae
Picidae
The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions...
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are about 219 species worldwide, 5 in Britain and 4 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
(Eurasian) Wryneck Eurasian Wryneck The Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, is a species of wryneck in the family of woodpeckers.This species breeds in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering in tropical Africa and southern Asia. It is a bird of open woodland and orchards... |
Jynx tranquila | |
European Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis | |
Great Spotted Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range... |
Dendrocopos major | |
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Lesser Spotted Woodpecker The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is assigned to the genus Dendrocopos .... |
Dendrocopos minor |
Larks
Order: Passeriformes. Family: AlaudidaeLarks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. There are about 96 species worldwide, 10 in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Black Lark Black Lark The Black Lark, Melanocorypha yeltoniensis, breeds in southeast Russia and Kazakhstan. It is partially migratory, with birds from the northwest of its breeding range moving south-east to winter further into Russia and neighbouring countries, as far as the northern Black Sea coasts in southern... |
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis | BR |
(Greater) Short-toed Lark | Calandrella brachydactyla | WR |
Crested Lark Crested Lark The Crested Lark, Galerida cristata, breeds across most of temperate Eurasia from Portugal to northeast China and eastern India, and in Africa south to Niger... |
Galerida cristata | BR |
Woodlark Woodlark The Woodlark is the only lark in the genus Lullula. It breeds across most of Europe, the Middle East Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations of this passerine bird are more migratory, moving further south in winter... |
Lullula arborea | WR |
Skylark Skylark The Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,... |
Alauda arvensis | |
Shore Lark Shore Lark The Shore Lark , called the Horned Lark in North America, is a species of bird in the genus Eremophila.- Description :... |
Eremophila alpestris | WR |
SwallowSwallowThe swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
s and martins
Order: Passeriformes. Family: HirundinidaeA group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. There are about 83 species worldwide, 8 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Sand Martin Sand Martin The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia... |
Riparia riparia | |
(Eurasian) Crag Martin Crag Martin The Eurasian Crag Martin or just Crag Martin is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It is about 14 cm long with ash-brown upperparts and paler underparts, and a short, square tail that has distinctive white patches on most of its feathers. It breeds in the mountains of southern... |
Ptyonoprogne rupestris | BR |
(Barn) Swallow Barn Swallow The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas... |
Hirundo rustica | |
House Martin House Martin The Common House Martin , sometimes called the Northern House Martin or, particularly in Europe, just House Martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia... |
Delichon urbicum | |
Red-rumped Swallow Red-rumped Swallow The Red-rumped Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in open hilly country of temperate southern Europe and Asia from Portugal and Spain to Japan, India and tropical Africa. The Indian and African birds are resident, but European and other Asian birds are migratory... |
Cecropis daurica | WR |
WagtailWagtailThe wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
s and pipitPipitThe pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: MotacillidaeMotacillidae
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and...
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They are slender, ground-feeding insectivores of open country. There are about 66 species worldwide, 15 in Britain and 13 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
---|---|---|
Richard's Pipit Richard's Pipit The Richard's Pipit is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in northern Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in southern Asia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe... |
Anthus richardi | |
Blyth's Pipit Blyth's Pipit The Blyth's Pipit, Anthus godlewskii, is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in Mongolia and neighbouring areas. It is a long distance migrant moving to open lowlands in southern Asia. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.... |
Anthus godlewskii | BR |
Tawny Pipit Tawny Pipit The Tawny Pipit, Anthus campestris, is a medium-large passerine bird which breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia, and northwest Africa. It is a migrant moving in winter to tropical Africa and the Indian subcontinent.... |
Anthus campestris | WR |
Olive-backed Pipit Olive-backed Pipit The Olive-backed Pipit, Anthus hodgsoni, is a small passerine bird of the pipit genus, which breeds across South, north Central and East Asia, as well as in the northeast of European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia... |
Anthus hodgsoni | BR |
Tree Pipit Tree Pipit Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia.... |
Anthus trivialis | |
Meadow Pipit Meadow Pipit The Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and also northwestern Asia, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; there is also an isolated... |
Anthus pratensis | |
Red-throated Pipit Red-throated Pipit The Red-throated Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in the far north of Europe and Asia, with a foothold in northern Alaska. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa, south and east Asia and west coast USA... |
Anthus cervinus | WR |
Rock Pipit Rock Pipit The Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small passerine bird species which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany. It is mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, in the west of its range, but the Scandinavian and Russian populations migrate south in winter;... |
Anthus petrosus | |
Water Pipit Water Pipit The Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta, is a small passerine bird which breeds in the mountains of southern Europe and southern temperate Asia across to China. It is a short-distance migrant moving to wet open lowlands such as marshes and flooded fields in winter... |
Anthus spinoletta | |
Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | |
Citrine Wagtail Citrine Wagtail The Citrine Wagtail or Yellow-headed Wagtail is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae. The term citrine refers to its yellowish colouration. Its systematics, phylogeny and taxonomy are subject of considerable debate in the early 21st century. This is because this bird forms a cryptic... |
Motacilla citreola | BR |
Grey Wagtail Grey Wagtail The Grey Wagtail is a small member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae. The species looks similar to the Yellow Wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat... |
Motacilla cinerea | |
Pied Wagtail | Motacilla alba |
WaxwingWaxwingThe waxwings form the genus Bombycilla of passerine birds. According to most authorities, this is the only genus placed in the family Bombycillidae.-Description:Waxwings are characterised by soft silky plumage...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: BombycillidaeThe waxwings are a group of passerine birds characterised by soft, silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. There are 3 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Bohemian) Waxwing Bohemian Waxwing The Bohemian Waxwing is a member of the waxwing family of passerines. A sleek bird, 18–21 cm long with a pointed crest, it travels in large, nomadic groups with a strong, direct flight. It breeds in coniferous forests throughout the most northern parts of Europe, Asia and western North America... |
Bombycilla garrulus |
DipperDipperDippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.-Description:...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: CinclidaeDark, dumpy, aquatic birds that are able to forage for food on the beds of rivers. There are 5 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(White-throated) Dipper White-throated Dipper The White-throated Dipper , also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies, based primarily on colour differences, particularly of the pectoral band... |
Cinclus cinclus |
WrenWrenThe wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: TroglodytidaeWrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. There are about 80 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Winter) Wren Winter Wren The Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British... |
Troglodytes troglodytes |
MockingbirdMockingbirdMockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession. There are about 17 species in three genera...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: MimidaeMedium-sized passerine birds with long tails. Some are notable for their ability to mimic sounds such as other birds' songs. There are about 35 species worldwide. 3 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Grey Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | BR |
AccentorAccentorThe accentors are in the only bird family, the Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. This small group of closely related passerines are all in a single genus Prunella...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: PrunellidaeA small family of drab, unobtrusive, insectivorous birds with thin, pointed bills. There are 13 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Dunnock Dunnock The Dunnock, Prunella modularis, is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species... |
Prunella modularis | |
Alpine Accentor Alpine Accentor The Alpine Accentor, Prunella collaris, is a small passerine bird found throughout the mountains of southern temperate Europe and Asia at heights above 2000 m. It is mainly resident, wintering more widely at lower latitudes, but some birds wander as rare vagrants as far as Great Britain.It is... |
Prunella collaris | BR |
ThrushThrush (bird)The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
es and chatChat (bird)Chats are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered Old World flycatchers....
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: TurdidaeThe thrushes and chats are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. There are about 331 species worldwide including the chats, 42 in Britain and 29 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(European) Robin European Robin The European Robin , most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher... |
Erithacus rubecula | |
Thrush Nightingale Thrush Nightingale The Thrush Nightingale, Luscinia luscinia , is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Luscinia luscinia | BR |
(Common) Nightingale Nightingale The Nightingale , also known as Rufous and Common Nightingale, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Luscinia megarhynchos | WR |
Bluethroat Bluethroat The Bluethroat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Luscinia svecica | WR |
White-throated Robin White-throated Robin The White-throated Robin is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae... |
Irania gutturalis | BR |
Black Redstart Black Redstart The Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family , but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher .-Description:The Black Redstart is 13–14.5 cm in length and 12–20... |
Phoenicurus ochruros | |
(Common) Redstart Common Redstart The Common Redstart , or often simply Redstart, is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus... |
Phoenicurus phoenicurus | |
Moussier's Redstart Moussier's Redstart The Moussier's Redstart is a small passerine bird in the genus Phoenicurus , formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now classified as an Old World flycatcher . It is an endemic resident breeder in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa... |
Phoenicurus moussieri | BR |
Whinchat Whinchat The Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in Africa.Its scientific name means "small rock-dweller", in reference to its habitat... |
Saxicola rubetra | |
Stonechat European Stonechat The European Stonechat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.It is 11.5–13 cm long and... |
Saxicola torquata | |
Isabelline Wheatear Isabelline Wheatear The Isabelline Wheatear, Oenanthe isabellina, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe isabellina | BR |
(Northern) Wheatear Northern Wheatear The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae... |
Oenanthe oenanthe | |
Pied Wheatear Pied Wheatear The Pied Wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka, is a wheatear, a small insectivorous passerine that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe pleschanka | BR |
Black-eared Wheatear Black-eared Wheatear The Black-eared Wheatear is a wheatear, a small migratory passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe hispanica | BR |
Desert Wheatear Desert Wheatear The Desert Wheatear is a wheatear, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.... |
Oenanthe deserti | BR |
(Rufous-tailed) Rock Thrush | Monticola saxatilis | BR |
Blue Rock Thrush Blue Rock Thrush The Blue Rock Thrush is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae.... |
Monticola solitarius | BR |
Swainson's Thrush Swainson's Thrush Swainson's Thrush , also called Olive-backed Thrush, is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 16–18 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of Catharus thrushes... |
Catharus ustulatus | BR |
Grey-cheeked Thrush | Catharus minimus | BR |
Ring Ouzel Ring Ouzel The Ring Ouzel is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae.It is the mountain equivalent of the closely related Common Blackbird, and breeds in gullies, rocky areas or scree slopes.... |
Turdus torquatus | |
Common Blackbird | Turdus merula | |
Eyebrowed Thrush Eyebrowed Thrush The Eyebrowed Thrush, Turdus obscurus, is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.It breeds in dense coniferous forest and taiga eastwards from Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering south to southeast Asia and Indonesia. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.It nests in trees, laying 4-6... |
Turdus obscurus | BR |
Dusky Thrush Dusky Thrush The Dusky Thrush, Turdus eunomus, is a member of the thrush family Turdidae which breeds eastwards from central Siberia. It is closely related to the more southerly breeding Naumann's Thrush T... |
Turdus naumanni | BR |
Dark-throated Thrush Dark-throated Thrush The Dark-throated Thrush is a passerine bird in the thrush family. It has two races: T. r. atrogularis, the Black-throated Thrush, and T. r. ruficollis, the Red-throated Thrush. These are sometimes considered different species... |
Turdus ruficollis | BR |
Fieldfare Fieldfare The Fieldfare is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It is a very rare breeder in Great Britain and Ireland, but winters in large numbers in these... |
Turdus pilaris | |
Song Thrush Song Thrush The Song Thrush is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia. It is also known in English dialects as throstle or mavis. It has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies... |
Turdus philomelos | |
Redwing Redwing The Redwing is a bird in the thrush family Turdidae, native to Europe and Asia, slightly smaller than the related Song Thrush.-Taxonomy:... |
Turdus iliacus | |
Mistle Thrush Mistle Thrush The Mistle Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.It is found in open woods and cultivated land over all of Europe and much of Asia... |
Turdus viscivorus | |
American Robin American Robin The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family... |
Turdus viscivorus | BR |
Old World warblerOld World warblerThe "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: SylviidaeSylviidae
Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families...
A group of small, insectivorous passerine birds. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are about 408 species worldwide, 49 in Britain and 37 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Cetti's Warbler Cetti's Warbler Cetti's Warbler , Cettia cetti, is an Old World warbler which breeds in Europe, northwest Africa and east southern temperate Asia as far as Afghanistan and NW Pakistan. It is the only bush warbler to occur outside Asia... |
Cettia cetti | |
Lanceolated Warbler Lanceolated Warbler The Lanceolated Warbler is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds from northeast European Russia across northern Asia to northern Hokkaidō, Japan... |
Locustella lanceolata | BR |
(Common) Grasshopper Warbler Grasshopper Warbler The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India.... |
Locustella naevia | |
River Warbler River Warbler The River Warbler, Locustella fluviatilis, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in east and central Europe into western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in east Africa.... |
Locustella fluviatilis | BR |
Savi's Warbler Savi's Warbler The Savi's Warbler, Locustella luscinioides, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in southern Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.... |
Locustella luscinioides | BR |
Aquatic Warbler Aquatic Warbler The Aquatic Warbler, Acrocephalus paludicola, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in temperate eastern Europe and western Asia, with an estimated population of 15,000 pairs. It is migratory, wintering in west Africa... |
Acrocephalus paludicola | WR |
Sedge Warbler Sedge Warbler The Sedge Warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge Warblers are migratory, crossing the Sahara to get from their European and Asian breeding grounds to spend winter in Africa... |
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | |
Paddyfield Warbler Paddyfield Warbler The Paddyfield Warbler, Acrocephalus agricola, is a species of marsh-warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. The Manchurian Reed-warbler was included in A. agricola as a subspecies.It breeds in temperate central Asia. It is migratory, wintering in Pakistan and... |
Acrocephalus agricola | BR |
Blyth's Reed Warbler Blyth's Reed Warbler The Blyth's Reed Warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in temperate Asia and easternmost Europe. It is migratory, wintering in India and Sri Lanka. It is one of the most common winter warblers in those countries... |
Acrocephalus dumetorum | BR |
Marsh Warbler Marsh Warbler The Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus palustris, is an Old World warbler currently classified in the family Acrocephalidae. It breeds in temperate Europe and western Asia and winters mainly in south east Africa... |
Acrocephalus palustris | WR |
(Eurasian) Reed Warbler Reed Warbler The Eurasian Reed Warbler, or just Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.... |
Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |
Great Reed Warbler Great Reed Warbler The Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, is an Eurasiaan songbird in the genus Acrocephalus. It used to be placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but nowadays is recognized to be part of the marsh- and tree-warbler family .-Description:This is a large thrush-sized warbler,... |
Acrocephalus arundinaceus | BR |
Booted Warbler Booted Warbler The Booted Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler group. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with Sykes' Warbler, but the two are now usually both afforded species status... |
Hippolais caligata | BR |
Icterine Warbler Icterine Warbler The Icterine Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler genus Hippolais . It breeds in mainland Europe except the southwest, where it is replaced by its western counterpart, Melodious Warbler. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa... |
Hippolais icterina | WR |
Melodious Warbler Melodious Warbler The Melodious Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler genus Hippolais. It breeds in southwest Europe and northwest Africa. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.... |
Hippolais polyglotta | WR |
Blackcap Blackcap The Blackcap is a common and widespread sylviid warbler which breeds throughout temperate Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, and winters from northwestern Europe south to tropical Africa... |
Sylvia atricapilla | |
Garden Warbler Garden Warbler The Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe into western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in central and southern Africa... |
Sylvia borin | |
Barred Warbler Barred Warbler The Barred Warbler is a typical warbler which breeds across temperate regions of central and eastern Europe and western and central Asia. This passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical eastern Africa.... |
Sylvia nisoria | WR |
Lesser Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat The Lesser Whitethroat is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in western and central Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, wintering in Africa just south of the Sahara, Arabia and India.Unlike many typical warblers,... |
Sylvia curruca | |
(Common) Whitethroat Whitethroat The Common Whitethroat, Sylvia communis, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia and Pakistan.This is one of several Sylvia species... |
Sylvia communis | |
Dartford Warbler Dartford Warbler The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe, and northwestern Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy... |
Sylvia undata | |
Rüppell's Warbler Rüppell's Warbler The Rüppell's Warbler is a typical warbler of the genus Sylvia. It breeds in Greece, Turkey and neighbouring islands. It is migratory, wintering in north east Africa. This is a rare vagrant to western Europe. The name is occasionally cited as "Rueppell's Warbler".It is a typical "sylvia" warbler,... |
Sylvia rueppelli | BR |
Subalpine Warbler Subalpine Warbler The Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia cantillans, is a small typical warbler which breeds in the southernmost areas of Europe and northwest Africa. This small passerine bird is migratory, and winters along the southern edge of the Sahara... |
Sylvia cantillans | WR |
Sardinian Warbler Sardinian Warbler The Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala, is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region.-Description:... |
Sylvia melanocephala | BR |
Greenish Warbler Greenish Warbler The Greenish Warbler and Green Warbler are widespread leaf-warblers throughout their breeding range in northeastern Europe and temperate to subtropical continental Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters in India. It is not uncommon as a spring or early autumn vagrant in Western... |
Phylloscopus trochiloides | WR |
Arctic Warbler Arctic Warbler The Arctic Warbler, Phylloscopus borealis, is a widespread leaf warbler in birch or mixed birch forest near water throughout its breeding range in Fennoscandia and northern Asia. It has established a foothold in North America, breeding in Alaska. This warbler is strongly migratory; the entire... |
Phylloscopus borealis | BR |
Pallas's Warbler Pallas's Warbler The Pallas's Warbler or Pallas's Leaf Warbler is a leaf warbler which breeds in southern Siberia , northern Mongolia, and northeastern China... |
Phylloscopus proregulus | WR |
Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow-browed Warbler The Yellow-browed Warbler is a leaf warbler which breeds in temperate Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters mainly in tropical southeast Asia, but also in small numbers in western Europe... |
Phylloscopus inornatus | |
Hume's Leaf Warbler Hume's Leaf Warbler Hume's Leaf-warbler or Hume's Warbler is a small leaf warbler which breeds in the mountains of inner Asia. This warbler is migratory and winters mainly in India.This bird is named after Allan Octavian Hume... |
Phylloscopus humei | BR |
Radde's Warbler Radde's Warbler Radde's Warbler, Phylloscopus schwarzi, is a leaf warbler which breeds in Siberia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters in southeast Asia.... |
Phylloscopus schwarzi | WR |
Dusky Warbler Dusky Warbler The Dusky Warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus, is a leaf warbler which breeds in east Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters in southeast Asia. It has a foothold in North America in Alaska, and has also occurred in California... |
Phylloscopus fuscatus | WR |
Western Bonelli's Warbler Western Bonelli's Warbler Western Bonelli's Warbler is a "warbler" in the leaf warbler genus Phylloscopus. It was formerly regarded as the western subspecies of a wider "Bonelli's Warbler" species, but as a result of modern taxonomic developments, this species is now usually considered to be two species :* Western Bonelli's... |
Phylloscopus bonelli | BR |
Wood Warbler Wood Warbler The Wood Warbler is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains... |
Phylloscopus sibalatrix | |
(Common) Chiffchaff Chiffchaff The Common Chiffchaff, or simply the Chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf-warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia.... |
Phylloscopus collybita | |
Willow Warbler Willow Warbler The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia... |
Phylloscopus trochilus | |
Goldcrest Goldcrest The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very... |
Regulus regulus | |
Common Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla |
Old World flycatcherOld World flycatcherThe Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: MuscicapidaeThe flycatchers are small birds that fly out from a perch to catch insects in the air. There are about 120 species worldwide, 5 in Britain and 4 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Spotted Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.... |
Muscicapa striata | |
Red-breasted Flycatcher Red-breasted Flycatcher The Red-breasted Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in eastern Europe and across central Asia and is migratory, wintering in south Asia. It is a regular passage migrant in western Europe, whereas the Collared Flycatcher which breeds further west is... |
Ficedula parva | WR |
Collared Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher The Collared Flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family, one of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers. It breeds in southeast Europe and southwest Asia and is migratory, wintering in sub Sahara Africa... |
Ficedula albicollis | BR |
Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca |
BabblerOld World babblerThe Old World babblers or timaliids are a large family of mostly Old World passerine birds. They are rather diverse in size and coloration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: TimaliidaeBabblers are a large and varied group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. There are about 294 species worldwide including the parrotbills with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Bearded Tit Bearded Tit The Bearded Reedling is a peculiar small passerine bird. It is also frequently known as the Bearded Tit due to some similarities to Long-tailed Tits, or Bearded Parrotbill since it was later placed with these after it was removed from the true tits in the family Paridae... |
Panurus biarmicus | WR |
Long-tailed titsLong-tailed titsThe long-tailed tits or bushtits, Aegithalidae, are a family of small passerine birds. The family contains 13 species in four genera.- Distribution and habitat :...
Order: Passeriformes. Family: AegithalidaeSmall, long-tailed birds that typically live in flocks for much of the year. There are 8 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Long-tailed Tit Long-tailed Tit The Long-tailed Tit or Long-tailed Bushtit is a common bird found throughout Europe and Asia. There are several extensive accounts of this species, most notably Cramp and Perrins, 1993; Gaston, 1973; and Harrap and Quinn, 1996... |
Aegithalos caudatus |
Tits
Order: Passeriformes. Family: ParidaeTits are mainly small, stocky, woodland species with short stout bills. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. There are about 59 species worldwide, 6 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Blue Tit Blue Tit The Blue Tit is a 10.5 to 12 cm long passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands... |
Cyanistes caeruleus | |
Great Tit Great Tit The Great Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia, and parts of North Africa in any sort of woodland. It is generally resident, and most Great Tits do not migrate except in extremely... |
Parus major | |
Coal Tit Coal Tit The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate to subtropical Eurasia and northern Africa. The Spot-winged Tit The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a... |
Periparus ater | |
Willow Tit Willow Tit The Willow Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia. It is more of a conifer specialist than the closely related Marsh Tit, which explains it breeding much further north... |
Poecile montana | |
Marsh Tit Marsh Tit The Marsh Tit Poecile palustris is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae and genus Poecile, closely related to the Willow, Père David's and Songar Tits. It is small with a black crown and nape, pale cheeks, brown back and greyish-brown wings and tail. Between 8 and 11 subspecies are recognised... |
Poecile palustris |
NuthatchNuthatchThe nuthatches are a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: SittidaeSittidae
Sittidae is a family of small passerine birds which contains the single genus Sitta containing about 24 species of nuthatches, which are found across Eurasia and North America....
Nuthatches are small woodland birds with the unusual ability to climb down trees head-first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. There are about 24 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Wood) Nuthatch Eurasian Nuthatch The Eurasian Nuthatch, Sitta europaea, is a small passerine found throughout temperate Europe and Asia, although not in Ireland. It belongs to the nuthatch family Sittidae.... |
Sitta europaea |
Treecreepers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: CerthiidaeTreecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin, pointed, down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. There are 7 species worldwide, 2 in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Eurasian) Treecreeper Common Treecreeper The Eurasian Treecreeper or Common Treecreeper is a small passerine bird also known in the British Isles, where it is the only living member of its genus, simply as Treecreeper. It is similar to other treecreepers, and has a curved bill, patterned brown upperparts, whitish underparts, and long... |
Certhia familiaris |
Penduline titPenduline titThe penduline tits are a family of small passerine birds, related to the true tits. All but the Verdin and Fire-capped Tit make elaborate bag nests hanging from trees , usually over water; inclusion of the Fire-capped Tit in this family is disputed by some authorities.-Characteristics:Penduline...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: RemizidaeSmall birds with finely-pointed bills that build purse-like nests hanging from a branch. There are about 13 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Eurasian) Penduline Tit European Penduline Tit The European Penduline Tit is a passerine of the genus Remiz. It is relatively widespread throughout Eurasia.The Asian species include the Black-headed Penduline Tit, Remiz macronyx, the White-crowned Penduline Tit, Remiz coronatus, and the Chinese Penduline Tit, Remiz consobrinus.It builds an... |
Remiz pendulinus | BR |
OrioleOrioleOrioles are colourful Old World passerine birds in the genus Oriolus, the namesake of the corvoidean family Oriolidae. They are not related to the New World orioles, which are icterids and, belonging to the superfamily Passeroidea songbirds, are quite unrelated to the true orioles.The orioles are...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: OriolidaeOrioles are colourful, medium-sized passerine birds with far-carrying, fluting songs. There are about 30 species worldwide with 1 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Eurasian) Golden Oriole Golden Oriole The Eurasian Golden Oriole or simply Golden Oriole is the only member of the oriole family of passerine birds breeding in northern hemisphere temperate regions... |
Oriolus oriolus | WR |
ShrikeShrikeShrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: LaniidaeShrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are about 30 species worldwide, 9 in Britain and 5 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Isabelline Shrike Isabelline Shrike The Isabelline Shrike is a member of the shrike family . It is the eastern equivalent of the Red-backed Shrike with which it used to be considered conspecific.... |
Lanius isabellinus | BR |
Red-backed Shrike Red-backed Shrike The Red-backed Shrike is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae.English common names include 'Wariangle' and 'worrier'.-Description:... |
Lanius collurio | WR |
Lesser Grey Shrike Lesser Grey Shrike The Lesser Grey Shrike is a member of the shrike family Laniidae.It is similar in appearance to the Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor and the Southern Grey Shrike L. meridionalis... |
Lanius minor | BR |
Great Grey Shrike Great Grey Shrike The Great Grey Shrike or Northern Grey Shrike is a large songbird species in the shrike family . It forms a superspecies with its parapatric southern relatives, the Southern Grey Shrike , the Chinese Grey Shrike and the Loggerhead Shrike... |
Lanius excubitor | |
Woodchat Shrike Woodchat Shrike The Woodchat Shrike is a member of the shrike family Laniidae.The Woodchat breeds in southern Europe, the Middle East and northwest Africa, and winters in tropical Africa. It breeds in open cultivated country, preferably with orchard trees and some bare or sandy ground.This migratory medium-sized... |
Lanius senator | WR |
CrowCrowCrows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: CorvidaeCorvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
The crows and their relatives are fairly large birds with strong bills and are usually intelligent and adaptable. There are about 119 species worldwide with 9 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Eurasian) Jay Eurasian Jay The Eurasian Jay is a species of bird occurring over a vast region from Western Europe and north-west Africa to the Indian Subcontinent and further to the eastern seaboard of Asia and down into south-east Asia... |
Garrulus glandarius | |
(Black-billed) Magpie European Magpie The European Magpie, Eurasian Magpie, or Common Magpie, , is a resident breeding bird throughout Europe, much of Asia and northwest Africa. It is one of several birds in the crow family named as magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies... |
Pica pica | |
(Spotted) Nutcracker Spotted Nutcracker The Spotted Nutcracker, Eurasian Nutcracker, or just Nutcracker, is a passerine bird slightly larger than the Eurasian Jay. It has a much larger bill and a slimmer looking head without any crest. The feathering over its body is predominantly a chocolate brown with distinct white spots and streaks... |
Nucifraga caryocatactes | BR |
(Red-billed) Chough Chough The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax... |
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | |
(Eurasian) Jackdaw Jackdaw The Jackdaw , sometimes known as the Eurasian Jackdaw, European Jackdaw or Western Jackdaw, is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa, it is mostly sedentary, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in winter. Four subspecies are... |
Corvus monedula | |
Rook Rook (bird) The Rook is a member of the Corvidae family in the passerine order of birds. Named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering".... |
Corvus frugilegus | |
Carrion Crow Carrion Crow The Carrion Crow is a member of the passerine order of birds and the crow family which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia.-Taxonomy:... |
Corvus corone | |
Hooded Crow Hooded Crow The Hooded Crow is a Eurasian bird species in the crow genus. Widely distributed, it is also known locally as Scotch Crow, Danish Crow, and Corbie or Grey Crow in Ireland, which is what its Welsh name, Brân Lwyd, translates as... |
Corvus cornix | |
(Common) Raven Common Raven The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids... |
Corvus corax |
StarlingStarlingStarlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: SturnidaeStarlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct and most are very gregarious.There are about 114 species worldwide with 2 in Britain and Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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(Common) Starling European Starling The Common Starling , also known as the European Starling or just Starling, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia... |
Sturnus vulgaris | |
Rosy Starling Rosy Starling The Rosy Starling or Rose-coloured Starling is a passerine bird in the starling family Sturnidae. It is sometimes given its own, monotypic genus Pastor... |
Sturnus roseus | WR |
SparrowSparrowThe sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: PasseridaeSparrows tend to be small, plump, brownish or greyish birds with short tails and short, powerful beaks. They are seed-eaters and they also consume small insects. There are about 38 species worldwide, 4 in Britain and 3 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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House Sparrow House Sparrow The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia... |
Passer domesticus | |
Spanish Sparrow Spanish Sparrow The Spanish Sparrow or Willow Sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in the Mediterranean region and southwest and central Asia... |
Passer hispaniolensis | BR |
(Eurasian) Tree Sparrow Tree Sparrow The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes are similarly plumaged, and young birds are a duller version of the adult... |
Passer montanus |
VireoVireoThe vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: VireonidaeThe vireos are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. There are about 52 species worldwide. 3 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Red-eyed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo The Red-eyed Vireo, Vireo olivaceus, is a small American songbird, 13–14 cm in length. It is somewhat warbler-like but not closely related to the New World warblers... |
Vireo olivaceus | BR |
FinchFinchThe true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: FringillidaeSeed-eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. There are about 176 species worldwide, 21 in Britain and 16 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Chaffinch Chaffinch The Chaffinch , also called by a wide variety of other names, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :... |
Fringilla coelebs | |
Brambling Brambling The Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Etymology :The common English name is probably derived from the German "brâma", meaning bramble or a thorny bush. It has also been called the Cock o' the North and the Mountain Finch.- Description... |
Fringilla montifringilla | |
(European) Serin European Serin The European Serin, or just Serin is the smallest European species of the family of finches and is closely related to the Canary. Its diet consists mainly of a combination of buds and seeds.-Description:... |
Serinus serinus | WR |
(European) Greenfinch European Greenfinch The European Greenfinch, or just Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. The genus Carduelis might be split up and in this case, the greenfinches would be separated in their old genus Chloris again.This bird is widespread throughout Europe, north... |
Carduelis chloris | |
(European) Goldfinch European Goldfinch The European Goldfinch or Goldfinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family.-Habitat and range:The goldfinch breeds across Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia, in open, partially wooded lowlands. It is resident in the milder west of its range, but migrates from colder regions... |
Carduelis carduelis | |
(Eurasian) Siskin Eurasian Siskin The Eurasian Siskin is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is also called the European Siskin, Common Siskin or just Siskin. Other names include Black-headed Goldfinch, barley bird and aberdevine. It is very common throughout Europe and Asia... |
Carduelis spinus | |
(Common) Linnet Linnet The Linnet is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.The Linnet derives its scientific name from its fondness for hemp and its English name from its liking for seeds of flax, from which linen is made.- Description :... |
Carduelis cannabina | |
Twite Twite The Twite is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.The Twite is a small finch, similar in size and shape to a Linnet. Birds of the subspecies flavirostris are long, and those of the subspecies altaica are long. It lacks the red head patch and breast shown by the Linnet and the... |
Carduelis flavirostris | |
Lesser Redpoll Lesser Redpoll The Lesser Redpoll is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Carduelis in the finch family, Fringillidae. It is the smallest, brownest and most streaked of the redpolls... |
Carduelis cabaret | |
Common Redpoll Common Redpoll The Common Redpoll is a species in the finch family. It breeds somewhat further south than the Arctic Redpoll, also in habitats with thickets or shrubs. Nominate C. f. flammea breeds across the northern parts of North America and Eurasia. There is also an Icelandic subspecies, Icelandic Redpoll... |
Carduelis flammea | WR |
Arctic Redpoll Arctic Redpoll The Arctic Redpoll , known in North America as the Hoary Redpoll, is a bird species in the finch family Fringillidae. It breeds in tundra birch forest. It has two subspecies, C. h. hornemanni of Greenland and neighbouring parts of Canada, and C. h... |
Carduelis hornemanni | WR |
Two-barred Crossbill Two-barred Crossbill The Two-barred Crossbill , known as the White-winged Crossbill in North America, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae... |
Loxia leucoptera | BR |
(Common) Crossbill Common Crossbill The Common Crossbill is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It breeds in the spruce forests of North America, where it is known as Red Crossbill, as well as Europe and Asia; some populations breed in pine forests in certain areas of all three continents, and in North... |
Loxia curvirostris | |
Common Rosefinch Common Rosefinch The Common Rosefinch is the most widespread and common rosefinch of Europe, where it has spread westward from Asia in recent decades: it has even been recorded breeding in England once... |
Carpodacus erythrinus | WR |
(Common) Bullfinch Eurasian Bullfinch The Bullfinch, Common Bullfinch or Eurasian Bullfinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as Bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch.This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia... |
Pyrrhula pyrrhula | |
Hawfinch Hawfinch The Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes, is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Its closest living relatives are the Evening Grosbeak from North America and the Hooded Grosbeak from Central America especially Mexico.This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia... |
Coccothraustes coccothraustes |
New World warblerNew World warblerThe New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: PanuridaeA group of small, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal and insectivorous. There are about 118 species worldwide. 18 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 6 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Black-and-white Warbler Black-and-white Warbler The Black-and-white Warbler is a small New World warbler. It breeds in northern and eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida.... |
Mniotilta varia | BR |
Yellow Warbler Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia is a New World warbler species or superspecies; the subspecies group around D. aestiva is increasingly treated as good species Dendroica aestiva again. The name for the entire cryptic species complex is Mangrove Warbler, and another group of subspecies is known as Golden Warbler... |
Dendroica petechia | BR |
Blackburnian Warbler Blackburnian Warbler The Blackburnian Warbler, Dendroica fusca , is a small New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America, from southern Canada, westwards to the southern Canadian Prairies, the Great Lakes region and New England, to North Carolina.... |
Dendroica fusca | BR |
Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Four closely related North American bird forms—the eastern Myrtle Warbler , its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler , the northwest Mexican Black-fronted Warbler , and the Guatemalan Goldman's Warbler —are periodically lumped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler .-Classification:Since... |
Dendroica coronata | BR |
Blackpoll Warbler Blackpoll Warbler The Blackpoll Warbler, Dendroica striata , is a New World warbler. Breeding males are mostly black and white. They have a prominent black cap, white cheeks and white wing bars. The Blackpoll breeds in northern North America, from Alaska, through most of Canada, and into the Great Lakes region and... |
Dendroica striata | BR |
Common Yellowthroat Common Yellowthroat The Common Yellowthroat is a New World warbler. They are abundant breeders in North America, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico.... |
Geothlypas trichas | BR |
TanagerTanagerThe tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution.There were traditionally about 240 species of tanagers, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: ThraupidaeThe tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. There are about 226 species worldwide. 2 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 1 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Summer Tanager Summer Tanager The Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family... |
Piranga rubra | BR |
BuntingBunting (bird)Buntings are a group of Eurasian and African passerine birds of the family Emberizidae.They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills, and are the Old World equivalents of the species known in North America as sparrows...
s and New World sparrowAmerican sparrowAmerican sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: EmberizidaeEmberizidae
The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill.In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the sparrows, the...
The Emberizidae are a large family of seed-eating passerine birds with a distinctively-shaped bill. There are about 372 species worldwide, 27 in Britain and 18 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Song Sparrow Song Sparrow The Song Sparrow is a medium-sized American sparrow.Adults have brown upperparts with dark streaks on the back and are white underneath with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. They have a brown cap and a long brown rounded tail. Their face is grey with a streak... |
Melospiza melodia | BR |
White-throated Sparrow White-throated Sparrow The White-throated Sparrow is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae.-Description:The White-throated Sparrow is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae... |
Zonotrichia albicollis | BR |
Dark-eyed Junco Dark-eyed Junco The Dark-eyed Junco is the best-known species of the juncos, a genus of small grayish American sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic... |
Junco hyemalis | BR |
Lapland Bunting Lapland Bunting The Lapland Longspur or Lapland Bunting, Calcarius lapponicus, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae, a group separated by most modern authors from the Fringillidae .... |
Calcarius lapponicus | |
Snow Bunting Snow Bunting The Snow Bunting , sometimes colloquially called a snowflake, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is an arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere... |
Plectrophenax nivalis | |
Pine Bunting Pine Bunting The Pine Bunting, Emberiza leucocephalos, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group most modern authors now separate from the finches, Fringillidae.-Breeding and habitat:... |
Emberiza leucocephalos | BR |
Yellowhammer Yellowhammer The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees and form small flocks in winter.... |
Emberiza citrinella | |
Cirl Bunting Cirl Bunting The Cirl Bunting , Emberiza cirlus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza cirlus | WR |
Rock Bunting Rock Bunting The Rock Bunting, Emberiza cia, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.- Range :... |
Emberiza cia | BR |
Ortolan Bunting Ortolan Bunting The Ortolan, or Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana, is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae... |
Emberiza hortulana | WR |
Rustic Bunting Rustic Bunting The Rustic Bunting, Emberiza rustica, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza rustica | WR |
Little Bunting Little Bunting The Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla, is a passerine bird. It belongs to the bunting and American sparrow family , a group separated by most modern authors from the true finches .-Description:... |
Emberiza pusilla | WR |
Yellow-breasted Bunting Yellow-breasted Bunting The Yellow-breasted Bunting, Emberiza aureola, is an Eurasian passerine bird in the bunting family .This bird is similar in size to a Reed Bunting, but longer-billed... |
Emberiza aureola | BR |
Reed Bunting Reed Bunting The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza schoeniclus | |
Black-headed Bunting Black-headed Bunting The Black-headed Bunting, Emberiza melanocephala, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.... |
Emberiza melanocephala | BR |
Corn Bunting Corn Bunting The Corn Bunting, Miliaria calandra, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae... |
Emberiza calandra | WR |
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Rose-breasted Grosbeak The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, is a large seed-eating songbird in the cardinal family . It breeds in cool-temperate North America, migrating to tropical America in winter.-Description:... |
Pheucticus ludovicianus | BR |
Indigo Bunting Indigo Bunting The Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the... |
Passerina cyanea | BR |
New World orioleNew World orioleNew World orioles, comprising the genus Icterus, are a group of birds in the blackbird family. They are not related to Old World orioles which are in the family Oriolidae, but are strikingly similar in size, diet, behaviour and in their strongly contrasting plumage, and are a good example of...
s and New World blackbirdNew World blackbirdThe New World blackbirds consist of 26 species of icterid birds that share the name blackbird but do not correspond with a formal taxon...
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Order: Passeriformes. Family: IcteridaeA group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. There are about 101 species worldwide. 3 have occurred as vagrants in Britain and 2 in Wales.
Common name | Binomial | Status |
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Bobolink Bobolink The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx.-Description:Adults are 16–18 cm long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black, although they do display creamy napes, and white scapulars, lower backs and rumps... |
Dolichonyx oryzivorus | BR |
Baltimore Oriole Baltimore Oriole The Baltimore Oriole is a small icterid blackbird that averages 18 cm long and weighs 34 g. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore... |
Icterus galbula | BR |