Birds Name List A to Z
Looking for a bird but only remember the first letter of its name? Use this A to Z directory to find birds from around the world, including backyard birds, parrots, raptors, waterfowl, seabirds, and rare species.
Choose a letter to see bird names, pictures, scientific names, ranges, habitats, identification clues, and quick facts. You can begin with a familiar bird or pick one of the harder letters to find a species you have never seen before.
Explore Bird Names From A to Z
Every letter opens a separate bird list. The examples below give you a quick idea of what you will find inside each guide.
Birds That Start With A
Meet birds whose names begin with A. American Robin, Atlantic Puffin, African Grey Parrot
Explore letter ABirds That Start With B
Find familiar backyard birds and large hunters. Bald Eagle, Blue Jay, Barn Owl
Explore letter BBirds That Start With C
Browse colorful songbirds and much larger species. California Condor, Carolina Wren, Common Loon
Explore letter CBirds That Start With D
Discover small woodpeckers, doves, and waterbirds. Downy Woodpecker, Diamond Dove, Dalmatian Pelican
Explore letter DBirds That Start With E
Compare birds from garden perches to frozen coasts. Eastern Bluebird, Emperor Penguin, Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Explore letter EBirds That Start With F
Find pink waders, soaring seabirds, and small songbirds. Flamingo, Frigatebird, Field Sparrow
Explore letter FBirds That Start With G
Meet eagles, herons, jays, and other global species. Golden Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Green Jay
Explore letter GBirds That Start With H
Find powerful raptors and familiar feeder visitors. Harpy Eagle, Hoopoe, House Finch
Explore letter HBirds That Start With I
Browse bright songbirds and birds from icy waters. Indigo Bunting, Ivory Gull, Indian Peafowl
Explore letter IBirds That Start With J
Meet tall wetland birds and small flocking species. Jabiru, Java Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco
Explore letter JBirds That Start With K
Find unusual parrots and fast aerial hunters. Kākāpō, Kestrel, Kingfisher
Explore letter KBirds That Start With L
Browse ocean travelers, marsh birds, and gifted mimics. Laysan Albatross, Limpkin, Lyrebird
Explore letter LBirds That Start With M
Find ducks, doves, falcons, and mountain birds. Mallard, Mourning Dove, Mountain Bluebird
Explore letter MBirds That Start With N
Meet colorful residents and agile tree-climbing birds. Northern Cardinal, Nuthatch, Night Heron
Explore letter NBirds That Start With O
Compare fish hunters, giant runners, and orange songbirds. Osprey, Ostrich, Oriole
Explore letter OBirds That Start With P
Find fast falcons, large woodpeckers, and seabirds. Peregrine Falcon, Pileated Woodpecker, Puffin
Explore letter PBirds That Start With Q
One of the harder letters still has several unusual birds. Quail, Quetzal, Red-billed Quelea
Explore letter QBirds That Start With R
Browse intelligent black birds, pink waders, and raptors. Raven, Roseate Spoonbill, Red-tailed Hawk
Explore letter RBirds That Start With S
Find owls, cranes, seabirds, and long-legged hunters. Snowy Owl, Sandhill Crane, Secretary Bird
Explore letter SBirds That Start With T
Meet tropical birds and common North American residents. Toco Toucan, Tufted Titmouse, Turkey Vulture
Explore letter TBirds That Start With U
Discover grassland birds and unusual tropical species. Upland Sandpiper, Umbrellabird, Ultramarine Lorikeet
Explore letter UBirds That Start With V
Find bright flycatchers, swallows, and soaring scavengers. Vermilion Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Vulture
Explore letter VBirds That Start With W
Browse cranes, colorful ducks, and migratory songbirds. Whooping Crane, Wood Duck, Western Tanager
Explore letter WBirds That Start With X
Explore one of the alphabet’s most difficult bird lists. Xantus’s Hummingbird, Xinjiang Ground-Jay, Xavier’s Greenbul
Explore letter XBirds That Start With Y
Find several birds named for their yellow markings. Yellow Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellowhammer
Explore letter YBirds That Start With Z
Finish the alphabet with doves, hawks, and African birds. Zebra Dove, Zone-tailed Hawk, Zenaida Dove
Explore letter ZTry a Bird Alphabet Challenge
Make the directory more fun by choosing one of these starting points. Each option takes you to a different part of the alphabet.
Start With Familiar Birds
Look for the Bald Eagle, Blue Jay, Barn Owl, and other recognizable species.
Open letter BTry a Difficult Letter
Test how many birds you can name before opening one of the shortest and hardest lists.
Open letter XFind Colorful Birds
Discover hummingbirds, toucans, tanagers, titmice, and other memorable species.
Open letter TMore Ways to Find a Bird
Browse Birds by Location
Find birds that live in your state, including backyard species, waterfowl, raptors, and seasonal visitors.
Explore birds by stateBrowse Bird Identification Guides
Compare birds by family, appearance, habitat, behavior, and other identification clues.
Explore bird guidesSearch for a Bird
Use the site search if you already know part of the bird’s common or scientific name.
Search BirdSerenityHow Bird Names Are Organized
These alphabetical guides use each bird’s common English name. A bird is placed under the first word of that name. For example, American Robin appears under A, while Northern Cardinal appears under N.
Common names can vary between countries and may change when bird authorities update naming rules. Each letter guide includes scientific names where available because a scientific name identifies the same species across regions and languages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bird species are there in the world?
Bird authorities recognize more than 11,000 living bird species. The exact total can change as researchers split, combine, or rename species.
Which letter starts the most bird names?
Letters such as B, C, S, and W begin many common bird names. The answer changes depending on which regional or worldwide bird list is used.
Which letters have the fewest bird names?
Q, X, and Z are among the hardest letters. Far fewer English bird names begin with these letters than with A, B, C, or S.
Are these pet bird names?
No. This directory lists names of bird species, including wild birds and commonly kept species. It is different from a list of personal names for pet birds.
Why do some birds have more than one common name?
A species may have different regional or older names. Taxonomy updates can also change the accepted common name while the scientific name remains a more exact reference.