This is a list of the bird species recorded in Jamaica. The avifauna of Jamaica included a total of 332 species as of July 2022, according to Bird Checklists of the World. Of them, 28 are endemic, 19 have been introduced by humans, and 159 are rare or accidental. Another species (great-tailed grackle) is concentrated in one area and might also have been introduced. Six species have been extirpated. Sixteen species are globally threatened. An additional accidental species has been added from another source.
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 63rd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Jamaica (E) Endemic - a species endemic to Jamaica (Es) Endemic subspecies - a subspecies endemic to Jamaica (I) Introduced - a species introduced directly to Jamaica or elsewhere in the New World (Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs in Jamaica although populations exist elsewhere
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis West Indian whistling-duck, Dendrocygna arborea Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (A) Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (A) Canada goose, Branta canadensis (A) Wood duck, Aix sponsa (A) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Gadwall, Mareca strepera (A) American wigeon, Mareca americana Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (A) White-cheeked pintail, Anas bahamensis (A) Northern pintail, Anas acuta (A) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (A) Redhead, Aythya americana (A) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Greater scaup, Aythya marila (A) Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola (A) Masked duck, Nomonyx dominicus Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis
Guineafowl Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae
Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.
Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (I)
New World quail Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.
Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus (Ex)
Flamingos Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber
Grebes
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Least grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I) Scaly-naped pigeon, Patagioenas squamosa (A) White-crowned pigeon, Patagioenas leucocephala Plain pigeon, Patagioenas inornata Ring-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas caribaea (E) Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (I) Common ground dove, Columbina passerina Blue-headed quail-dove, Starnoenas cyanocephala (I) Crested quail-dove, Geotrygon versicolor (E) Ruddy quail-dove, Geotrygon montana Caribbean dove, Leptotila jamaicensis White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica Zenaida dove, Zenaida aurita Eared dove, Zenaida auriculata (A) Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.
Smooth-billed ani, Crotophaga ani Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus Mangrove cuckoo, Coccyzus minor Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus Chestnut-bellied cuckoo, Coccyzus pluvialis (E) Jamaican lizard-cuckoo, Coccyzus vetula (E)
Nightjars and allies Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor Antillean nighthawk, Chordeiles gundlachii Jamaican pauraque, Siphonorhis americana (E) Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis Eastern whip-poor-will, Antrostomus vociferus (A)
Potoos Order: NyctibiiformesFamily: Nyctibiidae
The potoos (sometimes called poor-me-ones) are large near passerine birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths. They are nocturnal insectivores which lack the bristles around the mouth found in the true nightjars.
Northern potoo, Nyctibius jamaicensis
Swifts Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend 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. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Black swift, Cypseloides niger White-collared swift, Streptoprocne zonaris Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (A) Antillean palm swift, Tachornis phoenicobia
Hummingbirds Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Jamaican mango, Anthracothorax mango (E) Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris (A) Vervain hummingbird, Mellisuga minima (ES) Red-billed streamertail, Trochilus polytmus (E) Black-billed streamertail, Trochilus scitulus (E)
Rails, gallinules, and coots Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Spotted rail, Pardirallus maculatus Uniform crake, Amaurolimnas concolor (Ex) Jamaican wood rail, A. c. concolor (Es, extinct)Taylor, B. (2020). Uniform Crake (Amaurolimnas concolor), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.unicra1.01 retrieved September 2, 2021. Clapper rail, Rallus crepitans King rail, Rallus elegans (A) Sora, Porzana carolina Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata American coot, Fulica americana Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica Yellow-breasted crake, Haplocrex flaviventer Black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis
Limpkin Order: GruiformesFamily: Aramidae
The limpkin resembles a large rail. It has drab-brown plumage and a greyer head and neck.
Limpkin, Aramus guarauna
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (A)
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus (A)
Plovers and lapwings Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva (A) Southern lapwing, Vanellus chilensis (A) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (A) Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus (A)
Jacanas Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a group of waders found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
Northern jacana, Jacana spinosa
Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (A) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (A) Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa (A) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus (A) Ruff, Calidris pugnax (A) Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina (A) Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (A) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Willet, Tringa semipalmata Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (A)
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (A)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae