This is a list of the bird species recorded in Montserrat. The avifauna of Montserrat included a total of 126 species according to Bird Checklists of the World as of May 2023. Of them, 68 are rare or accidental. There is one endemic species, the endangered Montserrat oriole, as well as an endemic subspecies of the forest thrush. Three species have been introduced by humans. Three Important Bird Areas have been identified on Montserrat by BirdLife International, the Northern Forested Ghauts, Centre Hills and South Soufriere Hills.
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 Montserrat (E) Endemic - a species endemic to Montserrat (I) Introduced - a species introduced directly to Montserrat or elsewhere in the New World
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.
West Indian whistling-duck, Dendrocygna arborea (A) Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata American wigeon, Mareca americana (A) Northern pintail, Anas acuta (A) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca
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 (A)
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 White-crowned pigeon, Patagioenas leucocephala Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (I) Common ground dove, Columbina passerina Bridled quail-dove, Geotrygon mystacea White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica (A) Zenaida dove, Zenaida aurita
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. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Smooth-billed ani, Crotophaga ani Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (A) Mangrove cuckoo, Coccyzus minor
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.
Antillean nighthawk, Chordeiles gundlachii (A)
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 (A)
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.
Purple-throated carib, Eulampis jugularis Green-throated carib, Eulampis holosericeus Antillean crested hummingbird, Orthorhyncus cristatus
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.
Sora, Porzana carolina (A) Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata American coot, Fulica americana (A) Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica (A)
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
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 (A) American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica (A) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (A) Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (A) Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia (A) Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus (A)
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 Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres (A) Red knot, Calidris canutus (A) Ruff, Calidris pugnax (A) Sanderling, Calidris alba (A) Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis (A) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla (A) Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus (A) Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (A) Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (A) Willet, Tringa semipalmata (A) Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (A)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, terns, and skimmers. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla Brown noddy, Anous stolidus (A) Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus (A) Least tern, Sternula antillarum (A) Common tern, Sterna hirundo (A) Forster's tern, Sterna forsteri (A) Royal tern, Thalasseus maxima Sandwich tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis
Tropicbirds
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus
Shearwaters and petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Sargasso shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri (A)
Frigatebirds Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white, or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.
Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens
Boobies and gannets
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Masked booby, Sula dactylatra Brown booby, Sula leucogaster Red-footed booby, Sula sula (A)
Pelicans Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis
Herons, egrets, and bitterns
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.
American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus (A) Great blue heron, Ardea herodias (A) Gray heron, Ardea cinerea (A) Great egret, Ardea alba Snowy egret, Egretta thula Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea (A) Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor (A) Reddish egret, Egretta rufescens (A) Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis Green heron, Butorides virescens Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax (A) Yellow-crowned night-heron, Nyctanassa violacea
Ibises and spoonbills Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus (A)
Osprey Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
Hawks, eagles, and kites Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.
Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis (A)
Kingfishers Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Ringed kingfisher, Megaceryle torquatus (A) Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon
Falcons and caracaras
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
American kestrel, Falco sparverius Merlin, Falco columbarius Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus
Tyrant flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tyrannidae