This is a list of the bird species recorded in Colombia. According to the South American Classification Committee (SACC), the avifauna of Colombia has 1915 confirmed species. Of them, 86 are endemic, four have been introduced by humans, and 78 are rare or vagrants. One of the endemic species is believed to be extinct. An additional 39 species are unconfirmed (see below).Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, D. F. Lane, L, N. Naka, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 25 July 2026. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. South American Classification Committee associated with the International Ornithologists' Union. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved 25 July 2026
The Colombian department of San Andrés and Providencia is much closer to Nicaragua than to the South American mainland, so the SACC does not address records there. A 2015 publication adds 16 species whose only Colombian records are from that province and also five species to the mainland list. It also does not include one species that the SACC recognizes. Three of the 16 are also considered hypothetical.Donegan, Thomas, Juan Carlos Verhelst, Paul Salaman, Oswaldo Cortes, David Caro, and Alonso Quevedo. Checklist of the Birds of Colombia 2015 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308015655_Checklist_of_the_Birds_of_Colombia_2015_-_with_footnotes_to_all_differing_taxonomic_treatments_of_IOC_AOU-SACC_and_BirdLifeHBW2014_and_all_ProAves_papers_on_occurrencestatus_Listado_de_Aves_de_Colombia A 2020 publication adds two more species (one offshore vagrant and a vagrant to the mainland). (The SACC does not address records from more than 200 miles offshore.)
Unless noted otherwise, the list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) are those of the SACC. Capitalization within English names follows Wikipedia practice, i.e. only the first word of a name is capitalized unless a place name such as São Paulo is used.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, D. F. Lane, L, N. Naka, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 25 July 2026. A classification of the bird species of South America. South American Classification Committee associated with the International Ornithologists' Union. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved 25 July 2026
The total number of species presented here is 2040. Of them, 89 are endemic, 138 are vagrants, and one species is of uncertain origin. Included are 56 species listed in a 1959 publication; none of them have been confirmed by the SACC since then. Six species listed in GBIF are included; they also are unconfirmed by the SACC.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.
(V) Vagrant - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Colombia (E) Endemic - a species endemic to Colombia (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Colombia as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (U) Unconfirmed - a species recorded but with "no tangible evidence" according to the SACC (SA) San Andrés - a species whose only Colombian records are from the department of San Andrés and Providencia (UN) Unconfirmed - a species from a source other than the SACC or the cited 2015 and 2020 publications and unconfirmed by the SACC
Population status symbols are those of the Red List published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).IUCN 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-1. http://www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on July 30, 2020. The symbols apply to the species' worldwide status, not their status solely in Colombia. The symbols and their meanings, in increasing order of peril, are:
+ Conservation status codes = least concern = near threatened = vulnerable = endangered = critically endangered = extinct in the wild = extinct
Tinamous Order: TinamiformesFamily: Tinamidae
The tinamous are one of the most ancient groups of bird. Although they look similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail and grouse, they have no close relatives and are classified as a single family, Tinamidae, within their own order, the Tinamiformes. Nineteen species have been recorded in Colombia.
Tawny-breasted tinamou, Nothocercus julius (Bonaparte, 1854) Highland tinamou, Nothocercus bonapartei (Gray, GR, 1867) Gray tinamou, Tinamus tao Temminck, 1815 Black tinamou, Tinamus osgoodi Conover, 1949 Great tinamou, Tinamus major (Gmelin, JF, 1789) White-throated tinamou, Tinamus guttatus Pelzeln, 1863 Berlepsch's tinamou, Crypturellus berlepschi (Rothschild, 1897) Cinereous tinamou, Crypturellus cinereus (Gmelin, JF, 1789) Little tinamou, Crypturellus soui (Hermann, 1783) Brown tinamou, Crypturellus obsoletus (Temminck, 1815) Undulated tinamou, Crypturellus undulatus (Temminck, 1815) Gray-legged tinamou, Crypturellus duidae Zimmer, JT, 1938 Red-legged tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus (Pelzeln, 1863) Choco tinamou, Crypturellus kerriae (Chapman, 1915) Variegated tinamou, Crypturellus variegatus (Gmelin, JF, 1789) Rusty tinamou, Crypturellus brevirostris (Pelzeln, 1863) (U) Bartlett's tinamou, Crypturellus bartletti (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1873) (U) Barred tinamou, Crypturellus casiquiare (Chapman, 1929) Curve-billed tinamou, Nothoprocta curvirostris (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1873)
Screamers Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anhimidae
The screamers are a small family of birds related to the ducks. They are large, bulky birds, with a small downy head, long legs, and large feet which are only partially webbed. They have large spurs on their wings which are used in fights over mates and in territorial disputes. Two species have been recorded in Colombia.
Horned screamer, Anhima cornuta (Linnaeus, 1766) Northern screamer, Chauna chavaria (Linnaeus, 1766)
Ducks 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. Thirty-five species have been recorded in Colombia.
Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (Vieillot, 1816) White-faced whistling-duck, Dendrocygna viduata (Linnaeus, 1766) Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) West Indian whistling-duck, Dendrocygna arborea (Linnaeus, 1758) (UN)(V) Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (Linnaeus, 1758) (UN)(V) Orinoco goose, Oressochen jubata (Spix, 1825) Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea (Pallas, 1764) (UN)(V) Common shelduck, Tadorna tadorna (Linnaeus, 1758) (UN)(V) Muscovy duck, Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758) Comb duck, Sarkidiornis sylvicola Ihering, HFA & Ihering, R, 1907 Brazilian teal, Amazonetta brasiliensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789) Torrent duck, Merganetta armata Gould, 1842 Baikal teal, Sibirionetta formosa (Georgi, 1775) (UN)(I) Puna teal, Spatula puna (Tschudi, 1844) (U) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus, 1758) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (Linnaeus, 1766) Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera (Vieillot, 1816) Gadwall, Mareca strepera (Linnaeus, 1758) (SA) Falcated duck, Mareca falcata (Georgi, 1775) (UN)(V) Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope (Linnaeus, 1758) (UN)(V) American wigeon, Mareca americana (Gmelin, JF, 1789) White-cheeked pintail, Anas bahamensis Linnaeus, 1758 Northern pintail, Anas acuta Linnaeus, 1758 Yellow-billed pintail, Anas georgica Gmelin, JF, 1789 Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Linnaeus, 1758 (V) Andean teal, Anas andium (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1873) Southern pochard, Netta erythrophthalma (Wied-Neuwied, M, 1833) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris (Donovan, 1809) (V) Common pochard, Aythya ferina (Linnaeus, 1758) (UN)(V) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758) (UN)(V) Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis (Eyton, 1838) Baer's pochard, Aythya baeri (Radde, 1863) (UN)(I) Velvet scoter, Melanitta fusca (Linnaeus, 1758) (UN)(V) Masked duck, Nomonyx dominicus (Linnaeus, 1766) Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789) Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator Linnaeus, 1758 (SA)
Guans Order: GalliformesFamily: Cracidae
The Cracidae are large birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys. The guans and curassows live in trees, but the smaller chachalacas are found in more open scrubby habitats. They are generally dull-plumaged, but the curassows and some guans have colorful facial ornaments. Colombia has the largest number of cracids of any country; twenty-six have been recorded there.
Sickle-winged guan, Chamaepetes goudotii (Lesson, RP, 1828) Band-tailed guan, Penelope argyrotis (Bonaparte, 1856) Baudo guan, Penelope ortoni Salvin, 1874 Andean guan, Penelope montagnii (Bonaparte, 1856) Spix's guan, Penelope jacquacu Spix, 1825 Crested guan, Penelope purpurascens Wagler, 1830 Cauca guan, Penelope perspicax Bangs, 1911 (E) Blue-throated piping-guan, Pipile cumanensis (Jacquin, 1784) Wattled guan, Aburria aburri (Lesson, RP, 1828) Gray-headed chachalaca, Ortalis cinereiceps Gray, GR, 1867 Chestnut-winged chachalaca, Ortalis garrula (Humboldt, 1805) (E) Rufous-vented chachalaca, Ortalis ruficauda Jardine, 1847 Rufous-headed chachalaca, Ortalis erythroptera Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1870 Colombian chachalaca, Ortalis columbiana Hellmayr, 1906 (E) Speckled chachalaca, Ortalis guttata (Spix, 1825) Variable chachalaca, Ortalis motmot (Linnaeus, 1766) (U) Nocturnal curassow, Nothocrax urumutum (Spix, 1825) Great curassow, Crax rubra Linnaeus, 1758 Blue-billed curassow, Crax alberti Fraser, 1852 (E) Yellow-knobbed curassow, Crax daubentoni Gray, GR, 1867 Black curassow, Crax alector Linnaeus, 1766 Wattled curassow, Crax globulosa Spix, 1825 Crestless curassow, Mitu tomentosum (Spix, 1825) Salvin's curassow, Mitu salvini Reinhardt, 1879 Razor-billed curassow, Mitu tuberosum (Spix, 1825) Helmeted curassow, Pauxi pauxi (Linnaeus, 1766)
New World quails 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. Ten species have been recorded in Colombia.
Tawny-faced quail, Rhynchortyx cinctus (Salvin, 1876) Crested bobwhite, Colinus cristatus (Linnaeus, 1766) Marbled wood-quail, Odontophorus gujanensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789) Black-fronted wood-quail, Odontophorus atrifrons Allen, JA, 1900 Rufous-fronted wood-quail, Odontophorus erythrops Gould, 1859 Chestnut wood-quail, Odontophorus hyperythrus Gould, 1858 (E) Dark-backed wood-quail, Odontophorus melanonotus Gould, 1861 Rufous-breasted wood-quail, Odontophorus speciosus Tschudi, 1843 Tacarcuna wood-quail, Odontophorus dialeucos Wetmore, 1963 Gorgeted wood-quail, Odontophorus strophium (Gould, 1844) (E)
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. Two species have been recorded in Colombia.
Chilean flamingo, Phoenicopterus chilensis (Molina, 1782) (V) American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber Linnaeus, 1758
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. Four species have been recorded in Colombia.
Least grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus (Linnaeus, 1766) Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps (Linnaeus, 1758) Colombian grebe, Podiceps andinus (Meyer de Schauensee, 1959) (E) Silvery grebe, Podiceps occipitalis Garnot, 1826
Pigeons Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae