This is a list of the bird species recorded in Andorra. The avifauna of Andorra include a total of 178 species, of which two have been introduced by humans and 9 are rare or accidental.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of the IOC World Bird List. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Andorra.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. Not all species fall into one of these categories.
(I) Introduced - a species introduced to Andorra as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
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.
Mandarin duck, Aix galericulata (I) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Eurasian teal, Anas crecca
Pheasants, grouse, and allies
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Rock ptarmigan, Lagopus muta Western capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus Grey partridge, Perdix perdix Common pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I) Common quail, Coturnix coturnix Red-legged partridge, Alectoris rufa
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.
Eurasian nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus
Swifts
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: 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.
Alpine swift, Apus melba Common swift, Apus apus Pallid swift, Apus pallidus
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.
Common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus
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 dove, Columba livia Stock dove, Columba oenas Common wood pigeon, Columba palumbus European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur Eurasian collared dove, Streptopelia decaocto
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.
Eurasian coot, Fulica atra
Cranes
Order: GruiformesFamily: 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".
Common crane, Grus grus
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.
Little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis Black-necked grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
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.
Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
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 the length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus
Gulls, terns, and skimmers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.
Yellow-legged gull, Larus michahellis
Storks
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Black stork, Ciconia nigra White stork, Ciconia ciconia
Cormorants and shags
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colour varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.
Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
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.
Grey heron, Ardea cinerea Little egret, Egretta garzetta
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.
Bearded vulture, Gypaetus barbatus Egyptian vulture, Neophron percnopterus European honey buzzard, Pernis apivorus Griffon vulture, Gyps fulvus Black vulture, Aegypius monachus Short-toed snake eagle, Circaetus gallicus Greater spotted eagle, Clanga clanga Booted eagle, Hieraaetus pennatus Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus Eurasian goshawk, Astur gentilis Western marsh harrier, Circus aeruginosus Hen harrier, Circus cyaneus Montagu's harrier, Circus pygargus Red kite, Milvus milvus Black kite, Milvus migrans Common buzzard, Buteo buteo
Barn owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Barn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. Western barn owl, Tyto alba
Owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The 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 disk.
Tengmalm's owl, Aegolius funereus Little owl, Athene noctua Eurasian scops owl, Otus scops Long-eared owl, Asio otus Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus Eurasian eagle owl, Bubo bubo Tawny owl, Strix aluco
Hoopoes
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.
Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops
Rollers
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.
European roller, Coracias garrulus
Kingfishers
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
Common kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
Bee-eaters
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of coraciiform birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
European bee-eater, Merops apiaster
Woodpeckers
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Most species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, though a few species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Eurasian wryneck, Jynx torquilla Lesser spotted woodpecker, Dryobates minor Great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major Black woodpecker, Dryocopus martius Iberian green woodpecker, Picus sharpei
Falcons
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in having a tomial 'tooth' on the bill.
Eurasian kestrel, Falco tinnunculus Merlin, Falco columbarius Eurasian hobby, Falco subbuteo (A) Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus
Old World orioles
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles.
Eurasian golden oriole, Oriolus oriolus
Shrikes
Order: PasseriformesFamily: 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.
Great grey shrike, Lanius excubitor Iberian grey shrike, Lanius meridionalis Lesser grey shrike, Lanius minor Woodchat shrike, Lanius senator (A) Red-backed shrike, Lanius collurio
Crows, jays, and magpies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Eurasian jay, Garrulus glandarius Eurasian magpie, Pica pica Red-billed chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Alpine chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus Western jackdaw, Corvus monedula (A) Rook, Corvus frugilegus Carrion crow, Corvus corone Common raven, Corvus corax
Tits
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae