This is a list of the bird species recorded in North Macedonia. The avifauna of the Republic of North Macedonia include a total of 328 species, none of which are introduced or endemic.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account.
The following tags have been used to highlight extirpated species. Untagged birds are commonly occurring native species.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in North Macedonia (Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs in North Macedonia although populations exist elsewhere
Ducks, geese, and swans 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.
Graylag goose, Anser anser Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons Lesser white-fronted goose, Anser erythropus (A) Taiga bean-goose, Anser fabalis Tundra bean-goose, Anser serrirostris Red-breasted goose, Branta ruficollis (A) Mute swan, Cygnus olor Tundra swan, Cygnus bewickii (A) Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus (A) Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea (A) Common shelduck, Tadorna tadorna Garganey, Spatula querquedula Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Gadwall, Mareca strepera Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Northern pintail, Anas acuta Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Marbled teal, Marmaronetta angustirostris (Ex) Red-crested pochard, Netta rufina Common pochard, Aythya ferina Ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula Greater scaup, Aythya marila (A) Velvet scoter, Melanitta fusca (A) Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis (A) Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula Smew, Mergellus albellus Common merganser, Mergus merganser Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator White-headed duck, Oxyura leucocephala (A)
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.
Common quail, Coturnix coturnix Rock partridge, Alectoris graeca Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus Gray partridge, Perdix perdix Western capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus (A) Hazel grouse, Tetrastes bonasia Black grouse, Lyrurus tetrix (A)
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.
Greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus (A)
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 Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus (A) Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena (A) Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
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 Stock dove, Columba oenas Common wood-pigeon, Columba palumbus European turtle-dove, Streptopelia turtur Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto
Bustards Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.
Great bustard, Otis tarda (A) Little bustard, Tetrax tetrax (A)
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.
Great spotted cuckoo, Clamator glandarius (A) Common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus
Nightjars 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, Tachymarptis melba Common swift, Apus apus Pallid swift, Apus pallidus
Rails 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.
Water rail, Rallus aquaticus Corn crake, Crex crex Spotted crake, Porzana porzana Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus Eurasian coot, Fulica atra Little crake, Zapornia parva Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla (A)
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
Stone-curlews Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The stone-curlews, also known as thick-knees, are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Eurasian thick-knee, Burhinus oedicnemus
Avocets and stilts 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-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus Pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta (A)
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus (A)
Plovers, dotterels, 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) European golden-plover, Pluvialis apricaria (A) Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus Spur-winged lapwing, Vanellus spinosus (A) Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus (A) Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A)
Sandpipers 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.
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus (A) Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata Slender-billed curlew, Numenius tenuirostris (Ex) Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres (A) Ruff, Calidris pugnax Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus (A) Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A) Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii (A) Sanderling, Calidris alba (A) Dunlin, Calidris alpina Little stint, Calidris minuta Jack snipe, Lymnocryptes minimus Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola (A) Great snipe, Gallinago media (A) Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola Common redshank, Tringa totanus
Pratincoles and coursers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Collared pratincole, Glareola pratincola (А)
Skuas Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
Skuas 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 (A) Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (A)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, 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.
Black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (A) Slender-billed gull, Chroicocephalus genei (A) Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus Little gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus Ross's gull, Rhodostethia rosea (A) Mediterranean gull, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Pallas's gull, Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus (A) Common gull, Larus canus Yellow-legged gull, Larus michahellis Caspian gull, Larus cachinnans (A) Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus (A) Little tern, Sternula albifrons (A) Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica (A) Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (A) Black tern, Chlidonias niger White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus (A) Whiskered tern, Chlidonias hybrida (A) Common tern, Sterna hirundo Sandwich tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis (A)
Loons Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons, known as divers in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated.
Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata (A) Arctic loon, Gavia arctica Common loon, Gavia immer (A)
Storks Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae