This is a list of the bird species recorded in North Korea. The avifauna of North Korea include a total of 386 species, one of which is introduced.
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 tag has been used to highlight extirpated species. The commonly occurring native species are untagged.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in North Korea (I) Introduced - a species introduced to North Korea as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs in North Korea 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.
Snow goose (흰기러기), Anser caerulescens (A) Swan goose (물개리), Anser cygnoides Greater white-fronted goose (작은기러기(쇠기러기)), Anser albifrons Lesser white-fronted goose (흰이마기러기[흰이마쇠기러기]), Anser erythropus (A) Taiga bean-goose (큰기러기), Anser fabalis Tundra bean-goose (큰기러기), Anser serrirostris Brant (검은기러기), Branta bernicla (A) Cackling goose (카나다기러기), Branta hutchinsii (A) Mute swan (흑고니), Cygnus olor (A) Tundra swan (고니[곤이]), Cygnus columbianus Whooper swan (큰고니), Cygnus cygnus Ruddy shelduck (진경이), Tadorna ferruginea (A) Common shelduck (꽃진경이), Tadorna tadorna (A) Mandarin duck (원앙), Aix galericulata Baikal teal (태극오리), Sibirionetta formosa Garganey (발구지[알락발구지]), Spatula querquedula Northern shoveler (넙적부리오리), Spatula clypeata Gadwall (알락오리), Mareca strepera Falcated duck (청머리오리), Mareca falcata Eurasian wigeon (홍머리오리, 알숭오리), Mareca penelope Eastern spot-billed duck (흰뺨검둥오리), Anas zonorhyncha Mallard (청뒹오리(청동오리)), Anas platyrhynchos Northern pintail (가창오리), Anas acuta Green-winged teal (되강오리[발구지]), Anas crecca Common pochard (흰쭉지오리[붉은머리검은가슴]), Aythya ferina Baer's pochard (푸른머리흰쭉지오리[푸른머리흰눈, 붉은가슴흰쭉지]), Aythya baeri (A) Tufted duck (검은댕기흰쭉지오리[검은댕기흰쭉지]), Aythya fuligula Greater scaup (검은머리흰쭉지오리[검은머리알숭오리]), Aythya marila Harlequin duck (흰무늬오리), Histrionicus histrionicus Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata (A) Stejneger's scoter, Melanitta stejnegeri Black scoter, Melanitta americana Long-tailed duck (바다꿩[담북오리]), Clangula hyemalis Common goldeneye (흰뺨오리), Bucephala clangula Smew, Mergellus albellus Common merganser (갯비오리), Mergus merganser Red-breasted merganser (바다비오리), Mergus serrator Scaly-sided merganser (비오리[호사비오리]), Mergus squamatus (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.
Hazel grouse (들꿩), Tetrastes bonasia Black grouse (멧닭[메'닭]), Lyrurus tetrix Ring-necked pheasant (꿩), Phasianus colchicus Japanese quail (메추리), Coturnix japonica
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 (농병아리), Tachybaptus ruficollis Horned grebe (귀농병아리), Podiceps auritus Red-necked grebe (붉은목농병아리), Podiceps grisegena Great crested grebe (뿔논병아리), Podiceps cristatus Eared grebe (검은목농병아리), 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 (I) Hill pigeon (낭비들기[굴비들기, 양비들기, 낭비둘기]), Columba rupestris Oriental turtle-dove, Streptopelia orientalis Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (A) Red collared-dove (검은목도리비들기[검은목도리비둘기]), Streptopelia tranquebarica (A)
Sandgrouse Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae
Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes.
Pallas's sandgrouse (모래닭[사계]), Syrrhaptes paradoxus (A)
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 (너화), Otis tarda (Ex)
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.
Northern hawk-cuckoo (새매뻐꾸기), Hierococcyx hyperythrus Lesser cuckoo (두견), Cuculus poliocephalus Indian cuckoo (검은등뻐꾸기[검은줄발이뻐꾸기]), Cuculus micropterus Common cuckoo (뻐꾸기), Cuculus canorus Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus optatus
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.
Gray nightjar (쏙독새), Caprimulgus jotaka
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.
White-throated needletail (후리새), Hirundapus caudacutus Pacific swift (칼새), Apus pacificus
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.
Brown-cheeked rail, Rallus indicus Eurasian moorhen (물닭), Gallinula chloropus Eurasian coot (큰물닭), Fulica atra Watercock (뜸부기), Gallicrex cinerea White-breasted waterhen (흰배물닭), Amaurornis phoenicurus (A) Ruddy-breasted crake, Zapornia fusca Band-bellied crake, Zapornia paykullii (A) Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla (A) Swinhoe's rail (작은물병아리), Coturnicops exquisitus (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".
White-naped crane (재두루미), Antigone vipio Common crane (검은두루미), Grus grus Hooded crane (흰목검은두루미[개두루미]), Grus monacha Red-crowned crane (흰두루미[백두루미, 학]), Grus japonensis
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-winged stilt (긴다리도요), Himantopus himantopus (A) 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
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 Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus Gray-headed lapwing, Vanellus cinereus (A) Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii (A) Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A) Long-billed plover, Charadrius placidus Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius
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.
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Little curlew, Numenius minutus (A) Far Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris Red knot, Calidris canutus Ruff, Calidris alba (A) Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A) Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii Long-toed stint, Calidris subminuta (A) Spoon-billed sandpiper, Calidris pygmeus (A) Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis Sanderling, Calidris alba (A) Dunlin, Calidris alpina Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri (A) Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola Solitary snipe, Gallinago solitaria Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago Pin-tailed snipe, Gallinago stenura (A) Swinhoe's snipe, Gallinago megala (A) Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (A) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes Wandering tattler, Tringa incana (A) Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Nordmann's greenshank, Tringa guttifer (A) Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis (A) Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola Common redshank, Tringa totanus
Buttonquail Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae
The buttonquail are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young.
Yellow-legged buttonquail, Turnix tanki
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.
Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum (A)
Auks, murres, and puffins Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae
Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins and differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.
Common murre, Uria aalge Spectacled guillemot, Cepphus carbo Long-billed murrelet, Brachyramphus perdix (A) Ancient murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus Rhinoceros auklet, Cerorhinca monocerata
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae