This is a list of the bird species recorded in Macau. The avifauna of Macau include a total of 416 species, of which 6 have been introduced by humans.
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. Introduced species are included in the total count for Macau.
The following tags have been used to highlight accidental and introduced species. The commonly occurring native species are untagged.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Macau (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Macau as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
The family 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.
Lesser whistling-duck, Dendrocygna javanica Graylag goose, Anser anser Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea Common shelduck, Tadorna tadorna Garganey, Spatula querquedula Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Gadwall, Mareca strepera Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope Eastern spot-billed duck, Anas zonorhyncha Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Northern pintail, Anas acuta Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Common pochard, Aythya ferina Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
Pheasants, grouse, and allies Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus Chinese francolin, Francolinus pintadeanus Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica (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 (I)
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 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 Oriental turtle-dove, Streptopelia orientalis Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto Red collared-dove, Streptopelia tranquebarica Spotted dove, Streptopelia chinensis Barred cuckoo-dove, Macropygia unchall (A) Asian emerald dove, Chalcophaps indica White-bellied green-pigeon, Treron sieboldii
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These are birds of variable sizes with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs.
Greater coucal, Centropus sinensis Lesser coucal, Centropus bengalensis Green-billed malkoha, Phaenicophaeus tristis Chestnut-winged cuckoo, Clamator coromandus Asian koel, Eudynamys scolopaceus Asian emerald cuckoo, Chrysococcyx maculatus Plaintive cuckoo, Cacomantis merulinus Square-tailed drongo-cuckoo, Surniculus lugubris (A) Large hawk-cuckoo, Hierococcyx sparverioides Northern hawk-cuckoo, Hierococcyx hyperythrus Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo, Hierococcyx nisicolor Lesser cuckoo, Cuculus poliocephalus Indian cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus Common cuckoo, 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, Caprimulgus jotaka (A) Savanna nightjar, Caprimulgus affinis
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, Hirundapus caudacutus Himalayan swiftlet, Aerodramus brevirostris Pacific swift, Apus pacificus Little swift, Apus affinis House swift, Apus nipalensis
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 Slaty-breasted rail, Lewinia striata Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus Eurasian coot, Fulica atra Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus Slaty-legged crake, Rallina eurizonoides Ruddy-breasted crake, Zapornia fusca Brown crake, Zapornia akool
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 Red-crowned crane, 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, Himantopus himantopus Pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta
Oystercatchers 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 (A) Gray-headed lapwing, Vanellus cinereus Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus White-faced plover, Charadrius dealbatus Long-billed plover, Charadrius placidus Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus
Painted-snipes Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae
Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly colored.
Greater painted-snipe, Rostratula benghalensis
Jacanas Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
Pheasant-tailed jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus
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 Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii Long-toed stint, Calidris subminuta Spoon-billed sandpiper, Calidris pygmaea Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) Asian dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola Solitary snipe, Gallinago solitaria Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago Pin-tailed snipe, Gallinago stenura Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus (A) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Nordmann's greenshank, Tringa guttifer Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis 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. Small buttonquail, Turnix sylvatica Yellow-legged buttonquail, Turnix tanki Barred buttonquail, Turnix suscitator
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
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with gray 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
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 for 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.
Saunders's gull, Chroicocephalus saundersi Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus Brown-headed gull, Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus Black-tailed gull, Larus crassirostris Herring gull, Larus argentatus Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus (A) Whiskered tern, Chlidonias hybrida Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana Great crested tern, Thalasseus bergii
Southern storm-petrels