This is a list of the bird species recorded in the Northern Mariana Islands. The avifauna of the Northern Mariana Islands include a total of 180 species.
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 and accidental species are included in the total counts for the Northern Mariana Islands.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in the Northern Mariana Islands (I) Introduced - a species introduced to the Northern Mariana Islands as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (E) Endemic - a species endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands
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.
Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (A) Garganey, Spatula querquedula Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (A) Gadwall, Mareca strepera Falcated duck, Mareca falcata (A) Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope American wigeon, Mareca americana Eastern spot-billed duck, Anas zonorhyncha (A) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Northern pintail, Anas acuta (A) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca (A) Common pochard, Aythya ferina Baer's pochard, Aythya baeri (A) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula Greater scaup, Aythya marila Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis (A) Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator (A)
Megapodes Order: GalliformesFamily: Megapodiidae
The Megapodiidae are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet. All but the malleefowl occupy jungle habitats and most have brown or black coloring.
Micronesian scrubfowl, Megapodius laperouse
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.
Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)
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) Philippine collared-dove, Streptopelia dusumieri (I) White-throated ground dove, Alopecoenas xanthonurus Mariana fruit-dove, Ptilinopus roseicapilla
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.
Long-tailed koel, Urodynamis taitensis (A) Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus optatus (A)
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 (A) Mariana swiftlet, Aerodramus bartschi Caroline Islands swiftlet, Aerodramus inquietus Pacific swift, 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.
Guam rail, Gallirallus owstoni Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus Eurasian coot, Fulica atra (A)
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 stilt, Himantopus leucocephalus Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
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 Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula Long-billed plover, Charadrius placidus (A) Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius
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 (A)
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.
Bristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensis Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Little curlew, Numenius minutus 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 Ruff, Calidris pugnax Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus (A) Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A) Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii (A) Long-toed stint, Calidris subminuta Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (A) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago Pin-tailed snipe, Gallinago stenura (A) Swinhoe's snipe, Gallinago megala Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (A) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus (A) Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes Wandering tattler, Tringa incana Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (A) 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.
Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae 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.
South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki (A) Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (A) Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically gray 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 gray 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-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla (A) Black-tailed gull, Larus crassirostris (A) Herring gull, Larus argentatus (A) Slaty-backed gull, Larus schistisagus (A) Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Black noddy, Anous minutus White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Gray-backed tern, Onychoprion lunatus Little tern, Sternula albifrons White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus Whiskered tern, Onychoprion hybrida Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana Common tern, Sterna hirundo Great crested tern, Thalasseus bergii
Tropicbirds Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda
Albatrosses Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are a family of large seabird found across the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest are among the largest flying birds in the world.
Laysan albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis
Southern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus (A)
Northern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
The northern-storm petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous Band-rumped storm-petrel, Hydrobates castro (A) Matsudaira's storm-petrel, Hydrobates matsudairae Tristram's storm-petrel, Hydrobates tristrami (A)
Shearwaters and petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
White-necked petrel, Pterodroma cervicalis Bonin petrel, Pterodroma hypoleuca Black-winged petrel, Pterodroma nigripennis Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii Streaked shearwater, Calonectris leucomelas Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus Short-tailed shearwater, Ardenna tenuirostris Christmas shearwater, Puffinus nativitatis Bannerman's shearwater, Puffinus bannermani Newell's shearwater, Puffinus newelli Tropical shearwater, Puffinus bailloni
Frigatebirds Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.