This is a list of the bird species recorded in Guam. The avifauna of Guam includes a total of 146 species as of August 2021, according to Bird Checklists of the World. Of them, eight have been introduced by humans and 32 are rare or accidental. 3 species are endemic, of which one is extinct and two are extinct in the wild though their reintroductions are either in progress or planned. Five species have been extirpated.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (English and scientific names) are those of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved October 25, 2022.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.
(A) Accidental – a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Guam (End) Endemic – a species entirely confined to Guam in its natural distribution (E) Extinct – a recent bird that no longer exists (EW) Extinct in the wild – a species which only exists in captive breeding programs (I) Introduced – a species introduced to Guam as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (Ex) Extirpated – a species that no longer occurs in Guam 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.
Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (A) Garganey, Spatula querquedula (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (A) Gadwall, Mareca strepera 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 Common pochard, Aythya ferina (A) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula Greater scaup, Aythya marila (A) Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata (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 (Ex)
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.
Blue-breasted quail, Coturnix chinensis (I) Black francolin, Francolinus francolinus (I) 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 (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.
Chestnut-winged cuckoo, Clamator coromandus (A) Long-tailed koel, Urodynamis taitensis (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) Uniform swiftlet, Aerodramus vanikorensis 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. The Guam rail was formerly extinct in the wild but has been reintroduced to Rota and Cocos Island near Guam.
Guam rail, Gallirallus owstoni (End) Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus Eurasian coot, Fulica atra (A) White-browed crake, Poliolimnas cinereus (Ex)
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus
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 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 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.
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 Red knot, Calidris canutus (A) Ruff, Calidris pugnax Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii (A) Long-toed stint, Calidris subminuta Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus Latham's snipe, Gallinago hardwickii (A) Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago Swinhoe's snipe, Gallinago megala Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor (A) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes Wandering tattler, Tringa incana Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola Common redshank, Tringa totanus
Pratincoles and coursers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
The pratincoles have short legs, very long pointed wings, and long forked tails. Their most unusual feature for birds classed as waders is that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows.
Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum
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) Slaty-backed gull, Larus schistisagus (A) Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Black noddy, Anous minutus White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Little tern, Sternula albifrons Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica (A) White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus Whiskered tern, Chlidonias 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
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 Matsudaira's storm-petrel, Hydrobates matsudairae
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.
Juan Fernandez petrel, Pterodroma externa Tahiti petrel, Pseudobulweria rostrata Streaked Shearwater, Calonectris leucomelas Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus Short-tailed shearwater, Ardenna tenuirostris Newell's shearwater, Puffinus newelli (A) 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.
Great frigatebird, Fregata minor
Boobies and gannets Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Masked booby, Sula dactylatra Brown booby, Sula leucogaster Red-footed booby, Sula sula
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.
Yellow bittern, Botaurus sinensis Black bittern, Botaurus flavicollis (A) Gray heron, Ardea cinerea Great egret, Ardea alba Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia Little egret, Egretta garzetta Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis Chinese pond-heron, Ardeola bacchus (A) Striated heron, Butorides striata Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
Osprey Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae