This is a list of the bird species recorded in Bonaire. The avifauna of Bonaire (an island of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea) has 209 confirmed species, of which four have been introduced by humans and 63 are rare or vagrants (including a species introduced elsewhere in the region). None are endemic. An additional four species are unconfirmed (see below).
Except as an entry is cited otherwise, the list of species is that of the South American Classification Committee (SACC).Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, D. F. Lane, L, N. Naka, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 27 February 2026. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. South American Classification Committee associated with the International Ornithologists' Union. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved February 28, 2026 The list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) are also those of the SACC.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, D. F. Lane, L, N. Naka, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 27 February 2026. A classification of the bird species of South America. South American Classification Committee associated with the International Ornithologists' Union. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved February 28, 2026
The following tags have been used to highlight certain categories of occurrence.
(V) Vagrant - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Bonaire (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Bonaire by human actions (U) Unconfirmed - a species recorded but with "no tangible evidence" according to the SACC
Ducks 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.
Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (V) Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (V) Comb duck, Sarkidiornis sylvicola (V) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors American wigeon, Mareca americana White-cheeked pintail, Anas bahamensis Northern pintail, Anas acuta (V) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris (V) Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis Masked duck, Nomonyx dominicus (V)
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.
American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber
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.
Least grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps
Pigeons 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) Scaly-naped pigeon, Patagioenas squamosa (Extirpated) Bare-eyed pigeon, Patagioenas corensis White-tipped dove, Leptotila verreauxi Eared dove, Zenaida auriculata Common ground dove, Columbina passerina Ruddy ground dove, Columbina talpacoti (V)
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.
Groove-billed ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus Mangrove cuckoo, Coccyzus minor Gray-capped cuckoo, Coccyzus lansbergi (V)
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.
Lesser nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis (V) Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor White-tailed nightjar, Hydropsalis cayennensis Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis (V)
Swifts Order: ApodiformesFamily: 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.
Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (V) Common swift, Apus apus (V)
Hummingbirds Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Ruby-topaz hummingbird, Chrysolampis mosquitus Blue-tailed emerald, Chlorostilbon mellisugus
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 are weak fliers.
Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica Sora, Porzana carolina Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata American coot, Fulica americana
Finfoots Order: GruiformesFamily: Heliornithidae
Heliornithidae is a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots.
Sungrebe, Heliornis fulica (U)
Plovers 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 American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (V) Southern lapwing, Vanellus chilensis (V) Wilson's plover, Anarynchus wilsonia Collared plover, Anarynchus collaris Snowy plover, Anarynchus nivosus
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus
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-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (V)
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.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (V) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (V) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (V) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius (V) Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca Willet, Tringa semipalmata Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes
Jacanas Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a group of waders 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.
Wattled jacana, Jacana jacana (V)
Skuas 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.
Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (V)
Gulls Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, and terns. They 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.
Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Black noddy, Anous minutus Black skimmer, Rynchops niger (V) Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus (V) Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis (V) Herring gull, Larus argentatus (V) Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus Least tern, Sternula antillarum Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (V) Black tern, Chlidonias niger (V) Common tern, Sterna hirundo Roseate tern, Sterna dougallii Sandwich tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis Royal tern, Thalasseus maximus
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.
Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus (V)
Southern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The 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. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.
Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus (V)
Northern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.
Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous (V)
Shearwaters 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.
Black-capped petrel, Pterodroma hasitata Great shearwater, Ardenna gravis (V) Manx shearwater, Puffinus puffinus (U) Audubon's shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri
Frigatebirds