This is a list of the bird species recorded in the Azores. The avifauna of the Azores include a total of 430 species, of which two are endemic, and 7 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 and accidental species are included in the total counts for the Azores.
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 Azores (E) Endemic - a species endemic to the Azores (I) Introduced - a species introduced to the Azores as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
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.
Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (A) Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (A) Graylag goose, Anser anser (A) Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons (A) Taiga bean-goose, Anser fabalis (A) Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus (A) Brant, Branta bernicla (A) Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis (A) Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii (A) Canada goose, Branta canadensis (A) Mute swan, Cygnus olor (A) Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus (A) Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea (A) Common shelduck, Tadorna tadorna (A) Wood duck, Aix sponsa (A) Garganey, Spatula querquedula (A) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (A) Gadwall, Mareca strepera Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope American wigeon, Mareca americana (A) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos American black duck, Aix rubripes Northern pintail, Anas acuta (A) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Red-crested pochard, Netta rufina (A) Redhead, Aythya americana (A) Common pochard, Aythya ferina (A) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca (A) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula Greater scaup, Aythya marila (A) Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis (A) King eider, Somateria spectabilis (A) Common eider, Somateria mollissima (A) Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata (A) White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi (A) Common scoter, Melanitta nigra (A) Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis (A) Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola (A) Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula (A) Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus (A) Common merganser, Mergus merganser (A) Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator (A) Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (A)
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 (I) Common quail, Coturnix coturnix Red-legged partridge, Alectoris rufa (I)
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 (A)
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 (A) Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps (A) Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus (A) Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena (A) Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus (A) Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (A)
Pigeons and doves
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Azores wood pigeon Columba palumbus azorica (subspecies of the common wood pigeon, Columba palumbus) Rock pigeon, Columba livia European turtle-dove, Streptopelia turtur (A) Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto Zenaida dove, Zenaida aurita (A) Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (A)
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.
Great spotted cuckoo, Clamator glandarius (A) Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (A) Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (A) Common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus (A)
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.
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (A) Eurasian nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus (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.
Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (A) Alpine swift, Apus melba (A) Common swift, Apus apus (A) Pallid swift, Apus pallidus (A) Little swift, Apus affinis (A)
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.
Water rail, Rallus aquaticus (A) Corn crake, Crex crex (A) Sora, Porzana carolina (A) Spotted crake, Porzana porzana (A) Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus Eurasian coot, Fulica atra American coot, Fulica americana (A) Allen's gallinule, Porphyrio alleni (A) Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (A) Western swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio (A) Little crake, Zapornia parva (A) Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla
Cranes
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes (Gruidae) 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".
Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (A) Common crane, Grus grus (A)
Thick-knees Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees (Burhinidae) are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Eurasian thick-knee, Burhinus oedicnemus (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 (A) Pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta (A)
Oystercatchers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) 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 (A) European golden-plover, Pluvialis apricaria (A) American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica (A) Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva (A) Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus Caspian plover, Charadrius asiaticus (A) Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius (A) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (A) Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus (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.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (A) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Slender-billed curlew, Numenius tenuirostris (A) Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata (A) Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica (A) Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus Ruff, Calidris pugnax (A) Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (A) Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus (A) Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii (A) Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina Purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima (A) Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii (A) Little stint, Calidris minuta Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla (A) White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (A) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri (A) Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus (A) Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus (A) Jack snipe, Lymnocryptes minimus (A) Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola Great snipe, Gallinago media (A) Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus (A) Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor (A) Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (A) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius (A) Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus (A) Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (A) Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes (A) Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (A) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Willet, Tringa semipalmata (A) Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis (A) Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola (A) Common redshank, Tringa totanus (A)
Pratincoles and coursers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae