List of birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands

This is a list of the bird species recorded in the US Virgin Islands. The avifauna of the US Virgin Islands included a total of 266 species as of March 2021, according to Bird Checklists of the World.^[1] Of them, 18 have been introduced by humans and 175 are rare or accidental. Two species on the list have been extirpated and five are globally threatened.

This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 62nd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS).^[2] Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.

• (A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in the US Virgin Islands
• (I) Introduced - a species introduced directly to the US Virgin Islands or elsewhere in the New world

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl[]

Order: Anseriformes   Family: 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.

Guineafowl[]

Order: Galliformes   Family: Numididae

Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled gray plumage.

• Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (I)

New World quail[]

Order: Galliformes   Family: Odontophoridae

The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.

• Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus (I) (extirpated)
• Crested bobwhite, Colinus cristatus (I) (extirpated)
• California quail, Callipepla californica (I) (extirpated)

Pheasants, grouse, and allies[]

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowl, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowl, junglefowl, turkeys, and grouse. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

• Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)

Flamingos[]

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) 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 (A)

Grebes[]

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: 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 and doves[]

Order: Columbiformes   Family: 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
• White-crowned pigeon, Patagioenas leucocephala
• African collared-dove, Streptopelia roseogrisea (A)
• Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (I)
• Spotted dove, Spilopelia chinensis (I) (Extirpated)
• Common ground dove, Columbina passerina
• Ruddy quail-dove, Geotrygon montana (A)
• Bridled quail-dove, Geotrygon mystacea
• White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica
• Zenaida dove, Zenaida aurita
• Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (A)

Cuckoos[]

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

• Greater ani, Crotophaga major (A)
• Smooth-billed ani, Crotophaga ani
• Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (A)
• Mangrove cuckoo, Coccyzus minor
• Puerto Rican lizard-cuckoo, Saurothera vieilloti (A)

Nightjars and allies[]

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: 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)
• Antillean nighthawk, Chordeiles gundlachii
• Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis (A)

Swifts[]

Order: Apodiformes   Family: 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.

• Black swift, Cypseloides niger (A)
• Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (A)
• Short-tailed swift, Chaetura brachyura (A)

Hummingbirds[]

Order: Apodiformes   Family: 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.

• Antillean mango, Anthracothorax dominicus (A)
• Green mango, Anthracothorax viridis (A)
• Purple-throated carib, Eulampis jugularis (A)
• Green-throated carib, Eulampis holosericeus
• Antillean crested hummingbird, Orthorhyncus cristatus

Rails, gallinules, and coots[]

Order: Gruiformes   Family: 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.

• Clapper rail, Rallus crepitans
• Sora, Porzana carolina
• Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata
• American coot, Fulica americana
• Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica (A)

Stilts and avocets[]

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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 (A)

Oystercatchers[]

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

• American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus

Plovers and lapwings[]

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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 (A)
• Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus
• Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus
• Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (A)
• Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia
• Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus (A)

Sandpipers and allies[]

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

Skuas and jaegers[]

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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 (A)
• Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (A)

Gulls, terns, and skimmers[]

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, terns, and skimmers. 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. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.

Tropicbirds[]

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: 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-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus

Southern storm-petrels[]

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding 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 (A)

Northern storm-petrels[]

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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 (A)

Shearwaters and petrels[]

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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 (A)
• Sooty shearwater, Ardenna griseus
• Great shearwater, Ardenna gravis (A)
• Audubon's shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri

Frigatebirds[]

Order: Suliformes   Family: 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.

• Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens

Boobies and gannets[]

Order: Suliformes   Family: 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 (A)
• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster
• Red-footed booby, Sula sula (A)

Cormorants and shags[]

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage coloration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white, and a few being colorful.

• Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum (A)
• Neotropic cormorant, Nannopterum brasilianum (A)

Pelicans[]

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.

• Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis

Herons, egrets, and bitterns[]

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: 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.

• American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus (A)
• Least bittern, Ixobrychus exilis (A)
• Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
• Great egret, Ardea alba
• Little egret, Egretta garzetta (A)
• Snowy egret, Egretta thula
• Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea
• Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor
• Reddish egret, Egretta rufescens (A)
• Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
• Green heron, Butorides virescens
• Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
• Yellow-crowned night-heron, Nyctanassa violacea

Ibises and spoonbills[]

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

• White ibis, Eudocimus albus (A)
• Scarlet ibis, Eudocimus ruber (A)
• Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus (A)
• Roseate spoonbill, Platalea ajaja (A)

New World vultures[]

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carrion.

• Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura (A)

Osprey[]

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, eagles, and kites[]

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.

• Swallow-tailed kite, Elanoides forficatus (A)
• Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius (A)
• Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus (A)
• Black kite, Milvus migrans (A)
• Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus (A)
• Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis

Owls[]

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

• Puerto Rican owl, Gymnasio nudipes (extirpated)
• Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus (A)

Kingfishers[]

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

• Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon

Woodpeckers[]

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

• Puerto Rican woodpecker, Melanerpes portoricensis (Extirpated)
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius (A)

Falcons and caracaras[]

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

• American kestrel, Falco sparverius
• Merlin, Falco columbarius
• Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus

New World and African parrots[]

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back.

• Monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus (I) (A)
• Brown-throated parakeet, Eupsittula pertinax (I)
• Hispaniolan parrot, Amazona ventralis (I)

Tyrant flycatchers[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, have plain coloring. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.

• Caribbean elaenia, Elaenia martinica
• Stolid flycatcher, Myiarchus stolidus (A)
• Puerto Rican flycatcher, Myiarchus antillarum (A)
• Tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus (A)
• Gray kingbird, Tyrannus dominicensis
• Fork-tailed flycatcher, Tyrannus savana (A)
• Eastern wood-pewee, Contopus virens (A)

Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are typically greenish in color and resemble New World warblers apart from their heavier bills.

• White-eyed vireo, Vireo griseus (A)
• Yellow-throated vireo, Vireo flavifrons (A)
• Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus (A)
• Black-whiskered vireo, Vireo altiloquus

Swallows[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

• Bank swallow, Riparia riparia (A)
• Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor (A)
• Northern rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis (A)
• Purple martin, Progne subis (A)
• Caribbean martin, Progne dominicensis
• Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
• Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (A)
• Cave swallow, Petrochelidon fulva (A)

Waxwings[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.

• Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum (A)

Mockingbirds and thrashers[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalizations, especially their ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Their coloring tends towards dull-grays and browns.

• Gray catbird, Dumetella carolinensis (A)
• Pearly-eyed thrasher, Margarops fuscatus
• Brown trembler, Cinclocerthia ruficauda (A)
• Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos

Starlings[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

• European starling, Sturnus vulgaris (I) (A)

Thrushes and allies[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

• Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis (A)
• Veery, Catharus fuscescens (A)
• Bicknell's thrush, Catharus bicknelli (A)
• Red-legged thrush, Turdus plumbeus (A)

Weavers and allies[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ploceidae

The weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches. They are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills. The males of many species are brightly colored, usually in red or yellow and black, and some species show variation in color only in the breeding season.

• Northern red bishop, Euplectes franciscanus (I) (A)

Waxbills and allies[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Estrildidae

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colors and patterns.

• Bronze mannikin, Spermestes cucullatus (I) (A)
• Indian silverbill, Euodice malabarica (I) (A)
• Scaly-breasted munia, Lonchura punctulata (I) (A)
• Tricolored munia, Lonchura malacca (I)

Old World sparrows[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or gray birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.

• House sparrow, Passer domesticus (I)

New World sparrows[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

Until 2017, these species were considered part of the family Emberizidae. Most of the species are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many of these have distinctive head patterns.

• Dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis (A)
• Song sparrow, Melospiza melodia (A)

Troupials and allies[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as the predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red.

• Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus (A)
• Orchard oriole, Icterus spurius (A)
• Venezuelan troupial, Icterus icterus (A)
• Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula (A)
• Shiny cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis (A)
• Greater Antillean grackle, Quiscalus niger (A)

New World warblers[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

The New World warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.

Cardinals and allies[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

The cardinals are a family of robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.

• Summer tanager, Piranga rubra (A)
• Scarlet tanager, Piranga olivacea (A)
• Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus (A)
• Blue grosbeak, Passerina caerulea (A)
• Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea (A)
• Dickcissel, Spiza americana (A)

Tanagers and allies[]

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Thraupidae

The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly colored. As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food. Most have short, rounded wings.

• Bananaquit, Coereba flaveola
• Lesser Antillean bullfinch, Loxigilla noctis
• Black-faced grassquit, Melanospiza bicolor

References[]

See also[]

• List of birds
• Lists of birds by region