List of birds of Bermuda

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The avifauna of

Clements taxonomy, as of July 2022.[1]

The 387 species is a remarkable number considering that the island is a mere 53.3 square kilometres. (Additional species known only from the fossil record or speculatively from the time of early exploration are not included.) Ten species were introduced by humans; the mallard also occurs naturally as a non-breeding migrant. Of the 408, 104 are uncommon, 61 are rare, and 152 are very rare, all as defined below. Audubon's shearwater formerly bred in Bermuda but is now only a vagrant; All endemic species are considered extinct. Audubon's shearwater formerly bred in Bermuda but is now only a vagrant; Eskimo curlew is considered extinct.

This list is presented in the

Clements taxonomy
because the AOS list does not include them.

Unless otherwise noted, all species listed below are considered to occur regularly in Bermuda as permanent residents, summer or winter visitors, or migrants. These tags are used to annotate some species:

  • (U) Uncommon - a species "recorded in most years but in small numbers" per the BAS
  • (R) Rare - a species "not recorded annually" per the BAS
  • (VR) Very rare - a species with fewer than 15 records per the BAS
  • (I) Introduced - a species present in Bermuda as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
  • (E) Endemic- a species endemic to Bermuda


Ducks, geese, and waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

The blue-winged teal is the most common of the migrant ducks.

The family 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.

Flamingos

Order:

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.

Flamingos do not occur in the wild in, and are not native to, Bermuda, and have neither colonised Bermuda nor been introduced to the wild there. The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo has exhibited a small number on public display since 1954. These birds have been used for a captive breeding programme (the first to hatch in the zoo was in 1967) for re-introduction to the wild in the British Virgin Islands in 1992. Although their open-air enclosure is too small for them to become airborne, one flamingo escaped captivity in 1987, being driven aloft by Hurricane Emily. The bird survived the storm and was recaptured. Another escaped in 2003 and was recaptured the following year.[3][4]

Grebes

Order:

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.

Pigeons and doves

Order:

Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

The mourning dove first bred in Bermuda in the 1950s and is now common.

cere
.

Cuckoos

Order:

Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes

brood parasites
.

Nightjars and allies

Order:

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.

Swifts

Order:

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.

Hummingbirds

Order:

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.

Rails, gallinules, and coots

Order:

Rallidae

The common gallinule breeds on most ponds.

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the

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.

Cranes

Order:

Gruidae

Cranes 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".

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.

Plovers and lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

Threatened in much of its range, the piping plover has become uncommon in Bermuda.

The family Charadriidae includes the

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.

Sandpipers and allies

Order:

Scolopacidae

Semipalmated sandpiper - one of the most common migrant shorebirds.

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:

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.

Auks, murres, and puffins

Order:

Alcidae

Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture, and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins and differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Ring-billed gulls - common along the coast in winter.

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes

skimmers
. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have webbed feet. Gulls have stout bills while terns have long dagger-like bils. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey 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:

Phaethontidae

The white-tailed tropicbird or "longtail" arrives in spring to breed.

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

Loons

Order:

Gaviidae

Loons, known as divers in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated.

Albatrosses

Order:

Diomedeidae

The albatrosses are amongst the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.

Southern storm-petrels

Order:

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

Northern storm-petrels

Order:

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
  • Band-rumped storm-petrel
    , Hydrobates castro (VR)

Petrels and shearwaters

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

Large numbers of great shearwaters pass offshore between May and July.

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

Frigatebirds

Order:

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 coloured 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.

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.

Cormorants and shags

Order:

Phalacrocoracidae

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

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.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order:

Ardeidae

Yellow-crowned night-herons were released between 1976 and 1978 in order to re-establish heron colonies on Bermuda.

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.

Ibises

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.

New World vultures

Order:

Cathartidae

The

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
.

Osprey

Order:

Pandionidae

Pandionidae is a

monotypic
family of fish-eating birds of prey. Its single species possesses a very large and powerful hooked beak, strong legs, strong talons, and keen eyesight.

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.

Barn-owls

Order:

Tytonidae

The barn owl colonized Bermuda in the 1930s.

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Owls

Order:

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.

Kingfishers

Order:

Alcedinidae

Belted kingfisher - a regular migrant to ponds and coasts.

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

Woodpeckers

Order:

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.

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.

Tyrant flycatchers

Order:

Tyrannidae

anole lizards
.

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 colouring. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.

Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis

Order:

Vireonidae

Endemic white-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus bermudianus) in Bermuda
White-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus). In addition to the endemic subspecies, birds from mainland North America like the one pictured are seen outside the breeding season.

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

Shrikes

Order:

Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.

Crows, jays, and magpies

Order:

Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

The American crow was introduced in 1840 and is now considered to be a pest.

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Larks

Order:

Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Swallows

Order:

Hirundinidae

Barn swallow - common over open country during the migration seasons.

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.

Leaf warblers

Order:

Phylloscopidae

Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The Arctic warbler breeds east into Alaska. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.

Kinglets

Order:

Regulidae

The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the

titmice
.

Waxwings

Order:

Bombycillidae

The waxwings are a group of passerine 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.

Nuthatches

Order:

Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet.

Treecreepers

Order:

Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.

Wrens

Order:

Troglodytidae

The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.

Mockingbirds and thrashers

Order:

Mimidae

The gray catbird, known locally as the "blackbird", is a native breeding resident.

The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes

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 colouring tends towards dull-greys and browns.

Starlings

Order:

Sturnidae

The European starling reached Bermuda from the introduced population in the USA. It is now the most common breeding bird on the islands.

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)

Thrushes and allies

Order:

Turdidae

Bermuda cedar
.

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.

Old World flycatchers

Order:

Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

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 colours and patterns.

Old World sparrows

Order:

Passeridae

The house sparrow was introduced in 1875 and quickly became common.

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

Wagtails and pipits

Order:

Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.

  • American pipit
    , Anthus rubescens (U)

Finches, euphonias, and allies

Order:

Fringillidae

European goldfinch - a common introduced species.

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.

Longspurs and snow buntings

Order:

Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that were traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.

New World sparrows

Order:

Passerellidae

The Savannah sparrow is the most frequent of the migrant sparrows.

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.

Yellow-breasted chat

Order:

Icteriidae

This species was historically placed in the wood-warblers (Parulidae) but nonetheless most authorities were unsure if it belonged there. It was placed in its own family in 2017.

Troupials and allies

Order:

Icteridae

Large numbers of bobolinks pass through in September and October.

The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the

New World blackbirds, and New World orioles
. Most species have black as the predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red.

New World warblers

Order:

Parulidae

Yellow-rumped (myrtle) warbler - a common migrant, often seen in flocks.

The New World warblers are a group of small, often colourful, 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

Northern cardinal - an introduced species often seen in parks and gardens.

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.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bermuda Bird List" (PDF). The Bermuda Audubon Society. February 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  2. ^ Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2022. Check-list of North American Birds (online). American Ornithological Society. (29 July 2022). "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. Retrieved 7 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Governor Launches BZS Flamingo Fundraiser". Bermuda: BerNews. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Facility Map". Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. Retrieved 3 October 2021.

Further reading

  • Amos, Eric J. R. (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Bermuda.
  • Dobson, Andrew (2002). A Birdwatching Guide to Bermuda. Arlequin Press, Chelmsford, Essex.
  • Raine, André (2002). A Field Guide to the Birds of Bermuda. Macmillan, Oxford.