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List of birds of Colorado facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In the amazing state of Colorado, over 519 different kinds of birds have been seen! This count was made in September 2022 by the Colorado Bird Records Committee. They are part of a group called Colorado Field Ornithologists.

This list of birds follows a special order. It uses the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition. This list is put together by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). The names of the bird families come from the Clements taxonomy.

Some birds on this list are not originally from North America. Humans brought them here. These are called introduced species. They are marked with an (I) next to their names. Birds that might have escaped from captivity are not included. One extra bird species was added from another source.

Contents

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Branta-canadensis-004
Canada goose
Flying mallard duck - female
Female mallard in flight
Anas carolinensis FWS
Pair of green-winged teals, male at rear
Hooded Merganser pair
Pair of hooded mergansers, male at rear

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great at living in water. They have webbed feet and special bills. Their feathers are also waterproof.

New World Quail

Order: Galliformes   Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, round birds that live on land. They look like Old World quails but are not closely related.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Similar Birds

Lagopus leucura
White-tailed ptarmigan

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and grouse. They are land birds that vary in size. They are usually plump with wide, short wings. Many are hunted for sport or raised for food.

Grebes: Diving Birds

Western Grebe swimming
Western grebe

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are freshwater diving birds. They have special lobed toes. This makes them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies. This makes them clumsy on land.

Pigeons and Doves

Mourning Dove 2006
Mourning dove

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with strong bodies. They have short necks and thin bills. Their bills have a soft, fleshy part called a cere.

Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds have different sizes. They have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Some cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds' nests. This is called brood parasitism.

Nightjars and Their Relatives

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds. They are active at night and usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers help them blend in with bark or leaves.

Swifts: Birds of the Air

ChimneySwift23
Chimney swift

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs. They never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings. These wings look like a crescent moon.

Hummingbirds: Tiny Flyers

Selasphorus platycercus2
Broad-tailed hummingbird

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are small birds. They can hover in the air by flapping their wings very fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward!

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Fulica americana3
American coot

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds. It includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. These birds are often shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes. This helps them walk on soft ground. They tend to have short, round wings. They are not very strong fliers.

Cranes: Tall and Graceful

Canada 19 bg 061904
Sandhill cranes

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. They fly with their necks stretched out. This is different from herons, which pull their necks back. Many cranes have special, noisy dances to find a mate.

Stilts and Avocets

Recurvirostra americana -Palo Alto Baylands-8
American avocet

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts. They are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and bills that curve upwards. Stilts have very long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

Plovers and Lapwings

Killdeer
Killdeer

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds. They have compact bodies, short necks, and long, pointed wings. You can find them in open areas around the world, often near water.

Sandpipers and Their Relatives

Phalaropus tricolor - breeding female
Wilson's phalarope

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, and snipes. Most of these birds eat small bugs. They find them in mud or soil. Different bill and leg lengths help them feed in the same places without fighting for food.

Skuas and Jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

Skuas and jaegers are medium to large birds. They usually have gray or brown feathers. They often have white marks on their wings. They look like large, dark gulls. They have strong, hooked bills and webbed feet. They are powerful flyers.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

This family includes auks, murres, and puffins. These birds have short wings. They live on the open sea. They only come to land to lay eggs and raise their young.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Larus-delawarensis-021
Ring-billed gull

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

This family includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. They are medium to large seabirds. They are usually gray or white. They often have black marks on their heads or wings. They have strong, long bills and webbed feet.

Loons: Excellent Swimmers

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are water birds about the size of a large duck. They are not related to ducks. Their feathers are mostly gray or black. They have bills shaped like spears. Loons swim very well and fly well too. But they are clumsy on land. This is because their legs are placed far back on their bodies.

Storks: Tall Wading Birds

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy wading birds. They have long legs, long necks, and strong bills. They also have wide wings. Storks do not have a voice box. This means they are silent birds.

Frigatebirds: Masters of Flight

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds. You usually find them over warm, tropical oceans. They are black, or black and white. They have long wings and deeply forked tails. Male frigatebirds have colorful throat pouches that can inflate. They cannot swim or walk well. They also cannot take off from a flat surface. They have the largest wingspan for their body weight. They can stay in the air for more than a week!

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large seabirds that live near coasts. They dive headfirst into the water to catch fish.

Anhingas: Snake-like Swimmers

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas are water birds that look like cormorants. They have very long necks and straight beaks. They eat fish. Often, they swim with only their neck above the water. This makes them look like snakes.

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large water birds. They usually have dark feathers. They have colored skin on their faces. Their bills are long, thin, and hooked. Their feet have four webbed toes.

Pelicans: Birds with Pouches

American White Pelican
American white pelican

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds. They have a special pouch under their bills. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Lightmatter greatblueheron2
Great blue heron

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds. They have long necks and legs. Bitterns have shorter necks and are more secretive. These birds fly with their necks pulled back. This is different from storks or ibises.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings. Their bodies are long, and their necks are even longer. They also have pretty long legs. Ibises have bills that curve downwards. Spoonbills have straight bills that are flat like a spoon.

New World Vultures

Turkey vulture Bluff
Turkey vulture

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures look like Old World vultures. But they are not closely related. They look similar because they evolved in similar ways. Like Old World vultures, they eat dead animals. But New World vultures can smell dead animals. Old World vultures find them by sight.

Osprey: The Fish Hunter

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Osprey family has only one type of bird. This bird eats fish. It has a very large, strong, hooked beak. It also has strong legs, powerful claws, and excellent eyesight.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Full Body 1880px
Red-tailed hawk

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, and kites. These are birds of prey. They have very large, strong, hooked beaks. They use these to tear meat from their prey. They also have strong legs, powerful claws, and sharp eyesight.

Barn-Owls: Night Hunters

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls. They have big heads and special heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful claws.

Owls: Silent Hunters of the Night

Aegolius-funereus-001
Boreal owl

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are birds of prey. They are usually alone and active at night. They have large eyes that face forward. They also have good hearing. Their beaks are like a hawk's. They have a circle of feathers around each eye. This is called a facial disk.

Kingfishers: Fishing Birds

Belted Kingfisher
Belted kingfisher

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

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

Woodpeckers: Tree Tappers

RedNapedSapsucker23
Red-naped sapsucker

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds. They have chisel-like beaks. They also have short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues. They use their tongues to catch insects. Some have two toes pointing forward and two backward. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks.

Falcons and Caracaras

USGS Prairie Falcon
Prairie falcon

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras. They are birds of prey that hunt during the day. They are different from hawks and eagles. Falcons kill their prey with their beaks, not their claws.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Tyrannus-verticalis-001
Western kingbird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are found across North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers. But they are stronger and have tougher bills. They don't sing as complex songs as other songbirds. Most are plain-looking. As their name suggests, most eat insects.

Vireos: Small Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are small to medium-sized songbirds. Most live in the New World. They are usually greenish. They look like wood warblers but have stronger bills.

Shrikes: Hook-billed Hunters

Lanius ludovicianus1
Loggerhead shrike

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds known for a special habit. They catch small animals and birds. Then they stick the uneaten parts on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies: Smart Birds

Stellers jay - natures pics
Steller's jay

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. These birds are larger than average songbirds. Some of the bigger ones are very smart.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Poecile gambeli2
Mountain chickadee

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mostly small, sturdy woodland birds. They have short, strong bills. Some have crests on their heads. They can adapt to different foods. Their diet includes seeds and insects.

Larks: Ground Birds with Songs

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small birds that live on the ground. They often have amazing songs and special flights. Most larks look quite plain. They eat insects and seeds.

Swallows: Aerial Feeders

Violet-green-swallow
Violet-green swallow

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

This family is built for catching food in the air. They have slender bodies and long, pointed wings. Their bills are short with a wide opening. Their feet are good for perching, not walking.

Long-tailed Tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are small songbirds with medium to long tails. They build woven, bag-like nests in trees. Most eat a mix of foods, including insects.

Kinglets: Tiny Crowned Birds

Regulus calendula1
Ruby-crowned kinglet

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of birds. They look like titmice. They are very tiny birds that eat insects. Adult kinglets have colorful crowns on their heads. This gives them their names.

Waxwings: Silky Feathered Birds

Bombycilla cedrorum -perching on a branch-8
Cedar waxwing

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are songbirds with soft, silky feathers. They have unique red tips on some wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax, giving them their name. These birds live in northern forests. They eat insects in summer and berries in winter.

Silky-Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ptiliogonatidae

Silky-flycatchers are a small family of songbirds. They are mostly found in Central America. One species also lives in central California. They are related to waxwings. Like waxwings, they have soft, silky feathers. These are usually gray or pale yellow. They also have small crests.

Nuthatches: Head-First Climbers

Sitta-carolinensis-001
White-breasted nuthatch

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability. They can climb down trees headfirst! Other birds usually only climb upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet.

Treecreepers: Bark Explorers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds. They are brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, curved bills. They use these to pull insects from tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers. They use their tails to support themselves on tree trunks.

Gnatcatchers: Tiny Insect Eaters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds look like Old World warblers. They move quickly through leaves looking for insects. Gnatcatchers are mostly soft bluish-gray. They have the long, sharp bill typical of insect-eating birds. Many species have black patterns on their heads. They also have long, black and white tails that they often hold upright.

Wrens: Small Birds, Loud Songs

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small birds that are hard to see. But their songs are very loud! They have short wings and thin, curved bills. Many species often hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers: Mimic Masters

Sage thrasher
Sage thrasher

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

This family includes thrashers and mockingbirds. These songbirds are famous for their voices. They can copy many other bird calls and outdoor sounds. These birds usually have dull gray and brown feathers.

Starlings: Social Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds. They have strong feet. They fly strongly and directly. They like to live in groups. They prefer open areas. They eat insects and fruit. Their feathers are usually dark with a shiny, metallic look.

Dippers: Underwater Walkers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are perching birds. They live in watery places in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing movements. These birds can dive underwater and walk on the bottom. They do this to find insect larvae to eat.

Thrushes and Their Allies

Mountain Bluebird
Mountain bluebird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds. They are mostly found in the Old World. They are plump birds with soft feathers. They are small to medium-sized. They eat insects or a mix of foods. They often feed on the ground. Many have beautiful songs.

Old World Sparrows

Passer domesticus2
House sparrow

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. Generally, sparrows are small, plump birds. They are brownish or grayish. They have short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows mainly eat seeds. But they also eat small insects.

Wagtails and Pipits

Anthus-rubescens-001
American pipit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are small songbirds with medium to long tails. They are slender birds that eat insects on the ground. They live in open areas.

Finches and Their Allies

Brown-capped rosy finch
Brown-capped rosy-finch

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are songbirds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-large. They have strong beaks, usually cone-shaped. Some have very large beaks. All have twelve tail feathers and nine main wing feathers. These birds fly with a bouncing motion. They flap their wings, then glide with closed wings. Most finches sing well.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

This group of songbirds used to be with the New World sparrows. But they are different in many ways. They usually live in open grassy areas.

New World Sparrows

The lark bunting is the state bird of Colorado. Male, top and female.
Spotted Towhee
Spotted towhee

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

These birds were once part of another family. Most are called sparrows. But they are not closely related to the Old World sparrows. Many of these birds have unique patterns on their heads.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This bird was once thought to be a wood-warbler. But most experts weren't sure. In 2017, it was put into its own family.

Troupials and Allies

Yellow headed blackbird - natures pics
Yellow-headed blackbird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and orioles. They are small to medium-sized songbirds. They are often colorful. Most have black as their main feather color. This is often brightened by yellow, orange, or red.

New World Warblers

Myrtle Warbler - Port Aransas, TX
Yellow-rumped warbler

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

Wood warblers are small, often colorful songbirds. They are only found in the New World. Most live in trees. But some, like the ovenbird, live more on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects.

Cardinals and Their Allies

Lazuli Bunting
Lazuli bunting

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals are strong, seed-eating birds. They have powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different feather colors.

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List of birds of Colorado Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.