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List of birds of Spain facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Spain is a country in Europe, and it's home to many different kinds of birds! This list tells you about all the bird species that have been seen in the wild in Spain. This includes mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and three small Spanish areas in North Africa.

By 2022, a total of 664 bird species had been recorded in Spain. Some of these birds were brought to Spain by humans (24 species), and six of those might also have come to Spain on their own. Three species haven't been seen since 1950. Eight bird species live only on Spanish islands, and sadly, one of these unique island birds is now extinct.

The way these birds are grouped and named follows The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition. The Spanish names are also included in parentheses.

You'll see some special notes next to the bird names. Here's what they mean:

  • (A) Accidental – This bird rarely or accidentally shows up in Spain.
  • (A) Accidental in limited area – This bird is usually found on mainland Spain but only accidentally in the Canary Islands or North Africa.
  • (E) Endemic – This bird is found only in Spain, and its specific location (like an island) is added.
  • (Ex) Extirpated – This bird no longer lives in Spain, but you can still find it in other parts of the world.
  • (I) Introduced – Humans brought this bird to Spain, and it now lives there.
  • (B) Category B – This bird hasn't been seen in Spain since 1950.
  • (D) Category D – There are some doubts about whether this bird came to Spain on its own or was brought by humans.
  • (I/D) This bird has both populations brought by humans and possibly some that arrived on their own.

If you see a note like "(Canary Islands only)", it means that bird has only been seen in that specific place. If there's no special note, it means the bird has been seen in mainland Spain at least. Notes about a bird's status, like "vulnerable" or "endangered", refer to its worldwide population.

Contents

Ducks, Geese, and Swans

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great at living in water! They have webbed feet, flat bills, and feathers that shed water easily because they have a special oily coating.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae family includes birds that live on the ground. They are usually plump and have wide, short wings.

Flamingos

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are tall, social birds that wade in water. They are usually about 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) tall. Flamingos eat shellfish and algae by filtering them from the water. Their unique beaks are shaped to separate mud from their food, and they even use them upside-down!

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds that live in freshwater. They have special lobed toes that make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, which makes them a bit clumsy on land.

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with sturdy bodies, short necks, and thin bills. They have a soft, fleshy area at the base of their bill called a cere.

  • Rock pigeon (paloma bravía), Columba livia (I)
  • Stock dove (paloma zurita), Columba oenas
  • Common wood-pigeon (paloma torcaz), Columba palumbus
  • Bolle's pigeon (paloma turqué), Columba bollii (E – Canary Islands)
  • Laurel pigeon (paloma rabiche), Columba junoniae (E – Canary Islands) near-threatened
  • European turtle-dove (tórtola europea), Streptopelia turtur vulnerable
  • Oriental turtle-dove (tórtola oriental), Streptopelia orientalis (A)
  • Eurasian collared-dove (tórtola turca), Streptopelia decaocto
  • African collared-dove (tórtola rosigrís), Streptopelia roseogrisea (I)
  • Laughing dove (tórtola senegalesa), Streptopelia senegalensis (A)
  • Namaqua dove (tórtola rabilarga), Oena capensis (A, D)
  • Mourning dove (zenaida huilota), Zenaida macroura (A, D)

Sandgrouse

Order: Pterocliformes   Family: Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small heads and necks, similar to pigeons, but their bodies are strong and compact. They have long, pointed wings and sometimes long tails, allowing them to fly fast and straight. These birds often fly in groups to find water during sunrise and sunset. Their legs are feathered all the way down to their toes.

Bustards

Order: Otidiformes   Family: Otididae

Bustards are large birds that live on land, mostly in dry, open areas and grasslands. They eat both plants and insects and build their nests on the ground. They walk steadily on their strong legs and big toes, looking for food as they go. They have long, wide wings with "fingered" tips and cool patterns when they fly. Many bustards have interesting mating dances!

  • Great bustard (avutarda euroasiática), Otis tarda vulnerable
  • Houbara bustard (avutarda hubara africana), Chlamydotis undulata (Canary Islands only) vulnerable
  • Little bustard (sisón común), Tetrax tetrax near-threatened

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The Cuculidae family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds come in different sizes, but they all have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Some cuckoos in the Old World are known for being "brood parasites," which means they lay their eggs in other birds' nests.

Nightjars and Allies

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually build their nests on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet that aren't good for walking, and their soft feathers are camouflaged to look like tree bark or leaves, helping them blend in.

  • Common nighthawk (añapero yanqui), Chordeiles minor (A)
  • Red-necked nightjar (chotacabras cuellirrojo), Caprimulgus ruficollis
  • Eurasian nightjar (chotacabras europeo), Caprimulgus europaeus
  • Egyptian nightjar (chotacabras egipcio), Caprimulgus aegyptius (A – Canary Islands only)

Swifts

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Apodidae

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

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a big family of small to medium-sized birds. It includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They usually live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. These birds are often shy and hard to spot. Most of them have strong legs and long toes, which are perfect for walking on soft, uneven ground. They tend to have short, round wings and aren't very strong fliers.

  • Water rail (rascón europeo), Rallus aquaticus
  • Corn crake (guión de codornices), Crex crex (A)
  • African crake (guión africano), Crex egregia (A)
  • Sora (polluela sora), Porzana carolina (A)
  • Spotted crake (polluela pintoja), Porzana porzana
  • Lesser moorhen (gallineta chica), Gallinula angulata (A)
  • Eurasian moorhen (gallineta común), Gallinula chloropus
  • Eurasian coot (focha común), Fulica atra
  • Red-knobbed coot (focha moruna), Fulica cristata
  • American coot (focha americana), Fulica americana (A)
  • Allen's gallinule (calamoncillo africano), Porphyrio alleni (A)
  • Purple gallinule (calamoncillo americano), Porphyrio martinicus (A)
  • Western swamphen (calamón común), Porphyrio porphyrio
  • African swamphen (calamón africano), Porphyrio madagascariensis (A)
  • Striped crake (polluela culirroja), Amaurornis marginalis (A)
  • Little crake (polluela bastarda), Zapornia parva (A – Canary Islands)
  • Baillon's crake (polluela chica), Zapornia pusilla (A – Canary Islands and African enclaves)

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. Unlike herons, which look similar but are not related, cranes fly with their necks stretched out, not pulled back. Most cranes have fancy and loud displays or "dances" when they are trying to find a mate.

  • Demoiselle crane (grulla damisela), Virgo anthropoids (A)
  • Sandhill crane (grulla canadiense), Antigone canadensis (A)
  • Common crane (grulla común), Grus grus (A – Canary Islands)

Sheathbills

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Chionididae

Sheathbills are scavengers that live in the Antarctic regions. They have white feathers and look plump and dove-like. Scientists believe they are similar to the ancient relatives of modern gulls and terns.

Thick-knees

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Burhinidae

Thick-knees are a group of wading birds, mostly found in tropical areas. Some species also breed in cooler parts of Europe and Australia. They are medium to large wading birds with strong black or yellow-black bills, big yellow eyes, and camouflaged feathers. Even though they are called waders, most prefer dry or semi-dry places.

  • Eurasian thick-knee (alcaraván común), Burhinus oedicnemus

Egyptian Plover

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Pluvianidae

The Egyptian plover lives across central Africa and along the Nile River.

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds. It includes avocets and stilts. Avocets have long legs and long bills that curve upwards. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

Oystercatchers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

Oystercatchers are large, noisy birds that look like plovers. They have strong bills that they use to smash or pry open molluscs (like clams and oysters).

  • Eurasian oystercatcher (ostrero euroasiático), Haematopus ostralegus
  • American oystercatcher (ostrero común americano), Haematopus palliatus (A)
  • Canarian oystercatcher (ostrero negro canario), Haematopus meadewaldoi (E – Canary Islands) extinct

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

The Charadriidae family includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks, and long, usually pointed wings. You can find them in open areas all over the world, especially near water.

Sandpipers and Allies

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. Most of these birds eat small invertebrates (like worms or insects) that they find in mud or soil. Their legs and bills come in different lengths, which allows many species to feed in the same areas without competing for food.

Buttonquail

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Turnicidae

Buttonquail are small, plain-looking birds that run around and look a bit like true quails. The female is usually more brightly colored and starts the courtship process. The male then takes care of incubating the eggs and raising the young.

  • Small buttonquail (torillo andaluz), Turnix sylvaticus (A)

Pratincoles and Coursers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds. It includes pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails. It also includes coursers, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills that curve downwards.

Skuas and Jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

The Stercorariidae family generally includes medium to large birds. They usually have grey or brown feathers, often with white marks on their wings. They build their nests on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and travel long distances when they migrate.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

Auks look a bit like penguins because they are black and white, stand upright, and have similar habits. However, they are not related to penguins and, unlike penguins, they can fly! Auks live on the open sea and only come to land to nest.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds. It includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are usually grey or white, often with black marks on their heads or wings. They have strong, somewhat long bills and webbed feet. Terns are generally medium to large seabirds, usually grey or white, often with black marks on their heads. Most terns catch fish by diving, but some pick insects off the surface of freshwater. Terns often live for a long time, with some species living over 30 years.

Tropicbirds

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slim, white birds that live in tropical oceans. They have incredibly long feathers in the middle of their tails. Their long wings and heads have black markings.

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons (also called divers in Europe) are water birds found in North America and northern Europe. They are about the size of a large duck or small goose, and they look a bit like them when swimming, but they are not related at all.

  • Red-throated loon (colimbo chico), Gavia stellata
  • Arctic loon (colimbo ártico), Gavia arctica (A – Canary Islands)
  • Pacific loon (colimbo del Pacífico), Gavia pacifica (A)
  • Common loon (colimbo grande), Gavia immer (A – Canary Islands and African enclaves)

Albatrosses

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Diomedeidae

Albatrosses are among the biggest flying birds, with long, narrow wings that help them glide through the air. Most of them live in the Southern Hemisphere, and only a few wander into the North Atlantic.

Southern Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

Southern storm-petrels are seabirds in the family Oceanitidae. They are the smallest seabirds and eat tiny crustaceans (like shrimp) and small fish from the ocean surface, often while hovering. Their flight is fluttery and sometimes looks like a bat's.

  • Wilson's storm-petrel (paíño de Wilson), Oceanites oceanicus
  • White-faced storm-petrel (paíño pechialbo), Pelagodroma marina (A)
  • Black-bellied storm-petrel (paíño ventrinegro), Fregetta tropica (A – Canary Islands only)

Northern Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

Even though these birds look and act a lot like southern storm-petrels, they have enough genetic differences that scientists put them in their own family.

  • European storm-petrel (paíño europeo), Hydrobates pelagicus
  • Leach's storm-petrel (paíño boreal), Hydrobates leucorheus vulnerable
  • Swinhoe's storm-petrel (paíño de Swinhoe), Hydrobates monorhis (A) near-threatened
  • Band-rumped storm-petrel (paíño de Madeira), Hydrobates castro (A)

Shearwaters and Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together with a middle wall, and a long outer primary feather that works well for flight.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, and long-necked wading birds with big, strong bills. Storks don't make sounds with their voices, but they communicate by clattering their bills together at the nest. Their nests can be very large and are often used for many years. Many stork species migrate long distances.

Frigatebirds

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are big, black, or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colorful throat pouches that they can inflate. They don't swim or walk well and can't take off from flat ground. They have the largest wingspan compared to their body weight of any bird, which means they can stay in the air for more than a week!

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

The sulids include gannets and boobies. Both are medium to large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish.

  • Masked booby (piquero enmascarado), Sula dactylatra (A)
  • Brown booby (piquero pardo), Sula leucogaster (A)
  • Red-footed booby (piquero patirrojo), Sula sula (A)
  • Northern gannet (alcatraz atlántico), Morus bassanus
  • Cape gannet (alcatraz de El Cabo), Morus capensis (A)

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal seabirds that eat fish. It includes cormorants and shags. Their feather colors vary; most are mainly dark, some are black and white, and a few are very colorful.

  • Long-tailed cormorant (cormorán africano), Microcarbo africanus (A, D)
  • Pygmy cormorant (cormorán pigmeo), Microcarbo pygmeus (A) near-threatened
  • Great cormorant (cormorán grande), Phalacrocorax carbo
  • European shag (cormorán moñudo), Gulosus aristotelis
  • Double-crested cormorant (cormorán orejudo), Nannopterum auritum (A – Canary Islands only)

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a special pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their group, they have webbed feet with four toes.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

The Ardeidae family includes bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns usually have shorter necks and are more cautious. Birds in this family fly with their necks pulled back, which is different from other long-necked birds like storks.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large birds that live on land and in water. It includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings with many feathers. They are strong fliers and can soar very well, even though they are large and heavy.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Pandionidae family has only one species: the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor that specializes in eating fish. You can find it all over the world.

  • Osprey (águila pescadora), Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey. It includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have strong, hooked beaks to tear meat from their prey, powerful legs, strong talons (claws), and excellent eyesight.

  • Black-winged kite (elanio común), Elanus caeruleus
  • Bearded vulture (quebrantahuesos), Gypaetus barbatus near-threatened
  • Egyptian vulture (alimoche común), Neophron percnopterus endangered
  • European honey-buzzard (abejero europeo), Pernis apivorus (A – Canary Islands)
  • Swallow-tailed kite (elanio tijereta), Elanoides forficatus (A – Canary Islands only)
  • Cinereous vulture (buitre negro), Aegypius monachus near-threatened
  • Lappet-faced vulture (buitre orejudo), Torgos tracheliotos (A)
  • Hooded vulture (alimoche sombrío), Necrosyrtes monachus (A, D)
  • White-backed vulture (buitre dorsiblanco africano), Gyps africanus (A) critically endangered
  • Rüppell's griffon (buitre moteado), Gyps rueppelli (A) critically endangered
  • Eurasian griffon (buitre leonado), Gyps fulvus
  • Bateleur (águila volatinera), Terathopius ecaudatus (A) near-threatened
  • Short-toed snake-eagle (culebrera europea), Circaetus gallicus (A – Canary Islands)
  • Lesser spotted eagle (águila pomerana), Clanga pomarina (A)
  • Greater spotted eagle (águila moteada), Clanga clanga (A) vulnerable
  • Booted eagle (águila calzada), Hieraaetus pennatus
  • Steppe eagle (águila esteparia), Aquila nipalensis (A) endangered
  • Spanish eagle (águila imperial ibérica), Aquila adalberti vulnerable
  • Imperial eagle (águila imperial oriental), Aquila heliaca (A) vulnerable
  • Golden eagle (águila real), Aquila chrysaetos
  • Bonelli's eagle (águila perdicera), Aquila fasciata
  • Eurasian marsh-harrier (aguilucho lagunero occidental), Circus aeruginosus
  • Hen harrier (aguilucho pálido), Circus cyaneus
  • Pallid harrier (aguilucho papialbo), Circus macrourus
  • Montagu's harrier (aguilucho cenizo), Circus pygargus
  • Eurasian sparrowhawk (gavilán común), Accipiter nisus
  • Northern goshawk (azor común), Accipiter gentilis
  • Red kite (milano real), Milvus milvus
  • Black kite (milano negro), Milvus migrans
  • White-tailed eagle (pigargo europeo), Haliaeetus albicilla (A)
  • Rough-legged hawk (busardo calzado), Buteo lagopus (A)
  • Common buzzard (busardo ratonero), Buteo buteo
  • Long-legged buzzard (busardo moro), Buteo rufinus (A)

Barn-Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

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

Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large birds of prey that hunt alone at night. They have big eyes that face forward and good hearing. They also have a hawk-like beak and a clear circle of feathers around each eye, called a facial disk.

  • Eurasian scops-owl (autillo europeo), Otus scops (A – Canary Islands)
  • Eurasian eagle-owl (búho real), Bubo bubo
  • Pharaoh eagle-owl (búho del desierto), Bubo ascalaphus (A)
  • Snowy owl (búho nival), Bubo scandiacus (A, D – Canary Islands only)
  • Northern hawk owl (cárabo gavilán), Surnia ulula (B – Canary Islands)
  • Eurasian pygmy-owl (mochuelo alpino), Glaucidium passerinum (A)
  • Little owl (mochuelo europeo), Athene noctua
  • Tawny owl (cárabo común), Strix aluco
  • Maghreb owl (cárabo del Magreb), Strix mauritanica
  • Long-eared owl (búho chico), Asio otus
  • Short-eared owl (búho campestre), Asio flammeus
  • Marsh owl (búho moro), Asio capensis (A)
  • Boreal owl (mochuelo boreal), Aegolius funereus

Hoopoes

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white, and orangey-pink feathers. They also have a large crest on their head that they can raise up.

  • Eurasian hoopoe (abubilla común), Upupa epops

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

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

Bee-eaters

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Meropidae

Bee-eaters are a group of colorful birds. Most species live in Africa, but some are found in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea. They have bright feathers, slender bodies, and usually long central tail feathers. All of them are colorful and have long, downward-curving bills and pointed wings. From far away, they can look a bit like swallows.

Rollers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Coraciidae

Rollers are similar in size and shape to crows, but they are more closely related to kingfishers and bee-eaters. They are also very colorful, mostly with blues and browns. Their two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.

  • European roller (carraca europea), Coracias garrulus
  • Abyssinian roller (carraca abisinia), Coracias abyssinicus (A – Canary Islands only)

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with bills like chisels. They have short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues that they use to catch insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while others have only three toes. Many woodpeckers are known for tapping loudly on tree trunks with their beaks.

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of birds of prey that are active during the day. They are different from hawks, eagles, and kites because they kill their prey with their beaks instead of their talons (claws).

Old World Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittaculidae

Parrots have strong, curved bills, stand upright, and have strong legs with clawed feet that have two toes pointing forward and two backward. Many parrots are brightly colored, and some have many colors. They range in size from about 3 inches (8 cm) to 3 feet (1 meter) long. Old World parrots are found from Africa across southern and southeastern Asia to Australia and New Zealand.

African and New World Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae

Parrots have strong, curved bills, stand upright, and have strong legs with clawed feet that have two toes pointing forward and two backward. Many parrots are brightly colored, and some have many colors. They range in size from about 3 inches (8 cm) to 3 feet (1 meter) long. Most of the more than 150 species in this family are found in the New World (the Americas).

Tyrant Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are perching birds found throughout North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers but are sturdier and have stronger bills. They don't have the complex songs of many other songbirds. Most of them are quite plain in color. As their name suggests, most of them eat insects.

Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are a group of small to medium-sized perching birds found only in the New World (the Americas) and Southeast Asia.

Old World Orioles

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oriolidae

Old World orioles are colorful perching birds. They are not related to the New World orioles.

Bushshrikes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Malaconotidae

Bushshrikes act similarly to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush. While they are built like shrikes, these birds tend to be either very colorful or mostly black. Some species are quite secretive.

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are perching birds known for catching other birds and small animals. They sometimes impale the parts they don't eat on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, much like a typical bird of prey.

  • Red-backed shrike (alcaudón dorsirrojo), Lanius collurio
  • Red-tailed shrike (alcaudón colirrojo), Lanius phoenicuroides (A)
  • Isabelline shrike (alcaudón isabel), Lanius isabellinus (A)
  • Brown shrike (alcaudón pardo), Lanius cristatus (A)
  • Long-tailed shrike (alcaudón schach), Lanius schach (A)
  • Iberian gray shrike (alcaudón real), Lanius meridionalis vulnerable
  • Great gray shrike (alcaudón norteño), Lanius excubitor (A)
  • Lesser gray shrike (alcaudón chico), Lanius minor
  • Masked shrike (alcaudón núbico), Lanius nubicus (A)
  • Woodchat shrike (alcaudón común), Lanius senator

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

The Corvidae family includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are larger than average among perching birds, and some of the bigger species are very smart.

  • Eurasian jay (arrendajo euroasiático), Garrulus glandarius
  • Iberian magpie (rabilargo ibérico), Cyanopica cooki
  • Maghreb magpie (urraca magrebí), Pica mauritanica
  • Eurasian magpie (urraca común), Pica pica
  • Eurasian nutcracker (cascanueces norteño), Nucifraga caryocatactes (A)
  • Red-billed chough (chova piquirroja), Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
  • Yellow-billed chough (chova piquigualda), Pyrrhocorax graculus
  • Eurasian jackdaw (grajilla occidental), Corvus monedula
  • Rook (graja), Corvus frugilegus
  • Carrion crow (corneja negra), Corvus corone
  • Hooded crow (corneja cenicienta), Corvus cornix (A)
  • Pied crow (cuervo pío), Corvus albus (A, D)
  • Brown-necked raven (cuervo desertícola), Corvus ruficollis (A)
  • Common raven (cuervo grande), Corvus corax

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae family mostly includes small, stocky woodland birds with short, strong bills. Some have crests on their heads. They are adaptable birds that eat a mix of seeds and insects.

Penduline-Tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Remizidae

Penduline-tits are a group of small perching birds related to the true tits. They eat insects.

Larks

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

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

  • Greater hoopoe-lark (alondra ibis), Alaemon alaudipes (A – Canary Islands and African enclaves only)
  • Thick-billed lark (alondra picocorda), Ramphocoris clotbey (A)
  • Bar-tailed lark (terrera colinegra), Ammomanes cinctura (A)
  • Horned lark (alondra cornuda), Eremophila alpestris (A)
  • Greater short-toed lark (terrera común), Calandrella brachydactyla
  • Bimaculated lark (calandria bimaculada), Melanocorypha bimaculata (A)
  • Calandra lark (calandria común), Melanocorypha calandra
  • Black lark (calandria negra), Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (A)
  • Dupont's lark (alondra ricotí), Chersophilus duponti near-threatened
  • Lesser short-toed lark (terrera marismeña), Alaudala rufescens
  • Wood lark (alondra totovía), Lullula arborea
  • White-winged lark (calandria aliblanca), Alauda leucoptera (A)
  • Eurasian skylark (alondra común), Alauda arvensis
  • Thekla's lark (cogujada montesina), Galerida theklae
  • Crested lark (cogujada común), Galerida cristata

Bearded Reedling

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Panuridae

This bird, the only one in its family, lives in reed beds across temperate Europe and Asia.

Cisticolas and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cisticolidae

Cisticolidae are warblers mostly found in warmer southern parts of the Old World. They are usually very small birds with plain brown or grey feathers. You can find them in open areas like grasslands or scrub.

Reed Warblers and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acrocephalidae

Birds in this family are usually quite large for "warblers." Most are plain olive-brown on top and yellowish to beige underneath. You can usually find them in open woodlands, reed beds, or tall grass. This family is mostly found in southern to western Eurasia and nearby areas, but it also extends far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.

Grassbirds and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Locustellidae

Locustellidae is a family of small songbirds that eat insects. They are mainly found in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are small birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and they tend to be plain brownish or buffy all over.

  • River warbler (buscarla fluvial), Locustella fluviatilis (A)
  • Savi's warbler (buscarla unicolor), Locustella luscinioides
  • Common grasshopper-warbler (buscarla pintoja), Locustella naevia

Swallows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

The Hirundinidae family is made up of birds that are good at catching food while flying. They have slim, streamlined bodies, long, pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are made for perching, not walking, and their front toes are partly joined at the base.

  • Tree swallow (golondrina bicolor), Tachycineta bicolor (A)
  • Plain martin (avión paludícola), Riparia paludicola (A)
  • Bank swallow (avión zapador), Riparia riparia
  • Eurasian crag-martin (avión roquero), Ptyonoprogne rupestris
  • Barn swallow (golondrina común), Hirundo rustica
  • Red-rumped swallow (golondrina dáurica), Hirundo daurica
  • Cliff swallow (golondrina risquera), Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (A – Canary Islands)
  • Common house-martin (avión común occidental), Delichon urbicum

Bulbuls

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colorful with yellow, red, or orange on their vents, cheeks, throats, or above their eyes. However, most are plain, with olive-brown to black feathers. Some species have clear crests on their heads.

Leaf Warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Phylloscopidae

Leaf warblers are a family of small birds that eat insects. They are mostly found in Eurasia and also in Wallacea and Africa. These birds come in various sizes, often with green feathers on top and yellow underneath, or sometimes plainer with grayish-green to grayish-brown colors.

  • Wood warbler (mosquitero silbador), Phylloscopus sibilatrix
  • Western Bonelli's warbler (mosquitero papialbo), Phylloscopus bonelli
  • Eastern Bonelli's warbler (mosquitero oriental), Phylloscopus orientalis (A)
  • Yellow-browed warbler (mosquitero bilistado), Phylloscopus inornatus (A – African enclaves)
  • Hume's warbler (mosquitero de Hume), Phylloscopus humei (A)
  • Pallas's leaf warbler (mosquitero de Pallas), Phylloscopus proregulus (A)
  • Radde's warbler (mosquitero de Schwarz), Phylloscopus schwarzi (A)
  • Dusky warbler (mosquitero sombrío), Phylloscopus fuscatus (A)
  • Willow warbler (mosquitero musical), Phylloscopus trochilus
  • Mountain chiffchaff (mosquitero montano), Phylloscopus sindianus (A)
  • Canary Islands chiffchaff (mosquitero canario), Phylloscopus canariensis (E – Canary Islands)
  • Common chiffchaff (mosquitero común), Phylloscopus collybita
  • Iberian chiffchaff (mosquitero ibérico), Phylloscopus brehmii
  • Green warbler (mosquitero del Cáucaso), Phylloscopus nitidus (A)
  • Greenish warbler (mosquitero verdoso), Phylloscopus trochiloides (A)
  • Two-barred warbler (mosquitero patigrís), Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus (A)
  • Arctic warbler (mosquitero boreal), Phylloscopus borealis (A)

Bush Warblers and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Scotocercidae

The birds in this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their classification is still being studied, and some scientists place certain groups in other families.

Long-tailed Tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are a group of small perching birds with medium to long tails. They build woven, bag-shaped nests in trees. Most of them eat a mix of food, including insects.

  • Long-tailed tit (mito común), Aegithalos longicaudus

Sylviid Warblers, Parrotbills, and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sylviidae

The Sylviidae family is a group of small perching birds that eat insects. They mainly breed in Europe, Asia, and to a lesser extent, Africa. Most of them don't look very special, but many have unique and beautiful songs.

Laughingthrushes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Leiothrichidae

Laughingthrushes vary in size and color, but they are known for their soft, fluffy feathers.

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds. They are often included with the Old World warblers, but they are sometimes given their own family because they also look like titmice.

Wallcreeper

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tichodromidae

The wallcreeper is a small bird related to the nuthatch family. It has beautiful crimson, grey, and black feathers.

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, unlike most other birds that can only climb upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet.

  • Eurasian nuthatch (trepador azul), Sitta europaea

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds that are brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curving bills, which they use to pull insects out of tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical tree trunks.

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are mostly small birds that are hard to spot, except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin, downward-curving bills. Several species often hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects.

Dippers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds that live near water in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or "dipping" movements.

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized perching birds. They fly strongly and directly and often live in large groups. They prefer open country and eat insects and fruit. Their feathers are usually dark with a shiny, metallic look.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

The mimids are a family of perching birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are famous for their singing, especially their amazing ability to copy many different bird calls and other outdoor sounds. They usually have dull grey and brown feathers.

  • Gray catbird (pájaro gato gris), Dumetella carolinensis (A – Canary Islands only)

Thrushes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of perching birds mostly found in the Old World. They are plump, soft-feathered, small to medium-sized birds that eat insects or sometimes a mix of foods. They often feed on the ground. Many thrushes have beautiful songs.

  • White's thrush (zorzal dorado de Siberia), Zoothera aurea (B)
  • Scaly thrush (zorzal dorado del Himalaya), Zoothera dauma (A)
  • Gray-cheeked thrush (zorzalito carigrís), Catharus minimus (A – Canary Islands)
  • Mistle thrush (zorzal charlo), Turdus viscivorus (A – Canary Islands)
  • Song thrush (zorzal común), Turdus philomelos
  • Redwing (zorzal alirrojo), Turdus iliacus near-threatened
  • Eurasian blackbird (mirlo común), Turdus merula
  • American robin (zorzal robín), Turdus migratorius (A)
  • Eyebrowed thrush (zorzal rojigrís), Turdus obscurus (A)
  • Fieldfare (zorzal real), Turdus pilaris (A – Canary Islands)
  • Ring ouzel (mirlo capiblanco), Turdus torquatus
  • Black-throated thrush (zorzal papinegro), Turdus atrogularis (A)
  • Red-throated thrush (zorzal papirrojo), Turdus ruficollis (A)
  • Dusky thrush (zorzal eunomo), Turdus eunomus (A)
  • Naumann's thrush (zorzal de Naumann), Turdus naumanni (A)

Old World Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small perching birds that live in the Old World. They are mainly small birds that live in trees and eat insects. These birds have a wide variety of appearances, but most have quiet songs and harsh calls.

Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are a group of birds with soft, silky feathers. They have unique red tips on some of their wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax, which is how they got their name. These birds live in northern forests and eat insects in the summer and berries in the winter.

Weavers and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ploceidae

Weavers are small perching birds related to finches. They eat seeds and have rounded, cone-shaped bills. The males of many species are brightly colored, often in red or yellow and black. Some species only show these bright colors during the breeding season.

Waxbills and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Estrildidae

The estrildid finches are small perching birds found in tropical parts of the Old World and Australasia. They are social birds that often live in colonies and eat seeds. They have short, thick, but pointed bills. All of them are similar in body shape and habits, but their feather colors and patterns vary widely.

Accentors

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Prunellidae

The accentors belong to the only bird family, Prunellidae, that is found only in the Palearctic region. They are small, rather plain birds that look a bit like sparrows.

Old World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small perching birds. Generally, sparrows are small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short, strong beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects.

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

Motacillidae is a family of small perching birds with medium to long tails. It includes wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender birds that eat insects from the ground in open areas.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are perching birds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-sized and have strong beaks, usually cone-shaped, and sometimes very large. All finches have twelve tail feathers and nine primary feathers. These birds fly with a bouncing motion, alternating between flapping and gliding with closed wings, and most sing well.

  • Common chaffinch (pinzón vulgar), Fringilla coelebs
  • Tenerife blue chaffinch (pinzón azul de Tenerife), Fringilla teydea (E – Canary Islands)
  • Gran Canaria blue chaffinch (pinzón azul de Gran Canaria), Fringilla polatzeki (E – Canary Islands)
  • Brambling (pinzón real), Fringilla montifringilla (A – Canary Islands)
  • Hawfinch (picogordo común), Coccothraustes coccothraustes (A – Canary Islands)
  • Common rosefinch (camachuelo carminoso), Carpodacus erythrinus (A)
  • Eurasian bullfinch (camachuelo común), Pyrrhula pyrrhula (A – African enclaves)
  • Trumpeter finch (camachuelo trompetero), Rhodopechys githaginea (A – African enclaves)
  • Desert finch (camachuelo desertícola), Rhodospiza obsoleta (A, D)
  • European greenfinch (verderón común), Chloris chloris
  • Twite (pardillo piquigualdo), Linaria flavirostris (A)
  • Eurasian linnet (pardillo común), Linaria cannabina
  • Common redpoll (pardillo norteño), Acanthis flammea (A)
  • Lesser redpoll (pardillo alpino), Acanthis cabaret (A)
  • Red crossbill (piquituerto común), Loxia curvirostra (A – Canary Islands)
  • European goldfinch (jilguero europeo), Carduelis carduelis
  • Citril finch (verderón serrano), Carduelis citrinella (A – African enclaves)
  • European serin (serín verdecillo), Serinus serinus
  • Island canary (serín canario), Serinus canaria (Canary Islands only)
  • Eurasian siskin (jilguero lúgano), Spinus spinus

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

The Calcariidae are a group of perching birds that were traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows. However, they are different in several ways and are usually found in open grassy areas.

Old World Buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Emberizidae

The emberizids are a large family of perching birds. They eat seeds and have distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have unique patterns on their heads.

  • Black-headed bunting (escribano cabecinegro), Emberiza melanocephala (A)
  • Red-headed bunting (escribano carirrojo), Emberiza bruniceps (A)
  • Corn bunting (escribano triguero), Miliaria calandra
  • Rock bunting (escribano montesino), Emberiza cia
  • Meadow bunting (escribano de Brandt), Emberiza cioides (A, D)
  • Cirl bunting (escribano soteño), Emberiza cirlus
  • Yellowhammer (escribano cerillo), Emberiza citrinella (A – African enclaves)
  • Pine bunting (escribano cabeciblanco), Emberiza leucocephalos (A)
  • Ortolan bunting (escribano hortelano), Emberiza hortulana
  • Cretzschmar's bunting (escribano ceniciento), Emberiza caesia (A)
  • House bunting (escribano sahariano), Emberiza sahari (A)
  • Reed bunting (escribano palustre), Emberiza schoeniclus (A – Canary Islands)
  • Yellow-breasted bunting (escribano aureolado), Emberiza aureola (A) critically endangered
  • Little bunting (escribano pigmeo), Emberiza pusilla (A)
  • Rustic bunting (escribano rústico), Emberiza rustica (A) vulnerable
  • Black-faced bunting (escribano enmascarado), Emberiza spodocephala (A)
  • Yellow-browed bunting (escribano cejigualdo), Emberiza chrysophrys (A)

New World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

The New World sparrows (or American sparrows) are a large family of perching birds that eat seeds. They have bills that look distinctly like a finch's.

Troupials and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

Icterids are a family of small to medium-sized, often colorful, perching birds from the New World. Most species have black as their main feather color, often brightened with yellow, orange, or red. The birds in this family vary a lot in size, shape, behavior, and color.

  • Bobolink (tordo charlatán), Dolichonyx oryzivorus (A – Canary Islands only)
  • Baltimore oriole (oropéndola de Baltimore), Icterus galbula (A)

New World Warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

New World warblers are a group of small, often colorful perching birds found only in the New World. Most live in trees, but some spend more time on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects.

Cardinals and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals are a family of strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They are typically found in open woodlands. The males and females usually have different feather colors.

See also

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