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List of birds of Venezuela facts for kids

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This is a list of the bird species recorded in Venezuela. The country of Venezuela is home to many amazing birds! There are over 1400 different kinds of birds that have been seen here. Imagine that!

Out of all these birds:

  • About 45 kinds are endemic (E), which means they live only in Venezuela and nowhere else in the world. How special is that?
  • Six kinds have been introduced (I) by humans. This means people brought them to Venezuela, and they now live there.
  • About 35 kinds are vagrants (V). These are birds that usually live somewhere else but visit Venezuela rarely or by accident.
  • One kind has sadly disappeared from Venezuela, meaning it's extirpated from the country.
  • Another 21 kinds are hypothetical (H). This means people think they might be in Venezuela, but there's no strong proof yet.

The list of birds here follows what the South American Classification Committee (SACC) says. They are like the official bird experts who decide how birds are named and grouped.

Tinamous

Tinamous are some of the oldest bird groups around! They look a bit like quail or grouse, which are ground-dwelling birds. But tinamous are actually unique and belong to their own special family.

Screamers

Screamers are a small family of birds related to ducks. They are big and bulky, with small heads, long legs, and large feet that are only partly webbed. They have sharp spurs on their wings, which they use to fight over mates or their territory.

Ducks and Waterfowl

This group includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are perfect for living in water. They have webbed feet for swimming, flat bills for finding food, and oily feathers that shed water easily.

Flamingos

Flamingos are tall, pink wading birds that live in groups. They can be about 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) tall. Flamingos eat tiny shellfish and algae by filtering them from the water. Their beaks are specially shaped to work upside down!

Grebes

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

Pigeons and Doves

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

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are tiny birds famous for hovering in the air. They can do this because their wings flap incredibly fast! They are also the only birds that can fly backward. Venezuela is home to many different kinds of hummingbirds.

Hoatzin

The Hoatzin is a unique bird, about the size of a pheasant but much slimmer. It has a long tail and neck, a small head with a blue face, and red eyes. A spiky crest sits on top of its head. Hoatzins are weak fliers and live in the swamps of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers.

New World Vultures

New World vultures are scavengers, meaning they eat dead animals. They look similar to Old World vultures, but they are not closely related. Unlike Old World vultures, which find food by sight, New World vultures have a great sense of smell to find carcasses.

Hawks and Eagles

This family includes hawks, eagles, and kites. These birds are birds of prey, meaning they hunt other animals for food. They have strong, hooked beaks to tear meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and excellent eyesight.

Owls

Owls are mostly nocturnal (active at night) birds of prey. They have large eyes that face forward and special feathers around their eyes that help them hear. They also have a hooked beak and strong talons.

Trogons and Quetzals

Trogons and quetzals live in tropical woodlands. They eat insects and fruit. They have broad bills and weak legs, which are good for their diet and for living in trees. Even though they can fly fast, they usually don't fly long distances. Trogons have soft, often colorful, feathers.

Toucans

Toucans are birds from the tropical Americas. They are known for their bright colors and enormous, colorful bills. In some toucans, their bill can be half the length of their body!

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds. They have chisel-like beaks, short legs, and stiff tails. Their long tongues help them catch insects. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks.

Falcons

Falcons are birds of prey that hunt during the day. They are different from hawks and eagles because they use their beaks to kill their prey, not their talons.

Parrots and Macaws

Parrots are birds with a special curved beak. They can move their upper beak a little bit. All parrots have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward on each foot. Many parrots are very colorful!

  • Rose-ringed parakeet, Psittacula krameri (I)
  • Red-eared parakeet, Pyrrhura hoematotis (E)
  • Rose-headed parakeet, Pyrrhura rhodocephala (E)

Jays

The jay family includes crows, ravens, and jays. These birds are larger than average for songbirds. Some of the bigger species are very intelligent.

Swallows

Swallows are birds that are great at catching insects while flying. They have slim bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are better for perching than for walking.

Wrens

Wrens are mostly small birds that are hard to spot, except for their loud songs! They have short wings and thin, downward-curved bills. Many species hold their tails straight up. They all eat insects.

  • Merida wren, Cistothorus meridae (E)

Thrushes

Thrushes are plump birds with soft feathers. They are small to medium-sized and eat insects, or sometimes a mix of things. They often feed on the ground. Many thrushes have beautiful songs.

Mockingbirds

Mockingbirds are known for their amazing voices. They can copy many different bird calls and other sounds they hear outside! Their feathers are usually dull gray and brown.

Old World Sparrows

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

Finches

Finches are seed-eating birds. They are small to medium-sized and have strong, often cone-shaped beaks. They have a bouncy flight, flapping their wings and then gliding. Most finches sing well.

Blackbirds and Orioles

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized birds, often very colorful. Most are mainly black, sometimes with bright yellow, orange, or red.

Wood-warblers

The wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, birds found only in the Americas. Most live in trees, but some live on the ground. Most of them eat insects.

  • Gray-headed warbler, Basileuterus griseiceps (E)
  • White-fronted redstart, Myioborus albifrons (E)
  • Paria redstart, Myioborus pariae (E)
  • White-faced redstart, Myioborus albifacies (E)
  • Saffron-breasted redstart, Myioborus cardonai (E)

Cardinal Grosbeaks

Cardinals are strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. The males and females often have different colored feathers.

Tanagers

Tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized birds found in the Americas, mostly in tropical areas. Many species are brightly colored. They eat a mix of fruits, seeds, and insects. Most have short, rounded wings.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Aves de Venezuela para niños

  • List of birds
  • Lists of birds by region

Other reading

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