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List of birds of Virginia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Northern Cardinal Male-27527-2
The northern cardinal is the state bird of Virginia.

This article is a list of all the different kinds of birds that have been officially seen and recorded in the state of Virginia. As of January 1, 2022, there were 487 bird species on this list, plus four pairs of similar species. Some of these birds are very rare visitors, while others were brought to North America by people. A few species that used to live here are now gone from Virginia or even extinct everywhere.

This list follows the order used by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). The names of the birds and their families come from this official list.

Here are some special codes you'll see next to some bird names:

  • (A) - Accidental: This means the bird has been seen in Virginia fewer than six times in the last 50 years. It's a very rare visitor!
  • (R) - Rare: This bird is not common and might be hard to find, or it lives in a very specific, small area.
  • (I) - Introduced: Humans brought this bird species to North America.
  • (H) - Historical: This species was believed to live in Virginia a long time ago.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Woodduck95
Wood ducks
Anas platyrhynchos LC0017
Mallards
Northern Shoveller (Male) I IMG 0956
Northern shoveler
Kappensäger männlich seitlich 050501
Hooded merganser

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae

This group includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great at living in water. They have webbed feet for swimming and special feathers that shed water. Virginia has recorded 48 different kinds of these birds.

New World Quail

Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, round birds that live on the ground. They are not closely related to Old World quails, but they look and act similarly. Only one species has been seen in Virginia.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Ruffed Grouse (1)
Ruffed grouse

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and their relatives. These birds live on land and vary in size. Many are hunted for food. Turkeys are large birds with unique fleshy parts on their faces. Male turkeys are bigger and more colorful than females. Grouse live in cooler northern areas. Males often perform fancy dances to attract mates. Most grouse stay in Virginia all year. Four species have been recorded here.

Flamingoes

Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingoes are tall, social birds that wade in water. They are found in many parts of the world. Flamingos eat tiny shellfish and algae by filtering them from the water. Their beaks are specially shaped for this and are used upside down. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Grebes

Podilymbus-podiceps-001
Pied-billed grebe

Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized birds that dive in freshwater. They have lobed toes, which make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, making them clumsy on land. Six species have been recorded in Virginia.

Pigeons and Doves

Mourning Dove 2006
Mourning dove

Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with sturdy bodies, short necks, and thin bills. Six species have been confirmed in Virginia.

Cuckoos

BlackbilledCuckoo23
Black-billed cuckoo

Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos and roadrunners. These birds have different sizes, but they all have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Nightjars and Allies

Common Nighthawk
Common nighthawk

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. Their soft feathers are colored to help them blend in with tree bark or leaves. Three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes 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. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a crescent moon. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Hummingbirds

Rubythroathummer65
Ruby-throated hummingbird

Order: Apodiformes Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds that can hover in the air by flapping their wings very fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward! Nine species have been recorded in Virginia.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

VirginiaRail23
Virginia rail

Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds. They often live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are usually shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, which help them walk on soft, uneven ground. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are not strong fliers. Ten species have been recorded in Virginia.

Limpkin

Order: Gruiformes Family: Aramidae

The limpkin is a large bird that looks like a rail but is more closely related to cranes. It lives in marshes and gets its name because it looks like it's limping when it walks.

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. When they fly, their necks are stretched out, unlike herons, which pull their necks back. Most cranes have fancy and loud courtship dances. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts, which are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and bills that curve upwards. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Oystercatchers

American Oystercatcher
American oystercatcher

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae

Oystercatchers are large, easy-to-spot, and noisy birds that look like plovers. They have strong bills that they use to smash or pry open shellfish.

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, pointed wings. They live in open areas worldwide, often near water. Nine species and one species pair have been recorded in Virginia.

Sandpipers and Allies

Catoptrophorus semipalmatus edit
Willet
Calidris-alba-001
Sanderling
Arenaria interpres
Ruddy turnstone
Common snipe fencepost
Wilson's snipe

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, and snipes. Most of these birds eat small bugs they find in mud or soil. Different bill and leg lengths allow many species to feed in the same places without competing for food. Thirty-eight species have been recorded in Virginia.

Skuas and Jaegers

Stercorarius pomarinusPCCA20070623-3985B
Pomarine jaeger

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Stercorariidae

These are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown, with white marks on their wings. They have long bills with hooked tips and webbed feet. They look like large, dark gulls but are strong, agile fliers. Five species have been recorded in Virginia.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Alcidae

Alcids look a bit like penguins because they are black and white and stand upright. However, they are not closely related and can fly! Auks live in the open sea and only come to land to nest. Seven species have been recorded in Virginia.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Larus atricilla1
Laughing gull
Ring-billed Gull eb
Ring-billed gull
Royal Tern
Royal tern

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae

Gulls are typically medium to large birds, often gray or white with black markings. They have strong bills and webbed feet. Terns are lighter and more graceful in flight, with long tails and narrow wings. Skimmers are tropical birds with a unique lower bill that is longer than the upper one. They fly low over the water to catch small fish. Thirty-four species have been recorded in Virginia.

Tropicbirds

Order: Phaethontiformes Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds that live in tropical oceans. They have very long central tail feathers. Their long wings and heads have black markings. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Loons

Commonloonudfs
Common loon

Order: Gaviiformes Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck, but they are not related. They are mostly gray or black and have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim and fly well, but they are very clumsy on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies. Three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Albatrosses

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Diomedeidae

Albatrosses are among the largest flying birds. Some have the biggest wingspans of any living bird. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Southern Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Oceanitidae

Storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds. They are related to petrels and eat tiny crustaceans and small fish from the water's surface, often while hovering. Their flight is fluttery, sometimes like a bat.

Northern Storm-Petrels

Lesp1
Leach's storm-petrel

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Hydrobatidae

These storm-petrels look and act like the southern storm-petrels, but genetic differences mean they are in a separate family.

Shearwaters and Petrels

Puffinus griseus
Sooty shearwater

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae

This group includes medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and a long outer wing feather. Eleven species have been recorded in Virginia.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy wading birds with long legs, long necks, and strong bills. They have wide wingspans. Unlike herons, storks do not have special "powder down" feathers to clean fish slime. Storks cannot make sounds because they lack a voice box. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Frigatebirds

Order: Suliformes Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds found in tropical oceans. They are black, or black and white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that they can inflate. They cannot swim or walk well and cannot take off from flat ground. They have the largest wingspan for their body weight of any bird and can stay in the air for over a week! One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish. Three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Anhingas

Anhingadrying
Anhinga

Order: Suliformes Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas are water birds that look like cormorants. They have very long necks and long, straight beaks. They eat fish and often swim with only their neck above the water. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large water birds, usually with dark feathers and colored skin on their faces. Their bills are long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have four webbed toes. Three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Pelicans

Brown pelican - natures pics
Brown pelican

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a unique pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their order, they have four webbed toes. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Great egret and a fish in GGP 11
Great egret
Green Heron4
Green heron
Yellow crowned night heron with mud crab (6932954997)
A yellow-crowned night heron with a tiny blue crab at First Landing State Park

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns have shorter necks and are more secretive. Birds in this family fly with their necks pulled back, unlike storks or ibises. Fourteen species have been recorded in Virginia.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings and long bodies with long legs and necks. Ibises have bills that curve downwards, while spoonbills have straight, flattened bills that look like spoons. Four species have been recorded in Virginia.

New World Vultures

Turkey vulture profile
Turkey vulture

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but they look similar because they both adapted to scavenging. Like Old World vultures, they eat dead animals. However, New World vultures have a good sense of smell to find food, while Old World vultures rely on sight. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Pandionidae

The osprey is a medium-large bird of prey that eats fish. It lives in many different places because it can nest near any body of water that has enough fish. It is the only member of its family.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

RT hawks
Red-tailed hawks at nest

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. These birds of prey have very strong, hooked beaks for tearing meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and excellent eyesight. Nineteen species have been recorded in Virginia.

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. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Owls

Great-horned-owl-stretching
Great horned owl

Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are solitary birds of prey that are active at night. They have large eyes that face forward, good hearing, a hawk-like beak, and a clear circle of feathers around each eye. Eight species have been recorded in Virginia.

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and short tails. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Woodpeckers

Melanerpes-erythrocephalus-003
Red-headed woodpecker

Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues for catching insects. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks. Ten species have been recorded in Virginia.

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks, not their talons. Six species have been recorded in Virginia.

New World and African Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a curved beak. They have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward on each foot. Most of the more than 150 species in this family live in the New World. One species has been confirmed in Virginia.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Empidonax-minimus-001
Least flycatcher
Tyrannus-tyrannus-001
Eastern kingbird

Order: Passeriformes Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are songbirds found across North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers but are stronger and have thicker bills. Most of them eat insects. Twenty species and one species pair have been recorded in Virginia.

Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis

Redeyedvireo17
Red-eyed vireo

Order: Passeriformes Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are small to medium-sized songbirds. They are usually greenish and look like wood-warblers, but they have stronger bills. Eight species have been recorded in Virginia.

Shrikes

Loggerhead128
Loggerhead shrike

Order: Passeriformes Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds known for catching other birds and small animals. They sometimes stick the uneaten parts of their prey on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Cyanocitta-cristata-004
Blue jay

Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, and jays. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger species are very intelligent. Six species have been recorded in Virginia.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Carolina Chickadee-27527
Carolina chickadee

Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mostly small, plump woodland birds with short, strong bills. They can adapt to different environments and eat a mix of seeds and insects. Four species have been recorded in Virginia.

Larks

Order: Passeriformes Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small ground birds known for their often fancy songs and display flights. Most larks look quite plain. They eat insects and seeds. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Swallows

Hirundo-rustica-001
Barn swallow

Order: Passeriformes Family: Hirundinidae

This family of birds is built for flying and catching food in the air. They have slender bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are better for perching than walking. Nine species have been recorded in Virginia.

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a family of very small birds that eat insects. Adult kinglets have colorful crowns on their heads, which is how they got their name. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are birds with soft, silky feathers. They have unique red tips on some of their wing feathers that look like sealing wax. These birds live in northern forests and eat insects in summer and berries in winter. Two species have been recorded in Virginia.

Nuthatches

Brown-headed Nuthatch-27527
Brown-headed nuthatch

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, unlike most other birds. Nuthatches have large heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet. Three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds that are brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curved bills that they use to pull insects out of tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which help them support themselves on vertical trees. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds look and act like Old World warblers. They move quickly through leaves looking for insects. Gnatcatchers are usually soft bluish-gray and have the long, sharp bill typical of insect-eaters. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Wrens

Carolina Wren 2
Carolina wren

Order: Passeriformes Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard to see, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin, downward-curved bills. Several species often hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects. Seven species have been recorded in Virginia.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Mockingbird in Bay Ridge (85082)
Northern mockingbird

Order: Passeriformes Family: Mimidae

This family includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and catbirds. These birds are famous for their amazing ability to copy the songs of other birds and many other sounds they hear outside. They usually have dull gray and brown feathers. Four species have been recorded in Virginia.

Starlings

Etourneau DSC01833
European starling

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds from the Old World with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly, and most live in large groups. They prefer open areas and eat insects and fruit. Many species have dark feathers with a shiny, metallic look. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Thrushes and Allies

Hylocichla mustelina (cropped)
Wood thrush

Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds, mostly found in the Old World. They are plump, with soft feathers, and are small to medium-sized. They eat insects or sometimes everything (omnivores), often feeding on the ground. Many have beautiful songs. Eleven species have been recorded in Virginia.

Old World Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large family of small songbirds. They are mainly small birds that live in trees and eat insects, often catching them in mid-air. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Old World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. They are generally plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects. One species has been recorded in Virginia.

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are slender songbirds with medium to long tails. They feed on insects on the ground in open areas. Three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Carduelis-tristis-001
American goldfinch

Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae

Finches are songbirds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-sized and have strong, often cone-shaped beaks. They have a bouncy flight pattern, flapping and then gliding with closed wings. Most finches sing well. Twelve species have been recorded in Virginia.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Order: Passeriformes Family: Calcariidae

This group of songbirds used to be part of the New World sparrows. They are usually found in open grassy areas. Four species have been recorded in Virginia.

New World Sparrows

Saltmarsh sharp tailed sparrow
Saltmarsh sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Chipping sparrow
Eastern Towhee-27527-3
Eastern towhee

Order: Passeriformes Family: Passerellidae

These birds are often called sparrows, but they are not closely related to the Old World sparrows. Many of them have unique patterns on their heads. Twenty-eight species have been recorded in Virginia.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes Family: Icteriidae

This bird was once thought to be a wood-warbler, but now it has its own family.

Troupials and Allies

Red winged blackbird - natures pics
Red-winged blackbird

Order: Passeriformes Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and orioles. They are small to medium-sized, often colorful songbirds found only in the New World. Most species are mainly black, sometimes with bright yellow, orange, or red colors. Fourteen species have been recorded in Virginia.

New World Warblers

Dendroica-pensylvanica-003
Chestnut-sided warbler
Black-Throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated blue warbler
Myrtle Warbler - Port Aransas, TX
Yellow-rumped warbler
Dendroica-fusca-001
Blackburnian warbler
Commonyellowthroat159
Common yellowthroat

Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae

Wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful songbirds found only in the New World. Most live in trees, but some, like the Ovenbird, spend more time on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects. Forty-three species have been recorded in Virginia.

Cardinals and Allies

Grosbeak (Razmear)
Rose-breasted grosbeak

Order: Passeriformes Family: Cardinalidae

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

See Also

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