List of birds of Bonaire

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Bonaire. The avifauna of Bonaire (an island of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea) has 208 confirmed species, of which four have been introduced by humans and 62 are rare or vagrants (including a species introduced elsewhere in the region). None are endemic. An additional four species are hypothetical (see below).

Except as an entry is cited otherwise, the list of species is that of the South American Classification Committee (SACC) of the American Ornithological Society. The list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) are also those of the SACC.

The following tags have been used to highlight certain categories of occurrence.


 * (V) Vagrant - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Bonaire
 * (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Bonaire by human actions
 * (H) Hypothetical - a species recorded but with "no tangible evidence" according to the SACC

Ducks
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.


 * Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (V)
 * Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (V)
 * Comb duck, Sarkidiornis sylvicola (V)
 * Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata
 * Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors
 * American wigeon, Mareca americana
 * White-cheeked pintail, Anas bahamensis
 * Northern pintail, Anas acuta (V)
 * Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris (V)
 * Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis
 * Masked duck, Nomonyx dominicus (V)

Flamingos
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 ft tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.


 * American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber

Grebes
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.


 * Least grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus
 * Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps

Pigeons
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.


 * Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I)
 * Scaly-naped pigeon, Patagioenas squamosa (Extirpated)
 * Bare-eyed pigeon, Patagioenas corensis
 * White-tipped dove, Leptotila verreauxi
 * Eared dove, Zenaida auriculata
 * Common ground dove, Columbina passerina
 * Ruddy ground dove, Columbina talpacoti (V)

Cuckoos
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.


 * Groove-billed ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris
 * Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus
 * Mangrove cuckoo, Coccyzus minor
 * Gray-capped cuckoo, Coccyzus lansbergi (V)

Nightjars
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.


 * Lesser nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis (V)
 * Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
 * White-tailed nightjar, Hydropsalis cayennensis
 * Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis (V)

Swifts
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.


 * Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (V)

Hummingbirds
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.


 * Ruby-topaz hummingbird, Chrysolampis mosquitus
 * Blue-tailed emerald, Chlorostilbon mellisugus

Rails
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are weak fliers.


 * Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica
 * Sora, Porzana carolina
 * Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata
 * American coot, Fulica americana

Finfoots
Order: GruiformesFamily: Heliornithidae

Heliornithidae is a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots.


 * Sungrebe, Heliornis fulica (H)

Plovers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.


 * American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica
 * Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola
 * Southern lapwing, Vanellus chilensis (V)
 * Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus
 * Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus
 * Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (V)
 * Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia
 * Collared plover, Charadrius collaris
 * Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus

Oystercatchers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.


 * American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus

Avocets and stilts
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.


 * Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
 * American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (V)

Sandpipers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.


 * Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (V)
 * Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
 * Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica
 * Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
 * Red knot, Calidris canutus
 * Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus
 * Sanderling, Calidris alba
 * Dunlin, Calidris alpina
 * Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii
 * Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla
 * White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis
 * Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (V)
 * Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos
 * Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla
 * Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri
 * Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus
 * Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus
 * Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata
 * Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor
 * Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (V)
 * Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius (V)
 * Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius
 * Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria
 * Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca
 * Willet, Tringa semipalmata
 * Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes

Jacanas
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae

The jacanas are a group of waders found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.


 * Wattled jacana, Jacana jacana (V)

Skuas
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with gray or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.


 * Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (V)

Skimmers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rynchopidae

Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.


 * Black skimmer, Rynchops niger (V)

Gulls
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, and terns. They are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with gray or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.


 * Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus (V)
 * Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
 * Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis (V)
 * Herring gull, Larus argentatus (V)
 * Brown noddy, Anous stolidus
 * Black noddy, Anous minutus
 * Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus
 * Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus
 * Least tern, Sternula antillarum
 * Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica
 * Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (V)
 * Black tern, Chlidonias niger (V)
 * Common tern, Sterna hirundo
 * Roseate tern, Sterna dougallii
 * Sandwich tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis
 * Royal tern, Thalasseus maximus

Tropicbirds
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae

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


 * Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus
 * White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus (V)

Southern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae

The storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.


 * Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus (V)

Northern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.


 * Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous (V)

Shearwaters
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae

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


 * Black-capped petrel, Pterodroma hasitata
 * Great shearwater, Ardenna gravis (V)
 * Manx shearwater, Puffinus puffinus (H)
 * Audubon's shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri

Frigatebirds
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white, or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.


 * Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens

Boobies
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.


 * Masked booby, Sula dactylatra
 * Red-footed booby, Sula sula
 * Brown booby, Sula leucogaster

Cormorants
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae

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


 * Neotropic cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Pelicans
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.


 * Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis

Herons
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.


 * Boat-billed heron, Cochlearius cochlearius (V)
 * Black-crowned night-heron, Nyctanassa nycticorax
 * Yellow-crowned night-heron, Nyctanassa violacea
 * Green heron, Butorides virescens
 * Striated heron, Butorides striata
 * Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
 * Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
 * Great egret, Ardea alba
 * Whistling heron, Syrigma sibilatrix (V)
 * Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor
 * Reddish egret, Egretta rufescens
 * Snowy egret, Egretta thula
 * Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea

Ibises
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.


 * Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus (V)
 * Roseate spoonbill, Platalea ajaja (V)

Osprey
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.


 * Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Hawks
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.


 * Swallow-tailed kite, Elanoides forficatus (V)
 * Long-winged harrier, Circus buffoni (H)
 * White-tailed hawk, Geranoaetus albicaudatus

Barn owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae

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


 * Barn owl, Tyto alba

Owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.


 * Burrowing owl, Athene cunicularia (V)

Kingfishers
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae

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


 * Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon

Falcons
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.


 * Crested caracara, Caracara plancus
 * Yellow-headed caracara, Milvago chimachima (V)
 * American kestrel, Falco sparverius
 * Merlin, Falco columbarius
 * Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus

New World and African parrots
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae.

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back.


 * Yellow-shouldered parrot, Amazona barbadensis
 * Brown-throated parakeet, Eupsittula pertinax

Tyrant flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, have plain coloring. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.


 * Caribbean elaenia, Elaenia martinica
 * Lesser elaenia, Elaenia chiriquensis (V)
 * Streaked flycatcher, Myiodynastes maculatus (V)
 * Tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus
 * Fork-tailed flycatcher, Tyrannus savana
 * Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus (V)
 * Gray kingbird, Tyrannus dominicensis
 * Brown-crested flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus
 * Northern scrub-flycatcher, Sublegatus arenarum
 * Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperi (V)
 * Eastern wood-pewee, Contopus virens (V)

Vireos
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae

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


 * Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus
 * Black-whiskered vireo, Vireo altiloquus

Swallows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.


 * Southern rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx ruficollis (V)
 * Purple martin, Progne subis (V)
 * Caribbean martin, Progne dominicensis
 * Bank swallow, Riparia riparia
 * Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
 * Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Thrushes
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.


 * Veery, Catharus fuscescens
 * Gray-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimus
 * Swainson's thrush, Catharus ustulatus

Old World flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae

The Old World flycatchers are a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.


 * Northern wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe (H)

Mockingbirds
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Mimidae

The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalizations, especially their ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Their coloring tends towards dull-grays and browns.


 * Tropical mockingbird, Mimus gilvus
 * Pearly-eyed thrasher, Margarops fuscatus

Starlings
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.


 * European starling, Sturnus vulgaris (Introduced to the western hemisphere) (V)

Old World sparrows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae

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


 * House sparrow, Passer domesticus (I)

Sparrows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passerellidae

Most of the species are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many of these have distinctive head patterns.


 * Grasshopper sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum

Blackbirds
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteridae

The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds and New World orioles. Most species have black as the predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red.


 * Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus
 * Eastern meadowlark, Sturnella magna (V)
 * Venezuelan troupial, Icterus icterus (I)
 * Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula
 * Yellow oriole, Icterus nigrogularis
 * Shiny cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis (V)
 * Carib grackle, Quiscalus lugubris
 * Yellow-hooded blackbird, Chrysomus icterocephalus (V)

Wood-warblers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Parulidae

The wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.


 * Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla
 * Worm-eating warbler, Helmitheros vermivorum (V)
 * Northern waterthrush, Parkesia noveboracensis
 * Louisiana waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla
 * Golden-winged warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera (V)
 * Black-and-white warbler, Mniotilta varia
 * Prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea
 * Tennessee warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina
 * Connecticut warbler, Oporornis agilis
 * Kentucky warbler, Geothlypis formosa
 * Common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas (V)
 * Hooded warbler, Setophaga citrina
 * American redstart, Setophaga ruticilla
 * Cape May warbler, Setophaga tigrina (V)
 * Cerulean warbler, Setophaga cerulea (V)
 * Northern parula, Setophaga americana
 * Magnolia warbler, Setophaga magnolia
 * Bay-breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea (V)
 * Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca
 * Yellow warbler, Setophaga petechia
 * Chestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanica
 * Blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata
 * Black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens
 * Palm warbler, Setophaga palmarum (V)
 * Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata
 * Black-throated green warbler, Setophaga virens
 * Canada warbler, Cardellina canadensis (V)

Cardinal grosbeaks
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cardinalidae

The cardinals are a family of robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.


 * Summer tanager, Piranga rubra (V)
 * Scarlet tanager, Piranga olivacea
 * Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana (V)
 * Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus
 * Blue grosbeak, Passerina caerulea (V)
 * Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea

Tanagers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Thraupidae

The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly colored. They are seed eaters, but their preference tends towards fruit and nectar. Most have short, rounded wings.


 * Saffron finch, Sicalis flaveola (I)
 * Blue-black grassquit, Volatinia jacarina (V)
 * Red-legged honeycreeper, Cyanerpes cyaneus (V)
 * Swallow tanager, Tersina viridis (V)
 * Bananaquit, Coereba flaveola
 * Black-faced grassquit, Melanospiza bicolor