List of birds of the Galápagos Islands


This is a list of birds recorded in the Galápagos islands of Ecuador, where 185 species have been documented as of February 2019. Of them, 30 are endemic, three nest only in the Galápagos, and virtually the entire population of a fourth nests there. Seventeen endemic subspecies are noted. In addition, 85 of the species are accidental, five were introduced to the islands, and five are domesticated.
Unless otherwise noted, this list's taxonomic treatment and nomenclature are those of the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society.
The following tags are used to define several categories of occurrence. Untagged species are common non-endemic residents, migrants, or seasonal visitors.
Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae
These are excellent at an aquatic life thanks to an oily covering on their feathers.
Order Galliformes Family Numididae
Guineafowl are African gamebirds, mostly spotted, with bare skin on the head and neck to lose heat.
Order Galliformes Family Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Order Phoenicopteriformes Family Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are water birds with a downcurved beak for sieving food.
Order Podicipediformes Family Podicipedidae
Grebes are aquatic birds most closely related to flamingoes. They are well adapted to living in water but are clumsy on land, never straying far from water when they build their nests.
Order Columbiformes Family Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are medium to large mostly plump birds. Most are arboreal species descending to the ground to feed but some are terrestrial like the quail-doves of South America or the pheasant-pigeon of New Guinea. They are found worldwide except near the poles and in a wide variety of habitats including urban. The feral form of the rock pigeon has been introduced worldwide.
Order Cuculiformes Family Cuculidae
Cuckoos are found almost worldwide. They are highly variable in size, shape, colour, and habits.
Order Caprimulgiformes Family Caprimulgidae
Nighthawks belong to the same family as nightjars but are found only in the Americas. They have mottled or striped plumage for camouflage.
Order Apodiformes Family Apodidae
Swifts are aerodynamic species which are found worldwide. Some species are migratory, others resident, and others still have both migratory and resident populations.
Order Gruiformes Family Rallidae
Rails are usually secretive birds. Many island species are flightless and many of those have gone extinct in the last five centuries. Gallinules are less secretive, and are usually found near or on water.
Order Charadriiformes Family Charadriidae
Plovers are dull-coloured shorebirds without many distinguishing features. The bill is short and straight to catch worms on the surface. Lapwings are slightly bigger and more colourful shorebirds. Their legs are longer than plover's but the bill is the same size with respect to the body.
Order Charadriiformes Family Haematopodidae
Oystercatchers are black or black and white shorebirds with long orange bills and with or without an eyering. The legs are pinkish.
Order Charadriiformes Family Recurvirostridae
Stilts are spindly legged birds with black and white markings.
Order Charadriiformes Family Scolopacidae
Sandpipers are long-legged mostly long-billed shorebirds. Some like woodcocks and snipes are forest species but most others are estuarine or wetland species.
Order Charadriiformes Family Stercorariidae
Stercorariidae are predatory birds typically separated into the bigger Catharacta skuas and the smaller Stercorarius jaegers.
Order Charadriiformes Family Laridae
Gulls are seabirds although some are found on freshwater. They have hooked bills and some have hoods or caps on their heads. Terns were formerly placed in a family of their own, Sternidae, but now they are commonly placed along with gulls and skimmers in Laridae. Their bills are straighter than those of gulls.
Order Phaethontiformes Family Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are seabirds once thought to be closely related to pelicans but are now known to belong to a clade known as Metaves.
Order Sphenisciformes Family Spheniscidae
Penguins are southern ocean birds with only this one species occurring north of the equator. They are small to large in size and mostly black and white in colour.
Order Procellariiformes Family Diomedeidae
Albatrosses are large tubenoses with wingspans of more than a meter. Most are southern ocean species but some are found in the northern Pacific Ocean.
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Oceanitidae
Storm-petrels are small marine birds that are mostly black and white. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.
Order: Procellariiformes Family: 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.
Order Procellariiformes Family Procellariidae
Petrels and shearwaters are known collectively as tubenoses for the tubes on their beaks which they use for excreting salt.
Order Suliformes Family Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are black seabirds. The males have a red throat patch to attract females.
Order Suliformes Family Sulidae
Boobies are seabirds which were once lumped along with darters, cormorants, and frigatebirds in Pelecaniformes. Their feet are variously coloured, black with striped toes in gannets, and grey, red, blue, yellow, black, or ochre in boobies.
Order Suliformes Family Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are seabirds which normally stand upright. Most of them have markings on their face and wings. Only the Galápagos species is flightless.
Order Pelecaniformes Family Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large seabirds, variable in colour but alike in shape. All have a gular pouch to catch fish.
Order Pelecaniformes Family Ardeidae
Herons are long-necked long-legged water birds. The majority feed on fish and other pond-life.
Order Accipitriformes Family Pandionidae
Pandionidae is a monotypic family of fish-eating birds of prey. Its single species possesses a very large and powerful hooked beak, strong legs, strong talons, and keen eyesight.
Order Accipitriformes Family Accipitridae
Hawks are close relatives of eagles and kites although none of these have been recorded in the Galápagos.
Order Strigiformes Family Tytonidae
Barn owls are owls with a heart-shaped face.
Order Strigiformes Family Strigidae
Typical or "true" 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.
Order Coraciiformes Family Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Order Falconiformes Family Falconidae
Falcons are streamlined aerodynamic birds of prey which were traditionally thought to be closely related to the Accipitriformes. Recent genetic studies place them closer to parrots.
Order Psittaciformes Family Psittacidae
Parrots are colourful tropical species with a curved bill and zygodactyl feet.
Order Passeriformes Family Tyrannidae
Tyrant flycatchers are a group of American passerines which are not related to the Old World flycatchers of the family Muscicapidae.
Order Passeriformes Family Vireonidae
Vireos are small greenish or yellowish birds.
Order Passeriformes Family Hirundinidae
Swallows and martins are passerines not closely related to swifts although they have superficial resemblance. They have short pointed wings.
Order Passeriformes Family Bombycillidae
Waxwings are medium-sized, plump birds. All three species in the family are migratory and occasionally turn up in unexpected places.
Order Passeriformes Family Mimidae
Mockingbirds are an American group of passerine birds. In the Galápagos they are famous for confirming Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Order Passeriformes Family Icteridae
The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World.
Order Passeriformes Family Parulidae
The wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are more terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.
Order Passeriformes Family Cardinalidae
Cardinals are a group of finch-like birds; most are colourful with seed-eating beaks.
Order Passeriformes Family Thraupidae
The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Most of the 19 species in the family which have been recorded in the Galápagos are "Darwin's finches". Famous for inspiring Darwin in his theory of evolution, the finches have astonishingly different beaks.