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This is a list of the bird species recorded in Palau. The avifauna of Palau include a total of 186 species, of which 12 are endemic, and 5 have been introduced by humans. 9 species are globally threatened. This list's
taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of '' The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World'', 2022 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Palau. The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories. *(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Palau *(E) Endemic - a species endemic to Palau *(I) Introduced - a species introduced to Palau as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions *(Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs in Palau although populations exist elsewhere


Ducks, geese, and waterfowl

Order:
Anseriformes Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...
Family: Anatidae Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and
swan Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...
s. 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. * Garganey, ''Spatula querquedula'' * Eurasian wigeon, ''Mareca penelope'' * Pacific black duck, ''Anas superciliosa'' * Northern pintail, ''Anas acuta'' * Green-winged teal, ''Anas crecca'' * Common pochard, ''Aythya ferina'' (A) * Tufted duck, ''Aythya fuligula''


Megapodes

Order: GalliformesFamily: Megapodiidae The Megapodiidae are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet. All but the malleefowl occupy jungle habitats and most have brown or black colouring. *
Micronesian scrubfowl The Micronesian megapode or Micronesian scrubfowl (''Megapodius laperouse'') is an endangered megapode which inhabits islands of the Western Pacific Ocean. Description The Micronesian megapode is a stocky medium-sized bird that is mostly dark b ...
, ''Megapodius laperouse''


Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Order: GalliformesFamily:
Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls,
tragopan ''Tragopan'' is a bird genus in the pheasant family Phasianidae. Member of the genus are commonly called "horned pheasants" because males have two brightly colored, fleshy horns on their head that can be erected during courtship displays. The ha ...
s, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. * Red junglefowl, ''Gallus gallus'' (I)


Pigeons and doves

Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. *
Palau ground dove The Palau ground dove (''Pampusana canifrons'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Palau, living in forests. The IUCN has assessed it as an endangered species. Taxonomy Hartlaub and Finsch described this species as ' ...
, ''Alopecoenas canifrons'' (E) * Nicobar pigeon, ''Caloenas nicobarica'' * Palau fruit-dove, ''Ptilinopus pelewensis'' (E) *
Micronesian imperial-pigeon The Micronesian imperial pigeon (''Ducula oceanica''), also known as the Micronesian pigeon, and Belochel is a species of bird in the family Columbidae (doves). It is found in Palau, the Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands and Nauru. Its habit ...
, ''Ducula oceanica''


Cuckoos

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and
anis Anis ( ar, أنيس) is a masculine given name. The meaning of the name Anis is "genial" or "close friend". People In arts * Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi, German rapper known as Bushido * Anis Haffar, educational theorist, teacher, columnist ...
. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are
brood parasite Brood parasites are animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own ...
s. *
Chestnut-winged cuckoo The chestnut-winged cuckoo or red-winged crested cuckoo (''Clamator coromandus'') is a cuckoo found in Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It has dark glossy upperparts, a black head with long crest chestnut wings, a long graduated glossy bla ...
, ''Clamator coromandus'' (A) *
Long-tailed koel The Pacific long-tailed cuckoo (''Urodynamis taitensis''), also known as the long-tailed cuckoo, long-tailed koel, sparrow hawk, home owl, screecher, screamer or in Māori, is a species of the Cuculidae bird family (the cuckoos). It is a migrat ...
, ''Urodynamis taitensis'' (A) *
Channel-billed cuckoo The channel-billed cuckoo (''Scythrops novaehollandiae'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Scythrops''.Payne (2005), p. 380. The species is the largest brood parasite in the world, and the largest ...
, ''Scythrops novaehollandiae'' (A) * Brush cuckoo, ''Cacomantis variolosus'' (A) *
Northern hawk-cuckoo The rufous hawk-cuckoo or northern hawk-cuckoo (''Hierococcyx hyperythrus'') is a bird in the family Cuculidae formerly thought to be conspecific with Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo (''Hierococcyx fugax'') and placed in the genus ''Cuculus''. Geographic ...
, ''Hierococcyx hyperythrus'' (A) * Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo, ''Hierococcyx nisicolor'' (A) * Common cuckoo, ''Cuculus canorus'' (A) * Oriental cuckoo, ''Cuculus optatus''


Nightjars and allies

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. *
Gray nightjar The grey nightjar (''Caprimulgus jotaka'') is a species of nightjar found in East Asia. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the jungle nightjar (''C. indicus''), its South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which i ...
, ''Caprimulgus jotaka'' * Palau nightjar, ''Caprimulgus phalaena'' (E)


Swifts

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: 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. *
White-throated needletail The white-throated needletail (''Hirundapus caudacutus''), also known as needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift in the genus Hirundapus. It is reputed to reach speeds of up to 170 km/h (105 mph) in horizontal flight, but this ...
, ''Hirundapus caudacutus'' (A) *
Palau swiftlet The Palau swiftlet (''Aerodramus pelewensis'') is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to Palau. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hund ...
, ''Aerodramus pelewensis'' (E) *
Pacific swift The Pacific swift or fork-tailed swift (''Apus pacificus'') is a species of bird that is part of the Swift family. It breeds in eastern Asia. It is strongly migratory, spending the northern hemisphere's winter in Southeast Asia and Austral ...
, ''Apus pacificus'' (A)


Rails, gallinules, and coots

Order:
Gruiformes The Gruiformes are an order (biology), order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird family (biology), families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and t ...
Family: Rallidae Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails,
crake The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small- to medium-sized, ground-living birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules. Many species are associated with wetlands, althoug ...
s, 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 to be weak fliers. * Buff-banded rail, ''Gallirallus philippensis'' *
Eurasian moorhen The common moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus''), also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World. The common moorhen lives around well-vegetated mars ...
, ''Gallinula chloropus'' * Eurasian coot, ''Fulica atra'' (A) *
Black-backed swamphen The black-backed swamphen (''Porphyrio indicus'') is a species of swamphen occurring from southeast Asia to Sulawesi and Borneo. It used to be considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen The purple swamphen has been split into the following sp ...
, ''Porphyrio indicus'' * Australasian swamphen, ''Porphyrio melanotus'' * White-breasted waterhen, ''Amaurornis phoenicurus'' (A) *
Pale-vented bush-hen The pale-vented bush-hen (''Amaurornis moluccana'') is a medium sized waterbird, mainly blue-grey with a buff vent and undertail. It is found in Australia, the Moluccan Islands, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. Its ...
, ''Amaurornis moluccana'' (A) * White-browed crake, ''Poliolimnas cinereus'' *
Red-legged crake The red-legged crake (''Rallina fasciata'') is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. Description It is a medium-large crake (length 24 cm). Its head, neck and breast red-brown, paler on throat. Its upper parts are grey-brown. ...
, ''Rallina fasciata'' (A) *
Slaty-legged crake The slaty-legged crake or banded crake (''Rallina eurizonoides'') is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. Distribution and habitat Its breeding habitat is swamps and similar wet areas in well-wooded country across south Asia eas ...
, ''Rallina eurizonoides''


Stilts and avocets

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-winged stilt, ''Himantopus himantopus'' * Pied stilt, ''Himantopus leucocephalus'' (A) *
Black-necked stilt The black-necked stilt (''Himantopus mexicanus'') is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. It is found from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexic ...
, ''Himantopus mexicanus''


Plovers and lapwings

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. * Black-bellied plover, ''Pluvialis squatarola'' * Pacific golden-plover, ''Pluvialis fulva'' * Lesser sand-plover, ''Charadrius mongolus'' * Greater sand-plover, ''Charadrius leschenaultii'' * Kentish plover, ''Charadrius alexandrinus'' * Common ringed plover, ''Charadrius hiaticula'' * Little ringed plover, ''Charadrius dubius'' * Oriental plover, ''Charadrius veredus'' (A) * Red-kneed dotterel, ''Erythrogonys cinctus'' (A)


Sandpipers and allies

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. * Whimbrel, ''Numenius phaeopus'' * Little curlew, ''Numenius minutus'' (A) * Far Eastern curlew, ''Numenius madagascariensis'' * Eurasian curlew, ''Numenius arquata'' (A) * Bar-tailed godwit, ''Limosa lapponica'' *
Black-tailed godwit The black-tailed godwit (''Limosa limosa'') is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, ''Limosa''. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and chest ...
, ''Limosa limosa'' * Ruddy turnstone, ''Arenaria interpres'' * Great knot, ''Calidris tenuirostris'' * Red knot, ''Calidris canutus'' (A) * Ruff, ''Calidris pugnax'' * Broad-billed sandpiper, ''Calidris falcinellus'' (A) * Sharp-tailed sandpiper, ''Calidris acuminata'' * Curlew sandpiper, ''Calidris ferruginea'' * Temminck's stint, ''Calidris temminckii'' (A) * Long-toed stint, ''Calidris subminuta'' * Red-necked stint, ''Calidris ruficollis'' * Sanderling, ''Calidris alba'' * Dunlin, ''Calidris alpina'' * Little stint, ''Calidris minuta'' (A) * Pectoral sandpiper, ''Calidris melanotos'' * Asian dowitcher, ''Limnodromus semipalmatus'' (A) * Common snipe, ''Gallinago gallinago'' (A) *
Swinhoe's snipe Swinhoe's snipe, (''Gallinago megala''), also known as forest snipe or Chinese snipe, is a medium-sized (length 27–29 cm, wingspan 38–44 cm, weight 120 gm), long-billed, migratory wader. The common name commemorates the British na ...
, ''Gallinago megala'' * Terek sandpiper, ''Xenus cinereus'' * Red-necked phalarope, ''Phalaropus lobatus'' (A) *
Common sandpiper The common sandpiper (''Actitis hypoleucos'') is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the spotted sandpiper (''A. macularia''), make up the genus ''Actitis''. They are parapatric and replace each other geographical ...
, ''Actitis hypoleucos'' * Green sandpiper, ''Tringa ochropus'' (A) *
Gray-tailed tattler The grey-tailed tattler (''Tringa brevipes'', formerly ''Heteroscelus brevipes''Banks, Richard C.; Cicero, Carla; Dunn, Jon L.; Kratter, Andrew W.; Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Remsen, J. V. Jr.; Rising, James D. & Stotz, Douglas F. (2006):Forty-seventh ...
, ''Tringa brevipes'' *
Wandering tattler The wandering tattler (''Tringa incana''; formerly ''Heteroscelus incanus'': Pereira & Baker, 2005; Banks ''et al.'', 2006), is a medium-sized wading bird. It is similar in appearance to the closely related gray-tailed tattler, ''T. brevipes''. ...
, ''Tringa incana'' * Common greenshank, ''Tringa nebularia'' * Marsh sandpiper, ''Tringa stagnatilis'' * Wood sandpiper, ''Tringa glareola'' * Common redshank, ''Tringa totanus''


Pratincoles and coursers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. * Oriental pratincole, ''Glareola maldivarum''


Skuas and jaegers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey 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. *
Pomarine jaeger The pomarine jaeger (''Stercorarius pomarinus''), pomarine skua, or pomatorhine skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migrant, wintering at sea in the tropical oceans. Taxonomy Its relationships are not fully resolved; i ...
, ''Stercorarius pomarinus'' (A) * Long-tailed jaeger, ''Stercorarius longicaudus''


Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and
skimmer Skimmer may refer to: Animals *Skimmer (bird), a common name for birds in the genus ''Rynchops'' *Skimmer (dragonfly), a common name for dragonflies in the family Libellulidae *Water strider or skimmer, a common name for insects in the family Ge ...
s. Gulls are typically grey 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 grey 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'' * Brown noddy, ''Anous stolidus'' * Black noddy, ''Anous minutus'' * White tern, ''Gygis alba'' *
Sooty tern The sooty tern (''Onychoprion fuscatus'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans, returning to land only to breed on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Taxonomy The sooty tern was described by Carl Linnaeu ...
, ''Onychoprion fuscatus'' *
Gray-backed tern The spectacled tern (''Onychoprion lunatus''), also known as the grey-backed tern, is a seabird in the family Laridae. Description A close relative of the bridled and sooty terns (with which it is sometimes confused), the spectacled tern is les ...
, ''Onychoprion lunatus'' * Bridled tern, ''Onychoprion anaethetus'' * Little tern, ''Sternula albifrons'' * Gull-billed tern, ''Gelochelidon nilotica'' (A) * White-winged tern, ''Chlidonias leucopterus'' * Whiskered tern, ''Chlidonias hybrida'' *
Black-naped tern The black-naped tern (''Sterna sumatrana'') is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is rarely found inland. Description The tern is about 30 cm long with a wing length of 21 ...
, ''Sterna sumatrana'' * Common tern, ''Sterna hirundo'' *
Great crested tern The greater crested tern Retrieved 28 February 2012 (''Thalasseus bergii''), also called crested tern or swift tern, is a tern in the family Laridae that nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the tropical and subtropical Old Worl ...
, ''Thalasseus bergii''


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. * White-tailed tropicbird, ''Phaethon lepturus'' *
Red-tailed tropicbird The red-tailed tropicbird (''Phaethon rubricauda'') is a seabird native to tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. One of three closely related species of tropicbird (Phaethontidae), it was described by Pieter Boddaert in 1783. Superfic ...
, ''Phaethon rubricauda''


Northern storm-petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae The northern 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. *
Matsudaira's storm-petrel Matsudaira's storm petrel (''Hydrobates matsudairae'') is a species of seabird in the family Hydrobatidae. It breeds solely in the Volcano Islands in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and winters in the Indian Ocean. Its common name and Latin binomi ...
, ''Hydrobates matsudairae''


Shearwaters and petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary. * Providence petrel, ''Pterodroma solandri'' * Bulwer's petrel, ''Bulweria bulwerii'' * Streaked shearwater, ''Calonectris leucomelas'' * Wedge-tailed shearwater, ''Ardenna pacificus'' * Tropical shearwater, ''Puffinus bailloni''


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 coloured 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. * Lesser frigatebird, ''Fregata ariel'' *
Great frigatebird The great frigatebird (''Fregata minor'') is a large seabird in the frigatebird family. There are major nesting populations in the tropical Pacific (including the Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a tiny population in the South At ...
, ''Fregata minor''


Boobies and gannets

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'' *
Brown booby The brown booby (''Sula leucogaster'') is a large seabird of the booby family Sulidae, of which it is perhaps the most common and widespread species. It has a pantropical range, which overlaps with that of other booby species. The gregarious brow ...
, ''Sula leucogaster'' *
Red-footed booby The red-footed booby (''Sula sula'') is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. Adults always have red feet, but the colour of the plumage varies. They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings. They are f ...
, ''Sula sula''


Cormorants and shags

Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful. * Little pied cormorant, ''Microcarbo melanoleucos'' * Great cormorant, ''Phalacrocorax carbo'' (A) *
Little black cormorant The little black cormorant (''Phalacrocorax sulcirostris'') is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand, where it is known as the little bl ...
, ''Phalacrocorax sulcirostris'' (A)


Pelicans

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...
s 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. * Australian pelican, ''Pelecanus conspicillatus'' (A)


Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns,
heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...
s, 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. * Yellow bittern, ''Ixobrychus sinensis'' *
Schrenck's bittern Von Schrenck's bittern or Schrenck's bittern (''Ixobrychus eurhythmus'') is a small bittern (birds of the subfamily Botaurinae). It is named after Leopold von Schrenck, the 19th-century Russian naturalist. Description The male is uniformly chest ...
, ''Ixobrychus eurhythmus'' (A) *
Gray heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern ...
, ''Ardea cinerea'' (A) * Great egret, ''Ardea alba'' * Intermediate egret, ''Ardea intermedia'' * Little egret, ''Egretta garzetta'' * Pacific reef-heron, ''Egretta sacra'' * Cattle egret, ''Bubulcus ibis'' *
Chinese pond-heron The Chinese pond heron (''Ardeola bacchus'') is an East Asian freshwater bird of the heron family, (Ardeidae). It is one of six species of birds known as "pond herons" (genus '' Ardeola''). It is parapatric (or nearly so) with the Indian pon ...
, ''Ardeola bacchus'' (A) * Striated heron, ''Butorides striata'' *
Black-crowned night-heron The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax''), or black-capped night heron, commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and N ...
, ''Nycticorax nycticorax'' * Nankeen night-heron, ''Nycticorax caledonicus'' *
Japanese night-heron The Japanese night heron (''Gorsachius goisagi'') is a species of night heron found in East Asia. It breeds in Japan, and winters in the Philippines and Indonesia. It is also seen in the spring and summer in Korea and the Russian Far East. The ...
, ''Gorsachius goisagi'' (A) *
Malayan night-heron The Malayan night heron (''Gorsachius melanolophus''), also known as Malaysian night heron and tiger bittern, is a medium-sized heron. It is distributed in southern and eastern Asia. Distribution and habitat The Malayan night heron has been ...
, ''Gorsachius melanolophus'' (A)


Ibises and spoonbills

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and
spoonbill Spoonbills are a genus, ''Platalea'', of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name ''Platalea'' derives from Ancient Greek and means "broad", refe ...
s. 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'' (A) * Black-faced spoonbill, ''Platalea minor'' (A)


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, eagles, and kites

Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes
hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
s,
eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
s, 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. *
Gray-faced buzzard The grey-faced buzzard (''Butastur indicus'') is an Asian bird of prey. It is typically in length, making it a small-sized raptor. It breeds in Manchuria, Korea and Japan; it winters in South-east Asia. It is a bird of open land. It eats ...
, ''Butastur indicus'' (A) * Chinese sparrowhawk, ''Accipiter soloensis'' * Black kite, ''Milvus migrans'' * Brahminy kite, ''Haliastur indus'' (A)


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. * Palau owl, ''Pyrroglaux podarginus'' (E)


Kingfishers

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails. * Common kingfisher, ''Alcedo atthis'' (A) *
Ruddy kingfisher The ruddy kingfisher (''Halcyon coromanda'') is a medium-sized tree kingfisher, widely distributed in east and southeast Asia. Description Reaching approximately 25 cm, the ruddy kingfisher has a very large, bright red bill and equally r ...
, ''Halcyon coromanda'' (A) *
Palau kingfisher The rusty-capped kingfisher or Palau kingfisher (''Todiramphus pelewensis'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to Palau. The natural habitat of this species is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was fo ...
, ''Todirhamphus pelewensis'' (E) * Sacred kingfisher, ''Todirhamphus sanctus'' (A) * Collared kingfisher, ''Todirhamphus chloris''


Bee-eaters

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. * Rainbow bee-eater, ''Merops ornatus'' (A)


Rollers

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. * Dollarbird, ''Eurystomus orientalis''


Falcons and caracaras

Order: FalconiformesFamily:
Falconidae The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae (representing all extant species in the order Falconiformes). The family is divided into three subfamilies, Herpetotherinae, which inclu ...
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. *
Peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...
, ''Falco peregrinus''


Cockatoos

Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Cacatuidae The cockatoos share many features with other parrots including the characteristic curved beak shape and a zygodactyl foot, with two forward toes and two backwards toes. They differ, however in a number of characteristics, including the often spectacular movable headcrest. . * Sulphur-crested cockatoo, ''Cacatua galerita'' (I)


Old World parrots

Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand. * Eclectus parrot, ''Eclectus roratus'' (I)


Honeyeaters

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Meliphagidae The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium-sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea. They are nectar feeders and closely resemble other nectar-feeding passerines. * Micronesian myzomela, ''Myzomela rubratra''


Cuckooshrikes

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Campephagidae The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured. *
Common cicadabird The common cicadabird (''Edolisoma tenuirostre''), also known as the slender-billed cicadabird, is a species of bird in the family Campephagidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Its natural habitats are ...
, ''Edolisoma tenuirostre''


Whistlers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily:
Pachycephalidae The Pachycephalidae are a family of bird species that includes the whistlers, shrikethrushes, and three of the pitohuis, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. The family includes 64 species that are separated into f ...
The family Pachycephalidae includes the whistlers, shrikethrushes, and some of the pitohuis. * Morningbird, ''Pachycephala tenebrosa'' (E)


Woodswallows, bellmagpies, and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily:
Artamidae Artamidae is a family of passerine birds found in Australia, the Indo-Pacific region, and Southern Asia. It includes 24 extant species in six genera and three subfamilies: Peltopsinae (with one genus, ''Peltops''), Artaminae (with one genus conta ...
The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings. * White-breasted woodswallow, ''Artamus leucorynchus''


Fantails

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Rhipiduridae The fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders. *
Palau fantail The Palau fantail (''Rhipidura lepida'') is a species of bird in the fantail family Rhipiduridae. It is endemic to Palau. Taxonomy and systematics The species is closely related to and forms a superspecies with the long-tailed fantail of the Ta ...
, ''Rhipidura lepida'' (E)


Monarch flycatchers

Order: PasseriformesFamily:
Monarchidae The monarchs (family Monarchidae) comprise a family of over 100 passerine birds which includes shrikebills, paradise flycatchers, and magpie-larks. Monarchids are small insectivorous songbirds with long tails. They inhabit forest or woodland a ...
The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching. * Palau flycatcher, ''Myiagra erythrops'' (E)


Shrikes

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. * Brown shrike, ''Lanius cristatus'' (A)


Reed warblers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa. *
Oriental reed warbler The Oriental reed warbler (''Acrocephalus orientalis'') is a passerine bird of eastern Asia belonging to the reed warbler genus '' Acrocephalus''. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the great reed warbler (''A. arundinaceus'') of the ...
, ''Acrocephalus orientalis'' (A)


Grassbirds and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily:
Locustellidae Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the ''Bradypterus'' "bush warblers". These bird ...
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over. *
Lanceolated warbler The lanceolated warbler (''Locustella lanceolata'') is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus ''Locustella''. It breeds from northeast European Russia across the Palearctic to northern Hokkaidō, Japan. It is migratory, wintering in ...
, ''Locustella lanceolata'' (A)


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. * Bank swallow, ''Riparia riparia'' (A) * Barn swallow, ''Hirundo rustica'' * Red-rumped swallow, ''Cecropis daurica'' (A) *
Asian house-martin The Asian house martin (''Delichon dasypus'') is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family Hirundinidae. It has mainly blue-black upperparts, other than its white rump, and has pale grey underparts. Its three subspecies breed in the Hima ...
, ''Delichon dasypus'' (A)


Bush warblers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.Gill, F. and D. Donsker (Eds). 2019. IOC World Bird List (v 9.2). http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ retrieved 22 June 2019. *
Palau bush warbler The Palau bush warbler (''Horornis annae'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Cettiidae. It is found only in Palau. References

Horornis, Palau bush warbler Birds of Palau Endemic birds of Palau Birds described in 1868, Pa ...
, ''Horornis annae'' (E)


White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye. *
Giant white-eye The giant white-eye, or Palau greater white-eye (''Megazosterops palauensis'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Megazosterops''. It is endemic to Palau, where its natural habitat is tropical mois ...
, ''Megazosterops palauensis'' (E) * Caroline Islands white-eye, ''Zosterops semperi'' *
Dusky white-eye The dusky white-eye (''Zosterops finschii'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to Palau. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hun ...
, ''Zosterops finschii'' (E)


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. * Micronesian starling, ''Aplonis opaca'' *
Chestnut-cheeked starling The chestnut-cheeked starling (''Agropsar philippensis'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It breeds in Japan and the Russian islands of Sakhalin and Kuriles; it winters in Taiwan, the Philippines and northern Borneo. The che ...
, ''Agropsar philippensis'' (A)


Thrushes and allies

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. * Scaly thrush, ''Zoothera dauma'' (A) *
Eyebrowed thrush The eyebrowed thrush (''Turdus obscurus'') is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. The scientific name comes from Latin ''Turdus'', "thrush" and ''obscurus'' "dark". It breeds in dense coniferous forest and taiga eastwards from Siberia and M ...
, ''Turdus obscurus'' (A)


Old World flycatchers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. * Gray-streaked flycatcher, ''Muscicapa griseisticta'' * Blue-and-white flycatcher, ''Cyanoptila cyanomelana'' (A) *
Siberian rubythroat The Siberian rubythroat (''Calliope calliope'') is a small passerine bird first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1776. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World ...
, ''Calliope calliope'' (A) *
Narcissus flycatcher The narcissus flycatcher (''Ficedula narcissina'') is a passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is native to the East Palearctic, from Sakhalin to the north, through Japan across through Korea, mainland China, and Taiwan, winter ...
, ''Ficedula narcissina'' (A) *
Blue rock-thrush The blue rock thrush (''Monticola solitarius'') is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and M ...
, ''Monticola solitarius'' (A) * Isabelline wheatear, ''Oenanthe isabellina'' (A)


Waxbills and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns. *
Blue-faced parrotfinch The blue-faced parrotfinch (''Erythrura trichroa'') is a locally common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France (introduced), New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , imag ...
, ''Erythrura trichroa'' * Scaly-breasted munia, ''Lonchura punctulata'' (Ex) *
Chestnut munia The chestnut munia or black-headed munia (''Lonchura atricapilla'') is a small passerine. It was formerly considered conspecific with the closely related tricoloured munia, but is now widely recognized as a separate species. This estrildid finch ...
, ''Lonchura atricapilla'' (I)


Old World sparrows

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects. * Eurasian tree sparrow, ''Passer montanus'' (I)


Wagtails and pipits

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country. *
Gray wagtail The grey wagtail (''Motacilla cinerea'') is a member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae, measuring around 18–19 cm overall length. The species looks somewhat similar to the yellow wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to ...
, ''Motacilla cinerea'' (A) *
Eastern yellow wagtail The eastern yellow wagtail (''Motacilla tschutschensis'') is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. It was often classified as a subspecies of the Western yellow wagtail. This species ...
, ''Motacilla tschutschensis'' * White wagtail, ''Motacilla alba'' (A) *
Blyth's pipit Blyth's pipit (''Anthus godlewskii'') is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in Mongolia and neighbouring areas of China, Tibet and India . It is a long distance bird migration, migrant moving to open lowlands in Southern Asia. It is a ver ...
, ''Anthus godlewskii'' (A) *
Olive-backed pipit The olive-backed pipit (''Anthus hodgsoni'') is a small passerine bird of the pipit (''Anthus'') genus, which breeds across southern, north central and eastern Asia, as well as in the north-eastern European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant ...
, ''Anthus hodgsoni'' (A) * Red-throated pipit, ''Anthus cervinus'' (A)


Old World buntings

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns. * Black-headed bunting, ''Emberiza melanocephala'' (A) *
Little bunting The little bunting (''Emberiza pusilla'') is a passerine bird belonging to the bunting family (Emberizidae). Taxonomy First described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1776, the little bunting is a monotypic species, with no geographical variation acros ...
, ''Emberiza pusilla'' (A)


See also

*
List of birds This article lists living orders and families of birds. The links below should then lead to family accounts and hence to individual species. The passerines (perching birds) alone account for well over 5,000 species. In total there are about 1 ...
* Lists of birds by region


References

* * {{Palau topics Palau '
birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...