This list of birds recorded in the Galápagos Islands includes species recorded in the

Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands () are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the equator, west of the mainland of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of sli ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

, where 190 species have been documented as of March 2025.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 30 March 2025. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved 30 March 2025 Of them, 31 are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

, three nest only in the Galápagos, and virtually the entire population of a fourth nests there. Seventeen endemic subspecies are noted. In addition, 65 of the species are accidental and 11 were introduced to the islands, four of which are

domesticated Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...

. Unless otherwise noted, this list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) are those of the South American Classification Committee (SACC) of the American Ornithological Society.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 30 March 2025. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved 30 March 2025 The following tags are used to define several categories of occurrence. Untagged species are common non-endemic residents, migrants, or seasonal visitors. * (A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in the Galápagos * (E)

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

- a species found only the Galápagos * (EB) Endemic breeder - a species which nests only in the Galápagos but is found elsewhere in the non-breeding season * (ES) Endemic subspecies - a subspecies found only in the Galápagos * (I) Introduced - a species introduced to the Galápagos as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions * (D)

Domesticated Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...

- a species which is domesticated in the Galápagos but not naturalised

Ducks

Order:

Anseriformes Anseriformes is an order (biology), 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 f ...

Family:

Anatidae The Anatidae are the biological family (biology), family of water birds that includes ducks, goose, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted f ...

These are adapted to an aquatic life, possessing webbed feet, an oily covering on their feathers to shed water, and bills adapted to their feeding needs. * Black-bellied whistling duck, ''Dendrocygna autumnalis'' (A) * Graylag goose, ''Anser anser domesticus'' (D) *

Northern shoveler The northern shoveler (; ''Spatula clypeata''), known simply in Britain as the shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and throughout the Palearctic and across most of North America, and winters in southe ...

, ''Spatula clypeata'' * Blue-winged teal, ''Spatula discors'' * Cinnamon teal, ''Spatula cyanoptera'' * White-cheeked pintail, ''Anas bahamensis galapagensis'' (ES) * Domestic mallard, ''Anas platyrhynchos domesticus'' (D) This species is not on the SACC list. Its placement follows Clements. * Masked duck, ''Nomonyx dominicus'' (A)

Guineafowl

Order:

Galliformes Galliformes is an order (biology), order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkey (bird), turkeys, chickens, Old World quail, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems ...

Family: Numididae Guineafowl are African gamebirds, mostly spotted, with bare skin on the head and neck to lose heat. * Helmeted guineafowl, ''Numida meleagris'' (I)

Pheasants

Order:

Family:

Phasianidae Phasianidae is a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, grouse, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hu ...

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. * Green peafowl, ''Pavo muticus'' (I) *

Common quail The common quail (''Coturnix coturnix''), or European quail, is a small ground-nesting game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is mainly migratory, breeding in the western Palearctic and wintering in Africa and southern India. With its ...

, ''Coturnix coturnix'' (I) * Domestic chicken, ''Gallus gallus domesticus'' (D) *

Domestic turkey The domestic turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo domesticus'') is a large fowl, one of the two species in the genus ''Meleagris'' and the same species as the wild turkey. Although turkey domestication was thought to have occurred in central Mesoamerica ...

, ''Meleagris gallopavo'' (D)

Flamingos

Order:

Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteriformes is a group of water birds which comprises flamingos and their extinct relatives. Flamingos (Phoenicopteriformes) and the closely related grebes ( Podicipedidae) are contained in the parent clade Mirandornithes. Fossil ...

Family: Phoenicopteridae Flamingos are water birds with a downcurved beak for sieving food. *

Chilean flamingo The Chilean flamingo (''Phoenicopterus chilensis'') is a species of large flamingo at a height of closely related to the American flamingo and the greater flamingo, with which it was previously considered a subspecies before being classified ...

, ''Phoenicopterus chilensis'' (A) *

American flamingo The American flamingo (''Phoenicopterus ruber'') is a large species of flamingo native to the West Indies, northern South America (including the Galápagos Islands) and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is closely related to the greater flamingo and ...

, ''Phoenicopterus ruber''

Grebes

Order:

Podicipediformes Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order Podicipediformes (). Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in marine habitats during migration and winter. Most grebes fly, although some flightless specie ...

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. * Pied-billed grebe, ''Podilymbus podiceps''

Pigeons

Order: ColumbiformesFamily:

Columbidae Columbidae is a bird Family (biology), family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the Order (biology), order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in ...

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. * Rock pigeon, ''Columba livia'' (Ex) * Galapagos dove, ''Zenaida galapagoensis'' (E) * Eared dove, ''Zenaida auriculata'' (A)

Cuckoos

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae Cuckoos are found almost worldwide. They are highly variable in size, shape, colour, and habits. * Smooth-billed ani, ''Crotophaga ani'' (I) * Dark-billed cuckoo, ''Coccyzus melacoryphus'' * Black-billed cuckoo, ''Coccyzus erythropthalmus'' (A) * Gray-capped cuckoo, ''Coccyzus lansbergi''

Nightjars

Chordeiles minor -British Columbia -Canada-8c

Order:

Caprimulgiformes Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called bugeaters, their primary source of food ...

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. *

Common nighthawk The common nighthawk or bullbat (''Chordeiles minor'') is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird of the Americas within the nightjar (Caprimulgidae) family, whose presence and identity are best revealed by its vocalization. Typically dark ...

, ''Chordeiles minor''

Swifts

Order:

Apodiformes The Apodiformes is an Order (biology), order, or Taxonomy, taxonomic grouping, of Bird, birds which traditionally contained three living Family (biology), families—the Swift (bird), Apodidae (swifts), the Treeswift, Hemiprocnidae (treeswifts), ...

Family:

Apodidae The Apodidae, or swifts, form a family of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes along with hummingbirds. The treeswifts ar ...

Swifts are aerodynamic species which are found worldwide. Some species are migratory, others resident, and others still have both migratory and resident populations. * Chimney swift, ''Chaetura pelagica'' (A)

Rails

Order: GruiformesFamily:

Rallidae Rails (avian family Rallidae) are a large, Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan family (biology), family of small- to medium-sized terrestrial and/or semi-amphibious birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity in its forms, and includes ...

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. * Purple gallinule, ''Porphyrio martinica'' * Galapagos rail, ''Laterallus spilonota'' (E) * Paint-billed crake, ''Mustelirallus erythrops'' * Sora, ''Porzana carolina'' (A) * Common gallinule, ''Gallinula galeata'' * American coot, ''Fulica americana'' (A)

Plovers

Order:

Charadriiformes Charadriiformes (, from '' Charadrius'', the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water ...

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. * Black-bellied plover, ''Pluvialis squatarola'' * American golden-plover, ''Pluvialis dominica'' * Pacific golden-plover, ''Pluvialis fulva'' * Tawny-throated dotterel, ''Oreopholus ruficollis'' (A) * Killdeer, ''Charadrius vociferus'' (A) * Semipalmated plover, ''Charadrius semipalmatus'' * Wilson's plover, ''Anarynchus wilsonia'' (A)

Oystercatchers

Order:

Family: Haematopodidae Oystercatchers are black or black and white shorebirds with long orange bills and with or without an eyering. The legs are pinkish. * American oystercatcher, ''Haematopus palliatus galapagensis'' (ES)

Avocets and stilts

Order:

Family:

Recurvirostridae The Recurvirostridae are a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets (one genus) and the stilts (two genera). Description Avocets and stilts range in length from and in weight from ; ...

Stilts are spindly legged birds with black and white markings. * Black-necked stilt, ''Himantopus mexicanus''

Sandpipers

Order:

Family:

Scolopacidae Scolopacidae is a large family of shorebirds, or waders, which mainly includes many species known as sandpipers, but also others such as woodcocks, curlews and snipes. Most of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil ...

Sandpipers are long-legged mostly long-billed shorebirds. Some like woodcocks and snipes are forest species but most others are estuarine or wetland species. * Whimbrel ''Numenius phaeopus'' * Hudsonian godwit ''Limosa haemastica'' (A) * Marbled godwit ''Limosa fedoa'' (A) * Ruddy turnstone ''Arenaria interpres'' * Black turnstone ''Arenaria melanocephala'' * Red knot ''Calidris canutus'' (A) * Surfbird ''Calidris virgata'' (A) * Stilt sandpiper ''Calidris himantopus'' (A) * Sanderling ''Calidris alba'' *

Baird's sandpiper Baird's sandpiper (''Calidris bairdii'') is a small shorebird. It is among those calidrids which were formerly included in the genus ''Erolia'', which was wiktionary:subsume, subsumed into the genus ''Calidris'' in 1973. The genus name is from An ...

''Calidris bairdii'' (A) * Least sandpiper ''Calidris minutilla'' * White-rumped sandpiper ''Calidris fuscicollis'' (A) * Buff-breasted sandpiper, ''Calidris subruficollis'' *

Pectoral sandpiper The pectoral sandpiper (''Calidris melanotos'') (often abbreviated pec) is a small, Bird migration, migratory wader that breeds in North America and Palearctic, Asia, wintering in South America and Oceania. It eats small invertebrates. Its bird ...

''Calidris melanotos'' (A) *

Semipalmated sandpiper The semipalmated sandpiper (''Calidris pusilla'') is a very small shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''pusilla'' is Latin f ...

''Calidris pusilla'' (A) * Western sandpiper ''Calidris mauri'' (A) * Short-billed dowitcher ''Limnodromus griseus'' * Wilson's phalarope ''Phalaropus tricolor'' * Red-necked phalarope ''Phalaropus lobatus'' * Red phalarope ''Phalaropus fulicarius'' *

Spotted sandpiper The spotted sandpiper (''Actitis macularius'') is a small shorebird. Together with its sister species the common sandpiper (''A. hypoleucos''), it makes up the genus ''Actitis''. They replace each other geographically; stray birds may Hybridisati ...

''Actitis macularius'' * Solitary sandpiper ''Tringa solitaria'' (A) *

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'' * Greater yellowlegs ''Tringa melanoleuca'' * Willet ''Tringa semipalmata'' * Lesser yellowlegs ''Tringa flavipes''

Skuas

Order:

Family: Stercorariidae Stercorariidae are predatory birds typically separated into the bigger ''Catharacta'' skuas and the smaller ''Stercorarius'' jaegers. * Great skua, ''Stercorarius skua'' * Pomarine jaeger, ''Stercorarius pomarinus'' (A) * Parasitic jaeger, ''Stercorarius parasiticus'' * Long-tailed jaeger, ''Stercorarius longicaudus''

Gulls

Order:

Family: Laridae Royal Tern

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. * Swallow-tailed gull, ''Creagrus furcatus'' (essentially E; a few pairs breed in Colombia) *

Gray-hooded gull The grey-headed gull (''Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus''), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is dispersive, becomi ...

, ''Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus'' (A) *

Laughing gull The laughing seagull (''Leucophaeus atricilla'') is a medium-sized gull of North America, North and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic ...

, ''Leucophaeus atricilla'' *

Franklin's gull Franklin's gull (''Leucophaeus pipixcan'') is a small (length 12.6–14.2 in, 32–36 cm) gull. The genus name ''Leucophaeus'' is from Ancient Greek ''leukos'', "white", and ''phaios'', "dusky". The specific ''pipixcan'' is a Nahuatl name fo ...

, ''Leucophaeus pipixcan'' * Lava gull, ''Leucophaeus fuliginosus'' (E) * Ring-billed gull, ''Larus delawarensis'' (A) *

Kelp gull The kelp gull (''Larus dominicanus''), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate ''L. d. dominicanus'' is the subspecies found around South America, pa ...

, ''Larus dominicanus'' (A) * Brown noddy, ''Anous stolidus galapagensis'' (ES) *

White tern The white tern or common white tern (''Gygis alba'') is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of ''Sternul ...

, ''Gygis alba'' (A) * Sooty tern, ''Onychoprion fuscatus'' * Inca tern, ''Larosterna inca'' (A) * Black tern, ''Chlidonias niger'' *

Common tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in Temperateness, temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is stron ...

, ''Sterna hirundo'' * Elegant tern, ''Thalasseus elegans'' (A) * Royal tern, ''Thalasseus maximus''

Tropicbirds

Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are seabirds once thought to be closely related to pelicans but are now known to belong to a

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

known as Metaves. * Red-billed tropicbird, ''Phaethon aethereus'' * Red-tailed tropicbird, ''Phaethon rubricauda'' (A)

Penguins

Order: SphenisciformesFamily:

Spheniscidae Penguins are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds from the family (biology), family Spheniscidae () of the order (biology), order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the G ...

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. * Galapagos penguin, ''Spheniscus mendiculus'' (E)

Albatrosses

Order:

Procellariiformes Procellariiformes is an order (biology), order of seabirds that comprises four family (biology), families: the albatrosses, the Procellariidae, petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still call ...

Family:

Diomedeidae Albatrosses, of the biological family (biology), family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariidae, procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the So ...

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. * Waved albatross, ''Phoebastria irrorata'' (EB) * Southern royal albatross, ''Diomedea epomophora'' *

Wandering albatross The snowy albatross (''Diomedea exulans''), also known as the wandering albatross, white-winged albatross, or goonie, is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae Albatrosses, of the biological family (biology), family Diomedeidae, are la ...

, ''Diomedea exulans'' * Black-browed albatross, ''Thalassarche melanophris'' *

Black-footed albatross The black-footed albatross (''Phoebastria nigripes'') is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae from the North Pacific. All but 2.5% of the population is found among the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of three species of al ...

, ''Phoebastria nigripes'' (A)

Southern storm-petrels

Order:

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. * White-bellied storm-petrel, ''Fregetta grallaria'' (A) * Elliot's storm-petrel, ''Oceanites gracilis galapagoensis'' (ES) * White-faced storm-petrel, ''Pelagodroma marina'' (A)

Northern storm-petrels

Order:

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. * Wedge-rumped storm-petrel, ''Hydrobates tethys tethys'' (ES) * Band-rumped storm-petrel, ''Hydrobates castro'' * Leach's storm-petrel, ''Hydrobates leucorhoa'' (A) *

Markham's storm-petrel Markham's storm petrel (''Hydrobates markhami'') is a seabird native to the Pacific Ocean around Peru, Chile, and Ecuador. The species is named after British explorer Albert Hastings Markham, who collected the type specimen, specimen on which th ...

, ''Hydrobates markhami'' (A) * Ringed storm-petrel, ''Hydrobates hornbyi'' * Black storm-petrel, ''Hydrobates melania'' (A)

Shearwaters

Order:

Family:

Procellariidae The family (biology), family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the diving petrels, the prion (bird), prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order (biology), orde ...

Petrels and shearwaters are known collectively as tubenoses for the tubes on their beaks which they use for excreting salt. * Southern giant-petrel, ''Macronectes giganteus'' * Northern giant-petrel, ''Macronectes halli'' * Southern fulmar, ''Fulmarus glacialoides'' * Cape petrel, ''Daption capense'' (A) * Gould's petrel, ''Pterodroma leucoptera'' * Mottled petrel, ''Pterodroma inexpectata'' (A) * Galapagos petrel, ''Pterodroma phaeopygia'' (EB) * Chatham petrel, ''Pterodroma axillaris'' * Antarctic prion, ''Pachyptila desolata'' (A) * Parkinson's petrel, ''Procellaria parkinsoni'' (A) *

Wedge-tailed shearwater The wedge-tailed shearwater (''Ardenna pacifica'') is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a muttonbird, like the sooty shearwater of New Zealand and ...

, ''Ardenna pacificus'' (A) *

Sooty shearwater The sooty shearwater (''Ardenna grisea'') is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. In New Zealand, it is also known by its Māori language, Māori name , and is harvested by Māori people for muttonbirding, muttonbird, l ...

, ''Ardenna griseus'' (A) * Pink-footed shearwater, ''Ardenna creatopus'' * Flesh-footed shearwater, ''Ardenna carneipes'' *

Christmas shearwater The Christmas shearwater or ''aoū'' (''Puffinus nativitatis'') is a medium-sized shearwater of the tropical Central Pacific. It is a poorly known species due to its remote nesting habits, and it has not been extensively studied at sea either. ...

, ''Puffinus navtitatis'' (A) * Galapagos shearwater, ''Puffinus subalaris'' (E)

Frigatebirds

Order:

Suliformes The order Suliformes (, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by ''Christidis & Boles 2008'') is an order of birds recognised by the International Ornithological Congress, International Ornithologist's Union. Regarding the recent evidence that the tradit ...

Family:

Fregatidae Frigatebirds are a Family (biology), family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, l ...

Frigatebirds are black (with some white markings) seabirds. The males have a red throat patch to attract females. *

Magnificent frigatebird The magnificent frigatebird (''Fregata magnificens''), frigate petrel or man o' war is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of and wingspan of , it is the largest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtr ...

, ''Fregata magnificens magnificens'' (ES) *

Great frigatebird The great frigatebird (''Fregata minor'') is a large seabird in the frigatebird family (biology), family. There are major nesting populations in the tropical Pacific Ocean, such as Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands; in the Indian Ocean, colonies ...

, ''Fregata minor''

Boobies

Order:

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. *

Blue-footed booby The blue-footed booby (''Sula nebouxii'') is a marine bird native to subtropical and tropical regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is one of six species of the genus ''booby, Sula'' – known as boobies. It is easily recognizable by its dis ...

, ''Sula nebouxii excisa'' (ES) * Peruvian booby, ''Sula variegata'' (A) *

Nazca booby The Nazca booby (''Sula granti'') is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae, native to the eastern Pacific. First described by Walter Rothschild in 1902, it was long considered a subspecies of the masked booby until recognised as distin ...

, ''Sula granti'' * Red-footed booby, ''Sula sula'' *

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 bro ...

, ''Sula leucogaster'' (A)

Cormorants

Order:

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. * Flightless cormorant, ''Phalacrocorax harrisi'' (E)

Pelicans

Order: PelecaniformesFamily:

Pelecanidae The Pelecanidae is a family of Pelecaniformes, pelecaniform birds within the Pelecani that contains three genera: the extinct ''Eopelecanus'' and ''Miopelecanus'' and the extant ''Pelecanus''. Pelecanids have existed since the late Eocene (Pria ...

Pelicans are large seabirds, variable in colour but alike in shape. All have a gular pouch to catch fish. * Brown pelican, ''Pelecanus occidentalis urinator'' (ES)

Herons

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae Herons are long-necked long-legged water birds. The majority feed on fish and other pond-life. * Yellow-crowned night-heron, ''Nyctanassa violacea pauper'' (ES) * Green heron, ''Butorides virescens'' (V) * Striated heron, ''Butorides striata sundevalli'' (ES) * Cattle egret, ''Bubulcus ibis'' (I) *

Great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America, as well as far northwestern South America, the Caribbea ...

, ''Ardea herodias cognata'' (ES) *

Great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, great white egret, or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. R ...

, ''Ardea alba'' * Tricolored heron, ''Egretta tricolor'' (A) * Snowy egret, ''Egretta thula'' (A) * Little blue heron, ''Egretta caerulea'' (A)

Osprey

Order:

Accipitriformes The Accipitriformes (; ) are an order of birds that includes most of the diurnal birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, vultures, and kites, but not falcons. For a long time, the majority view was to include them with the falcons in the Falc ...

Family: Pandionidae Pandionidae is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

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. *

Osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It ...

, ''Pandion haliaetus''

Hawks

Order:

Family:

Accipitridae The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects ...

Hawks are close relatives of eagles and kites although none of these have been recorded in the Galápagos. * Galapagos hawk, ''Buteo galapagoensis'' (E)

Barn owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily:

Tytonidae The bird family Tytonidae, which includes the barn owls ''Tyto'' and the bay owls ''Phodilus'', is one of the two Family (biology), families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, True owl, Strigidae. They are medium to large owl ...

Barn owls are owls with a heart-shaped face. * American barn-owl, ''Tyto furcata punctatissima'' (ES)

Owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily:

Strigidae The true owls or typical owls (family (biology), family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls and bay owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species ...

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. *

Short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

, ''Asio flammeus galapagoensis'' (ES)

Kingfishers

Order:

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their b ...

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

Belted kingfisher The belted kingfisher (''Megaceryle alcyon'') is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. Taxonomy The first Species description, formal description of the belted kingfisher was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1 ...

, ''Megaceryle alcyon''

Falcons

Order:

Falconiformes The order Falconiformes () is represented by the extant family Falconidae, Falconidae (falcons and caracaras) and a handful of enigmatic Paleogene species. Traditionally, the other bird of prey families New World vulture, Cathartidae (New World v ...

Family:

Falconidae The falcons and caracaras are around 65 species of Diurnality, diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae (representing all extant species in the order (biology), order Falconiformes). The family likely originated in South America d ...

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. *

Peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

, ''Falco peregrinus''

New World and African parrots

Order: PsittaciformesFamily:

Psittacidae The Family (biology), family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the 12 species of subfamily Psittacinae (the Afrotropics, Afrotropical parrots) and 167 of subfamily Arinae (the New World or ...

Parrots are colourful tropical species with a curved bill and zygodactyl feet. * Red-masked parakeet, ''Psittacara erythrogenys'' (I)

Tyrant flycatchers

Order:

Passeriformes A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

Family: Tyrannidae Tyrant flycatchers are a group of American passerines which are not related to the Old World flycatchers of the family

Muscicapidae The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica'') and north ...

. * Fork-tailed flycatcher, ''Tyrannus savana'' (A) *

Eastern kingbird The eastern kingbird (''Tyrannus tyrannus'') is a large tyrant flycatcher native to the Americas. The bird is predominantly dark gray with white underbelly and pointed wings. Eastern kingbirds are conspicuous and are commonly found in open areas ...

, ''Tyrannus tyrannus'' (A) * Galapagos flycatcher, ''Myiarchus magnirostris'' (E) * San Cristóbal vermilion flycatcher, †''Pyrocephalus dubius'' (E) * Brujo flycatcher, ''Pyrocephalus nanus'' (E)

Vireos

Order:

Family:

Vireonidae The vireos make up a family (biology), family, Vireonidae, of small to medium-sized passerine birds found in the New World (Canada to Argentina, including Bermuda and the West Indies) and Southeast Asia. The family contains 62 species and is d ...

Vireos are small greenish or yellowish birds. * Chivi vireo, ''Vireo chivi'' (A)

Swallows

Order:

Family:

Hirundinidae The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The t ...

Swallows and martins are passerines not closely related to swifts although they have superficial resemblance. They have short pointed wings. * Brown-chested martin, ''Progne tapera'' (A) * Purple martin, ''Progne subis'' (A) * Galapagos martin, ''Progne modesta'' (E) * Bank swallow, ''Riparia riparia'' (A) * Barn swallow, ''Hirundo rustica'' * Cliff swallow, ''Pterochelidon pyrrhonota'' (A)

Waxwings

Order:

Family: Bombycillidae Waxwings are medium-sized, plump birds. All three species in the family are migratory and occasionally turn up in unexpected places. * Cedar waxwing, ''Bombycilla cedrorum'' (A)

Mockingbirds

Order:

Family: Mimidae Mockingbirds are an American group of passerine birds. In the Galápagos they are famous (along with Darwin's finches) for confirming

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

's theory of evolution. * Galapagos mockingbird, ''Mimus parvulus'' (E) * Floreana mockingbird, ''Mimus trifasciatus'' (E) * Española mockingbird, ''Mimus macdonaldi'' (E) * San Cristobal mockingbird, ''Mimus melanotis'' (E)

Blackbirds

Order:

Family:

Icteridae Icterids () or New World blackbirds make up a family, the Icteridae (), of small to medium-sized, often colorful, New World passerine birds. The family contains 108 species and is divided into 30 genera. Most species have black as a predominant ...

The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. * Bobolink, ''Dolichonyx oryzivorus'' *

Great-tailed grackle The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle (''Quiscalus mexicanus'') is a medium-sized, Social animal, highly social passerine bird native to North America, North and South America. A member of the Family (biology), family Icteridae, it is one o ...

, ''Quiscalus mexicanus'' (A)

Wood-warblers

Order:

Family:

Parulidae The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds that make up the family Parulidae and are restricted to the New World. The family contains 120 species. They are not closely related to Old World warb ...

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. * Northern waterthrush, ''Parkesia noveboracensis'' (A) *

Prothonotary warbler The prothonotary warbler (''Protonotaria citrea'') is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It is named for its plumage, which resembles the yellow robes once worn by papal clerks (named prothonotaries) in the Roman Catholic Church. ...

, ''Protonotaria citrea'' (A) * American redstart, ''Setophaga ruticilla'' (A) * Yellow warbler, ''Setophaga petechia aureola'' (ES) * Blackpoll warbler, ''Setophaga striata'' (A)

Cardinals

Order:

Family:

Cardinalidae Cardinalidae (sometimes referred to as "cardinal-grosbeaks" or simply "cardinals") is a family of New World-Endemism, endemic passerine birds that consists of Cardinalis, cardinals, grosbeaks, and Passerina, buntings. It also includes several ot ...

Cardinals are a group of finch-like birds; most are colourful with seed-eating beaks. * Summer tanager, ''Piranga rubra'' (A) * Scarlet tanager, ''Piranga olivacea'' (A) * Rose-breasted grosbeak, ''Pheucticus ludovicianus'' (A) *

Indigo bunting The indigo bunting (''Passerina cyanea'') is a small seed-eating bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. It is bird migration, migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to ...

, ''Passerina cyanea'' (A)

Tanagers

Order:

Family:

Thraupidae The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...

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 Darwin's finches (also known as the Galápagos finches) are a group of about 18 species of passerine birds. They are well known for being a classic example of adaptive radiation and for their remarkable diversity in beak form and function. They ...

". Famous for inspiring Darwin in his

theory of evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, resulting in certai ...

, the finches have astonishingly different beaks. *

Saffron finch The saffron finch (''Sicalis flaveola'') is a tanager from South America that is common in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. They have a wide distribution in Colombia, northern Venezuela (where it is called "canari ...

, ''Sicalis flaveola'' (I) * Bananaquit, ''Coereba flaveola'' * Green warbler-finch, ''Certhidea olivacea'' (E) * Gray warbler-finch, ''Certhidea fusca'' (E) * Vegetarian finch, ''Platyspiza crassirostris'' (E) *

Woodpecker finch The woodpecker finch (''Camarhynchus pallidus'') is a monomorphic species of bird in the Darwin's finch group of the tanager Family (biology), family Thraupidae, endemic to the Galápagos Islands, Galapagos Islands. The diet of a woodpecker finch ...

, ''Camarhynchus pallidus'' (E) * Large tree finch, ''Camarhynchus psittacula'' (E) * Medium tree finch, ''Camarhynchus pauper'' (E) * Small tree finch, ''Camarhynchus parvulus'' (E) * Mangrove finch, ''Camarhynchus heliobates'' (E) * Sharp-beaked ground-finch, ''Geospiza difficilis'' (E) * Vampire ground-finch, ''Geospiza septentrionalis'' (E) * Small ground-finch, ''Geospiza fuliginosa'' (E) * Medium ground-finch, ''Geospiza fortis'' (E) * Genovesa cactus-finch, ''Geospiza propinqua'' (E) * Common cactus-finch, ''Geospiza scandens'' (E) * Genovesa ground-finch, ''Geospiza acutirostris'' (E) * Large ground-finch, ''Geospiza magnirostris'' (E) * Española cactus-finch, ''Geospiza conirostris'' (E)

Ducks

Guineafowl

Pheasants

Flamingos

Grebes

Pigeons

Cuckoos

Nightjars

Swifts

Rails

Plovers

Oystercatchers

Avocets and stilts

Sandpipers

Skuas

Gulls

Tropicbirds

Penguins

Albatrosses

Southern storm-petrels

Northern storm-petrels

Shearwaters

Frigatebirds

Boobies

Cormorants

Pelicans

Herons

Osprey

Hawks

Barn owls

Owls

Kingfishers

Falcons

New World and African parrots

Tyrant flycatchers

Vireos

Swallows

Waxwings

Mockingbirds

Blackbirds

Wood-warblers

Cardinals

Tanagers

Notes

References

See also