The avifauna of Bermuda include 408 species, according to the Bermuda Audubon Society (BAS), with some additions from Clements taxonomy, as of July 2022.
The 387 species is a remarkable number considering that the island is a mere 53.3 square kilometres. (Additional species known only from the fossil record or speculatively from the time of early exploration are not included.) Ten species were introduced by humans; the mallard also occurs naturally as a non-breeding migrant. Of the 408, 104 are uncommon, 61 are rare, and 152 are very rare, all as defined below. Sargasso shearwater formerly bred in Bermuda but is now only a vagrant; All endemic species are considered extinct; Eskimo curlew is considered extinct.
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 63rd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.
Unless otherwise noted, all species listed below are considered to occur regularly in Bermuda as permanent residents, summer or winter visitors, or migrants. These tags are used to annotate some species:
(U) Uncommon - a species "recorded in most years but in small numbers" per the BAS (R) Rare - a species "not recorded annually" per the BAS (VR) Very rare - a species with fewer than 15 records per the BAS (I) Introduced - a species present in Bermuda as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (E) Endemic- a species endemic to Bermuda
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (VR) West Indian whistling-duck, Dendrocygna arborea (VR) Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (VR) Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (U) Ross's goose, Anser rossii (VR) Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons (VR) Brant, Branta bernicla (VR) Canada goose, Branta canadensis (U) Mute swan, Cygnus olor (VR) Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (VR) Wood duck, Aix sponsa (U) Garganey, Spatula querquedula (VR) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (U) Gadwall, Mareca strepera (U) Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope (U) American wigeon, Mareca americana (U) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (I) American black duck, Anas rubripes (U) Northern pintail, Anas acuta (U) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (VR) Redhead, Aythya americana (VR) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca (VR) (Not on the AOS Check-list) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula (VR) Greater scaup, Aythya marila (R) Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis (U) Common eider, Somateria mollissima (VR) Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata (VR) White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi (VR) Black scoter, Melanitta americana (VR) Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis (R) Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola (U) Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula (R) Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus Common merganser, Mergus merganser (U) Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator (U) Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (U)
Flamingos Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
Flamingos do not occur in the wild in, and are not native to, Bermuda, and have neither colonised Bermuda nor been introduced to the wild there. The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo has exhibited a small number on public display since 1954. These birds have been used for a captive breeding programme (the first to hatch in the zoo was in 1967) for re-introduction to the wild in the British Virgin Islands in 1992. Although their open-air enclosure is too small for them to become airborne, one flamingo escaped captivity in 1987, being driven aloft by Hurricane Emily. The bird survived the storm and was recaptured. Another escaped in 2003 and was recaptured the following year.
American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber (VR)
Grebes Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus (R) Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena (VR) Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (VR)
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I) Passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (VR) (extinct) Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (VR) African collared-dove, Streptopelia roseogrisea (VR) Common ground dove, Columbina passerina White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica (VR) Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (U)
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.
Lesser nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis (VR) Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (U) Antillean nighthawk, Chordeiles gundlachii (VR) Eastern whip-poor-will, Antrostomus vociferus (VR)
Swifts Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Black swift, Cypseloides niger (VR) Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (U) Alpine swift, Apus melba (VR) Common swift, Apus apus (VR)
Hummingbirds Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris (R)
Rails, gallinules, and coots Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Clapper rail, Rallus crepitans (VR) Virginia rail, Rallus limicola (U) Corn crake, Crex crex (VR) Sora, Porzana carolina (U) Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata American coot, Fulica americana African swamphen, Porphyrio madagascariensis (VR) Gray-headed swamphen, Porphyrio poliocephalus (VR) Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (U) Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis (VR) Black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis (VR)
Cranes Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (VR)
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-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (R) American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (R)
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.
Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus (VR) Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola European golden-plover, Pluvialis apricaria (VR) American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva (VR) Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus (VR) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Piping plover, Charadrius melodus (U) Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia (VR)
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.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (U) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus (U) Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis (Extinct) Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata (VR) Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica (VR) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica (VR) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus (U) Ruff, Calidris pugnax (R) Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (VR) Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (VR) Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis (VR) Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina (U) Purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima (VR) Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii (R) Little stint, Calidris minuta (VR) Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (U) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri (U) Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus (R) American woodcock, Scolopax minor (VR) Common snipe Gallinago gallinago (VR) Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia (U) Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Willet, Tringa semipalmata (U) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia (VR) Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola (VR) Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor (R) Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (VR) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius (VR)
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.
Great skua, Stercorarius skua (R) South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki (R) Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus (VR) Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (U) Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (U) Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (U)
Auks, murres, and puffins Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae