List of birds of Guadalupe Mountains National Park

This is a List of birds of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which is in the U.S. state of Texas. Unless otherwise stated, this list is based on a list published by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). The NPS list contains 268 species when taxonomic changes have been taken into account.

This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 66th Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS).Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, N. A. Mason, and P. C. Rasmussen. 2025. Check-list of North American Birds (online). American Ornithological Society. https://checklist.americanornithology.org/taxa/ retrieved September 5, 2025 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.

The following tags define some categories of occurrence.

(PP) Probably present per the NPS (27 species) (UC) Unconfirmed per the NPS (3 species) (I) Introduced - a species established solely as result of direct or indirect human intervention (4 species)

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.

Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (PP) Canada goose, Branta canadensis (PP) Wood duck, Aix sponsa Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (PP) Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera (PP) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (PP) Gadwall, Mareca strepera (PP) American wigeon, Mareca americana Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Common merganser, Mergus merganser (PP)

New World quail Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae

The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.

Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus Scaled quail, Callipepla squamata Gambel's quail, Callipepla gambelii Montezuma quail, Cyrtonyx montezumae

Pheasants, grouse, and allies Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae

Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.

Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I)

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 (PP)

Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. They feed on seeds, fruit, and plants.

Inca dove, Columbina inca (PP) White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura Band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I)

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.

Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (PP) Greater roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus

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 cryptically colored to resemble bark or leaves.

Lesser nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor Common poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii Mexican whip-poor-will, Antrostomus arizonae

Swifts Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae

The 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 (UC) White-throated swift, Aeronautes saxatalis

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.

Rivoli's hummingbird, Eugenes fulgens Blue-throated mountain-gem, Lampornis clemenciae Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris Black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri Calliope hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus Broad-billed hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris White-eared hummingbird, Basilinna leucotis

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

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. The most typical family members occupy 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.

American coot, Fulica americana

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.

Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus

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. Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (PP) Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia

Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with 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. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.

Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis Herring gull, Larus argentatus

Ibises and spoonbills Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae

The family Threskiornithidae includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings. Their bodies tend to be elongated, the neck more so, with rather long legs. The bill is also long, decurved in the case of the ibises, straight and distinctively flattened in the spoonbills.

White ibis, Eudocimus albus (PP)

Herons, egrets, and bitterns Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae

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

Great blue heron, Ardea herodias Great egret, Ardea alba Snowy egret, Egretta thula Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor (PP) Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis

New World vultures Order: CathartiformesFamily: Cathartidae

The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carcasses.

Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura

Osprey Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae

Pandionidae is a monotypic family of fish-eating birds of prey. Its single species possesses a very large and powerful hooked beak, strong legs, strong talons, and keen eyesight.

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, eagles, and kites Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae

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

Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus Cooper's hawk, Astur cooperii American goshawk, Astur atricapillus Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus Common black hawk, Buteogallus anthracinus Harris's hawk, Parabuteo unicinctus Gray hawk, Buteo plagiatus (PP) Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus (UC) Swainson's hawk, Buteo swainsoni Zone-tailed hawk, Buteo albonotatus Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus Ferruginous hawk, Buteo regalis

Barn-owls Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae

Owls in the family Tytonidae are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces.

Barn owl, Tyto alba (PP)

Owls Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae

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

Flammulated owl, Psiloscops flammeolus Western screech-owl, Megascops kennicottii Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus Northern pygmy-owl, Glaucidium gnoma Elf owl, Micrathene whitneyi Burrowing owl, Athene cunicularia Spotted owl, Strix occidentalis Long-eared owl, Asio otus (PP) Northern saw-whet owl, Aegolius acadicus

Kingfishers Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae

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

Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon

Woodpeckers Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

Lewis's woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus (PP) Acorn woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus Williamson's sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius Red-naped sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalis