List of birds of Chile

The list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) are also those of the SACC.

[3] According to the SACC, the avifauna of Chile has 525 confirmed species, of which 12 are endemic, 128 are rare or vagrants, six have been introduced by humans, and one is extinct.

Although they look similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail and grouse, they have no close relatives and are classified as a single family, Tinamidae, within their own order, the Tinamiformes.

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.

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.

Order: Nyctibiiformes   Family: Nyctibiidae The potoos (sometimes called poor-me-ones) are large near passerine birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths.

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings.

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Aramidae The limpkin is an odd bird that looks like a large rail, but is skeletally closer to the cranes.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Pluvianellidae The Magellanic plover is a rare wader found only in southernmost South America.

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.

They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Rostratulidae Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly colored.

Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with gray or white plumage, often with black markings on the head.

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers.

Order: Sphenisciformes   Family: Spheniscidae The penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere.

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering.

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills.

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak.

Unlike other long-neeecked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted.

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey.

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

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects.

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak.

Comparatively little is known about this diverse group, although all have broad bills with hooked tips, rounded wings and strong legs.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae Tyrant flycatchers are passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae The wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Thraupidae The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics.

As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food.

The Andean condor is the national bird of Chile.
Lesser rheas, different races occur in Patagonia and in the northern Andes .
Black-necked swan, a large bird of coasts and wetlands.
Upland goose, common in Patagonia
Chiloe wigeon, breeds in southern and central Chile with some migrating north in winter.
California quail, introduced in 1870.
Andean flamingo in the Salar de Atacama , occurs at saline lakes in the northern highlands.
Pied-billed grebe, widespread on lakes and ponds.
Black-winged ground dove, widespread in the Andes.
Groove-billed ani, occurs in farmland in the north of Chile.
Sparkling violetear, a hummingbird that lives in the north of Chile.
Red-fronted coot, found in well-vegetated lowland wetlands.
Giant coot at Bofedales de Parinacota, breeds at highland lakes in the north.
Southern lapwing, a conspicuous bird of open country.
Blackish oystercatcher, restricted to rocky coasts.
Snowy sheathbill, found along the coasts of southern chile.
Magellanic plover, breeds by saline lakes in Patagonia.
Whimbrel, a migrant from North America.
Lesser yellowlegs, a migrant to wetland areas.
Sanderling, common on sandy beaches.
Belcher's gull, common on northern coasts.
Andean gull, breeds at high-altitude wetlands.
Inca tern, common in the waters of the Humboldt Current.
Red-billed tropicbird, a small colony breeds on Chañaral Island .
Magellanic penguin, breeds in colonies in the south.
Southern fulmar, common offshore especially in winter.
Guanay cormorant nests on islands in large colonies.
Peruvian pelicans, common in the Humboldt Current area.
Snowy egret, widespread near water.
Black-faced ibises, often seen in flocks in open country
Black vulture, often scavenges in cities.
Black-chested buzzard-eagle, a large and widespread bird of prey.
Striped woodpecker, often feeds on the ground as well as in trees.
Chilean flicker in Torres del Paine National Park .
Chimango caracara, often common around human settlements.
Burrowing parakeet, now rare and endangered in Chile.
White-crested elaenia, a common summer visitor in much of Chile.
Fire-eyed diucon, often perches conspicuously on wires or the tops of bushes.
Great shrike-tyrant, a large flycatcher of scrub and open forest.
Barn swallow, a migrant from North America
House wren, widespread in a variety of habitats.
Austral thrush in Santiago , often seen in parks and gardens.
Chilean mockingbird, a near-endemic bird of Chile.
House sparrow, introduced in 1904.
Black-chinned siskin, common in southern and central Chile.
Rufous-collared sparrow near Punta Arenas , one of Chile's commonest birds.
Long-tailed meadowlark, a common bird of open country.
Patagonian sierra finch, found in forest and forest edge in the south.