List of birds of Metropolitan France
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: Otidiformes Family: Otididae Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World.
Order: Pterocliformes Family: Pteroclidae Sandgrouse have small pigeon-like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies.
Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Turnicidae The buttonquail are small, drab, running birds which superficially resemble quail.
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Burhinidae The stone-curlews, also called thick-knees, are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia.
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
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.
Order: Phaethontiformes Family: Phaethontidae The tropicbirds are a small group of tropical seabirds with long central tail streamers.
Order: Gaviiformes Family: Gaviidae Divers are a group of aquatic birds found in northern parts of North America and Eurasia.
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 wetland birds with long, stout bills.
Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey.
Order: Bucerotiformes Family: Upupidae Hoopoes have black and white wings and orangey-pink body plumage, with a large erectile crest on their head.
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Coraciidae Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters.
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: Psittaculidae Old World parrots are found from Africa across southern Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Vireonidae The vireos are a group of small- to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World.
Corvids are larger than the average size for species in the order Passeriformes and some show high levels of intelligence and exceptional spatial memory.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Bombycillidae The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae The tits are mainly small stocky woodland species with short but strong bills.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Aegithalidae Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails.
The highest diversity is in eastern Asia, but many are long-distance migrants, also prone to vagrancy, and several east Asian species regularly occcur in western Europe including France in the late autumn.
They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance, found in open country such as grassland or scrub.
Most are generally grey-brown, but often with black or grey head patterns, and a white throat; some have a reddish breast and/or rufous wings.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Muscicapidae Old World flycatchers are a large group of birds which are mainly small arboreal insectivores.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Cinclidae Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Estrildidae The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Icteridae The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colourful birds restricted to the New World.
