List of birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands-The Daily Ledger

This is a list of the bird species recorded in the US Virgin Islands. The avifauna of the US Virgin Islands included a total of 267 species as of July 2022, according to Bird Checklists of the World. Of them, 18 have been introduced by humans and 176 are rare or accidental. Two species on the list have been extirpated and five are globally threatened.

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.

List of birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.

List of birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands

(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in the US Virgin Islands (I) Introduced - a species introduced directly to the US Virgin Islands or elsewhere in the New world

List of birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands

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, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.

White-faced whistling-duck, Dendrocygna viduata (A) Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (A) West Indian whistling-duck, Dendrocygna arborea (A) Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (A) Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (A) Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (A) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (A) Gadwall, Mareca strepera (A) American wigeon, Mareca americana (A) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (A) White-cheeked pintail, Anas bahamensis Northern pintail, Anas acuta (A) Green-winged teal, Anas crecca (A) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris (A) Greater scaup, Aythya marila (A) Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis (A) Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola (A) Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus (A) Masked duck, Nomonyx dominicus (A) Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis

Guineafowl

Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae

Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled gray plumage.

Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (I)

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 (I) (extirpated) Crested bobwhite, Colinus cristatus (I) (extirpated) California quail, Callipepla californica (I) (extirpated)

Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowl, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowl, junglefowl, turkeys, and grouse. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)

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.

American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber (A)

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.