List of birds of Vieques

This is a list of birds recorded in the island of Vieques. Vieques is an island municipality of Puerto Rico located off the east coast of the main island of Puerto Rico, south of Culebra island and west of the Virgin Islands. It has a total area of 348.15 km², of which only 135 km² is land area. On May 1, 2001, the western end of Vieques National Wildlife Refuge was established and on May 1, 2003, the same day as the exit of the U.S. Navy from the island, the eastern end of the refuge was established.
There are a total of 196 species recorded from the island of Vieques as of July 2022, according to Bird Checklists of the World. Some species, such as the Puerto Rican parrot, have been extirpated from the island but are, nonetheless, included in this list. This list presents the following information for each species: common and scientific name of each species.
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. 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 have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence:

Accidental
Introduced
Extirpated

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.

Common name	Species	Status
West Indian whistling-duck	Dendrocygna arborea
Canada goose	Branta canadensis
Blue-winged teal	Spatula discors
Northern shoveler	Spatula clypeata
American wigeon	Mareca americana
White-cheeked pintail	Anas bahamensis
Lesser scaup	Aythya affinis
Red-breasted merganser	Mergus serrator
Masked duck	Nomonyx dominicus
Ruddy duck	Oxyura jamaicensis

Guineafowl

Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae
Guineafowls are a group of African seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resembling partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled gray plumage.

Common name	Species	Status
Helmeted guineafowl	Numida meleagris

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Northern bobwhite	Colinus virginianus

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.

Common name	Species	Status
American flamingo	Phoenicopterus ruber

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Least grebe	Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed grebe	Podilymbus podiceps

Pigeons and doves

Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Common name	Species	Status
Rock pigeon	Columba livia
Scaly-naped pigeon	Patagioenas squamosa
White-crowned pigeon	Patagioenas leucocephala
Eurasian collared-dove	Streptopelia decaocto
Common ground dove	Columbina passerina
Ruddy quail-dove	Geotrygon montana
Key West quail-dove	Geotrygon chrysia
Bridled quail-dove	Geotrygon mystacea
White-winged dove	Zenaida asiatica
Zenaida dove	Zenaida aurita
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.

Common name	Species	Status
Smooth-billed ani	Crotophaga ani
Yellow-billed cuckoo	Coccyzus americanus
Mangrove cuckoo	Coccyzus minor
Puerto Rican lizard-cuckoo	Saurothera vieilloti

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Antillean nighthawk	Chordeiles gundlachi
Chuck-will's-widow	Antrostomus carolinensis

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.

Common name	Species	Status
White-collared swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
Chimney swift	Chaetura pelagica
Antillean palm swift	Tachornis phoenicobia

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Puerto Rican mango	Anthracothorax aurulentus
Green-throated carib	Eulampis holosericeus
Puerto Rican emerald	Riccordia maugaeus
Antillean crested hummingbird	Orthorhyncus cristatus

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Clapper rail	Rallus crepitans
Sora	Porzana carolina
Common gallinule	Gallinula galeata
American coot	Fulica americana
Black rail	Laterallus jamaicensis

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Black-necked stilt	Himantopus mexicanus

Oystercatchers

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

Common name	Species	Status
American oystercatcher	Haematopus palliatus

Lapwings and plovers

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Black-bellied plover	Squatarola squatarola
American golden-plover	Pluvialis dominica
Wilson's plover	Charadrius wilsonia
Semipalmated plover	Charadrius semipulmatus
Piping plover	Charadrius melodus
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.

Common name	Species	Status
Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus
Hudsonian godwit	Limosa haemastica
Ruddy turnstone	Arenaria interpres
Red knot	Calidris canutus
Stilt sandpiper	Calidris himantopus
Sanderling	Calidris alba
Least sandpiper	Calidris minutilla
White-rumped sandpiper	Calidris fuscicollis
Pectoral sandpiper	Calidris melanotos
Semipalmated sandpiper	Calidris pusilla
Western sandpiper	Calidris mauri
Short-billed dowitcher	Limnodromus griseus
Wilson's snipe	Gallinago delicata
Spotted sandpiper	Actitis macularius
Solitary sandpiper	Tringa solitaria
Greater yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca
Willet	Tringa semipalmata
Lesser yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Parasitic jaeger	Stercorarius parasiticus

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, terns and skimmers. They are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with gray 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 25–30 years.

Common name	Species	Status
Laughing gull	Leucophaeus atricilla
Herring gull	Larus argentatus
Lesser black-backed gull	Larus fuscus
Brown noddy	Anous stolidus
Sooty tern	Onychoprion fuscatus
Bridled tern	Onychoprion anaethetus
Least tern	Sternula antillarum
Gull-billed tern	Gelochelidon nilotica
Caspian tern	Hydroprogne caspia
Roseate tern	Sterna dougallii
Common tern	Sterna hirundo
Forster's tern	Sterna forsteri
Royal tern	Thalasseus maximus
Sandwich tern	Thalasseus sandvicensis
Black skimmer	Rynchops niger

Tropicbirds

Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head.

Common name	Species	Status
White-tailed tropicbird	Phaethon lepturus
Red-billed tropicbird	Phaethon aethereus

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: 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.

Common name	Species	Status
Cory's shearwater	Calonectris diomedea

Storks

Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They lack the powder down that other wading birds such as herons, spoonbills, and ibises use to clean off fish slime. Storks lack a pharynx and are mute.

Common name	Species	Status
Wood stork	Mycteria americana

Frigatebirds

Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.

Common name	Species	Status
Magnificent frigatebird	Fregata magnificens

Boobies and gannets

Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies with only boobies occurring in Vieques. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Common name	Species	Status
Masked booby	Sula dactylatra
Brown booby	Sula leucogaster

Cormorants and shags

Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage coloration is varied with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white, and a few being quite colorful.

Common name	Species	Status
Double-crested cormorant	Nannopterum auritum

Pelicans

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.

Common name	Species	Status
American white pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Brown pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis

Bitterns, herons and egrets

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. 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.

Common name	Species	Status
Least bittern	Ixobrychus exilis
Great blue heron	Ardea herodias
Great egret	Egretta alba
Snowy egret	Egretta thula
Little blue heron	Egretta caerulea
Tricolored heron	Egretta tricolor
Reddish egret	Egretta rufescens
Cattle egret	Bubulcus ibis
Green heron	Butorides virescens
Black-crowned night heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
Yellow-crowned night heron	Nyctanassa violacea

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and, rather surprisingly, given their size and weight, very capable soarers.

Common name	Species	Status
Scarlet ibis	Eudocimus ruber
Glossy ibis	Plegadis falcinellus

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.

Common name	Species	Status
Turkey vulture	Cathartes aura

Osprey

Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

Common name	Species	Status
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.

Common name	Species	Status
Swallow-tailed kite	Elanoides forficatus
Northern harrier	Circus hudsonius
Broad-winged hawk	Buteo platypterus
Red-tailed hawk	Buteo jamaicensis

Owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical 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.

Common name	Species	Status
Short-eared owl	Asio flammeus

Kingfishers

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

Common name	Species	Status
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.

Common name	Species	Status
Yellow-bellied sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius
Puerto Rican woodpecker	Melanerpes portoricensis

Falcons and caracaras

Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Common name	Species	Status
American kestrel	Falco sparverius
Merlin	Falco columbarius
Peregrine falcon	Falco peregrinus

New World and African parrots

Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae
Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back.

Common name	Species	Status
Monk parakeet	Myiopsitta monachus
Puerto Rican parrot	Amazona vittata
Brown-throated parakeet	Eupsittula pertinax

Tyrant flycatchers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tyrannidae
Tyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, are rather plain. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.

Common name	Species	Status
Caribbean elaenia	Elaenia martinica
Puerto Rican flycatcher	Miarchus antillarum
Gray kingbird	Tyrannus dominicensis
Loggerhead kingbird	Tyrannus caudifasciatus
Scissor-tailed flycatcher	Tyrannus caudifasciatus
Fork-tailed flycatcher	Tyrannus caudifasciatus

Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are typically greenish in color and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills.

Common name	Species	Status
White-eyed vireo	Vireo griseus
Yellow-throated vireo	Vireo flavifrons
Red-eyed vireo	Vireo olivaceus
Black-whiskered vireo	Vireo altiloquus

Swallows

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

Common name	Species	Status
Northern rough-winged swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Caribbean martin	Progne dominicensis
Bank swallow	Riparia riparia
Barn swallow	Hirundo rustica
Cliff swallow	Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Cave swallow	Petrochelidon fulva

Starlings

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are medium-sized passerines with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

Common name	Species	Status
European starling	Sturnus vulgaris

Mockingbirds and thrashers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Mimidae
The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalization, especially their remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. The species tend towards dull grays and browns in their appearance.

Common name	Status
Gray catbird	Dumetella carolinensis
Pearly-eyed thrasher	Margarops fuscatus
Northern mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos

Thrushes and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The Thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

Common name	Status
Bicknell's thrush	Catharus bicknelli
Eastern red-legged thrush	Turdus ardosiaceus

Weavers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Ploceidae
Weavers are a group of small passerine birds related to the finches. These are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which breed in sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia. Weavers get their name from the large woven nests many species make. They are gregarious birds which often breed colonially.

Common name	Status
Northern red bishop	Euplectes franciscanus

Waxbills and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colors and patterns.

Common name	Species	Status
Bronze mannikin	Spermestes cucullata		-
Scaly-breasted munia	Lonchura punctulata		-

Whydahs

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Viduidae
The Viduidae is a family of small passerine birds native to Africa that includes indigobirds and whydahs. All species are brood parasites, which lay their eggs in the nests of estrildid finches. Species usually have black or indigo predominating in their plumage.

Common name	Species	Status
Pin-tailed whydah	Vidua macroura

Old World sparrows

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or grayish birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.

Common name	Species	Status
House sparrow	Passer domesticus

Finches, euphonias, and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.

Common name	Species	Status
Puerto Rican euphonia	Chlorophonia sclateri

New World sparrows

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passerellidae
New World sparrows are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many species have distinctive head patterns.

Common name	Species	Status
Grasshopper sparrow	Ammodramus savannarum

Spindalises

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Spindalidae
The members of this small family are native to the Greater Antilles. They were formerly classified as tanagers but were placed in their own family in 2017.

Common name	Species	Status
Puerto Rican spindalis	Spindalis portoricensis

Troupials and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteridae
The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds and New World orioles. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red.

Common name	Species	Status
Bobolink	Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Baltimore oriole	Icterus galbula
Yellow-shouldered blackbird	Agelaius xanthomus
Shiny cowbird	Molothrus bonariensis
Brown-headed cowbird	Molothrus ater
Greater Antillean grackle	Quiscalus niger

New World warblers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Parulidae
The New World warblers are a group of small often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are more terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.

Common name	Species	Status
Ovenbird	Seiurus aurocapilla
Worm-eating warbler	Helmitheros vermivorum
Louisiana waterthrush	Parkesia motacilla
Northern waterthrush	Parkesia novaboracensis
Black-and-white warbler	Mniotilta varia
Prothonotary warbler	Protonotaria citrea
Tennessee warbler	Leiothlypis peregrina
Connecticut warbler	Oporornis agilis
Mourning warbler	Geothlypis philadelphia
Kentucky warbler	Geothlypis formosa
Common yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas
Hooded warbler	Setophaga citrina
American redstart	Setophaga ruticilla
Cape May warbler	Setophaga tigrina
Northern parula	Setophaga americana
Magnolia warbler	Setophaga magnolia
Blackburnian warbler	Setophaga fusca
Yellow warbler	Setophaga petechia
Blackpoll warbler	Setophaga striata
Black-throated blue warbler	Setophaga caerulescens
Palm warbler	Setophaga palmarum
Pine warbler	Setophaga pinus
Yellow-rumped warbler	Setophaga coronata
Yellow-throated warbler	Setophaga dominica
Prairie warbler	Setophaga discolor
Adelaide's warbler	Setophaga adelaidae
Black-throated green warbler	Setophaga virens
Canada warbler	Cardellina canadensis

Cardinals and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cardinalidae
The cardinals are a family of robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.

Common name	Species	Status
Scarlet tanager	Piranga olivacea
Rose-breasted grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus
Indigo bunting	Passerina cyanea

Tanagers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Thraupidae
The bananaquit is a small passerine bird. It has a slender, curved bill, adapted to taking nectar from flowers. It is the only member of the genus Coereba and is normally placed within the family Thraupidae.

Common name	Species	Status
Bananaquit	Coereba flaveola
Yellow-faced grassquit	Tiaris olivaceus
Lesser Antillean bullfinch	Loxigilla noctis
Black-faced grassquit	Melanospiza bicolor