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List of Birds of Trinidad and Tobago
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Family: Ardeidae - Herons
Large wading birds with long legs, neck and bill. In flight herons hunch the head back between the shoulders, and the legs show well beyond the tail. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
| Agamia agami |
Chestnut-bellied Heron |
X |
|
| Ardea cocoi |
White-necked Heron |
X |
X |
Ardea herodias |
Great Blue Heron |
X |
X |
| Botaurus pinnatus |
Pinnated Bittern |
X |
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| Bubulcus ibis |
Cattle Egret |
X |
X |
| Butorides striatus |
Green-backed Heron, Chuck, Green Heron |
X |
X |
Casmerodius albus |
Great Egret, Large White Egret |
X |
X |
| Egretta caerulea |
Little Blue Heron |
X |
X |
Egretta garzetta |
Little Egret |
X |
X |
Egretta thula |
Snowy Egret |
X |
X |
Egretta tricolor |
Tricoloured Heron, Red-necked Heron |
X |
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| Nyctanassa violacea |
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron |
X |
X |
Nycticorax nycticorax |
Black-crowned Night Heron |
X |
X |
Tigrisoma lineatum |
Rufescent Tiger Heron, Tiger Bittern |
X |
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| Ixobrychus exilis |
Least Bittern |
X |
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Ixobrychus involucris |
Stripe-backed Bittern, Small Chuck |
X |
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Family: Cochleariidae - Boat billed Herons
The one species in this family has an enormously wide, flat bill, used as a scoop. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
Cochlearius cochlearius |
Boat billed Heron |
X |
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Family: Threskiornithidae - Ibises and Spoonbills
Birds of this family are distinguished by their long, slender, decurved bills. They fly with outstretched necks and are often found in large flocks. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
| Ajaia ajaja |
Roseate Spoonbill |
X |
X |
Eudocimus ruber |
Scarlet Ibis |
X |
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Plegadis falcinellus |
Glossy Ibis, Black Ibis |
X |
X |
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Family: Columbidae - Pigeons and Doves
Characterized by their plump bodies and small heads, short and thick bills and soft plumage. Family is generally brown in colour and glossed with metallic hues. Found in forests, swamps and open country and they feed mostly on fruit and seeds. Some are terrestrial. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
Claravis pretiosa |
Blue Ground-Dove |
X |
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Columba fasciata |
Band-tailed Pigeon |
X |
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Columba cayennensis |
Pale-vented Pigeon |
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X |
Columba speciosa |
Scaled Pigeon, Scaly-necked Pigeon |
X |
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Columbina minuta |
Grey Ground-Dove |
X |
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Columbina passerina |
Common Ground-Dove |
X |
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Columbina talpacoti |
Rufous-winged Dove |
X |
X |
Geotrygon linearis |
Lined Quail-Dove |
X |
X |
Geotrygon montana |
Ruddy Quail-Dove |
X |
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Leptotila rufaxilla |
Gray-fronted Dove |
X |
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Leptotila verreauxi |
White-tipped Dove |
X |
X |
Zenaida auriculata |
Eared Dove |
X |
X |
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Family: Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
These birds have short necks and legs and short rounded wings, large heads and massive, sharp-pointed bills. They are usually seen perched upright on a branch overhanging water, from which it plunges headlong after a fish, or flying rapidly and directly up a river or stream. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
Ceryle alcyon |
Belted Kingfisher |
X |
X |
Ceryle torquata |
Ringed Kingfisher |
X |
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Chloroceryle americana |
Little Green Kingfisher |
X |
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Chloroceryle amazona |
Amazon Kingfisher |
X |
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Chloroceryle aenea |
Pygmy Kingfisher |
X |
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Family: Momotidae - Motmots
Members of this family are fairly large, strikingly coloured birds with strong bills and long graduated tails. They are found in deep forest perched amidst the taller undergrowth. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
Momotus momota |
Blue-crowned Motmot |
X |
X |
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Family: Cuculidae - Cuckoos
Large birds, with stout, slightly decurved bills and long tails. Most are reddish brown and white. They are found mostly in trees, where they feed largely on insects and lizards. Several species frequent mangrove swamps, but others are more widely distributed. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
Coccyzus americanus |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
X |
X |
Coccyzus erythrophthalmus |
Black-billed Cuckoo |
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Coccyzus melacoryphus |
Dark-billed Cuckoo |
X |
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Coccyzus minor |
Mangrove Cuckoo |
X |
X |
Piaya cayana |
Squirrel Cuckoo |
X |
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Piaya minuta |
Little Cuckoo |
X |
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Crotophaga ani |
Smooth-billed Ani |
X |
X |
Crotophaga major |
Greater Ani |
X |
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Tapera naeiva |
Striped Cuckoo |
X |
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Family: Accipitridae - Kites, Hawks and Eagles
Birds of prey, ranging in size from the Kiskadee-sized Pearl Kite to the very large eagles. Most kites can be distinguished from hawks and eagles by their smaller, lighter build, more pointed wings and longer tails. Hawks and eagles have broad wings and broad, rounded tails. Eagles are considerably larger than kites and hawks with proportionately longer wings and tails fairly long. The current check-list is most likely incomplete. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
| Busarellus nigricollis |
Black-collared Hawk |
X |
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| Buteo albicaudatus |
White-tailed Hawk |
X |
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Buteo albonotatus |
Zone-tailed Hawk |
X |
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| Buteo brachyurus |
Short-tailed Hawk |
X |
X |
Buteo nitidus |
Gray Hawk |
X |
X |
| Buteo platypterus |
Broad-winged Hawk, Chicken Hawk |
X |
X |
| Buteogallus aequinoctialis |
Rufous Crab-Hawk |
X |
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| Buteogallus anthracinus |
Common Black Hawk |
X |
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Buteogallus urubitinga |
Great Black Hawk |
X |
X |
| Chondrohierax uncinatus |
Hook-billed Kite |
X |
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| Circus buffoni |
Long-winged Harrier |
X |
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Elanoides forficatus |
Swallow-tailed Kite |
X |
X |
Elanus leucrus |
White-tailed Kite |
X |
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Gampsonyx swainsoni |
Pearl Kite |
X |
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| Harpagus bidentatus |
Double-toothed Kite |
X |
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| Heterospizias meridionalis |
Savanna Hawk |
X |
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| Ictinia plumbea |
Plumbeous Kite |
X |
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| Leptodon cayanensis |
Grey-headed Kite |
X |
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| Leucopternis albicollis |
White Hawk |
X |
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Rostrhamus sociabilis |
Snail Kite |
X |
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Spizaetus ornatus |
Ornate Hawk-Eagle |
X |
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Spizaetus tyrannus |
Black Hawk-Eagle |
X |
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Family: Cathartidae -American Vultures
Large birds with relatively small, nearly naked heads. Feed largely on carrion and often congregate at garbage dumps and other places where waste is available. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
| Cathartes aura |
Turkey vulture, Red-head Corbeau, King Corbeau |
X |
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| Coragyps atratus |
Black vulture, Corbeau |
X |
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Sarcoramphus papa |
King vulture |
X |
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Family: Falconidae - Caracaras and Falcons
Birds of prey distinguishable by their long pointed wings and fairly long, comparatively slim tails. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
| Caracara plancus |
Crested Caracara |
X |
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| Falco columbarius |
Merlin, Pigeon Hawk |
X |
X |
Falco deiroleucus |
Orange-breasted Falcon |
X |
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Falco femoralis |
Aplomado Falcon |
X |
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Falco peregrinus |
Peregrine Falcon |
X |
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| Falco rufigularis |
Bat Falcon, White-throated Falcon |
X |
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Falco sparverius |
American Kestrel |
X |
X |
| Milvago chimachima |
Yellow-headed Caracara |
X |
X |
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Family: Pandionidae - Osprey
The only species in the family, is distinguished from other birds of prey by its dependence on water, where it dives feet first for fish. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
Pandion haliaetus |
Osprey |
X |
X |
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Family: Cracidae - Guans and Chachalacas
Large turkey like birds inhabiting forest and thick scrub. Their flight is heavy and awkward, and they are most often seen in trees. |
Scientific Name |
Local Name |
Trinidad |
Tobago |
Ortalis ruficauda |
Rufus-vented Chacalaca, Cocrico |
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X |
Pipile pipile |
Pawi, Wild Turkey, Trinidad Piping-Guan |
X |
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