Species of bird
bantam
noun
a type of small chicken
barn owl
noun
a type of owl with white and brown feathers and a face shaped like a heart
bird of paradise
noun
a brightly coloured bird that lives mainly in New Guinea
blackbird
noun
a type of bird common in Europe and North America. The male is black with an orange beak.
bluebird
noun
a small blue bird found in North America
bluejay
noun
a common blue North American bird with feathers that come to a point at the top of its head
blue tit
noun
a small European bird with a blue head, tail, and wings, and a yellow chest
budgerigar
noun
a small bright blue, green, or yellow bird often kept as a pet. Budgerigars are often called budgies.
bullfinch
noun
a small European bird with grey and pink feathers
canary
noun
a small yellow bird that is kept as a pet, known for its beautiful singing
carrier pigeon
noun
a pigeon that has been trained to carry messages
chaffinch
noun
a small bird that is common in Europe and Asia. The male has a red-brown breast and a grey head.
chicken
noun
a bird kept for its eggs and meat. The sound it makes is called clucking. The female chicken is called a hen and the male is called a cock or a rooster. A baby chicken is called a chick.
cockatoo
noun
a large light-coloured Australian bird with a crest of feathers on its head. A cockatoo is a type of parrot.
condor
noun
a large black and white bird that lives in South America and eats dead animals
crow
noun
a large black bird that makes a loud sound called cawing
cuckoo
noun
a grey bird that leaves its eggs in other birds’ nests and makes a loud call that sounds like its name
dodo
noun
a large bird that no longer exists and could not fly
dove
noun
a white bird often used as a sign meaning peace
emu
noun
a large Australian bird that has very long legs and cannot fly
finch
noun
a small bird with a short thick beak. There are many types of finch.
flycatcher
noun
a small bird that eats insects by catching them in the air
goldfinch
noun
a small bird with yellow feathers on its wings that is common in Europe
grouse
noun
a large brown bird that lives on the ground and is hunted for its meat
hedge sparrow
noun
a small brown bird that is common in woods in Europe
homing pigeon
noun
a type of bird that can fly home across long distances
hornbill
noun
a tropical bird with a large beak
house martin
noun
a small black-and-white European bird that often lives under roofs
hummingbird
noun
a very small brightly-coloured bird that makes a low continuous noise when it moves its wings
jackdaw
noun
a bird with a black head and a grey body that steals shiny objects. It is a type of crow.
jay
noun
a noisy colourful bird that lives in Europe, Asia, and North America
kiwi
noun
the bird that is the symbol of New Zealand. It has a long thin beak and cannot fly.
kookaburra
noun
an Australian bird that makes a sound like laughter
lapwing
noun
a small European bird with dark feathers, a white breast, and raised feathers on its head. A lapwing is sometimes called a peewit.
lark
noun
a small brown bird that is common in Europe and is known for singing while it flies
linnet
noun
a small brown bird that makes a pleasant sound
lovebird
noun
a small colourful parrot (=a tropical bird with a curved beak)
macaw
noun
a South American bird with a long tail and brightly coloured feathers
magpie
noun
a noisy black and white bird with a long tail
marabou
noun
a large African stork (=bird) with long legs and a long beak
martin
noun
a small bird with long wings and a short tail that flies very fast
meadowlark
noun
a North American bird with a yellow breast, known for its sweet song
mockingbird
noun
a small white and grey North American bird that copies the songs of other birds
mynah bird
noun
a black bird that is often kept as a pet and can copy speech
nightingale
noun
a small bird known for the beautiful way that it sings at night
oriole
noun
a black and yellow bird that lives mainly in Europe, Africa, and Asia
oriole
noun
a North American bird that is black and orange, or yellow
ostrich
noun
a large African bird with a long neck and long legs that runs very fast but cannot fly
owl
noun
a large bird with a big head and eyes and a small sharp beak. Owls hunt small animals at night and make a sound called hooting.
parakeet
noun
a small brightly coloured bird sometimes kept as a pet
parrot
noun
a brightly coloured tropical bird that is often kept as a pet and can be taught to say a few words
partridge
noun
a fat brown bird that is hunted for sport and food
peacock
noun
a large brightly-coloured male bird with long blue-green tail feathers that sometimes spread out and up. The female is called a peahen.
peahen
noun
a large brown bird that is a female peacock
peewit
noun
a small black and white European bird
pheasant
noun
a large bird with a long tail that is hunted for sport and food
pigeon
noun
a brown or grey bird that often lives in cities
pipit
noun
a small bird that makes a musical sound
quail
noun
a small bird that people shoot and eat
raven
noun
a large bird with shiny black feathers
roadrunner
noun
a small brown and white bird with a long tail that runs very fast and lives in deserts in North America
robin
noun
a small brown European bird with a red chest. Robins are often used as a symbol of winter and are often shown on Christmas cards and decorations.
robin
noun
a grey bird with a red chest that lives in North America
rook
noun
a large black European bird that is a type of crow and lives in big noisy groups
skylark
noun
a brown and white European bird that sings while flying
sparrow
noun
a small brown bird that is common in the US and northern Europe
starling
noun
a small European bird with dark shiny feathers
stork
noun
a large bird with long legs and a long beak, said to bring people their new babies
swallow
noun
a small bird whose tail has two points like a fork
swift
noun
a small bird that flies quickly
thrush
noun
a brown bird that has spots on its front
tit
noun
a small bird that is common in Europe
titmouse
noun
a small bird
toucan
noun
a large, brightly coloured bird with a large curved beak that lives in tropical America
turkey
noun
a large bird similar to a chicken that has no feathers on its head and is often eaten at Christmas and Thanksgiving. The sound that turkeys make is called gobbling.
turtle dove
noun
a bird similar to a pigeon that is sometimes used for representing love
vulture
noun
a large bird that eats the bodies of dead animals
wagtail
noun
a small bird with a long tail that quickly moves up and down when the bird walks
woodcock
noun
a small brown bird hunted for food or sport
woodpecker
noun
a bird that makes holes in trees using its long narrow beak
wood pigeon
noun
a type of pigeon that lives mainly in forests
wren
noun
a small brown bird with a short tail that points upwards
yellowhammer
noun
a European bird that has a yellow head and a musical call