This list includes 97 Birds that start with S, from “Barn Swallow” to “White Stork”. These species cover a wide mix of forms and sizes, from small passerines to large waders. Use this list as a quick reference for birdwatching, classroom work, or building field checklists.
Birds that start with S are bird species whose common English names begin with the letter “S”. Many of these names—like “Swan” and “Sparrow”—carry strong cultural or literary associations around the world.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name (binomial), Habitat, and Wingspan (cm).
Common name: The familiar English name you will search for and spot in field guides or checklists, useful for quick recognition.
Scientific name (binomial): The two-part Latin name that uniquely identifies each species, helping you confirm which bird the common name refers to.
Habitat: A concise category (forest, wetland, grassland, coastal, urban, etc.) that tells you where you are most likely to find the species.
Wingspan (cm): Typical wingspan range in centimeters so you can judge size at a glance when observing birds in the field.
Methodology: Names use common English forms with accepted scientific names, and habitat and wingspan indicate typical, documented information for quick use.
Birds that start with S
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Wingspan (cm) | Habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine’s Gull | Xema sabini | 81–87 | Arctic coasts and open ocean |
| Saddle-billed Stork | Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis | 240–270 | African wetlands and rivers |
| Saffron Finch | Sicalis flaveola | 21–24 | Open and semi-open lowlands, urban areas |
| Greater Sage-Grouse | Centrocercus urophasianus | 65–75 | Sagebrush steppe in western North America |
| Sage Thrasher | Oreoscoptes montanus | 28–30 | Sagebrush country in western North America |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | 36–41 | Sandy beaches and tidal flats worldwide |
| Sandhill Crane | Antigone canadensis | 180–220 | Wetlands, prairies, and agricultural fields |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | 27–29 | Near water, nesting in sandy banks |
| São Tomé Grosbeak | Crithagra concolor | 35–38 | Primary forest on São Tomé island |
| Sardinian Warbler | Sylvia melanocephala | 15–19 | Scrubland and maquis in the Mediterranean |
| Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | 20–24 | Grasslands, fields, and coastal marshes |
| Savanna Hawk | Buteogallus meridionalis | 121–140 | Open savanna and wetlands in the Americas |
| Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant | Lophotriccus pileatus | 12–14 | Humid montane forest undergrowth |
| Scaly-breasted Munia | Lonchura punctulata | 14–16 | Grassland, scrub, and gardens |
| Scarlet-chested Sunbird | Chalcomitra senegalensis | 16–18 | Savanna, woodlands, and gardens in Africa |
| Scarlet Ibis | Eudocimus ruber | 55–63 | Coastal mudflats, mangroves, and wetlands |
| Scarlet Macaw | Ara macao | 110–120 | Humid evergreen forests, often near rivers |
| Scarlet Tanager | Piranga olivacea | 28–30 | Deciduous forests of eastern North America |
| Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler | Pomatorhinus ruficollis | 20–22 | Forest and scrub undergrowth in Asia |
| Eurasian Scops Owl | Otus scops | 47–54 | Woodlands, parks, and gardens |
| Screaming Piha | Lipaugus vociferans | 35–40 | Amazonian rainforest canopy |
| Noisy Scrubbird | Atrichornis clamosus | 20–23 | Dense coastal heath and scrub in SW Australia |
| Secretarybird | Sagittarius serpentarius | 190–220 | African savannas and grasslands |
| Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | 17–21 | Reedbeds and wetlands |
| Semi-palmated Plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | 47–50 | Beaches, mudflats, and tundra |
| Semi-palmated Sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | 29–33 | Tundra, mudflats, and shorelines |
| European Serin | Serinus serinus | 20–23 | Open woodland, parks, and gardens |
| European Shag | Gulosus aristotelis | 90–105 | Coastal cliffs and rocky shores |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | 51–69 | Forests and woodlands across the Americas |
| Snowy Sheathbill | Chionis albus | 75–80 | Antarctic and subantarctic coastlines |
| Shoebill | Balaeniceps rex | 230–260 | Freshwater swamps in tropical east Africa |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | 95–110 | Open country, grasslands, and marshes |
| Northern Shoveler | Spatula clypeata | 70–85 | Shallow wetlands and marshes |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | 30–33 | Open country with scattered shrubs or trees |
| Siberian Accentor | Prunella montanella | 21–23 | Siberian taiga, thickets, and undergrowth |
| Siberian Jay | Perisoreus infaustus | 45–50 | Boreal coniferous forests (taiga) |
| Siberian Rubythroat | Calliope calliope | 22–25 | Mixed coniferous forest and scrub in Siberia |
| Silver-breasted Broadbill | Serilophus lunatus | 18–20 | Montane and broadleaf evergreen forests |
| Silvery-cheeked Hornbill | Bycanistes brevis | 110–125 | Forests of East Africa |
| Eurasian Siskin | Spinus spinus | 20–23 | Coniferous and mixed woodlands |
| Great Skua | Stercorarius skua | 125–140 | Oceanic, breeding on northern coastal tundra |
| Eurasian Skylark | Alauda arvensis | 30–36 | Farmland, heathland, and open country |
| Slaty-backed Gull | Larus schistisagus | 132–148 | North Pacific coasts and seas |
| Slender-billed Curlew | Numenius tenuirostris | 80–90 | Marshes, steppes (historically) |
| Smew | Mergellus albellus | 55–65 | Boreal lakes and rivers |
| Snail Kite | Rostrhamus sociabilis | 99–105 | Freshwater marshes in the Americas |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | 39–45 | Marshes, bogs, and wet meadows |
| Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | 32–38 | Arctic tundra, alpine zones, and winter coasts |
| Snow Goose | Anser caerulescens | 135–165 | Arctic tundra, wintering in fields and marshes |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | 100–105 | Wetlands, marshes, and coastal estuaries |
| Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiacus | 125–150 | Arctic tundra |
| Snowy Plover | Charadrius nivosus | 40–44 | Sandy beaches, dunes, and salt flats |
| Social Flycatcher | Myiozetetes similis | 22–25 | Open woodland, plantations, and gardens |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | 55–60 | Boreal forest ponds, wintering in freshwater habitats |
| Somali Ostrich | Struthio molybdophanes | 190–210 | Savanna and woodland in the Horn of Africa |
| Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | 18–22 | Shrublands, suburbs, and marshes |
| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | 33–36 | Woodlands, parks, and gardens |
| Sooty Shearwater | Ardenna grisea | 94–109 | Oceans worldwide, breeding on southern islands |
| Sooty Tern | Onychoprion fuscatus | 82–94 | Tropical and subtropical oceans |
| Sora | Porzana carolina | 32–39 | Freshwater marshes across North America |
| Spanish Imperial Eagle | Aquila adalberti | 180–220 | Mediterranean woodland and marshlands |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | 55–70 | Woodlands, parks, and gardens |
| Spectacled Eider | Somateria fischeri | 85–95 | Arctic coasts of Alaska and Siberia |
| Spix’s Macaw | Cyanopsitta spixii | 55–60 | Caatinga woodland in Brazil (historically) |
| Splendid Fairywren | Malurus splendens | 15–16 | Arid and semi-arid scrubland in Australia |
| Spoon-billed Sandpiper | Calidris pygmaea | 28–32 | Arctic coastal tundra, wintering in Asia |
| Roseate Spoonbill | Platalea ajaja | 120–130 | Coastal marshes, lagoons, and mangroves |
| Spotted Crake | Porzana porzana | 32–38 | Fens, marshes, and wet meadows in Eurasia |
| Spotted Dove | Spilopelia chinensis | 43–48 | Open woodland, farmland, and urban areas |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | 23–25 | Open woodland, parks, and large gardens |
| Spotted Owlet | Athene brama | 45–50 | Open habitats and human settlements in Asia |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | 61–67 | Boreal bogs and marshes, wintering on estuaries |
| Spotted Towhee | Pipilo maculatus | 25–30 | Shrublands and forest edges in western North America |
| Spruce Grouse | Canachites canadensis | 55–60 | Boreal coniferous forests |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | 44–47 | Reed beds and marshes |
| Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | 37–42 | Ubiquitous in urban, suburban, and rural areas |
| Steller’s Jay | Cyanocitta stelleri | 40–44 | Coniferous and mixed forests in western North America |
| Steller’s Sea Eagle | Haliaeetus pelagicus | 195–250 | Coastal and riverine habitats in northeast Asia |
| Black-necked Stilt | Himantopus mexicanus | 68–75 | Shallow wetlands and mudflats |
| Eurasian Stone-curlew | Burhinus oedicnemus | 77–85 | Dry open grasslands, heath, and semi-deserts |
| European Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | 18–21 | Heathland, coastal cliffs, and rough grassland |
| White Stork | Ciconia ciconia | 155–215 | Open farmland, wetlands, and near human settlements |
| European Storm Petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | 35–40 | Pelagic, breeding on remote offshore islands |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Cacatua galerita | 80–100 | Woodlands, forests, and urban areas in Australia |
| Summer Tanager | Piranga rubra | 28–30 | Open deciduous and pine-oak woodlands |
| Sunbittern | Eurypyga helias | 50–60 | Forested streams and rivers in the Neotropics |
| Purple Sunbird | Cinnyris asiaticus | 14–15 | Gardens, cultivated areas, and light forest |
| Surf Scoter | Melanitta perspicillata | 75–85 | Coastal waters, breeding on northern lakes |
| Swainson’s Hawk | Buteo swainsoni | 120–137 | Open country of western North America |
| Swainson’s Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | 29–32 | Coniferous and mixed forests |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | 32–35 | Ubiquitous near human structures and open country |
| Swallow-tailed Kite | Elanoides forficatus | 112–136 | Wooded wetlands and riverine forests |
| Swamp Sparrow | Melospiza georgiana | 18–20 | Freshwater marshes and swamps |
| Mute Swan | Cygnus olor | 200–240 | Ponds, lakes, rivers, and coastal bays |
| Common Swift | Apus apus | 42–48 | Aerial, nests in crevices in buildings and cliffs |
| Sword-billed Hummingbird | Ensifera ensifera | 18–20 | Andean cloud forests |
| Syrian Woodpecker | Dendrocopos syriacus | 34–39 | Open woodlands, parks, and agricultural areas |
Descriptions
Sabine’s Gull
A small, striking gull with a forked tail and unique wing pattern, breeding in the high Arctic and wintering at sea.
Saddle-billed Stork
A huge, colorful stork of sub-Saharan Africa, named for the yellow “saddle” on its massive red and black bill.
Saffron Finch
A common, bright yellow tanager of South America, often kept as a cage bird and introduced to other regions.
Greater Sage-Grouse
North America’s largest grouse, famous for the male’s elaborate strutting display at communal leks, inflating large yellow air sacs on its chest.
Sage Thrasher
A skilled mimic with a long, melodious song, this thrasher is a characteristic bird of arid western shrublands.
Sanderling
A small, pale sandpiper famous for chasing waves up and down sandy beaches, appearing to run on clockwork legs.
Sandhill Crane
A large, ancient crane species known for its loud, bugling calls and elaborate dancing rituals during courtship. Widespread in North America.
Sand Martin
Known as the Bank Swallow in North America, this small hirundine nests in colonies, burrowing tunnels into vertical sand or dirt banks.
São Tomé Grosbeak
One of the world’s rarest birds, this large, dull-colored finch was rediscovered in 1991 after being thought extinct for over a century.
Sardinian Warbler
A common and conspicuous warbler of the Mediterranean basin, with a distinctive black head, white throat, and bright red eye-ring.
Savannah Sparrow
A widespread and geographically variable sparrow across North America, recognized by its notched tail and often a yellowish spot before the eye.
Savanna Hawk
A long-legged hawk often seen walking on the ground in open country, hunting for insects, rodents, and reptiles.
Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant
A tiny, active flycatcher of the Andes, named for the scaly-looking, erectile crest that is often difficult to see.
Scaly-breasted Munia
A small finch with a distinctive scaly pattern on its breast and belly. Native to Asia, it is a popular cage bird introduced elsewhere.
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
A common African sunbird where the male has an iridescent green head and a striking scarlet chest panel against its dark body.
Scarlet Ibis
A spectacularly vibrant wading bird from South America, gaining its brilliant scarlet plumage from pigments in the crustaceans it eats.
Scarlet Macaw
One of the most famous and colorful parrots in the world, known for its intelligence, long life, and strong pair bonds.
Scarlet Tanager
A stunning songbird; breeding males are brilliant red with black wings, while females are olive-yellow. They migrate to South America for winter.
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
A sociable and noisy bird with a long, downward-curving bill, often found foraging in small groups on the forest floor.
Eurasian Scops Owl
A small, migratory owl with excellent camouflage that mimics tree bark. Its call is a monotonous, whistling “kyew”.
Screaming Piha
A dull-colored bird with one of the loudest calls in the world, a three-part whistle that sounds like “scream-ing-pi-ha”.
Noisy Scrubbird
A critically rare and secretive ground-dwelling bird, one of Australia’s rarest. The male has an astonishingly powerful and explosive song.
Secretarybird
A unique, terrestrial bird of prey that hunts snakes and other reptiles on foot, stomping them with its long, powerful legs.
Sedge Warbler
A small, migratory warbler with a complex, chattering song that often incorporates mimicry of other bird species.
Semi-palmated Plover
A small shorebird with a single dark neck band, named for the partial webbing between its toes. A common sight on American coastlines.
Semi-palmated Sandpiper
One of the most abundant shorebirds in the Americas, this tiny sandpiper undertakes a remarkable long-distance migration from the Arctic to South America.
European Serin
A small, yellow finch related to the canary. Its song is a fast, high-pitched, jangling trill, often delivered from a treetop.
European Shag
A seabird similar to a cormorant but more slender and with a greenish gloss to its plumage. It sports a jaunty crest in the breeding season.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
A small, agile hawk that specializes in hunting songbirds, navigating dense woods with incredible speed and precision.
Snowy Sheathbill
The only land bird native to the Antarctic continent. It is an opportunistic scavenger, often stealing food from penguins.
Shoebill
An unmistakable, massive bird with a prehistoric look, named for its enormous, shoe-shaped bill. It hunts lungfish in dense swamps.
Short-eared Owl
A medium-sized owl often seen hunting during the day, flying with floppy, moth-like wingbeats over open fields.
Northern Shoveler
A dabbling duck easily identified by its huge, spatulate bill, which it uses to filter small invertebrates from the water’s surface.
Loggerhead Shrike
A predatory songbird known as the “butcher bird” for its habit of impaling prey (insects, lizards, mice) on thorns or barbed wire.
Siberian Accentor
A small, secretive passerine with a striking face pattern of a black crown and a broad, buff-colored supercilium.
Siberian Jay
A sociable and curious member of the crow family, known for its fearlessness and habit of storing food for the winter.
Siberian Rubythroat
A small migratory chat, the male of which possesses a stunningly bright red throat patch, which it flashes during song.
Silver-breasted Broadbill
A striking bird of Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, with a bright blue bill, black-and-white wing markings, and a sociable nature.
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
A large, noisy hornbill with a massive casque on its bill. They are important seed dispersers in their forest habitat.
Eurasian Siskin
A small, acrobatic finch with yellow-green plumage. It often hangs upside down to feed on seeds, especially from alder and birch trees.
Great Skua
A powerful, aggressive seabird often called the “pirate of the seas” for its kleptoparasitic behavior of stealing food from other birds.
Eurasian Skylark
Famed in poetry and song, this small brown bird is known for its spectacular song-flight, where it rises vertically while delivering a continuous, warbling song.
Slaty-backed Gull
A large, powerful gull of the North Pacific, with a dark slate-grey back, pink legs, and a heavy yellow bill with a red spot.
Slender-billed Curlew
One of the world’s most mysterious and rarest birds, this curlew is critically endangered and may already be extinct, with no confirmed sightings since 2004.
Smew
A small, striking diving duck. The male is pristine white with fine black lines and a black mask, often called the “white nun”.
Snail Kite
A graceful raptor with a highly specialized, slender, hooked bill used exclusively for extracting apple snails from their shells.
Common Snipe
A secretive wader with a very long bill and cryptic plumage. Famous for its “winnowing” display flight, creating a drumming sound with its tail feathers.
Snow Bunting
A hardy finch that breeds in the high Arctic. In winter, flocks of these “snowflakes” descend south, appearing as flurries of white and brown.
Snow Goose
A North American goose with two color morphs, white and “blue.” They migrate in huge, noisy flocks that can number in the thousands.
Snowy Egret
An elegant, medium-sized heron with brilliant white plumage, a black bill, black legs, and distinctive “golden slippers” for feet.
Snowy Owl
A large, powerful white owl of the Arctic, made famous by the Harry Potter series. They are nomadic, moving south in winter in search of prey.
Snowy Plover
A tiny, pale shorebird that nests on open beaches, where its excellent camouflage helps it avoid detection. Populations are threatened by coastal development.
Social Flycatcher
A common and noisy flycatcher of Central and South America, often found in pairs or small groups, living up to its social name.
Solitary Sandpiper
Unlike most shorebirds, this species nests in old songbird nests in trees and is typically found alone during migration.
Somali Ostrich
Recognized as a distinct species from the Common Ostrich, males have distinctive blue-gray necks and legs, which become brighter during mating season.
Song Sparrow
An abundant and widespread North American sparrow, recognized by a dark central spot on its streaked breast and a rich, musical song.
Song Thrush
A familiar European thrush known for its beautiful, loud song, which consists of repeated musical phrases. It famously eats snails by smashing them on an “anvil” stone.
Sooty Shearwater
An abundant seabird that undertakes one of the longest animal migrations ever recorded, a round-trip of over 64,000 km in the Pacific Ocean.
Sooty Tern
A highly pelagic seabird that spends years at sea without landing, sleeping on the wing. They nest in huge, noisy colonies on remote islands.
Sora
A small, secretive rail, more often heard than seen. It has a distinctive descending whinny call that echoes through the marsh.
Spanish Imperial Eagle
One of the world’s rarest eagles, found only in the Iberian Peninsula. Conservation efforts have brought it back from the brink of extinction.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
A small bird of prey, the Eurasian equivalent of the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Females are significantly larger than the males.
Spectacled Eider
A stunningly patterned sea duck, the male has a pale green head with large, white, circular “spectacles” outlined in black around the eyes.
Spix’s Macaw
A vibrant blue macaw famous for being extinct in the wild for two decades. A successful captive breeding and reintroduction program is underway.
Splendid Fairywren
The breeding male is an incredible, iridescent cobalt blue. These birds live in cooperative family groups that help raise young.
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
A critically endangered wader with a uniquely shaped bill. It is one of the rarest and most threatened birds in the world.
Roseate Spoonbill
A bizarre and beautiful wading bird of the Americas, with a pink body and a long, flattened, spoon-shaped bill used to sift for food.
Spotted Crake
A small, secretive waterbird in the rail family. Its plumage is covered in brown and buff spots, providing excellent camouflage in wetlands.
Spotted Dove
A common dove in Asia with a distinctive black-and-white checkered patch on the back of its neck. It has been widely introduced elsewhere.
Spotted Flycatcher
A rather plain, streaky brown bird that is a master of aerial hunting, sallying out from a perch to catch flying insects.
Spotted Owlet
A small, common owl in South Asia that has adapted well to living alongside humans, often nesting in buildings and old trees in villages.
Spotted Redshank
An elegant wader that undergoes a dramatic plumage change, from speckled gray in winter to sooty black in breeding season.
Spotted Towhee
A striking sparrow-like bird with a black head, red eye, and rufous flanks. It forages by noisily kicking back leaves with both feet.
Spruce Grouse
A chicken-like bird of northern forests, known for being remarkably tame. Its diet consists mainly of conifer needles.
Squacco Heron
A small, stocky heron of the Old World. It appears buff-colored at rest but flashes brilliant white wings in flight.
Common Starling
A familiar, highly social bird known for its iridescent plumage and incredible vocal mimicry. Forms huge, mesmerizing winter roosts called murmurations.
Steller’s Jay
A bold, intelligent jay with a striking black crest and deep blue body. It is the provincial bird of British Columbia, Canada.
Steller’s Sea Eagle
One of the world’s largest and most powerful eagles, with a massive yellow bill, white shoulders, and a huge wingspan.
Black-necked Stilt
An impossibly elegant shorebird with a needle-thin black bill, a black-and-white body, and incredibly long, pink legs.
Eurasian Stone-curlew
A strange, cryptically-camouflaged wader with large, yellow eyes, adapted for a nocturnal and crepuscular lifestyle. Also known as a Thick-knee.
European Stonechat
A small, perky bird, the male has a black head, white collar, and orange-red breast. It has a characteristic flicking of its wings and tail.
White Stork
A large, iconic bird of European folklore, famous for nesting on rooftops. They undertake long migrations to Africa for the winter.
European Storm Petrel
A tiny, all-dark seabird that flutters and patters across the ocean surface like a bat, feeding on small crustaceans and fish.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
A large, intelligent, and very loud white parrot, instantly recognizable by its expressive yellow crest.
Summer Tanager
The male is the only completely red bird in North America. They have a special fondness for eating bees and wasps, which they catch in mid-air.
Sunbittern
A unique and graceful wading bird. When threatened, it flashes open its wings to reveal a spectacular sunburst pattern of orange, yellow, and black.
Purple Sunbird
A tiny, active bird from South Asia and the Middle East. The breeding male has a glossy, metallic purple-black plumage.
Surf Scoter
A North American sea duck. The male is all black except for white patches on its head, and has a large, multicolored bill.
Swainson’s Hawk
A slender buteo known for its incredibly long migration to Argentina. It often forms huge flocks and feeds heavily on insects.
Swainson’s Thrush
A common North American thrush with a beautiful, ethereal, fluting song that spirals upwards. It has a distinct buffy eye-ring.
Barn Swallow
The most widespread species of swallow in the world, recognized by its glossy blue back, long, forked tail streamers, and agile flight.
Swallow-tailed Kite
An exceptionally graceful and buoyant raptor with a deeply forked tail and striking black-and-white plumage. It rarely flaps, soaring for hours.
Swamp Sparrow
A richly-colored sparrow of North American wetlands, with a rusty cap, unstreaked gray breast, and a sweet, simple trill for a song.
Mute Swan
A large, graceful waterbird, recognized by its S-shaped neck and bright orange bill with a black basal knob. It is surprisingly aggressive.
Common Swift
A superb aerialist that spends almost its entire life in flight, even sleeping on the wing. Its screaming calls are a classic sound of summer.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
An incredible hummingbird with a bill that is longer than the rest of its body, the only bird with such a feature. It is adapted to feed on flowers with long corollas.
Syrian Woodpecker
A close relative of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, this species has expanded its range north and west across Europe from the Middle East.