This list includes 54 Birds that start with T, from “Takahē” to “Turquoise-browed Motmot”. You can use it for quick reference, field identification, education, and general curiosity about common bird names.
Birds that start with T are species whose common English names begin with the letter T. Notable examples include the Takahē, a flightless New Zealand endemic once feared extinct but later successfully reintroduced.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, and Wingspan (cm).
Common name: The widely used English name helps you quickly recognize and search for species in guides and lists.
Scientific name: The accepted binomial gives precise identification and helps you locate taxonomic and conservation details online.
Habitat: A concise habitat tag (forest, wetland, grassland, coastal, urban) shows where you are most likely to find each species.
Wingspan (cm): Wingspan ranges in centimetres let you compare sizes quickly and estimate scale during field observations.
Methodology note: Entries use standard common names, accepted binomials, and typical habitat and wingspan summaries.
Birds that start with T
| Common name | Scientific name | Habitat | Wingspan (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toco Toucan | Ramphastos toco | Semi-open habitats like woodland, savanna, and plantations. | 106–119 |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | Open and semi-open areas, including forests, scrublands, and deserts. | 160–183 |
| Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor | Deciduous and mixed woodlands, suburban parks, and backyards. | 20–26 |
| Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | Open areas near water, such as fields, marshes, and shorelines. | 30–35 |
| Trumpeter Swan | Cygnus buccinator | Large, shallow freshwater marshes, ponds, lakes, and slow-flowing rivers. | 185–250 |
| Tundra Swan | Cygnus columbianus | Breeds on Arctic tundra; winters in coastal and inland wetlands. | 160–210 |
| Takahē | Porphyrio hochstetteri | Alpine grasslands and tussock lands. | 85–100 |
| Tawny Owl | Strix aluco | Woodlands, parks, and large gardens across much of Eurasia. | 94–104 |
| Tawny Frogmouth | Podargus strigoides | Forests, woodlands, and suburban gardens throughout Australia. | 65–98 |
| Tui | Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae | Native forests, scrub, and suburban gardens across New Zealand. | 30–35 |
| Tufted Puffin | Fratercula cirrhata | Nests on coastal cliffs and islands; forages in open ocean. | 56–64 |
| Tropical Kingbird | Tyrannus melancholicus | Open country with scattered trees, agricultural areas, and city parks. | 38–41 |
| Tricolored Heron | Egretta tricolor | Coastal marshes, estuaries, and mangroves. | 90–95 |
| Tennessee Warbler | Leiothlypis peregrina | Breeds in boreal forests; winters in tropical secondary forests. | 19–21 |
| Townsend’s Warbler | Setophaga townsendi | Coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. | 19–21 |
| Townsend’s Solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | Montane coniferous forests and juniper woodlands. | 33–37 |
| Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula | Freshwater lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. | 67–73 |
| Tricolored Blackbird | Agelaius tricolor | Freshwater marshes and agricultural fields. | 34–38 |
| Thick-billed Murre | Uria lomvia | Arctic and subarctic coastal cliffs and open ocean. | 64–75 |
| Thick-billed Parrot | Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha | High-elevation pine-oak forests. | 80–90 |
| Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | Open woodlands, heathland, and scrub. | 25–27 |
| Thrush Nightingale | Luscinia luscinia | Damp lowland forests with dense undergrowth. | 24–26 |
| Turquoise-browed Motmot | Eumomota superciliosa | Forest edges, scrub, and open country with trees. | 34–38 |
| Tomtit | Petroica macrocephala | Native forests and scrublands of New Zealand. | 26–29 |
| Trumpeter Hornbill | Bycanistes bucinator | Evergreen coastal and riverine forests. | 75–95 |
| Tawny-flanked Prinia | Prinia subflava | Grassland, savanna, and scrub with tall grasses. | 12–15 |
| Temminck’s Stint | Calidris temminckii | Breeds on Arctic tundra; winters on inland and coastal mudflats. | 31–34 |
| Thick-billed Raven | Corvus crassirostris | Montane cliffs, grasslands, and woodlands in the Horn of Africa. | 130–140 |
| Three-banded Plover | Charadrius tricollaris | Inland freshwater wetlands, riverbanks, and lake shores. | 34–36 |
| Tibetan Snowcock | Tetraogallus tibetanus | High-altitude alpine meadows and rocky slopes. | 80–95 |
| Tiger Shrike | Lanius tigrinus | Breeds in temperate forests; winters in tropical broadleaf forests. | 27–29 |
| Topknot Pigeon | Lopholaimus antarcticus | Rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests. | 70–80 |
| Torresian Crow | Corvus orru | Woodlands, agricultural areas, and urban environments. | 85–95 |
| Tristan Albatross | Diomedea dabbenena | Breeds on Gough Island; forages over the South Atlantic. | 300–350 |
| Tropical Boubou | Laniarius aethiopicus | Woodland, thickets, and gardens in Africa. | 27–30 |
| Tropical Gnatcatcher | Polioptila plumbea | Dry scrub, woodland edges, and mangroves. | 13–15 |
| Tufted Antshrike | Mackenziaena severa | Dense undergrowth in Atlantic Forest of South America. | 33–36 |
| Tufted Coquette | Lophornis ornatus | Open country, gardens, and forest edges. | 8–10 |
| Tufted Jay | Cyanocorax dickeyi | Pine-oak forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico. | 58–63 |
| Turquoise Jay | Cyanolyca turcosa | Humid montane forests of the Andes. | 40–44 |
| Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher | Cyornis tickelliae | Scrub, bamboo groves, and open forest in tropical South Asia. | 22–24 |
| Tawny-bellied Babbler | Dumetia hyperythra | Scrub, grassland, and undergrowth in South Asia. | 15–17 |
| Three-wattled Bellbird | Procnias tricarunculatus | Montane cloud forests, migrating to lowland forests seasonally. | 50–55 |
| Tibetan Blackbird | Turdus maximus | High-altitude scrub and forest edges on the Tibetan Plateau. | 55–60 |
| Tawny-breasted Tinamou | Nothocercus julius | Humid montane forests in the Andes. | 60–65 |
| Talaud Kingfisher | Todiramphus funebris | Forest and forest edges on the Talaud Islands, Indonesia. | 38–42 |
| Thick-billed Green Pigeon | Treron curvirostra | Forests and woodlands in tropical Asia. | 40–45 |
| Tickell’s Leaf Warbler | Phylloscopus tickelli | Breeds in montane scrub; winters in broadleaf forests. | 16–18 |
| Tawny-chested Flycatcher | Aphanotriccus capitalis | Understory of lowland humid forests in Central America. | 16–18 |
| Tricolored Munia | Loxia malacca | Grasslands, rice paddies, and wetlands. | 14–16 |
| Torrent Duck | Merganetta armata | Fast-flowing mountain rivers in the Andes. | 55–60 |
| Tawny-crowned Honeyeater | Gliciphila melanops | Heathlands and coastal scrub in southern Australia. | 18–21 |
| Terek Sandpiper | Xenus cinereus | Breeds near rivers in taiga; winters on coastal mudflats. | 32–36 |
| Tufted Tit-Tyrant | Anairetes parulus | Scrub, forest edge, and gardens in southern South America. | 14–16 |
Descriptions
Toco Toucan
The largest toucan, famous for its enormous, colorful orange bill. Found in South America, it uses its bill for feeding, thermoregulation, and mating displays.
Turkey Vulture
A large, soaring bird with a featherless red head, often seen tilting unsteadily in flight. It uses a keen sense of smell to locate carrion across the Americas.
Tufted Titmouse
A small, gray songbird with a pointed crest and large black eyes. A common, noisy visitor to bird feeders in eastern North America, known for its “peter-peter-peter” call.
Tree Swallow
A sleek, acrobatic bird with iridescent blue-green upperparts and a clean white belly. Nests in cavities and readily uses nest boxes across North America.
Trumpeter Swan
North America’s largest native waterfowl, named for its deep, horn-like call. This majestic all-white swan was once hunted to near extinction but has made a remarkable comeback.
Tundra Swan
A large white swan that breeds in the high Arctic. It is distinguished from the similar Trumpeter Swan by its smaller size and typically yellow lores.
Takahē
A large, flightless, and brilliantly colored rail from New Zealand. Once thought extinct, it is now the focus of intensive conservation efforts in its native alpine habitat.
Tawny Owl
A robust, nocturnal owl with a classic “twit-twoo” call. It has dark eyes and mottled brown plumage, providing excellent camouflage in its woodland home.
Tawny Frogmouth
A master of disguise, this nocturnal Australian bird resembles a broken tree branch. Despite its wide mouth, it is more closely related to nightjars than to owls.
Tui
A New Zealand honeyeater known for its complex, melodious songs and iridescent plumage. It has a distinctive white tuft of feathers on its throat, resembling a parson’s collar.
Tufted Puffin
A striking seabird of the North Pacific, recognized by its bright orange bill and long, pale feather tufts during the breeding season.
Tropical Kingbird
A conspicuous and noisy flycatcher found from the southern US to Argentina. It often perches on utility wires and gives a high-pitched, twittering call.
Tricolored Heron
A slender, medium-sized heron with distinctive blue-gray, lavender, and white plumage. It stalks fish in shallow waters along the coasts of the Americas.
Tennessee Warbler
Despite its name, this small warbler only passes through Tennessee during migration. It is a plain but energetic bird that breeds across Canada and the northern US.
Townsend’s Warbler
A striking warbler with a bold yellow-and-black facial pattern. It breeds in tall conifer forests in western North America and is known for its buzzy, rising song.
Townsend’s Solitaire
A slim, gray thrush of western North America’s mountains. It is known for its beautiful, flute-like song that echoes through canyons and its diet of juniper berries in winter.
Tufted Duck
A medium-sized diving duck with a distinctive long tuft of feathers on its head. The male is black and white, while the female is brown. Widespread across Eurasia.
Tricolored Blackbird
A highly colonial blackbird found almost exclusively in California. It is distinguished from the Red-winged Blackbird by its white, not yellow, median coverts.
Thick-billed Murre
A penguin-like seabird that nests in huge, dense colonies on coastal cliffs in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a pursuit diver, using its wings to “fly” underwater.
Thick-billed Parrot
An endangered parrot native to the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. It is known for its powerful bill used to pry open pine cones and its loud, raucous calls.
Tree Pipit
A small, streaky brown passerine that breeds across Europe and Asia. It is known for its distinctive parachute-like song flight, rising from a tree and gliding back down.
Thrush Nightingale
A small thrush famed for its powerful, melodious song, often delivered at night. It breeds in eastern Europe and western Asia and winters in Africa.
Turquoise-browed Motmot
A colorful bird of Central America, known for its bright turquoise eyebrow and long tail with two bare-shafted “rackets” at the end, which it wags like a pendulum.
Tomtit
A small, charismatic flycatcher from New Zealand. Males are strikingly black and white (or yellow), while females are plainer. Known for its friendly and inquisitive nature.
Trumpeter Hornbill
A large African hornbill with a massive casque on its bill, which amplifies its loud, trumpeting calls. They are social birds, often seen in noisy flocks.
Tawny-flanked Prinia
A small, slender warbler with a long, expressive tail. Common throughout sub-Saharan Africa, it is often heard giving its sharp, repetitive “chip-chip-chip” call.
Temminck’s Stint
A tiny shorebird that breeds across Arctic Eurasia. It has a distinctive hovering display flight and is known for its mouse-like feeding behavior on mudflats.
Thick-billed Raven
One of the world’s largest corvids, this African raven has a massive, deeply curved bill. It is known for its deep, croaking calls and impressive aerial displays.
Three-banded Plover
A small, attractive plover found throughout much of Africa and Madagascar. It is easily identified by its distinct double black breast band.
Tibetan Snowcock
A large, hardy partridge adapted to the harsh environment of the Tibetan Plateau. It is well-camouflaged against the rocky terrain and known for its loud, whistling calls.
Tiger Shrike
A small, migratory shrike with bold, tiger-like barring on its flanks. Like other shrikes, it has a raptor-like bill and impales its prey on thorns.
Topknot Pigeon
A large, grey pigeon from eastern Australia, named for its prominent, swept-back crest. It feeds on fruits and travels in nomadic flocks through the forest canopy.
Torresian Crow
A common crow across northern and western Australia and New Guinea. It is known for its distinct, nasal “uk-uk-uk” call and its habit of flicking its wings when calling.
Tristan Albatross
One of the largest flying birds, this critically endangered albatross breeds almost exclusively on a single remote island. It is threatened by introduced predators.
Tropical Boubou
A common African bushshrike known for its beautifully synchronized, flute-like duets performed by a male and female pair, often with perfect timing.
Tropical Gnatcatcher
A tiny, active, and long-tailed bird of the Americas. It is constantly in motion, flicking its tail as it gleans insects from foliage.
Tufted Antshrike
A large, robust antbird with a conspicuous shaggy crest. The male is slaty gray while the female is brown and barred. It skulks in dense vegetation.
Tufted Coquette
A minute and ornate hummingbird from northern South America. The male has a striking rufous crest and fan-like, green-tipped cheek plumes.
Tufted Jay
A stunningly beautiful and social jay with a long, forward-curving crest of feathers. It is found only in a small, remote area of western Mexico.
Turquoise Jay
A vibrant blue jay found in the cloud forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It typically travels in noisy family groups through the forest canopy.
Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher
A small, insect-eating bird. The male is bright blue above and orange below, while the female is duller. It is a common resident in India and surrounding regions.
Tawny-bellied Babbler
A small, social bird that forages in noisy flocks on or near the ground. It is rusty-bellied with a plain brown back, often seen in family groups.
Three-wattled Bellbird
A spectacular Central American bird whose males have three long, fleshy wattles hanging from their beak. Its call is one of the loudest in the world, a metallic, bell-like “bonk”.
Tibetan Blackbird
A large, robust thrush closely related to the Eurasian Blackbird. It is adapted to high elevations and is larger and duller in plumage than its lowland relative.
Tawny-breasted Tinamou
A shy and secretive ground-dwelling bird of Andean cloud forests. Like other tinamous, it is chicken-like in shape but more closely related to ostriches.
Talaud Kingfisher
A large, critically endangered forest kingfisher found only on a few small islands. It has a massive bill and a somber black-and-white plumage.
Thick-billed Green Pigeon
A stocky, green pigeon with a distinctive thick, pale bill with a red base. It is highly arboreal and feeds on fruit, often in flocks.
Tickell’s Leaf Warbler
A small, active warbler with yellowish underparts and a prominent supercilium. It breeds in the Himalayas and winters in the hills of southern India and Myanmar.
Tawny-chested Flycatcher
A small and inconspicuous flycatcher of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. It is an endangered species due to habitat loss in its limited range.
Tricolored Munia
A small finch with a striking pattern of a black head, white flanks, and chestnut-brown back. Native to South Asia, it is also a popular cage bird.
Torrent Duck
A specialized duck that lives its entire life in cold, rapid Andean streams. It is an exceptional swimmer, navigating turbulent water with ease to feed on aquatic larvae.
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
A small, slender honeyeater with a distinctive tawny cap and a melodious, tinkling song. It feeds on nectar from low-growing heathland flowers.
Terek Sandpiper
A small, elegant wader instantly recognizable by its long, distinctly upturned bill. It has a distinctive feeding action, often chasing insects with rapid dashes.
Tufted Tit-Tyrant
A tiny, hyperactive flycatcher with a prominent, spiky black-and-white crest that it frequently raises and lowers. It is a common sight in the Andes.