This list includes 96 Birds that start with L, from “Lapland Longspur” to “Madagascar Ibis”. These species range from small leaf warblers and larks to larger ibis and migratory longspurs, covering many habitats and regions. It’s a handy quick-reference for birdwatchers, students, educators, and nature writers.
Birds that start with L are common-name groupings of bird species whose English names begin with the letter L. Many include migratory shorebirds like the Lapland Longspur and island endemics such as the Madagascar Ibis.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, Wingspan (cm), Distribution, and Notes.
Common name: The widely used English name helps you quickly recognize and search for each species across field guides and lists.
Scientific name: The accepted binomial gives precise taxonomic identity, helping you locate authoritative information and avoid name confusion.
Habitat: Brief habitat categories (forest, wetland, grassland, coastal, urban) show where you are most likely to find the species.
Wingspan (cm): Typical wingspan range or average in centimeters helps you judge bird size and compare similar species at a glance.
Distribution: Short distribution notes indicate the species’ global or regional range, helping you plan observations or prioritize research.
Notes: Concise notes include migration, conservation status, or field marks that help you identify or understand species quickly.
Methodology: Names and details use widely accepted English common names and standard taxonomies, with habitats and wingspans summarized for clarity.
Notable pattern: Many “L” species include migratory shorebirds, small leaf warblers, and several island endemics.
Birds that start with L
| Common name | Scientific name | Habitat | Wingspan (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lappet-faced Vulture | Torgos tracheliotos | Desert, savanna, and arid plains. | 250–290 cm |
| Lapland Longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | Arctic tundra for breeding; open fields and shorelines in winter. | 22–28 cm |
| Large-billed Crow | Corvus macrorhynchos | Forests, parks, and urban areas across Asia. | 95–105 cm |
| Large-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus macrurus | Open woodland, scrubland, and gardens. | 55–60 cm |
| Laughing Dove | Spilopelia senegalensis | Savannas, farmland, and urban areas in Africa and Asia. | 23–26 cm |
| Laughing Falcon | Herpetotheres cachinnans | Forest edges and savannas in Central and South America. | 79–91 cm |
| Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | Coastal bays, beaches, and estuaries. | 98–110 cm |
| Laughing Kookaburra | Dacelo novaeguineae | Eucalyptus forests and woodlands in Australia. | 60–65 cm |
| Lawrence’s Goldfinch | Spinus lawrencei | Oak woodlands and chaparral in California and the Southwest. | 20–22 cm |
| Lazuli Bunting | Passerina amoena | Brushy hillsides, thickets, and streamsides in western North America. | 20–22 cm |
| Leach’s Storm Petrel | Hydrobates leucorhous | Open ocean; nests on remote islands. | 43–48 cm |
| Lead-colored Flycatcher | Myiopagis caniceps | Humid forest canopy in South America. | 18–20 cm |
| Leaden Flycatcher | Myiagra rubecula | Forests, woodlands, and mangroves in Australia and New Guinea. | 23–25 cm |
| Least Auklet | Aethia pusilla | Arctic and subarctic seas; nests in coastal rock crevices. | 30–33 cm |
| Least Bittern | Ixobrychus exilis | Freshwater marshes with dense, tall vegetation. | 41–46 cm |
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus | Deciduous forests and woodland edges in North America. | 19–21 cm |
| Least Grebe | Tachybaptus dominicus | Ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers. | 21–25 cm |
| Least Sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | Mudflats, marshes, and shorelines. | 33–37 cm |
| Least Tern | Sternula antillarum | Coastal beaches, sandbars, and river islands. | 48–53 cm |
| Lesser Adjutant | Leptoptilos javanicus | Wetlands, mangroves, and coastal mudflats in South and Southeast Asia. | 210–250 cm |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | Coasts, lakes, and urban areas. | 124–150 cm |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis | Tropical and subtropical coasts and islands. | 95–105 cm |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoeniconaias minor | Large, shallow alkaline and saline lakes. | 90–105 cm |
| Lesser Goldfinch | Spinus psaltria | Open woodlands, weedy fields, and suburban gardens. | 19–22 cm |
| Lesser Honeyguide | Indicator minor | Forests, woodlands, and savannas in sub-Saharan Africa. | 28–32 cm |
| Lesser Kestrel | Falco naumanni | Open grasslands, steppes, and agricultural areas. | 63–72 cm |
| Lesser Nighthawk | Chordeiles acutipennis | Deserts, scrublands, and open woodlands in the Americas. | 50–54 cm |
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | Lakes, ponds, and coastal bays. | 67–73 cm |
| Lesser Violetear | Colibri cyanotus | Mountain forest edges and clearings. | 24–28 cm |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca | Open woodlands with dense undergrowth, scrub, and hedgerows. | 16–20 cm |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | Marshes, mudflats, and shorelines. | 58–64 cm |
| Letter-winged Kite | Elanus scriptus | Arid inland grasslands and plains of Australia. | 80–90 cm |
| LeConte’s Sparrow | Ammospiza leconteii | Wet meadows, marshes, and dense grasslands. | 17–19 cm |
| Levaillant’s Cuckoo | Clamator levaillantii | Savannas and open woodlands in Africa. | 45–50 cm |
| Lewis’s Woodpecker | Melanerpes lewis | Open pine forests and burned woodlands in western North America. | 65–70 cm |
| Lidth’s Jay | Garrulus lidthi | Subtropical forests on Japan’s Amami Islands. | 45–50 cm |
| Light-mantled Albatross | Phoebetria palpebrata | Southern Ocean; nests on subantarctic islands. | 180–220 cm |
| Lilac-breasted Roller | Coracias caudatus | Open woodland and savanna in sub-Saharan Africa. | 50–58 cm |
| Lilac-crowned Parrot | Amazona finschi | Tropical deciduous forests in western Mexico. | 60–65 cm |
| Limpkin | Aramus guarauna | Freshwater marshes and wetlands in the Americas. | 100–110 cm |
| Lineated Barbet | Psilopogon lineatus | Forests, woodlands, and gardens in Southeast Asia. | 30–33 cm |
| Lineated Woodpecker | Dryocopus lineatus | Forests and woodlands in Central and South America. | 45–51 cm |
| Lined Seedeater | Sporophila lineola | Grasslands and open scrub in South America. | 17–20 cm |
| Linnet | Linaria cannabina | Heathland, farmland with hedgerows, and scrub. | 21–25 cm |
| Little Auk | Alle alle | High Arctic seas; nests in massive colonies on coastal scree slopes. | 40–43 cm |
| Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea | Marshes, ponds, and coastal wetlands. | 95–105 cm |
| Little Bunting | Emberiza pusilla | Taiga forest for breeding; winters in scrub and cultivation. | 20–22 cm |
| Little Bustard | Tetrax tetrax | Grasslands, steppes, and extensive farmland. | 105–115 cm |
| Little Corella | Cacatua sanguinea | Woodlands and arid scrub across Australia. | 70–80 cm |
| Little Cormorant | Microcarbo niger | Wetlands, rivers, and coastal waters across Asia. | 55–60 cm |
| Little Crake | Zapornia parva | Freshwater wetlands with dense reeds. | 32–35 cm |
| Little Crow | Corvus bennetti | Arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. | 70–80 cm |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | Wetlands, estuaries, and coastal habitats. | 88–106 cm |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | Ponds, lakes, and slow rivers with vegetation. | 40–45 cm |
| Little Gull | Hydrocoloeus minutus | Marshes and lakes for breeding; coastal areas in winter. | 61–67 cm |
| Little Lorikeet | Parvipsitta pusilla | Eucalyptus forests and woodlands in eastern Australia. | 25–28 cm |
| Little Owl | Athene noctua | Farmland, open country, and villages. | 54–58 cm |
| Little Penguin | Eudyptula minor | Coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand. | 30–33 cm |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | Gravel pits, riverbanks, and reservoirs. | 42–48 cm |
| Little Shearwater | Puffinus assimilis | Subtropical and temperate oceans; nests in burrows on islands. | 58–67 cm |
| Little Sparrowhawk | Accipiter minullus | Forests and dense woodlands in Africa. | 39–51 cm |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta | Tundra for breeding; coastal mudflats and wetlands for winter. | 34–37 cm |
| Little Tern | Sternula albifrons | Coastal beaches, lagoons, and sandbars. | 41–47 cm |
| Lizard Buzzard | Kaupifalco monogrammicus | Woodlands and savannas in sub-Saharan Africa. | 60–75 cm |
| Loggerhead Kingbird | Tyrannus caudifasciatus | Open woodlands and forest edges in the Caribbean. | 38–42 cm |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | Open country with scattered shrubs or trees. | 32–36 cm |
| Long-billed Corella | Cacatua tenuirostris | Grassy woodlands and urban parks in southeast Australia. | 80–90 cm |
| Long-billed Curlew | Numenius americanus | Grasslands for breeding; coastal wetlands in winter. | 80–100 cm |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Tundra for breeding; mudflats and marshes in winter. | 48–53 cm |
| Long-billed Murrelet | Brachyramphus perdix | Nests on old-growth forest branches; forages at sea. | 40–43 cm |
| Long-billed Thrasher | Toxostoma longirostre | Dense thickets and woodlands in Texas and Mexico. | 26–29 cm |
| Long-crested Eagle | Lophaetus occipitalis | Forest edges and moist woodlands in sub-Saharan Africa. | 110–130 cm |
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | Coniferous and mixed forests near open country. | 86–102 cm |
| Long-tailed Broadbill | Psarisomus dalhousiae | Broadleaf evergreen forests in the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. | 20–23 cm |
| Long-tailed Duck | Clangula hyemalis | Arctic tundra lakes for breeding; coastal waters in winter. | 73–99 cm |
| Long-tailed Fiscal | Lanius cabanisi | Open savanna and thornbush in East Africa. | 40–45 cm |
| Long-tailed Jaeger | Stercorarius longicaudus | Arctic tundra for breeding; pelagic during migration. | 100–115 cm |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Leistes loyca | Open grasslands and agricultural areas in South America. | 35–40 cm |
| Long-tailed Sibia | Heterophasia picaoides | Hill forests in Southeast Asia and the Himalayas. | 28–32 cm |
| Long-tailed Skua | Stercorarius longicaudus | Arctic tundra for breeding; open ocean in non-breeding season. | 95–110 cm |
| Long-tailed Tit | Aegithalos caudatus | Woodlands, parks, and gardens. | 16–20 cm |
| Long-tailed Tyrant | Colonia colonus | Forest clearings and edges in Central and South America. | 20–28 cm |
| Long-toed Stint | Calidris subminuta | Siberian marshes for breeding; wetlands in Asia and Australia for winter. | 30–33 cm |
| Lord Howe Woodhen | Gallirallus sylvestris | Subtropical forests on Lord Howe Island. | 45–50 cm |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | Parkesia motacilla | Fast-flowing, wooded streams. | 23–25 cm |
| Lucifer Hummingbird | Calothorax lucifer | Desert canyons and arid scrub in the SW United States and Mexico. | 18–20 cm |
| Luzon Bleeding-heart | Gallicolumba luzonica | Forest floor in the Philippines. | 35–40 cm |
| Lyre-tailed Honeyguide | Melichneutes robustus | Tropical rainforests of Central Africa. | 30–33 cm |
| Maccoa Duck | Oxyura maccoa | Freshwater lakes and marshes in Africa. | 35–40 cm |
| MacGillivray’s Warbler | Geothlypis tolmiei | Dense, shrubby thickets in western North America. | 18–20 cm |
| Madagascar Bee-eater | Merops superciliosus | Savanna, woodland, and coastal areas in Madagascar and East Africa. | 38–45 cm |
| Madagascar Cuckoo-Hawk | Aviceda madagascariensis | Forests and woodlands of Madagascar. | 90–100 cm |
| Madagascar Fish Eagle | Haliaeetus vociferoides | Coastal waters, lakes, and rivers of western Madagascar. | 165–180 cm |
| Madagascar Grebe | Tachybaptus pelzelnii | Freshwater wetlands in Madagascar. | 22–25 cm |
| Madagascar Harrier-Hawk | Polyboroides radiatus | Forests and savannas of Madagascar. | 110–130 cm |
| Madagascar Ibis | Lophotibis cristata | Forests and woodlands of Madagascar. | 70–80 cm |
Descriptions
Lappet-faced Vulture
One of Africa’s largest and most powerful vultures, with a massive bill capable of tearing through tough hides. Its bare, reddish head is distinctive.
Lapland Longspur
A small, hardy songbird that breeds in the high Arctic. Males have a striking black head and throat with a chestnut nape in breeding plumage.
Large-billed Crow
A highly intelligent and adaptable crow with a distinctly large, arched bill. It is a common sight in both cities and rural landscapes.
Large-tailed Nightjar
A master of camouflage, this nocturnal bird is known for its loud, repetitive “chook” call at dusk. It is found across South and Southeast Asia.
Laughing Dove
A small, slender dove named for its gentle, chuckling coo. It has a distinctive reddish-brown body and a speckled patch on its neck.
Laughing Falcon
A specialist snake-eater, this falcon is named for its loud, human-like laughing calls, often given in a duet at dawn and dusk.
Laughing Gull
Recognized by its loud, laughing cry, this medium-sized gull sports a black head in summer, which turns mottled gray in winter.
Laughing Kookaburra
Famous for its unmistakable call that sounds like raucous human laughter. It’s the largest member of the kingfisher family.
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
A nomadic finch, its presence in an area can be unpredictable. The male has a distinctive black face patch and yellow wing bars.
Lazuli Bunting
The male is a brilliant sky-blue bird with a cinnamon breast and white belly, resembling a flying jewel in the summer sun.
Leach’s Storm Petrel
A small, dark seabird with a distinctive white rump, it flutters and dances just above the waves to feed on surface plankton and small fish.
Lead-colored Flycatcher
A small, active flycatcher with subtle gray plumage. It forages for insects high in the treetops, often as part of mixed-species flocks.
Leaden Flycatcher
A sleek, restless bird that hunts insects on the wing. The male is a glossy blue-gray, while the female has a contrasting rufous throat.
Least Auklet
The smallest of the auks, this tiny seabird gathers in enormous, buzzing colonies on remote islands in the Bering Sea.
Least Bittern
North America’s smallest heron, it is incredibly secretive, often climbing reeds like a rail and freezing with its bill pointed up to blend in.
Least Flycatcher
Best identified by its sharp, dry “che-bek” call, this small, olive-gray flycatcher is one of several very similar-looking Empidonax species.
Least Grebe
A tiny, compact diving bird found from the southern US to Argentina. It has a dark body, a fluffy rear, and bright yellow eyes.
Least Sandpiper
The world’s smallest shorebird, this tiny sandpiper can be identified by its yellowish legs and fine-tipped bill as it probes for invertebrates.
Least Tern
A small, graceful tern with a black cap and a yellow bill. It dives for small fish in shallow waters and nests in scrapes on open ground.
Lesser Adjutant
A large, bare-headed stork that scavenges and hunts in wetlands. It lacks the prominent neck pouch of its larger relative, the Greater Adjutant.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
A large gull with a dark gray to black back, contrasting with the paler gray of the Herring Gull. It has become increasingly common in North America.
Lesser Crested Tern
A medium-sized, graceful tern with a shaggy black crest and a slender, bright orange bill. It nests in dense, noisy colonies.
Lesser Flamingo
The smallest and most numerous flamingo species, it feeds primarily on microscopic algae with its specialized, deep-keeled bill.
Lesser Goldfinch
A small, sociable finch of the American West. Males can have either a green or black back, but all have a black cap and bright yellow underparts.
Lesser Honeyguide
Famous for guiding humans and other animals to bees’ nests. It feeds on the beeswax and larvae left behind after the nest is opened.
Lesser Kestrel
A small, sociable falcon that often nests in colonies on cliffs or buildings. Unlike the Common Kestrel, it rarely hovers.
Lesser Nighthawk
A nocturnal insect-hunter, often seen flitting erratically over open ground at dusk. Its call is a soft, purring trill.
Lesser Scaup
A common diving duck in North America. The male has a purplish-black head, gray back, and white sides. It often forms large flocks, called rafts.
Lesser Violetear
A medium-sized hummingbird with glittering green plumage and violet-blue ear patches that it can fan out. Found in the mountains of Central and South America.
Lesser Whitethroat
A small, plain warbler with a distinctive rattling call. It has a grayish head and back, contrasting with its whitish underparts.
Lesser Yellowlegs
A graceful shorebird with long, bright yellow legs and a thin, straight black bill. It is known for its energetic foraging behavior.
Letter-winged Kite
A rare and nomadic nocturnal raptor. It has a distinctive black “M” or “W” pattern on its underwing, visible in flight.
LeConte’s Sparrow
A secretive sparrow of North American prairies, it is notoriously difficult to see, preferring to run through dense grass rather than fly.
Levaillant’s Cuckoo
A large, crested cuckoo with heavily streaked plumage. It is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of bulbuls and babblers.
Lewis’s Woodpecker
An unusual woodpecker that often catches insects in mid-air. It has an iridescent greenish-black back and a pinkish-red belly.
Lidth’s Jay
A stunning, rare jay with deep purplish-blue plumage, a black head, and a white-tipped bill. It is found only on a few small Japanese islands.
Light-mantled Albatross
An exceptionally graceful flyer, this sooty-gray albatross has a striking white crescent over its eye. It is known for its synchronized courtship flights.
Lilac-breasted Roller
One of Africa’s most beautiful birds, with a stunning mix of lilac, blue, green, and tan plumage. It often perches prominently on treetops.
Lilac-crowned Parrot
A medium-sized green parrot with a maroon forehead and a violet-blue crown and nape. It is an endangered species due to habitat loss and trapping.
Limpkin
A unique, long-legged wader that feeds almost exclusively on apple snails. It is known for its loud, wailing, human-like cry.
Lineated Barbet
A stocky, green bird with a large, pale bill and a streaked head. Its persistent “poo-pop” call is a common sound in its habitat.
Lineated Woodpecker
A large, powerful woodpecker similar to the Pileated Woodpecker. It has a red crest and a white line running down its face and neck.
Lined Seedeater
A small finch-like bird. The male has striking black-and-white plumage, including a white “eyebrow” and crown stripe.
Linnet
A small, slim finch. In summer, the male has a beautiful crimson forehead and breast, contrasting with his brown back.
Little Auk
A tiny, penguin-like seabird that swarms in the millions in its Arctic breeding grounds. It is also known as the Dovekie.
Little Blue Heron
A medium-sized heron that is uniquely all-white as a juvenile, molting into its slate-blue adult plumage in its first year.
Little Bunting
A small, heavily streaked bunting that breeds in the far north of Eurasia. It has a distinctive reddish-brown crown and cheek patch.
Little Bustard
A ground-dwelling bird where the male has a dramatic black-and-white neck pattern during the breeding season. Known for a peculiar “raspberry-blowing” call.
Little Corella
A small white cockatoo, often forming huge, noisy flocks. It is highly intelligent and playful, known for hanging upside down from branches.
Little Cormorant
A small, dark cormorant with a relatively short bill. It often fishes in social groups, herding fish into the shallows.
Little Crake
A very small, secretive rail found in Eurasia. The male has a blue-gray face and breast, while the female is buff-brown.
Little Crow
A small, highly social Australian crow, often forming large nomadic flocks. It has distinctive white bases to its neck feathers.
Little Egret
An elegant, all-white heron with black legs and striking yellow feet. It uses its feet to stir up prey in shallow water.
Little Grebe
A small, plump water bird that dives for fish and invertebrates. In summer, it has a rich chestnut throat and a pale spot at the base of its bill.
Little Gull
The world’s smallest gull species. In breeding plumage, it has a jet-black hood and pale gray wings with dark undersides.
Little Lorikeet
A tiny, fast-flying green parrot with a red face. It travels in noisy flocks, feeding on nectar and pollen from flowering trees.
Little Owl
A small owl with a frowning expression, bright yellow eyes, and a bobbing motion when alert. It is active during both day and night.
Little Penguin
The smallest of all penguin species, also known as the Fairy Penguin. They come ashore at dusk in “penguin parades” to return to their burrows.
Little Ringed Plover
A small wader similar to the Common Ringed Plover but lacks a white wing bar and has a prominent yellow eye-ring.
Little Shearwater
A small, compact shearwater with black upperparts and clean white underparts. It flies with rapid, stiff wingbeats close to the water.
Little Sparrowhawk
One of the world’s smallest true hawks. It is a secretive and fast-flying predator of small birds.
Little Stint
A tiny wading bird, very similar to the Least Sandpiper but with black legs. It is highly migratory, breeding in the Arctic and wintering in Africa and Asia.
Little Tern
A small, agile tern with a white forehead and a yellow bill tipped in black. It hovers over the water before making a plunge-dive for fish.
Lizard Buzzard
A small, gray raptor with a distinctive vertical black line on its white throat. It primarily preys on lizards and large insects.
Loggerhead Kingbird
A large, aggressive flycatcher with a heavy bill. It is known for its gray head, dark mask, and white throat.
Loggerhead Shrike
A songbird with a raptor’s habits. It impales its prey, such as insects and small vertebrates, on thorns or barbed wire fences.
Long-billed Corella
A white cockatoo distinguished by its very long upper bill used for digging up roots and seeds. It has reddish-pink markings on its face.
Long-billed Curlew
North America’s largest shorebird, it possesses an extraordinarily long, decurved bill used to probe deep into mud and soil for invertebrates.
Long-billed Dowitcher
A stout shorebird with a very long bill that it uses to probe mud in a rapid, “sewing-machine” motion. Its call is a sharp “keek”.
Long-billed Murrelet
A seabird with a mysterious life, it nests solitarily on mossy branches of inland old-growth trees in Asia, flying miles to the sea to feed.
Long-billed Thrasher
A secretive bird with a long, curved bill and piercing orange-red eyes. It uses its bill to toss leaf litter aside in search of insects.
Long-crested Eagle
A striking, dark eagle with a long, shaggy crest that it can raise and lower. It often perches conspicuously on roadside poles.
Long-eared Owl
A slender, medium-sized owl with very long ear tufts that are not actually ears. It is incredibly well-camouflaged and strictly nocturnal.
Long-tailed Broadbill
A stunningly vibrant green bird with a black-and-yellow head and a long, graduated blue tail. They build elaborate, pear-shaped hanging nests.
Long-tailed Duck
An elegant sea duck with highly variable plumage. The breeding male is striking, with a dark body and long, slender central tail feathers.
Long-tailed Fiscal
A large, predatory shrike with a very long, narrow tail that it sways side-to-side. It hunts from prominent perches.
Long-tailed Jaeger
The smallest and most graceful jaeger, known for its extremely long central tail feathers in breeding plumage. It is a nimble aerial hunter.
Long-tailed Meadowlark
A striking bird of southern grasslands, the male has a bright red throat and chest, contrasting with its streaky brown back.
Long-tailed Sibia
A slender, social bird with a very long, deeply forked tail. It has drab gray plumage but a very elegant shape.
Long-tailed Skua
The smallest skua, recognized by its exceptionally long, flexible tail streamers as an adult. It is a graceful and buoyant flyer.
Long-tailed Tit
A tiny, acrobatic bird that looks like a fluffy ball with a very long, narrow tail. They travel in noisy, social flocks.
Long-tailed Tyrant
An unmistakable flycatcher with a black body, gray crown, and two extremely long, thin tail feathers that trail behind it like streamers.
Long-toed Stint
A small, delicate wader with noticeably long toes and yellowish legs, giving it a high-stepping gait.
Lord Howe Woodhen
A flightless rail endemic to a single Australian island. It was saved from extinction by a successful captive breeding and reintroduction program.
Louisiana Waterthrush
A large wood-warbler that behaves like a wagtail, constantly bobbing its tail as it forages for aquatic insects along streams.
Lucifer Hummingbird
The male has a brilliant, iridescent purple gorget (throat patch) that is long and forked. Its bill is noticeably decurved.
Luzon Bleeding-heart
A ground dove named for the unique, vivid red splash of color on its white breast, which resembles a bleeding wound.
Lyre-tailed Honeyguide
A rare and poorly known honeyguide. The male has spectacular, lyre-shaped tail feathers used in a remarkable plunging aerial display.
Maccoa Duck
A stiff-tailed diving duck. The breeding male has a rich chestnut body, a black head, and a brilliant, sky-blue bill.
MacGillivray’s Warbler
A secretive warbler with a slate-gray hood and bold white arcs above and below its eye, making it look like it’s wearing broken glasses.
Madagascar Bee-eater
A large, mostly green bee-eater that breeds in Madagascar and migrates to the African mainland. It has a distinctive yellow throat.
Madagascar Cuckoo-Hawk
An endemic raptor of Madagascar, this hawk has a prominent crest and broad, rounded wings. It is a secretive forest hunter.
Madagascar Fish Eagle
One of the rarest raptors in the world, this large sea eagle is critically endangered due to habitat destruction and persecution.
Madagascar Grebe
A small, dark grebe endemic to Madagascar, where it is threatened by habitat loss and introduced predatory fish.
Madagascar Harrier-Hawk
A unique raptor with double-jointed legs that can bend backward, allowing it to probe into tree cavities and nests for prey.
Madagascar Ibis
A striking, colorful ibis with glossy, iridescent plumage, a bare red face, and a distinctive crest of white and green feathers.