List of birds of Asia

Order: Struthioniformes   Family: Struthionidae

The ostrich is a flightless bird native to Africa. It is the largest living species of bird. It is distinctive in its appearance, with a long neck and legs and the ability to run at high speeds.

• Common ostrich, Struthio camelus
  • Arabian ostrich, Struthio camelus syriacus (X)
  • North African ostrich, Struthio camelus camelus (I)

Order: Struthioniformes   Family: Casuariidae

The cassowaries are large flightless birds native to Australia and New Guinea.

• Southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius
• Dwarf cassowary, Casuarius bennetti
• Northern cassowary, Casuarius unappendiculatus

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anseranatidae

The family contains a single species, the magpie goose. It was an early and distinctive offshoot of the anseriform family tree, diverging after the screamers and before all other ducks, geese and swans, sometime in the late Cretaceous.

• Magpie goose, Anseranas semipalmata

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.

Order: Galliformes   Family: Megapodiidae

The Megapodiidae are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet. All but the malleefowl occupy jungle habitats and most have brown or black colouring.

Order: Galliformes   Family: Numididae

The guineafowl are a family of birds native to Africa. They typically eat insects and seeds, are ground-nesting, and resemble partridges, except with featherless heads.

• Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (I)
• Vulturine guineafowl, Acryllium vulturinum

• Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus (I)

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.

• Greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus
• Lesser flamingo, Phoeniconaias minor

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.

• Little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis
• Australasian grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
• Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus
• Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena
• Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus
• Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
• Hoary-headed grebe, Poliocephalus poliocephalus
• Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Order: Pterocliformes   Family: Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes.

• Tibetan sandgrouse, Syrrhaptes tibetanus
• Pallas's sandgrouse, Syrrhaptes paradoxus
• Pin-tailed sandgrouse, Pterocles alchata
• Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, Pterocles exustus
• Spotted sandgrouse, Pterocles senegallus
• Black-bellied sandgrouse, Pterocles orientalis
• Crowned sandgrouse, Pterocles coronatus
• Lichtenstein's sandgrouse, Pterocles lichtensteinii
• Painted sandgrouse, Pterocles indicus
• Four-banded sandgrouse, Pterocles quadricinctus

Order: Otidiformes   Family: Otididae

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.

• Great bustard, Otis tarda
• Arabian bustard, Ardeotis arabs
• Great Indian bustard, Ardeotis nigriceps
• Australian bustard, Ardeotis australis
• MacQueen's bustard, Chlamydotis macqueenii
• Houbara bustard, Chalmydotis undulata
• Bengal florican, Houbaropsis bengalensis
• Lesser florican, Sypheotides indicus
• Little bustard, Tetrax tetrax

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs.

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Podargidae

The frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to the nightjars. They are named for their large flattened hooked bill and huge frog-like gape, which they use to take insects.

• Marbled frogmouth, Podargus ocellatus
• Papuan frogmouth, Podargus papuensis
• Tawny frogmouth, Podargus strigoides
• Large frogmouth, Batrachostomus auritus
• Dulit frogmouth, Batrachostomus harterti
• Philippine frogmouth, Batrachostomus septimus
• Gould's frogmouth, Batrachostomus stellatus
• Sri Lanka frogmouth, Batrachostomus moniliger
• Hodgson's frogmouth, Batrachostomus hodgsoni
• Sumatran frogmouth, Batrachostomus poliolophus
• Bornean frogmouth, Batrachostomus mixtus
• Javan frogmouth, Batrachostomus javensis
• Blyth's frogmouth, Batrachostomus affinis
• Palawan frogmouth, Batrachostomus chaseni
• Sunda frogmouth, Batrachostomus cornutus
• Solomons frogmouth, Rigidipenna inexpectata

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Aegothelidae

The owlet-nightjars are small nocturnal birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths. They are insectivores which hunt mostly in the air. Their soft plumage is a mixture of browns and paler shades.

• Feline owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles insignis
• Starry owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles tatei (A)
• Wallace's owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles wallacii
• Mountain owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles albertisi
• Moluccan owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles crinifrons
• Vogelkop owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles affinis
• Barred owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles bennettii
• Australian owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles cristatus

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Hemiprocnidae

The treeswifts, also called crested swifts, are closely related to the true swifts. They differ from the other swifts in that they have crests, long forked tails and softer plumage.

• Crested treeswift, Hemiprocne coronata
• Gray-rumped treeswift, Hemiprocne longipennis
• Whiskered treeswift, Hemiprocne comata
• Moustached treeswift, Hemiprocne mystacea

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Heliornithidae

Heliornithidae is small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots.

• Masked finfoot, Heliopais personatus

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".

• Demoiselle crane, Anthropoides virgo
• Siberian crane, Leucogeranus leucogeranus
• Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis
• Sarus crane, Antigone antigone
• Brolga, Antigone rubicunda
• White-naped crane, Antigone vipio
• Common crane, Grus grus
• Hooded crane, Grus monacha
• Black-necked crane, Grus nigricollis
• Red-crowned crane, Grus japonensis
• Black crowned-crane, Balearica pavonina

• Black-faced sheathbill, Chionis minor
• Snowy sheathbill, Chionis albus

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Burhinidae

The thick-knees are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes, and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.

• Eurasian thick-knee, Burhinus oedicnemus
• Indian thick-knee, Burhinus indicus
• Spotted thick-knee, Burhinus capensis
• Bush thick-knee, Burhinus grallarius
• Senegal thick-knee, Burhinus senegalensis
• Peruvian thick-knee, Burhinus superciliaris
• Great thick-knee, Esacus recurvirostris
• Beach thick-knee, Esacus magnirostris

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Pluvianidae

The Egyptian plover is found across equatorial Africa and along the Nile River.

• Egyptian plover, Pluvianus aegyptius

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

• Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus
• Pied stilt, Himantopus leucocephalus
• Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
• Pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta
• Red-necked avocet, Recurvirostra novaehollandiae (A)
• American avocet, Recurvirostra americana
• Banded stilt, Cladorhynchus leucocephalus

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Ibidorhynchidae

The ibisbill is related to the waders, but is sufficiently distinctive to be a family unto itself. The adult is gray with a white belly, red legs, a long down curved bill, and a black face and breast band.

• Ibisbill, Ibidorhyncha struthersii

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

• Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus
• Pied oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris
• Sooty oystercatcher, Haematopus fuliginosus (A)
• Black oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani
• South Island oystercatcher, Haematopus finschi
• Canarian oystercatcher, Haematopus meadewaldoi

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.

• Plains-wanderer, Pedionomus torquatus

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Rostratulidae

Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly colored.

• Greater painted-snipe, Rostratula benghalensis

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Jacanidae

The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.

• Comb-crested jacana, Irediparra gallinacea
• Pheasant-tailed jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus
• Bronze-winged jacana, Metopidius indicus

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Turnicidae

The buttonquail are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young.

• Small buttonquail, Turnix sylvaticus
• Red-backed buttonquail, Turnix maculosus
• Yellow-legged buttonquail, Turnix tanki
• Spotted buttonquail, Turnix ocellatus
• Barred buttonquail, Turnix suscitator
• Luzon buttonquail, Turnix worcesteri
• Sumba buttonquail, Turnix everetti
• Red-chested buttonquail, Turnix pyrrhothorax
• Black-breasted buttonquail, Turnix melanogaster
• Chestnut-backed buttonquail, Turnix castanotus
• Buff-breasted buttonquail, Turnix olivii
• Painted buttonquail, Turnix varius
• Little buttonquail, Turnix velox

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Dromadidae

The crab-plover is related to the waders. It resembles a plover but with very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern. It has black-and-white plumage, a long neck, partially webbed feet and a bill designed for eating crabs.

• Crab-plover, Dromas ardeola

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.

• Cream-colored courser, Cursorius cursor
• Indian courser, Cursorius coromandelicus
• Temminck's courser, Cursorius temminckii
• Jerdon's courser, Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
• Australian pratincole, Stiltia isabella
• Collared pratincole, Glareola pratincola
• Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum
• Black-winged pratincole, Glareola nordmanni
• Small pratincole, Glareola lactea
• Bronze-winged courser, Rhinoptilus chalcopterus

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with gray or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.

• Great skua, Stercorarius skua
• South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki
• Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus
• Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus
• Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus
• Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colors, their upright posture and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins and differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns and skimmers. Gulls are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with gray or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

• White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus
• Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus
• Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons, known as divers in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated.

• Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata
• Arctic loon, Gavia arctica
• Pacific loon, Gavia pacifica
• Common loon, Gavia immer
• Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsii

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Diomedeidae

The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.

• Yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos
• White-capped albatross, Thalassarche cauta
• Grey-headed albatross, Thalassarche chrysostoma
• Buller's albatross, Thalassarche bulleri
• Salvin's albatross, Thalassarche salvini
• Chatham albatross, Thalassarche eremita
• Campbell albatross, Thalassarche impavida
• Black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophris
• Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans
• Royal albatross, Diomedea epomophora
• Laysan albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis
• Black-footed albatross, Phoebastria nigripes
• Short-tailed albatross, Phoebastria albatrus
• Sooty albatross, Phoebetria fusca
• Light-mantled albatross, Phoebetria palpebrata

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

The southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering.

• Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus
• White-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina
• White-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta grallaria
• Black-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta tropica
• New Zealand storm-petrel, Fregetta maoriana
• Grey-backed storm-petrel, Garrodia nereis
• Polynesian storm-petrel, Nesofregetta fuliginosa

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

The northern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.

• European storm-petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus
• Fork-tailed storm-petrel, Hydrobates furcatus
• Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous
• Swinhoe's storm-petrel, Hydrobates monorhis
• Band-rumped storm-petrel, Hydrobates castro
• Matsudaira's storm-petrel, Hydrobates matsudairae
• Tristram's storm-petrel, Hydrobates tristrami
• Least storm-petrel, Hydrobates microsomus
• Monteiro's storm-petrel, Hydrobates monteroi
• Cape Verde storm-petrel, Hydrobates jabejabe

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.

• Asian openbill, Anastomus oscitans
• African openbill, Anastomus lamelligerus
• Black stork, Ciconia nigra
• Abdim's stork, Ciconia abdimii
• Asian woolly-necked stork, Ciconia episcopus
• Storm's stork, Ciconia stormi
• White stork, Ciconia ciconia
• Oriental stork, Ciconia boyciana
• Black-necked stork, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
• Lesser adjutant, Leptoptilos javanicus
• Marabou stork, Leptoptilos crumenifer (A)
• Greater adjutant, Leptoptilos dubius
• Milky stork, Mycteria cinerea
• Yellow-billed stork, Mycteria ibis
• Painted stork, Mycteria leucocephala
• Saddle-billed stork, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.

• Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel
• Christmas Island frigatebird, Fregata andrewsi
• Great frigatebird, Fregata minor

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

• Masked booby, Sula dactylatra
• Nazca booby, Sula granti (A)
• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster
• Red-footed booby, Sula sula
• Abbott's booby, Papasula abbotti
• Northern gannet, Morus bassanus

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas or darters are cormorant-like water birds with long necks and long, straight bills. They are fish eaters which often swim with only their neck above the water.

• Oriental darter, Anhinga melanogaster
• Australasian darter, Anhinga novaehollandiae
• African darter, Anhinga rufa

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the order Pelecaniformes.

• Little pied cormorant, Microcarbo melanoleucos
• Little cormorant, Microcarbo niger
• Pygmy cormorant, Microcarbo pygmeus
• Long-tailed cormorant, Microcarbo africanus
• Red-faced cormorant, Urile urile
• Pelagic cormorant, Urile pelagicus
• Pallas's cormorant, Urile perspicillatus (X)
• Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
• Japanese cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus
• Socotra cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
• Indian cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
• Little black cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
• Pied cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius
• Spotted shag, Phalacrocorax punctatus
• Black-faced cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscescens
• European shag, Gulosus aristotelis
• Kerguelen shag, Leucocarbo verrucosus
• Macquarie shag, Leucocarbo purpurascens
• Imperial shag, Leucocarbo atriceps

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with distinctive pouches under their bills. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.

• Great white pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus
• Australian pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus
• Pink-backed pelican, Pelecanus rufescens
• Spot-billed pelican, Pelecanus philippensis
• Dalmatian pelican, Pelecanus crispus

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Scopidae

The hamerkop is a medium-sized bird with a long shaggy crest. The shape of its head with a curved bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name. Its plumage is drab-brown all over.

• Hamerkop, Scopus umbretta

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

• Sooty owl, Tyto tenebricosa
• Australian masked-owl, Tyto novaehollandiae
• Seram masked-owl, Tyto almae (E)
• Lesser masked-owl, Tyto sororcula
• Taliabu masked-owl, Tyto nigrobrunnea
• Minahassa masked-owl, Tyto inexspectata
• Sulawesi masked-owl, Tyto rosenbergii
• Australasian grass-owl, Tyto longimembris
• Barn owl, Tyto alba (A)
• Andaman masked-owl, Tyto deroepstorffi
• Golden masked-owl, Tyto aurantia
• Manus masked-owl, Tyto manusi
• Oriental bay-owl, Phodilus badius
• Sri Lanka bay-owl, Phodilus assimilis

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

Order: Trogoniformes   Family: Trogonidae

The family Trogonidae includes trogons and quetzals. Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons have soft, often colorful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage.

• Javan trogon, Harpactes reinwardtii
• Sumatran trogon, Harpactes mackloti
• Malabar trogon, Harpactes fasciatus
• Red-naped trogon, Harpactes kasumba
• Diard's trogon, Harpactes diardii
• Philippine trogon, Harpactes ardens
• Whitehead's trogon, Harpactes whiteheadi
• Cinnamon-rumped trogon, Harpactes orrhophaeus
• Scarlet-rumped trogon, Harpactes duvaucelii
• Red-headed trogon, Harpactes erythrocephalus
• Orange-breasted trogon, Harpactes oreskios
• Ward's trogon, Harpactes wardi

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink coloring with a long crest on their head, the plumage of which sweeps backward at rest but can be flexed to an erect position.

• Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Bucerotidae

Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible. Frequently, the bill is brightly colored.

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterized by richly colored plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.

• Red-bearded bee-eater, Nyctyornis amictus
• Blue-bearded bee-eater, Nyctyornis athertoni
• Purple-bearded bee-eater, Meropogon forsteni
• White-throated bee-eater, Merops albicollis
• Asian green bee-eater, Merops orientalis
• Arabian green bee-eater, Merops cyanophrys
• Blue-throated bee-eater, Merops viridis
• Rufous-crowned bee-eater, Merops americanus
• Blue-cheeked bee-eater, Merops persicus
• Blue-tailed bee-eater, Merops philippinus
• Rainbow bee-eater, Merops ornatus
• European bee-eater, Merops apiaster
• Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Merops leschenaulti
• Somali bee-eater, Merops revoilii
• Madagascar bee-eater, Merops superciliosus (A)

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Coraciidae

Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colorful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.

• European roller, Coracias garrulus
• Abyssinian roller, Coracias abyssinicus
• Lilac-breasted roller, Coracias caudatus
• Rufous-crowned roller, Coracias noevius
• Indian roller, Coracias benghalensis
• Indochinese roller, Coracias affinis
• Purple-winged roller, Coracias temminckii
• Broad-billed roller, Eurystomus glaucurus
• Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis
• Azure roller, Eurystomus azureus

Order: Piciformes   Family: Megalaimidae

The Asian barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly colored.

Order: Piciformes   Family: Indicatoridae

Honeyguides are among the few birds that feed on wax. They are named for the greater honeyguide which leads traditional honey-hunters to bees' nests and, after the hunters have harvested the honey, feeds on the remaining contents of the hive.

• Yellow-rumped honeyguide, Indicator xanthonotus
• Malaysian honeyguide, Indicator archipelagicus

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Cacatuidae

The cockatoos share many features with other parrots including the characteristic curved beak shape and a zygodactyl foot, with two forward toes and two backwards toes. They differ, however in a number of characteristics, including the often spectacular movable headcrest.

• Palm cockatoo, Probosciger aterrimus
• Little corella, Cacatua sanguinea
• Tanimbar corella, Cacatua goffiniana
• Philippine cockatoo, Cacatua haematuropygia
• Yellow-crested cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea
• Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Cacatua galerita
  • Eleonora cockatoo, Cacatua galerita eleonora
• Salmon-crested cockatoo, Cacatua moluccensis
• White cockatoo, Cacatua alba

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittaculidae

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from 8 cm (3.1 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.

• Great kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus
• Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperi
• Eastern wood-pewee, Contopus virnes
• Yellow-bellied flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris
• Acadian flycatcher, Empidonax virescens
• Alder flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum
• Least flycatcher, Empidonax minimus
• Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe
• Western kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis
• Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus
• Fork-tailed flycatcher, Tyrannus savana

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calyptomenidae

The African and green broadbills are small, brightly coloured birds which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills. Their habitat is canopies of wet forests.

• Green broadbill, Calyptomena viridis
• Hose's broadbill, Calyptomena hosii
• Whitehead's broadbill, Calyptomena whiteheadi

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Eurylaimidae

The Asian and Grauer's broadbills are small, brightly colored birds, which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills. Their habitat is canopies of wet forests.

• Black-and-red broadbill, Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos
• Long-tailed broadbill, Psarisomus dalhousiae
• Silver-breasted broadbill, Serilophus lunatus
• Banded broadbill, Eurylaimus javanicus
• Black-and-yellow broadbill, Eurylaimus ochromalus
• Wattled broadbill, Sarcophanops steerii
• Visayan broadbill, Sarcophanops samarensis
• Dusky broadbill, Corydon sumatranus

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pittidae

Pittas are medium-sized stocky passerines with fairly long, strong legs, short tails, and stout bills. Many are brightly coloured. They spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects, and similar invertebrate prey.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ptilonorhynchidae

The bowerbirds are small to medium-sized passerine birds. The males notably build a bower to attract a mate. Depending on the species, the bower ranges from a circle of cleared earth with a small pile of twigs in the center to a complex and highly decorated structure of sticks and leaves.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Climacteridae

The Climacteridae are medium-small, mostly brown-coloured birds with patterning on their underparts. They are endemic to Australia and New Guinea.

• Papuan treecreeper, Cormobates placens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Maluridae

Maluridae is a family of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. They are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings.

• Wallace's fairywren, Sipodotus wallacii
• Orange-crowned fairywren, Clytomyias insignis
• Broad-billed fairywren, Chenorhamphus grayi
• Campbell's fairywren, Chenorhamphus campbelli
• Emperor fairywren, Malurus cyanocephalus
• White-shouldered fairywren, Malurus alboscapulatus

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Meliphagidae

The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium-sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea. They are nectar feeders and closely resemble other nectar-feeding passerines.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acanthizidae

The Acanthizidae are small- to medium-sized birds with short rounded wings, slender bills, long legs, and a short tail. The golden-bellied gerygone is the only member of the family found in mainland Asia.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pomatostomidae

The pseudo-babblers are small to medium-sized birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. They are ground-feeding omnivores and highly social.

• Papuan babbler, Pomatostomus isidorei
• Gray-crowned babbler, Pomatostomus temporalis

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Orthonychidae

The Orthonychidae is a family of birds with a single genus, Orthonyx, which comprises two types of passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea, the logrunners and the chowchilla. Both use stiffened tails to brace themselves when feeding.

• Papuan logrunner, Orthonyx novaeguineae

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclosomatidae

The Cinclosomatidae is a family containing jewel-babblers and quail-thrushes.

• Painted quail-thrush, Cinclosoma ajax
• Spotted jewel-babbler, Ptilorrhoa leucosticta
• Blue jewel-babbler, Ptilorrhoa caerulescens
• Chestnut-backed jewel-babbler, Ptilorrhoa castanonota
• Dimorphic jewel-babbler, Ptilorrhoa geislerorum

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Campephagidae

The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some minivet species are brightly coloured.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Neosittidae

The sittellas are a family of small passerine birds. They resemble treecreepers, but have soft tails.

• Black sittella, Daphoenositta miranda
• Papuan sittella, Daphoenositta papuensis
• Varied sittella, Daphoenositta chrysoptera

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Psophodidae

The Psophodidae is a family containing whipbirds and wedgebills.

• Papuan whipbird, Androphobus viridis

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Eulacestomidae

The wattled ploughbill was long thought to be related to the whistlers (Pachycephalidae), and shriketits (formerly Pachycephalidae, now often treated as its own family).

• Wattled ploughbill, Eulacestoma nigropectus

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oreoicidae

The three species contained in the family have been moved around between different families for fifty years. A series of studies of the DNA of Australian birds between 2006 and 2001 found strong support for treating the three genera as a new family, which was formally named in 2016.

• Rufous-naped bellbird, Aleadryas rufinucha
• Piping bellbird, Ornorectes cristatus

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paramythiidae

Paramythiidae is a very small bird family restricted to the mountain forests of New Guinea. The two species are colourful medium-sized birds which feed on fruit and some insects.

• Tit berrypecker, Oreocharis arfaki
• Crested berrypecker, Paramythia montium

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Most of the members of this family are found in the New World. However, the shrike-babblers and erpornis, which only slightly resemble the "true" vireos and greenlets, are found in South East Asia.

• Black-headed shrike-babbler, Pteruthius rufiventer
• Pied shrike-babbler, Pteruthius flaviscapis
• White-browed shrike-babbler, Pteruthius aeralatus
• Green shrike-babbler, Pteruthius xanthochlorus
• Black-eared shrike-babbler, Pteruthius melanotis
• Trilling shrike-babbler, Pteruthius aenobarbus
• Clicking shrike-babbler, Pteruthius intermedius
• White-bellied erpornis, Erpornis zantholeuca

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pachycephalidae

The family Pachycephalidae includes the whistlers, shrikethrushes, and some of the pitohuis.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds which are not closely related to the New World orioles.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Machaerirhynchidae

The boatbills have affinities to woodswallows and butcherbirds, and are distributed across New Guinea and northern Queensland.

• Black-breasted boatbill, Machaerirhynchus nigripectus
• Yellow-breasted boatbill, Machaerirhynchus flaviventer

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Artamidae

The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings. The cracticids: currawongs, bellmagpies and butcherbirds, are similar to the other corvids. They have large, straight bills and mostly black, white or grey plumage. All are omnivorous to some degree.

• Ashy woodswallow, Artamus fuscus
• Ivory-backed woodswallow, Artamus monachus
• Great woodswallow, Artamus maximus
• White-breasted woodswallow, Artamus leucorynchus
• Black-faced woodswallow, Artamus cinereus
• Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis
• Mountain peltops, Peltops montanus
• Lowland peltops, Peltops blainvillii
• Black-backed butcherbird, Cracticus mentalis
• Hooded butcherbird, Cracticus cassicus
• Tagula butcherbird, Cracticus louisiadensis
• Black butcherbird, Cracticus quoyi
• Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Rhagologidae

The mottled berryhunter or mottled whistler (Rhagologus leucostigma) is a species of bird whose relationships are unclear but most likely related to the woodswallows, boatbills and butcherbirds.

• Mottled berryhunter, Rhagologus leucostigma

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vangidae

The family Vangidae is highly variable, though most members of it resemble true shrikes to some degree.

• Malabar woodshrike, Tephrodornis sylvicola
• Large woodshrike, Tephrodornis gularis
• Common woodshrike, Tephrodornis pondicerianus
• Sri Lanka woodshrike, Tephrodornis affinis
• Bar-winged flycatcher-shrike, Hemipus picatus
• Black-winged flycatcher-shrike, Hemipus hirundinaceus
• Rufous-winged philentoma, Philentoma pyrhoptera
• Maroon-breasted philentoma, Philentoma velata

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithinidae

The ioras are bulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn scrub, but whereas that group tends to be drab in colouration, ioras are sexually dimorphic, with the males being brightly plumaged in yellows and greens.

• Common iora, Aegithina tiphia
• White-tailed iora, Aegithina nigrolutea
• Green iora, Aegithina viridissima
• Great iora, Aegithina lafresnayei

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pityriasidae

The Bornean bristlehead (Pityriasis gymnocephala), also variously known as the bristled shrike, bald-headed crow or the bald-headed wood-shrike, is the only member of the passerine family Pityriasidae and genus Pityriasis. It is an enigmatic and uncommon species of the rainforest canopy of the island of Borneo,[1] to which it is endemic.[2]

• Bornean bristlehead, Pityriasis gymnocephala

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Malaconotidae

Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush. Although similar in build to the shrikes, these tend to be either colourful species or largely black; some species are quite secretive.

• Black-crowned tchagra, Tchagra senegalus
• Rosy-patched bushshrike, Rhodophoneus cruentus

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Rhipiduridae

The fantails are small insectivorous birds with longish, frequently fanned, tails.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Dicruridae

The drongos are mostly black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paradisaeidae

The birds-of-paradise are best known for the striking plumage possessed by the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the tail, wings or head. These plumes are used in courtship displays to attract females.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ifritidae

The ifritas are a small and insectivorous passerine currently placed in the monotypic family, Ifritidae.[3][4] Previously, the ifrit has been placed in a plethora of families including Cinclosomatidae or Monarchidae.[3] They are considered an ancient relic species endemic to New Guinea.

• Blue-capped ifrita, Ifrita kowaldi

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Monarchidae

The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by gleaning, hovering or flycatching.