Wikipedia

List of birds of Azerbaijan

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This is a list of the bird species found in Azerbaijan. The bird fauna of Azerbaijan include a total of 371 species, of which 9 are rare or accidental.

  • (A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Azerbaijan.


Divers

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Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Divers, known as loons in the U.S., 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 a small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated. There are 5 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Grebes

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Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater (lakes, ponds and rivers) diving birds. They have rounded toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, causing them not to walk easily on land. There are 20 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Cormorants

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Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage coloration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colorful.

Pelicans

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Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have feet with four connected toes. There are 8 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Bitterns, herons and egrets

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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 shy. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.

Ibises and spoonbills

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Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestial 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, they fly very high.

Storks

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Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with a long and thin bill. 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.

Flamingos

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Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they eat and, uniquely, are used upside-down. There are 6 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Ducks, geese and swans

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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 life with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are 131 species worldwide and 31 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Osprey

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Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

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

Hawks, kites and eagles

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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 very good eyesight.

Caracaras and falcons

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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. There are 62 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Pheasants and partridges

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Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

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

Cranes

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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". There are 15 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Rails, crakes, gallinules and coots

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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. There are 143 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Bustards

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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.

Oystercatchers

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Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or opening the shells of molluscs. There are 11 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Avocets and stilts

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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. There are 9 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Thick-knees

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Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Burhinidae

The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They 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 colorful plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species live in arid or semi-arid habitats. There are 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Pratincoles and coursers

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Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds including 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. There are 17 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Plovers and lapwings

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Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water. There are 66 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Sandpipers and allies

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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 help many species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 27 species which have been recorded in Azerbaijan.

Skuas and jaegers

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Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey 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. There are 7 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

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Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have broad, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey 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 more than 30 years.

Sandgrouse

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Order: Pterocliformes   Family: Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but plumb bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fly fast. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes. There are 16 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Pigeons and doves

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Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

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

Cuckoos and anis

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Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of different sizes with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. There are 138 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Barn owls

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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. There are 16 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Typical owls

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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 circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

Nightjars

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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. There are 86 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Swifts

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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.

Kingfishers

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Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Bee-eaters

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Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of 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 long 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. There are 26 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Typical rollers

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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 being more common. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. There are 12 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Hoopoes

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Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink coloring with a large crest on their head. There are 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Woodpeckers and allies

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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.

Larks

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often diverse songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Swallows and martins

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Wagtails and pipits

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

Motacillidae is a family of small birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country. There are 54 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Kinglets

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. There are 7 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Waxwings

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are birds of boreal forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Dippers

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe and Asia. They are named for their dipping movements. There are 5 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Wrens

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. There are 80 species worldwide (of which all but one are New World species) and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Accentors

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Prunellidae

The accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small and look like sparrows. There are 13 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Thrushes and allies

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

Bush warblers and allies

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Scotocercidae

Locustellid warblers

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Locustellidae

Acrocephalid warblers

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acrocephalidae

Phylloscopid warblers

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Phylloscopidae

Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally dull in appearance, but many have diverse songs.

Old World flycatchers

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

Bearded reedling

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Panuridae

Long-tailed tits

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are a group of small birds with medium to long tails. They make nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects. There are 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Chickadees and titmice

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small and plumb woodland species with short bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.

Nuthatches

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet. There are 24 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Wallcreeper

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tichodromidae

The wallcreeper is a small bird related to the nuthatch family, which has a red, grey and black plumage.

Treecreepers

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to catch insects from the bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees. There are 6 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Penduline tits

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Remizidae

The penduline tits are a group of small birds related to the true tits. They are insectivores. There are 13 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Old World orioles

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colorful birds. They are not closely related to the New World orioles. There are 29 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Azerbaijan.

Shrikes

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

Crows, jays, ravens and magpies

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence. There are 120 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Starlings

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized birds. Their flight is strong and direct. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic shine. There are 125 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Azerbaijan.

Old World buntings

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Emberizidae

The emberizids are a large family of birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.

Finches, euphonias, and allies

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers. These birds flap and glide when they fly, and most sing well.

Old World sparrows

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Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plumb, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also eat small insects.

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References

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  • Lepage, Denis. "Checklist of birds of Azerbaijan". Bird Checklists of the World. Avibase. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 27 April 2007.
  • Clements, James F. (2000). Birds of the World: a Checklist. Cornell University Press. p. 880. ISBN 0-934797-16-1.

Other websites

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