With over 10,000 bird species in the world, it’s no surprise that their names start with every letter from A to Z. Their names are also different lengths. This article focuses on birds with 7 letters in their name. We’ve got a little bit of everything from ducks to falcons, so let’s dive in!
15 Birds With 7 Letters
1. Bittern
Scientific Family: Ardeidae
Bitterns are a type of wading bird in the heron family. They are typically found in wetland habitats like marshes and swamps. The low-pitched, booming call of the bittern can carry great distances and helps them establish territory and attract mates. Hard to find, they like to blend in among tall wetland vegetation as they hunt for fish and frogs.
2. Mallard
Scientific Name: Anas platyrhynchos
Mallards are perhaps one of the most recognized ducks in the world. Found in many countries around the world, mallards are familiar sights at parks, ponds, rivers, wetlands and lakes. Males have a distinctive green head and neck, with a brownish-gray body and white tail feathers. Females are a mottled brown. They have a broad, flat bill that they use to filter food from the water.
Not only are they a widespread species, but they have the ability to hybridize with other duck species, producing a wide range of hybrid offspring.
3. Anhinga
Scientific Name: Anhinga anhinga
The anhinga is a large water bird found in the Americas, from the southeastern United States to Argentina. They have a long, slender neck and a sharp, pointed bill that they use to catch fish and other aquatic prey. They have a dark brown or black plumage, with a distinctive white stripe on their wings.
Anhingas are best known for their unique hunting behavior. They are sometimes called “snakebirds” because of their habit of swimming with their bodies submerged, leaving only their long necks and heads visible above the water.
4. Catbird
Scientific Genus: Ailuroedus
Catbirds are a type of bird known for their melodious singing and habit of making a variety of sounds, some of which resemble the mewing of a cat. Their genus name, Ailuroedus, is greek for “cat-voiced” or “cat-singer.” There are several species of catbirds, but the most well-known and widely recognized is the Gray Catbird.
5. Cowbird
Scientific Genus: Molothrus
There are six species of cowbirds found across the Americas. Males are usually dark and glossy while females are brown. Cowbirds are perhaps best known for their brood parasitism. This means that rather than building their own nests, they lay their eggs in other birds nests and try to trick other birds into raising their young.
6. Grackle
Scientific Genus: Quiscalus
Grackles are medium-sized members of the blackbird family, with slender bodies, long tails and yellow eyes. Males are typically dark and glossy while females are a yellowish-brown. There are several species found across the Americas. Grackles tend to be comfortable around human activity, aren are often seen in outdoor settings where people may drop crumbs and food scraps. They often travel in flocks and can be quite noisy.
7. Kestrel
Scientific Genus: Falco
Kestrels are typically small to medium-sized birds of prey with long wings and tails. They are known for their graceful flight, hovering behavior, and keen hunting skills, often seen perched on utility wires or fence posts, scanning the ground for prey. As tiny falcons they hunt for small birds and small rodents, along with larger insects and some reptiles. Species can be found in the Americas, Africa, Australia and Europe.
8. Ostrich
Scientific Genus: Struthio
Ostriches are the largest and heaviest birds on Earth. Today there are two main ostrich species: the common ostrich and the Somali ostrich. Ostriches do have wings, however they can’t fly. Their long and powerful legs can kick to attack predators, as well as propel them in sprints up to nearly 45 miles per hour. While there may be some small feral populations or ranch populations around the world, they are only natively found in the wild in Africa.
9. Pelican
Scientific Genus: Pelecanus
Pelicans are fairly large birds that spend much of their time near or on the water. There are several species of pelican, and they are all known for their large throat pouches, which they use to scoop fish out of the water. They often travel in groups, and when cruising along the beach will fly in a V-formation.
10. Penguin
Scientific Family: Spheniscidae
Penguins are flightless birds found in the Southern Hemisphere, primarily in the waters around Antarctica, South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Though they cannot fly, penguins are excellent swimmers, which comes in handy when they are hunting for fish, squid or krill to eat. Many penguin species are monogamous and form long-term pairs that share duties in caring for the eggs and chicks.
11. Redpoll
Scientific Genus: Acanthis
Redpolls are small, finches named after the red patch or “poll” found on the forehead. These little birds are brown and streaky, with males having a red wash on the chest. Redpolls are usually found in northern regions and have adapted well to cold climates. When they do move further south, it is usually to find food rather than being driven out by temperature.
12. Sparrow
Sparrows are small birds with stout bodies, short bills, and relatively short legs. They are one of the largest groups of birds in the world, with species found in nearly every climate. In general, they are seed and insect eaters, and often have brown, streaky plumage. Sparrows are adaptable and many have cheerful songs.
13. Vulture
Vultures are large, scavenging birds that play a vital ecological role in cleaning up carcasses and preventing the spread of disease. Often called the “clean up crew”, vultures eat meat from animals that were killed by something else, whether it is the leftovers from an animal kill or roadkill. Their unfeathered head helps them stay clean when pulling meat from a carcass. Vultures are found on nearly every continent except Antarctica and Australia, and they are divided into two main groups: the Old World vultures and the New World vultures.
14. Limpkin
Scientifc name: Aramus guarauna
The limpkin is a large wading bird found primarily in wetland habitats in the Americas, from the southeastern United States to Argentina. They have a brownish-gray plumage with white scaling. They have a long, curved bill that they use to catch snails, mussels, and other small aquatic prey.
Limpkins have distinctive calls, which are often described as sounding like a cross between a scream and a wail. They are also known for their unique feeding behavior, as they are one of the few bird species that specialize in eating snails. They use their long, curved bill to extract the snail from its shell, then swallow it whole.
15. Waxwing
Scientific Genus: Bombycilla
Waxwings have somewhat unique smooth, soft, silky feathers. They typically have a brownish-gray back and a pale yellow to rust-colored belly. Their wings often feature waxy, red, or orange tips on the secondary feathers, which give them their name. There are three waxwing species that live across much of the northern hemisphere. Waxwings like berries and often descend on berry producing trees in large flocks.
Mary is an outdoor enthusiast, nature lover, and amateur birdwatcher that enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences with others.