There are about 600 bird species in El Salvador. From colorful parrots to unique hummingbirds and beautiful songbirds, the country offers an incredible variety of avian species to observe and appreciate.
The Turquoise-browed Motmot, or Torogoz as it is known locally, is the national bird of El Salvador. It is highly regarded in El Salvador and is often associated with the country’s identity and natural heritage. Other notable avifauna include the Resplendent Quetzal, the Scarlet Macaw, and the Mangrove Warbler.
List of Common Birds Found in El Salvador
Native Birds
- Azure-crowned Hummingbird
- Bare-throated Tiger Heron
- Black-capped Swallow
- Black-cowled Oriole
- Black-crested Coquette
- Black-headed Saltator
- Black-headed Trogon
- Blue-crowned Chlorophonia
- Blue-crowned Motmot
- Blue-gray Tanager
- Blue-throated Motmot
- Brown Pelican
- Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Cinnamon Hummingbird
- Clay-colored Thrush
- Collared Aracari
- Collared Redstart
- Crimson-collared Tanager
- Elegant Trogon
- Golden-cheeked Warbler
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker
- Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
- Great Egret
- Great Kiskadee
- Green-breasted Mountain-Gem
- Inca Dove
- Keel-billed Toucan
- Laughing Falcon
- Lesson’s Motmot
- Long-tailed Manakin
- Mangrove Warbler
- Montezuma Oropendola
- Northern Emerald-Toucanet
- Northern Potoo
- Olivaceous Woodcreeper
- Orange-fronted Parakeet
- Pacific Parakeet
- Pacific Screech Owl
- Plain Wren
- Resplendent Quetzal
- Roadside Hawk
- Rose-throated Becard
- Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
- Ruddy Ground Dove
- Rufous-browed Peppershrike
- Rufous-browed Wren
- Rufous-capped Warbler
- Rufous-collared Sparrow
- Rufous-naped Wren
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
- Scaled Antpitta
- Scarlet Macaw
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
- Slaty Spinetail
- Social Flycatcher
- Tropical Kingbird
- Tropical Mockingbird
- Turquoise-browed Motmot
- Vermiculated Screech Owl
- Vermilion Flycatcher
- White-bellied Chachalaca
- White-bellied Emerald
- White-collared Seedeater
- White-eared Ground-Sparrow
- White-faced Quail-Dove
- White-fronted Parrot
- White-throated Flycatcher
- White-throated Magpie-Jay
- White-throated Swift
- White-throated Thrush
- White-whiskered Puffbird
- White-winged Dove
- Yellow-faced Grassquit
- Yellow-naped Parrot
- Yellow-throated Euphonia
- Yellow-winged Cacique
Non-native Birds
- African Collared-dove
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- House Sparrow
- Mallard
- Rock Pigeon
- Tricolored Munia
El Salvador offers several fantastic birding sites to observe various bird species. Some notable birding sites include Montecristo National Park, Cerro Verde National Park, and Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site. The last one is notable as it is a UNESCO World Heritage site where birds like the Slaty Spinetail and Blue-throated Motmot can be seen.
The best time to see birds in El Salvador is during the dry season, typically from November to April, as it coincides with the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, attracting migratory bird species from North America.
