Guyana is home to around 800 avian species. This is because of the high diversity in environments, including brown sand forests, coastal habitats, cloud forests, dry evergreen scrub forests, estuarine palustrine habitats, lacustrine habitats, mangrove forests, marine forests, moist lowlands, montane habitats, rivers, swamps, savannas, and white sand forests.
The Hoatzin is the national bird of Guyana. Other notable species include the Amazonian Umbrellabird, the Scarlet macaw, and the Black Curassow.
List of Common Birds Found in Guyana
Native Birds
- Amazonian Umbrellabird
- Bananaquit
- Black Curassow
- Black-eared Fairy
- Black-faced Cotinga
- Black Manakin
- Black Nunbird
- Black Nunlet
- Black-spotted Barbet
- Black-spotted Bare-eye
- Black-tailed Trogon
- Black-throated Antshrike
- Black-throated Brilliant
- Black-throated Mango
- Blood-colored Woodpecker
- Blue-and-yellow Macaw
- Blue-backed Manakin
- Blue-black Grassquit
- Blue Dacnis
- Blue-gray Tanager
- Boat-billed Flycatcher
- Buff-throated Saltator
- Capuchinbird
- Cattle Egret
- Channel-billed Toucan
- Chestnut-bellied Seed-finch
- Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner
- Chestnut-headed Oropendola
- Cinereous Mourner
- Cinnamon Attila
- Collared Trogon
- Crimson-crested Woodpecker
- Crimson-hooded Manakin
- Crimson Topaz
- Dusky Purpletuft
- Eared Dove
- Eastern Long-tailed Hermit
- Flammulated Bamboo Tyrant
- Gilded Barbet
- Glittering-throated Emerald
- Golden-collared Toucanet
- Golden-collared Woodpecker
- Golden-crowned Flycatcher
- Golden-crowned Spadebill
- Golden-headed Cisticola
- Golden-headed Manakin
- Golden-winged Parakeet
- Great-billed Hermit
- Great Jacamar
- Great Kiskadee
- Great Potoo
- Green Aracari
- Green Honeycreeper
- Green Oropendola
- Green-throated Mango
- Grey-breasted Sabrewing
- Grey-headed Tanager
- Greyish Mourner
- Grey-winged Trumpeter
- Guianan Cock-of-the-rock
- Guianan Gnatcatcher
- Guianan Piculet
- Guianan Puffbird
- Guianan Red Cotinga
- Guianan Streaked-antwren
- Guianan Toucanet
- Guianan Trogon
- Guianan Tyrannulet
- Harpy Eagle
- Harpy Flycatcher
- Helmeted Pygmy Tyrant
- Hoatzin
- Least Tern
- Lineated Woodpecker
- Long-billed Gnatwren
- Long-billed Starthroat
- Long-tailed Tyrant
- Mouse-colored Antshrike
- Neotropic Cormorant
- Opal-crowned Tanager
- Painted Parakeet
- Pale-legged Hornero
- Pied Water-tyrant
- Plain-crowned Spinetail
- Pompadour Cotinga
- Purple Honeycreeper
- Pygmy Antwren
- Red-banded Fruiteater
- Red-breasted Blackbird
- Red-capped Cardinal
- Red-fan Parrot
- Red-shouldered Macaw
- Red-shouldered Tanager
- Ruddy Ground Dove
- Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
- Rufous-bellied Woodpecker
- Rufous-breasted Hermit
- Rufous-crowned Elaenia
- Rufous-throated Antbird
- Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
- Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet
- Scarlet Macaw
- Slaty-capped Flycatcher
- Smooth-billed Ani
- Snowy Egret
- Southern Lapwing
- Spot-tailed Antwren
- Spotted Puffbird
- Spotted Tody-flycatcher
- Spot-winged Antshrike
- Sun Parakeet
- Toco Toucan
- Tropical Kingbird
- Tropical Mockingbird
- Turquoise Tanager
- Vermillion Flycatcher
- Violaceous Trogon
- Violet-capped Woodnymph
- Wattled Jacana
- White Bellbird
- White-chested Emerald
- White-chinned Jacamar
- White-fronted Manakin
- White-lined Tanager
- White-lored Tyrannulet
- White-naped Seedeater
- White-necked Puffbird
- White-tailed Goldenthroat
- White-tailed Trogon
- White-throated Guikwarra
- White-throated Jacamar
- White-throated Toucan
- Yellow-bellied Dacnis
- Yellow-browed Tody-flycatcher
- Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet
- Yellow-hooded Blackbird
- Yellow-knobbed Curassow
- Yellow-throated Woodpecker
Non-native Birds
- Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
- Black Skimmer
- Blue-winged Teal
- Common Pochard
- Masked Duck
- Monk Parakeet
- Orange-winged Parrot
- Reddish Egret
- Red-masked Parakeet
- Rock Pigeon
- Roseate Spoonbill
Guyana is a wonderful place to go birdwatching, with places like Kaieteur National Park, Iwokrama Forest, and Karanambu Ranch known for their birdlife. The dry season is the best time to go birding, as these avian species will crowd around any water source and are more clearly visible. This period is generally between September and April.
FAQs
1. Are there any exotic birds in Guyana? Several birds in Guyana can be considered exotic. This includes several macaws, the Guyana Toucanet, and the country’s national bird, the Hoatzin.
2. Are there any endangered avifauna in Guyana? Many birds in Guyana are at risk, including the Harpy Eagle, the Sun Parakeet, and the Least Tern.
