When we asked ourselves what birds are called in English, we realized that in Spanish there are two words that in English are one: aves and pájaros, in both cases only birds in Spanish.
And what is the difference in Spanish between birds and birds? Birds are all warm-blooded vertebrates that have beaks, feathers and wings. Birds, on the other hand, are a specific order of birds: passerines, that is, small flying birds.
Of course, being technically rigorous, in Enlgish,, birds are called passerin (for passerine bird), but it is not as common a word as “birds” in Spanish, and birds are often used interchangeably.
Having resolved this curiosity between the two languages, we can move on to the fact that concerns us in this article, which is to say what birds are called in English.
How many types of birds are there in the world?
Since the time of Charles Darwin, the fact that there are 9,100 species of birds in the world has been taken for granted. However, an update made in 2018 specified that there are actually more than 18,000 bird species on our planet.
See what birds are called in Spanish
With such a large number of birds, it would be impossible to translate them all into a single article. So we will limit ourselves to the English and Spanish names of the most important birds. This will go a long way in enabling Spanish learners to communicate more effectively and even have interesting topics of conversation in a variety of contexts.
Most common birds in Spanish
- Cardenal – Cardinal.
- Pájaro Carpintero – Woodpecker.
- Vencejo – Swift.
- Golondrina – Swallow.
- Gorrión – Sparrow.
- Pájaro cantor (nombre genérico) – Songbird.
- Alondra – Skylark.
- Gaviota – Seagull.
- Archibebe – Sandpiper.
- Petirrojo – Robin.
- Cuervo – Raven.
- Paloma – Dove.
- Faisán – Pheasant.
- Pavo real – Peacock.
- Ave paseriforme – Passerine.
- Perdiz – Partridge.
- Trepador – Nuthatch.
- Ruiseñor – Nightingale.
- Sinsonte – Mockingbird.
- Urraca – Magpie.
- Colimbo grande – Loon.
- Mito – Long-tail tit.
- Reyezuelo – Kinglet.
- Martín pescador – Kingfisher.
- Chorlo – Killdeer.
- Ibis – Ibis.
- Colibrí – Hummingbird.
- Carbonero – Great tit.
- Pichón – Pigeon.
- Cuco – Cuckoo.
- Cazo – Dipper.
- Canario – Canary.
- Herrillo – Blue tit.
- Arrendajo azul – Blue jay.
- Mirlo – Blackbird.
Birds of prey
- Ratonero – Buzzard.
- Caracara – Caracara.
- Cóndor – Condor.
- Águila – Eagle.
- Falco – Falcon.
- Aguilucho – Harrier.
- Gavilán – Osprey.
- Búho – Owl.
- Buitre – Vulture.
Exotic birds
- Tucán – Toucan.
- Párido – Titmouse.
- Perico de cola ancha – Rosella parrot.
- Quetzal – Quetzal.
- Potoo – Potoo.
- Perico / loro – Parrot.
- Periquito – Parakeet.
- Ara – Macaw.
- Flamenco – Flamingo.
- Cacatúa – Cockatoo / Cocktiel.
- Periquito australiano / Budgie.
- Aves del paraíso – Bali bird-of-paradise.
Flightless birds
- Pavo – Turkey.
- Ñandú – Rhea.
- Calamón – Takahe.
- Pingüino – Penguin.
- Avestruz – Ostrich.
- Emú – Emu.
- Kiwi – Kiwi.
- Kakapo – Kakapo.
- Casuario – Cassowary.
- Pollo – Chicken.
- Gallo – Rooster.
- Gallina – Hen.
Migratory birds
- Cigüeña – Stork.
- Cerceta – Teal.
- Charrán – Tern.
- Curruca – Tern.
- Saltapared – Wren.
- Búho invernal – Snowy owl.
- Frailecillo – Puffin.
- Periquito ventrinaranja – Orange-bellied parrot.
- Collalba gris – Northern wheater.
- Miná – Mynah.
- Garza – Heron.
- Gaviota – Gull.
- Ganso – Goose.
- Jilguero – Goldfinch.
- Torcecuello – Wryneck.
- Pato – Duck.
- Albatros – Albatross.
Memorizing all these bird names will help you to increase your vocabulary drastically, something that we at Lingua Language Center know is essential for you to speak Spanish as fluently as possible. In addition, this will help you to understand new sounds that are used in the language not only in these words.
Of course, anyone could say that it is not easy to memorize this huge list of birds. However, we have an extraordinary solution if you really want to achieve it: read about these birds.
Search the internet for the names and various pictures of these birds in English, so you can see how you can learn more about these beautiful animals. If you do it at a rate of five birds a day, after a while, you will have a lot of new vocabulary.
And if you are looking for first level Spanish courses in Florida or online, write to us! We have the best Spanish programs waiting for you.