perching birds library

Perching birds, or songbirds, are the most common birds on Earth. From Cardindals to Wrens, explore the different types of perching birds.

Featured Article: Magpie

Magpie, a bird of the crow family. It is about 20 inches (50 cm) in length, including its long, wedge-shaped tail. See more »

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Antbird

Antbird, a nonmigratory bird of Central and South America. There are 50 genera of antbirds and more than 230 species.

Bellbird

Bellbird, a name given to several birds that produce bell-like notes. The white bell-bird, or campanero, of South America is the most common.

Bird of Paradise

Bird of Paradise, a tropical bird known for the brilliant plumage of the male. There are about 40 species of birds of paradise.

Blackbird

Blackbird, a robin-size bird of temperate regions. It has a thick, pointed bill for cracking seeds and nuts, its main sources of food.

Bluebird

Bluebird, a small North American bird of the thrush family. Its cheerful warbling of cher-weet, cher-weet has made it one of the most beloved of songbirds.

Bobolink

Bobolink, a North American bird related to the oriole and blackbird. The bird's name comes from its song, bob-o-lee, bob-o-link.

Bowerbird

Bowerbird, a bird native to Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. The male builds an enclosure, or bower, on the ground.

Bullfinch

Bullfinch, a small bird of northern Europe related to the grosbeaks. It grows to five inches (13 cm) long.

Bunting

Bunting, any of several species of birds found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Canary

Canary, a small finch. It is found wild off northwestern Africa, in the Canary and Cape Verde islands, and in Madeira.

Cardinal, a North American songbird of the finch family. Its natural range extends from western and southern Ontario, Canada, southward throughout most of the United States and into Mexico and Belize.

Catbird

Catbird, the common name of members of three families of unrelated birds. The only catbird found in North America is the gray (or northern) catbird.

Chaffinch

Chaffinch, a European bird with a pleasant, whistling song. It is often kept in a cage as a pet.

Chat

Chat, the largest of the North American warblers. Most common is the yellow-breasted chat, which winters in Central America and spends the summer in the United States from the Great Plains to the eastern seaboard, and in southern Canada.

Chickadee

Chickadee, a small North American titmouse. The most common species is the black-capped chickadee.

Clark's Nutcracker

Clark's Nutcracker, or Clark's Crow, a bird of the crow family that ranges from Alaska to California, and sometimes as far east as the Mississippi River.

Cowbird

Cowbird, Cow Blackbird, or Cow Bunting, a type of blackbird found in North America.

Creeper

Creeper, the common name of several kinds of small birds. These birds include honeycreepers, found in Hawaii and South America; the wall creeper, found in the high mountains of Europe and Asia; and tree creepers, found almost worldwide.