This is a list of the English and Spanish names of different kinds of common birds, rather than the species names.
Of course, the genetic accuracy of the generic terms in Spanish is no greater than in English. Also, the groups are divided differently in Spanish and English. Another thing: diminutives are used fast and loose in Spanish. Sometimes a diminutive will denote a different kind of bird, and sometimes simply means the bird is cute.
There seem to be few good sites on the web that relate English bird names with their Spanish counterparts. However, there are many that relate the Spanish names with the offical Latin names.
According to Infonatura, there are no standard Spanish common names for birds.
Here are some nice links, some of which I used as references:
Freedict Spanish - English Dictionary
Caveat: I am no expert on this subject, nor a native Spanish speaker. I just collected the information and organized it to the best of my abilities.
| English | Spanish | note |
|---|---|---|
| blackbird | mirlo | red-winged is “turpial de agua„ or “tordo sargento„ |
| tordo cabeza café | cowbird | |
| pradero | meadowlark | |
| zanate, clarinero | grackle | |
| booby | sula | |
| buzzard | buitre | |
| cardinal | cardenal | |
| picogrueso, picogordo, realejo | grosbeak | |
| colorín | bunting | |
| coot | fúlica | |
| polluela, ralón, ralo, rascón, gallineta | rail | |
| gallareta | crake, also for american coot | |
| cormorant | cormorán | |
| anhinga | anhinga | |
| cuckoo | cuco, cuclillo | |
| correcaminos | roadrunner | |
| garrapatero | ani | |
| crane | grúa | |
| creeper | treparriscos, trepadorcito | |
| crow | cuervo | also for raven |
| dove | paloma | also for many pigeons |
| tórtola, tortóla | turtle-dove | |
| maraguita | ||
| duck | pato | |
| patito | bufflehead | |
| cerceta | teal | |
| porrón | ferruginous, scaup | |
| negrón | scoter | |
| serreta | merganser | |
| eagle | aguila, águila | |
| falcon | halcón | also see hawk |
| finch | pinzón | |
| piquituerto | crossbill | |
| lúgano, jilguero | siskin | |
| flycatcher | papamoscas | |
| tirano | kingbird | |
| mosquero | phoebe, becard | |
| contopus | pewee | |
| gnatcatcher | perlita, encinerito | |
| régulo, reyezuelo, abadejo | kinglet | |
| goose | ansar | |
| grebe | zampullín, zambullidor | “diver”? |
| grouse | urogallo | |
| gull | gaviota, gavión | |
| golondrina marina, charrán, fumarel | tern | |
| salteador | jaeger | |
| rayador | skimmer | |
| hawk | aguililla, guaraguíto | Also see: falcon |
| caracara | caracara | |
| milano | kite | |
| gavilán | cooper’s and sharp-shinned | |
| heron | garza, garcita | also bittern |
| garcilla, garceta, garzón | egret | |
| hummingbird | colibrí | |
| chupaflora, chupaflor | green violet-ear, blue-throated, amethist-throated | |
| amazilia | berylline, cinnamon, violet-crowned | |
| heliomaster | plain-capped starthroat | |
| ibis | ibis, coco | also spoonbill |
| jay | chara, arrendajo, grajo, querre-querre | |
| kingfisher | martín pescador | |
| lark | alondra, | |
| loon | patán -- bobo, tonto -- somorgujo | |
| magpie | urraca picaraza | |
| mockingbird | centzontle, sinsonte ? paraulata arrendajo | |
| nighthawk | chotacabras cabullero | |
| tapacamino | poorwill, nightjar | |
| nuthatch | trepador, sita | |
| oriole | bolsero, chorcha, chiltote | |
| owl | lechuza | barn, burrowing |
| tecolote | flammulated, screech, whiskered, vermiculated, burrowing, saw-whet | |
| tecolotito | pygmy, elf | |
| cárabo | tawny | |
| búho | eagle owl, long-eared, short-eared | |
| mochuelo | little owl, tengmalm’s | |
| partridge | perdiz | also for many doves |
| pelican | pelicano | |
| pheasant | faisán | |
| pigeon | paloma, pichón | see also dove |
| pipit | bisbita | |
| plover | chorlo, chorlito, chorlitejo | see also sandpiper |
| tildío | killdeer | |
| jacana | jacana | |
| ostrero | oystercatcher | |
| quail | codorniz | also bobwhite |
| raven | cuervo | same as crow: raven is “cuervo grande„ |
| robin | petirrojo | |
| sandpiper | playero, playerito | |
| pihuiuí | willet | |
| avefría | lapwing | |
| correlimos | sandpiper, stint, knot, sanderling | |
| vuelvepiedras | turnstone | |
| falaropo | phalarope | |
| agachona, agachadiza | snipe | |
| zarapito | curlew, whimbrel | |
| aguja | godwit | |
| avoceta | avocet, black-necked stilt | |
| patamarilla | yellowlegs | |
| costurero | dowitcher | |
| shrike | alcaudón, verdugo | |
| sparrow | gorrión, chimbito | also for junco |
| toquí, semillero | towhee | |
| starling | estornino | |
| stork | cigüeña, cigueena | also for stilt |
| swallow | golondrina | also for martin; see also tern |
| swan | cisne | |
| swift | vincejo | |
| tanager | tángara | |
| thrush | tordo, zorzal, zorzalito | |
| azulejo | bluebird | |
| clarín | solitaire | |
| tit | Herrerillo, Carbonero, | and others |
| baloncillo | verdin | |
| paro, dulzura | chickadee | |
| sastrecito | bushtit | |
| trogón | trogon | |
| turkey | guajolote, pavo | |
| vireo | vireo, vireon | |
| vulture | buitre, aura, carroñero | |
| warbler | chipe, chirpe | also for waterthrush |
| waxwing | ampelis, capuchino | |
| woodpecker | pico, carpintero, carpinterillo | |
| trepador | ivory-billed, white-striped, spot-crowned | |
| wren | troglodita, chochin | |
| chivirín | house, rock, canyon, marsh, bewick’s | |
| matraca | cactus, boucard’s, spotted, gray |