A few of the better-known birds whose names begin with R include the rose robin, red junglefowl, Ross’s goose, and red-tailed hawk. Read on for a quick look at these and other R birds:
- Racket-tailed coquette – A small, South American hummingbird that has long tail feathers that look like a racket.
- Rainbow lorikeet – A type of parrot that is native to Australia and is quickly identified because of its brightly-colored body.
- Red junglefowl – The ancestor of the domestic chicken, which is native to parts of Southeast Asia and is used in cockfighting.
- Red knot – A type of shorebird that has terracotta-orange underparts and feeds on aquatic invertebrates.
- Red phalarope – A small, migratory wader that has distinctive red underparts that are most vivid in females in the breeding season and duller in males.
- Red shoveler – A large South American duck with a wide, flat spatula-shaped bill that it uses to scoop up food and filter it out from the water.
- Red siskin – A small finch that is red and black in males and gray and salmon-pink in females.
- Red-bellied woodpecker – The red-bellied woodpecker is a type of woodpecker that has a red cap on its head, gray face, and underparts but with a reddish tinge.
- Red-tailed hawk – The red-tailed hawk is a large bird of prey that primarily feeds on small mammals and can often be seen soaring in the sky.
- Red-winged blackbird – The red-winged blackbird is a species of passerine bird notable for the male’s red wing patch with a yellow border.
- Ring-billed gull – A pale-eyed gull that has a black ring around its slim bill in the breeding season.
- Roadside hawk – A small diurnal raptor that has barred underparts and a tail with a high-pitched call.
- Rock wren – A small, pale grayish songbird that is seen in rocky locations such as arid canyons and rocky slopes.
- Rose robin – The male of this Australian passerine bird species has a gray head and back with a pink blush-like breast and abdomen.
- Roseate spoonbill – A tall wading bird that is known for its pink plumage and spoon-shaped bill and red parts on its tail and wings.
- Ross’s goose – A small white goose has a short, triangular neck and black-tipped wings.
- Rough-legged buzzard – A type of arctic hawk that is known for its long wingspan and tendency to hover over open areas in search of prey.
- Royal tern – A large tern that has an orange-red bill and is commonly found on the American coasts.
- Ruby-crowned kinglet – A North American passerine bird that has plain olive plumage, two white wing bars, and an uneven white eyering with males having orange crests that are often hidden.
- Ruddy turnstone – A small, migratory shorebird that has a unique pattern on its face, wings, and upper parts while the underparts remain white.
Conclusion
Birds are a wonderfully varied group, and the species above are just a handful of those whose names begin with R. Getting to know new birds is enjoyable and rewarding, so whether you want something out of the ordinary or simply hope to learn more about our feathered friends, this list is a good place to begin.
Racket-tailed coquette Image by: Hectonichus – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
