List of birds of Croatia

Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. • Bar-headed goose, Anser indicus (A) • Graylag goose, Anser anser • Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons • Lesser white-fronted goose, Anser erythropus (A) • Taiga bean-goose, Anser fabalis • Tundra bean-goose, Anser serrirostris • Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus (A) • Brant, Branta bernicla (A) • Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis (A) • Canada goose, Branta canadensis (A) • Red-breasted goose, Branta ruficollis (A) • Mute swan, Cygnus olor • Black swan, Cygnus atratus (A) • Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (A) • Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus • Egyptian goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca (A) • Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea (A) • Common shelduck, Tadorna tadorna • Wood duck, Aix sponsa (A) • Mandarin duck, Aix galericulata (A) • Garganey, Spatula querquedula • Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata • Gadwall, Mareca strepera • Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope • Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos • Northern pintail, Anas acuta • Green-winged teal, Anas crecca • Red-crested pochard, Netta rufina • Common pochard, Aythya ferina • Ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca • Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula • Greater scaup, Aythya marila • Common eider, Somateria mollissima (A) • Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus • Velvet scoter, Melanitta fusca • Common scoter, Melanitta nigra (A) • Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis (A) • Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula • Smew, Mergellus albellus • Common merganser, Mergus merganser • Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator • White-headed duck, Oxyura leucocephala ==Pheasants, grouse, and allies==

Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. • Common quail, Coturnix coturnix • Rock partridge, Alectoris graeca • Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I) • Gray partridge, Perdix perdix • Western capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus • Black grouse, Lyrurus tetrix (Ex) • Hazel grouse, Tetrastes bonasia ==Flamingos==

Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down. • Greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus ==Grebes==

Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. • Little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis • Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus • Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena • Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus • Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis ==Pigeons and doves==

Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. • Rock pigeon, Columba livia • Stock dove, Columba oenas • Common wood-pigeon, Columba palumbus • European turtle-dove, Streptopelia turtur • Oriental turtle-dove, Streptopelia orientalis (A) • Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto ==Sandgrouse==

Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes. • Pallas's sandgrouse, Syrrhaptes paradoxus (A) ==Bustards==

Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays. • Great bustard, Otis tarda • Little bustard, Tetrax tetrax (A) ==Cuckoos==

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. • Great spotted cuckoo, Clamator glandarius • Common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus ==Nightjars and allies==

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. • Red-necked nightjar, Caprimulgus ruficollis • Eurasian nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus ==Swifts==

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. • Alpine swift, Apus melba • Common swift, Apus apus • Pallid swift, Apus pallidus ==Rails, gallinules, and coots==

Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers. • Water rail, Rallus aquaticus • Corn crake, Crex crex • Spotted crake, Porzana porzana • Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus • Western swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio (A) • Eurasian coot, Fulica atra • Little crake, Zapornia parva • Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla ==Cranes==

Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". • Common crane, Grus grus ==Thick-knees==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. • Eurasian thick-knee, Burhinus oedicnemus ==Stilts and avocets==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. • Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus • Pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta ==Oystercatchers==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. • Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus ==Plovers and lapwings==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water. • Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola • European golden-plover, Pluvialis apricaria • American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica (A) • Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus • Spur-winged lapwing, Vanellus spinosus (A) • Red-wattled lapwing, Vanellus indicus (A) • Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus • Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula • Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius • Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus (A) ==Sandpipers and allies==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. • Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (A) • Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus • Slender-billed curlew, Numenius tenuirostris (A) • Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata • Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica • Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa • Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres • Red knot, Calidris canutus • Ruff, Calidris pugnax • Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus • Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea • Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii • Sanderling, Calidris alba • Dunlin, Calidris alpina • Purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima (A) • Little stint, Calidris minuta • Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) • Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla (A) • Jack snipe, Lymnocryptes minimus • Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola • Great snipe, Gallinago media • Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago • Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus (A) • Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (A) • Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius (A) • Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos • Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus • Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus • Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia • Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis • Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola • Common redshank, Tringa totanus ==Pratincoles and coursers==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards. • Cream-colored courser, Cursorius cursor (A) • Collared pratincole, Glareola pratincola • Black-winged pratincole, Glareola nordmanni (A) ==Skuas and jaegers==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. • Great skua, Stercorarius skua (A) • Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (A) • Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (A) • Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (A) ==Auks, murres, and puffins==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins and differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest. • Razorbill, Alca torda (A) • Black guillemot, Cepphus grylle (A) • Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica (A) ==Gulls, terns, and skimmers==