List of birds of Rwanda

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. • White-faced whistling-duck, Dendrocygna viduata • Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor • White-backed duck, Thalassornis leuconotus • Knob-billed duck, Sarkidiornis melanotos • Hartlaub's duck, Pteronetta hartlaubii (A) • Egyptian goose, Alopochen aegyptiacus • Spur-winged goose, Plectropterus gambensis • African pygmy-goose, Nettapus auritus • Garganey, Spatula querquedula • Blue-billed teal, Spatula hottentota • Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata • African black duck, Anas sparsa • Yellow-billed duck, Anas undulata • Red-billed duck, Anas erythrorhyncha • Northern pintail, Anas acuta • Green-winged teal, Anas crecca (A) • Southern pochard, Netta erythrophthalma • Maccoa duck, Oxyura maccoa ==Guineafowl==

Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage. • Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris • Western crested guineafowl, Guttera verreauxi (A) ==Pheasants, grouse, and allies ==

Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. • Crested francolin, Ortygornis sephaena (A) • Coqui francolin, Campocolinus coqui • Ring-necked francolin, Scleroptila streptophora • Red-winged francolin, Scleroptila levaillantii • Shelley's francolin, Scleroptila shelleyi • Blue quail, Synoicus adansonii • Common quail, Coturnix coturnix • Harlequin quail, Coturnix delegorguei • Handsome francolin, Pternistis nobilis • Hildebrandt's francolin, Pternistis hildebrandti • Scaly francolin, Pternistis squamatus • Red-necked francolin, Pternistis afer ==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. • Lesser flamingo, Phoenicoparrus minor (A) ==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 • Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus ==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 (I) • Speckled pigeon, Columba guinea • Afep pigeon, Columba unicincta • Rameron pigeon, Columba arquatrix • Lemon dove, Columba larvata • Dusky turtle-dove, Streptopelia lugens • Mourning collared-dove, Streptopelia decipiens • Red-eyed dove, Streptopelia semitorquata • Ring-necked dove, Streptopelia capicola • Laughing dove, Streptopelia senegalensis • Emerald-spotted wood-dove, Turtur chalcospilos • Blue-spotted wood-dove, Turtur afer • Tambourine dove, Turtur tympanistria • Namaqua dove, Oena capensis • African green-pigeon, Treron calvus ==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. • Denham's bustard, Neotis denhami • Black-bellied bustard, Lissotis melanogaster ==Turacos==

Order: MusophagiformesFamily: Musophagidae The turacos, plantain eaters and go-away-birds make up the bird family Musophagidae. They are medium-sized arboreal birds. The turacos and plantain eaters are brightly coloured, usually in blue, green or purple. The go-away birds are mostly grey and white. • Great blue turaco, Corythaeola cristata • Black-billed turaco, Tauraco schuettii • White-crested turaco, Tauraco leucolophus (A) • Purple-crested turaco, Tauraco porphyreolophus • Rwenzori turaco, Ruwenzorornis johnstoni • Ross's turaco, Musophaga rossae • Bare-faced go-away-bird, Corythaixoides personatus • Eastern plantain-eater, Crinifer zonurus ==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. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites. • Blue-headed coucal, Centropus monachus • White-browed coucal, Centropus superciliosus • Black coucal, Centropus grillii • Blue malkoha, Ceuthmochares aereus • Great spotted cuckoo, Clamator glandarius • Levaillant's cuckoo, Clamator levaillantii • Pied cuckoo, Clamator jacobinus • Thick-billed cuckoo, Pachycoccyx audeberti • Dideric cuckoo, Chrysococcyx caprius • Klaas's cuckoo, Chrysococcyx klaas • African emerald cuckoo, Chrysococcyx cupreus • Barred long-tailed cuckoo, Cercococcyx montanus • Black cuckoo, Cuculus clamosus • Red-chested cuckoo, Cuculus solitarius • African cuckoo, Cuculus gularis • Madagascar cuckoo, Cuculus rochii • 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. • Pennant-winged nightjar, Caprimulgus vexillarius • Eurasian nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus • Fiery-necked nightjar, Caprimulgus pectoralis • Rwenzori nightjar, Caprimulgus poliocephalus • Swamp nightjar, Caprimulgus natalensis • Freckled nightjar, Caprimulgus tristigma • Slender-tailed nightjar, Caprimulgus clarus (A) • Square-tailed nightjar, Caprimulgus fossii ==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. • Scarce swift, Schoutedenapus myoptilus • Alpine swift, Apus melba • Mottled swift, Apus aequatorialis • Common swift, Apus apus • African swift, Apus barbatus • Little swift, Apus affinis • Horus swift, Apus horus • White-rumped swift, Apus caffer • African palm-swift, Cypsiurus parvus ==Flufftails==

Order: GruiformesFamily: Sarothruridae The flufftails are a small family of ground-dwelling birds found only in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa. • White-spotted flufftail, Sarothrura pulchra • Buff-spotted flufftail, Sarothrura elegans • Red-chested flufftail, Sarothrura rufa • Streaky-breasted flufftail, Sarothrura boehmi ==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. • African rail, Rallus caerulescens • Corn crake, Crex crex • African crake, Crex egregia • Lesser moorhen, Paragallinula angulata • Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus • Red-knobbed coot, Fulica cristata • Allen's gallinule, Porphyrio alleni • African swamphen, Porphyrio madagascariensis • Striped crake, Amaurornis marginalis • Black crake, Zapornia flavirostra • Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla ==Finfoots==

Order: GruiformesFamily: Heliornithidae Heliornithidae is a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots. • African finfoot, Podica senegalensis ==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". • Gray crowned-crane, Balearica regulorum ==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. • Water thick-knee, Burhinus vermiculatus • Spotted thick-knee, Burhinus capensis (A) ==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 (A) ==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 (A) • Long-toed lapwing, Vanellus crassirostris • Blacksmith lapwing, Vanellus armatus (A) • Spur-winged lapwing, Vanellus spinosus • White-headed lapwing, Vanellus albiceps (A) • Senegal lapwing, Vanellus lugubris • Crowned lapwing, Vanellus coronatus • Wattled lapwing, Vanellus senegallus • Brown-chested lapwing, Vanellus superciliosus • Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus (A) • Caspian plover, Charadrius asiaticus • Kittlitz's plover, Charadrius pecuarius • Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula • Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius (A) • Three-banded plover, Charadrius tricollaris • Forbes's plover, Charadrius forbesi (A) • White-fronted plover, Charadrius marginatus ==Painted-snipes==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae Painted-snipe are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured. • Greater painted-snipe, Rostratula benghalensis ==Jacanas==

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. • Lesser jacana, Microparra capensis • African jacana, Actophilornis africanus ==Sandpipers and allies==