Water birds are a special group of birds that live in or around water. They are often seen near lakes, rivers, seas, and wetlands. These birds have unique features like webbed feet, long beaks, or strong wings that help them swim, dive, or catch fish. Learning the names of water birds is not only interesting but also helps us understand nature better. In this article, we will learn 60 water birds’ names in English with pictures, so learners can easily recognize them and improve their vocabulary in a fun and clear way.
List of Water Birds Names in English
- Duck
- Swan
- Goose
- Mallard
- Pintail
- Gadwall
- Wigeon
- Muscovy Duck
- Mandarin Duck
- Wood Duck
- Whistling Duck
- Eider
- Goldeneye
- Harlequin Duck
- Bufflehead
- Canvasback
- Coot
- Moorhen
- Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
Water Birds Names in English and Pictures
- Duck
A small water bird with a broad bill that swims well and can also fly.
- Swan
A large white water bird with a long neck, known for its graceful swimming.
- Goose
A medium-sized water bird, larger than a duck, with a long neck and loud honk.
- Mallard
A common wild duck with shiny green head in males and brown feathers in females.
- Pintail
A slim duck with a long pointed tail and elegant flying style.
- Gadwall
A quiet gray-brown duck that is often found on lakes and ponds.
- Wigeon
A duck with a rounded head and short bill, often grazing on grass near water.
- Muscovy Duck
A large duck with red skin on its face, often found near farms and rivers.
- Mandarin Duck
A colorful and beautifully patterned duck from Asia, often seen in pairs.
- Wood Duck
A bright-colored duck that lives near wooded lakes and nests in tree holes.
- Whistling Duck
A duck that makes a whistling sound instead of quacking.
- Eider
A large sea duck known for its soft down feathers used in bedding.
- Goldeneye
A diving duck with bright golden-yellow eyes.
- Harlequin Duck
A small, colorful duck that lives in fast-moving streams.
- Bufflehead
A small duck with a large round head, often diving for food.
- Canvasback
A diving duck with a long sloping head and reddish-brown eyes.
- Coot
A black water bird with a white beak that looks like a duck but has lobed feet.
- Moorhen
A dark water bird with a red beak and a white patch under its tail.
- Grebe
A diving bird with pointed bill and lobed toes, excellent at swimming underwater.
- Great Crested Grebe
A large grebe with a fancy head crest, known for its beautiful courtship dance.
Water Birds Names in English and Pictures
Common Bird Name in English
- Little Grebe
- Horned Grebe
- Pelican
- Great White Pelican
- Brown Pelican
- Dalmatian Pelican
- Cormorant
- Great Cormorant
- Little Cormorant
- Shag
- Anhinga
- Darter
- Heron
- Great Blue Heron
- Grey Heron
- Goliath Heron
- Egret
- Great Egret
- Snowy Egret
- Cattle Egret
Water Birds Names in English and pictures
- Little Grebe
A tiny diving bird that swims well and often hides in reeds.
- Horned Grebe
A small grebe with golden head feathers that look like horns.
- Pelican
A large water bird with a long beak and a big pouch for catching fish.
- Great White Pelican
A huge white pelican with a yellow beak and wide wings.
- Brown Pelican
A coastal pelican that dives straight into the sea to catch fish.
- Dalmatian Pelican
One of the largest pelicans with curly feathers on its head.
- Cormorant
A black water bird that dives deep to catch fish.
- Great Cormorant
A large black cormorant often seen drying its wings in the sun.
- Little Cormorant
A smaller black cormorant that swims and fishes in lakes and rivers.
- Shag
A seabird similar to cormorants with a slim body and greenish feathers.
- Anhinga
A long-necked water bird called “snake bird” because its head looks like a snake when swimming.
- Darter
Another name for anhinga, a bird that spears fish with its sharp beak.
- Heron
A tall water bird with long legs and neck, often seen wading in shallow water.
- Great Blue Heron
A large heron with gray-blue feathers and a slow graceful walk.
- Grey Heron
A tall heron with grey body and long pointed beak.
- Goliath Heron
The world’s largest heron, standing very tall with chestnut and grey feathers.
- Egret
A white heron-like bird with long legs, often found in marshes.
- Great Egret
A large white egret with long neck and elegant flight.
- Snowy Egret
A small white egret with yellow feet and thin black legs.
- Cattle Egret
A small white egret often seen near cattle eating insects.
Water Birds Names in English and pictures
Bird name in English
- Bittern
- Night Heron
- Stork
- White Stork
- Black Stork
- Openbill Stork
- Spoonbill
- Ibis
- Sacred Ibis
- Glossy Ibis
- Scarlet Ibis
- Flamingo
- Greater Flamingo
- Lesser Flamingo
- Sandhill Crane
- Demoiselle Crane
- Whooping Crane
- Lapwing
- Plover
- Killdeer
Water birds names in English with pictures
- Bittern
A shy heron-like bird that hides in reeds and makes a deep booming sound.
- Night Heron
A stocky heron that is active at night and hunts fish and frogs.
- Stork
A tall water bird with long legs and a strong beak, often nesting on rooftops.
- White Stork
A large white stork with black wing tips, known for migrating long distances.
- Black Stork
A dark stork with glossy feathers, usually found near rivers and wetlands.
- Openbill Stork
A stork with a gap in its beak, perfect for eating snails.
- Spoonbill
A wading bird with a flat, spoon-shaped bill for sweeping food from water.
- Ibis
A long-legged bird with a curved beak that feeds in shallow waters.
- Sacred Ibis
A white ibis with a black head, once worshipped in ancient Egypt.
- Glossy Ibis
A dark ibis with shiny feathers that glisten green and purple in sunlight.
- Scarlet Ibis
A bright red ibis found in South America and the Caribbean.
- Flamingo
A tall pink bird with long legs that feeds by filtering water.
- Greater Flamingo
The largest flamingo, pale pink in color with a long curved neck.
- Lesser Flamingo
A smaller flamingo with deep pink feathers and red eyes.
- Sandhill Crane
A tall grey crane with a red crown, famous for its loud calls.
- Demoiselle Crane
A graceful small crane with white head plumes and long legs.
- Whooping Crane
A rare white crane with a red crown and a loud, trumpet-like call.
- Lapwing
A medium bird with a crest on its head and noisy flight displays.
- Plover
A small wading bird with short legs, often found on beaches and mudflats.
- Killdeer
A type of plover with a loud call, known for pretending to have a broken wing to protect its nest.
Water birds names in English with pictures
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