Birds main page Ciconiiformes Family: Ardeidae - Herons Family: Cochleariidae - Boat-billed Herons Family: Threskiornithidae - Ibises and Spoonbills

Columbiformes Family: Columbidae - Pigeons and Doves

Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae - Kingfishers Family: Momotidae - Motmots

Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae - Cuckoos

Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae - Kites, Hawks and Eagles Family: Cathartidae - American Vultures Family: Falconidae - Caracaras and Falcons Family: Pandionidae - Osprey

Family: Ardeidae - Herons
Large wading birds with long legs, neck and bill. In flight herons hunch the head back between the shoulders, and the legs show well beyond the tail.

Family: Cochleariidae - Boat billed Herons
The one species in this family has an enormously wide, flat bill, used as a scoop.

Family: Threskiornithidae - Ibises and Spoonbills
Birds of this family are distinguished by their long, slender, decurved bills. They fly with outstretched necks and are often found in large flocks.

Family: Columbidae - Pigeons and Doves
Characterized by their plump bodies and small heads, short and thick bills and soft plumage. Family is generally brown in colour and glossed with metallic hues. Found in forests, swamps and open country and they feed mostly on fruit and seeds. Some are terrestrial.

Family: Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
These birds have short necks and legs and short rounded wings, large heads and massive, sharp-pointed bills. They are usually seen perched upright on a branch overhanging water, from which it plunges headlong after a fish, or flying rapidly and directly up a river or stream.

Family: Momotidae - Motmots
Members of this family are fairly large, strikingly coloured birds with strong bills and long graduated tails. They are found in deep forest perched amidst the taller undergrowth.

Family: Cuculidae - Cuckoos
Large birds, with stout, slightly decurved bills and long tails. Most are reddish brown and white. They are found mostly in trees, where they feed largely on insects and lizards. Several species frequent mangrove swamps, but others are more widely distributed.

Family: Accipitridae - Kites, Hawks and Eagles
Birds of prey, ranging in size from the Kiskadee-sized Pearl Kite to the very large eagles. Most kites can be distinguished from hawks and eagles by their smaller, lighter build, more pointed wings and longer tails. Hawks and eagles have broad wings and broad, rounded tails. Eagles are considerably larger than kites and hawks with proportionately longer wings and tails fairly long. The current check-list is most likely incomplete.

Family: Cathartidae -American Vultures
Large birds with relatively small, nearly naked heads. Feed largely on carrion and often congregate at garbage dumps and other places where waste is available.

Family: Falconidae - Caracaras and Falcons
Birds of prey distinguishable by their long pointed wings and fairly long, comparatively slim tails.

Family: Pandionidae - Osprey
The only species in the family, is distinguished from other birds of prey by its dependence on water, where it dives feet first for fish.

Family: Cracidae - Guans and Chachalacas
Large turkey like birds inhabiting forest and thick scrub. Their flight is heavy and awkward, and they are most often seen in trees.