A variety of 22 different birds, starting with H, have been chosen for this article. From ordinary species you may see in your neighborhood to strange animals you’ve never heard of or seen in the wild, there’s a wide range of animals available. The majority of these birds are common and thriving across the globe, while others are disappearing or native to one location.
Let’s have a look!
22 Species Of Birds That Start With The Letter H
1. HOODED ORIOLE
Scientific name: Icterus cucullatus
The Hooded Oriole is found in the southwestern United States, such as California, Nevada, and Arizona. They are also known as the palm-leaf oriole because of their preference to build nests on palm trees. They are well-known for being quiet birds with the same fondness of sweets as other orioles, although their bright colors may betray them if you examine hard enough.
2. HARRIS’S HAWK
Scientific name: Parabuteo unicinctus
The most social raptors in North America, according to Harris’ Hawks. Harris’ Hawks, unlike other hawks, hunt in groups of up to seven birds. The longest lifespan of a hawk is thought to be proportional to the size of the group it belongs to.
The dark brown plumage, red feathers on their wings and legs, and white-tipped tail are all characteristics that distinguish them. They prefer to reside in arid lowlands with numerous high perches for eating and nesting.
The fact that this species does not appear to have any strict breeding rules is another feature that makes it unique. They have been seen to breed every single month of the year, and they might lay up to three clutches of eggs each year.
3. HOUSE WREN
Scientific name: Troglodytes aedon
The house wren, a tiny brown bird that lives in backyards across its wide range of the Americas, is a common sight. It has a breeding range that extends all the way to Southern Canada’s far north.
These little creatures, who are roughly the same size as bluebirds, frequently live in bluebird houses. Since they mostly eat insects, attracting a breeding pair to a nest box is rather simple.
4. HOUSE FINCH
Scientific name: Haemorhous mexicanus
The males of house finches may have a rosy tint on their chest, which is grayish-brown in color. Relish sunflower seeds, these birds are very common at bird feeders. They may be found from Canada through much of the United States, and even into southern Mexico.
5. HOUSE SPARROW
Scientific name: Passer domesticus
House sparrows are a bully species that has spread throughout much of their original territory. Being known to destroy nests and kill offspring of other species, they pose a challenge for the indigenous fauna.
In 1851, house sparrows were brought to the Americas as a means of controlling caterpillar populations. They were imported from Europe and Asia. The house sparrows quickly rose to become one of the most widespread species of birds in North America, despite how the caterpillars did.
6. HORNED LARK
Scientific name: Eremophila alpestris
Ground-foragers such as horned larks can be found in fields, tundras, and deserts. The face of the male is black with yellow feathers that protrude out, giving him the appearance of horns. Horned larks migrate north for breeding as far as Canada and Alaska, where they spend the winter.
7. HOODED WARBLER
Scientific name: Setophaga citrina
The same bright yellow plumage as Kentucky and Prothonotary Warblers is found on Hooded Warblers. Except for a wide yellow band that crosses their foreheads, their heads are black. Hide in the understory of woods and hunt for them.
8. HERMIT THRUSH
Scientific name: Catharus guttatus
They are a migratory species that flies north during the breeding season, and the hermit thrush is common across North America. From Alaska to Central America, they have a wide range. They may be found quietly sleeping in woodlands all around the nation if you look hard enough.
Flute-like and melancholy are two words used to describe their song. Your greatest opportunity of seeing a hermit thrush is in a berry bush or some kind of plant, since they seldom visit backyards or bird feeders.
9. HARRIS’S SPARROW
Scientific name: Zonotrichia querula
During the breeding season, you may spot the Harris’ sparrow as far south as Southern Texas and as far north as Canada’s Northwest Territories. These brown and black birds with a black bib are somewhat bigger than song sparrows.
You’ll have to reside in a state like Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, or neighboring states within its winter range to get a glimpse of this bird in the United States.
10. HOODED MERGANSER
Scientific name: Lophodytes cucullatus
In some capacity, hooded mergansers may be found throughout most of the United States, as well as Southern Canada. These are migrating birds, yet the majority of them stay in the eastern United States throughout the year.
The name of a male hooded merganser is obvious, just look at one. A collapsible crest is concealed beneath the male’s enormous hood.
11. HORNED GREBE
Scientific name: Podiceps auritus
Throughout the Southeast United States, as well as along the West Coast, horned grebe’s are renowned for spending their winters. They breed north of the border in Canada and Alaska.
The generally black heads and backs, cinnamon necks, and yellow-orange eyes that return into “horns” are all characteristics of this species’ breeding adults.
12. HOARY REDPOLL
Scientific name: Acanthis hornemanni
With populations residing in northernmost regions of the United States, hare redpolls are mostly Canadian birds. They, on the other hand, have an irruptive range that stretches from Indiana to Illinois and Ohio.
The majority of these little birds feed on seeds and insects in a tundra environment. For most people, seeing a pair of hoary redpolls at a bird feeder is unusual.
13. HAWFINCH
Scientific name: Coccothraustes coccothraustes
The bill of a hawfinch is enormous and powerful. Orange heads, a white neck stripe, and a light brown body. Close to the body, wings are dark brown, white, and black at the tips.
Their jaw and bill muscles can exert up to 150 pounds of pressure per inch, which is similar to that of a parrot. Throughout Europe, Eastern Asia, and North Africa, hawfinches are a common sight.
14. HOOPOE
Scientific name: Upupa epops
Hoopoes have a long, sharp, and pointed beak that makes them colorful birds. Their heads are orange, with black and white – almost zebra-like – wings that fan out into a mohawk. Europe, Asia, and North Africa are all home to hoopoes. Israel’s national bird is the hoopoe.
15. HAMERKOP
Scientific name: Scopus umbretta
The hamerkop, which has thin legs, is a medium-sized bird. Central Africa, Southern Africa, and Madagascar are among the countries where they are found. The name comes from their sleek brown feathers, hammer-like head, and bill. In Africa, this species of bird creates the largest nests.
16. HEN HARRIER
Scientific name: Circus cyaneus
In Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, hen harriers are birds of prey. Northern harriers, which live in North America, are closely related to them. In flight, their wings have a distinctive V shape with long feathers or “fingers” sticking out at each end.
Males are gray in color with white bellies and black end feathers or “fingers,” while females have brown to black wings. These uncommon birds of prey rely on their hearing and vision to find their prey while they stalk it.
17. HOATZIN
Scientific name: Opisthocomus hoazin
Hoatzin are a chicken or rooster-like bird with long feathers and red eyes that range in size from medium to huge. Their heads are topped with spiky feathers, their legs are large, and their beak is small. Their long, black feathers on the back are another way to identify them. They are also red or auburn beneath.
The reptile bird, skunk bird, and stinkbird are all names for these South American birds, which are well-known for their unpleasant odor, clumsiness, and loud conduct.
18. HIGHLAND ELAENIA
Scientific name: Elaenia obscura
From Ecuador to Bolivia, and in Northern Argentina, the Highland Elaenia is a little South American flycatcher. They have a dull yellow belly and under their chins, and their bodies are puffy with brown wings.
19. HEMPRICH’S HORNBILL
Scientific name: Lophoceros hemprichii
The beak of this large to medium-sized bird is huge, the legs are short, and the back is long and white. Their underbelly is white, and their cape of feathers is mostly gray. Behind the long-tail feather is a small stick. The feathers on top of their heads are shorter and appear to be hair-like.
Ethiopia is home to the majority of these African birds. Their lengthy, horn-like bills, as well as two-lobed kidneys, make them easy to identify. They are occasionally accompanied by a casque on the upper mandible.
20. HADADA IBIS
Scientific name: Bostrychia hagedash
This huge grayish-feathered African bird with a large wingspan is found in Africa. Their large, exposed legs and glossy heads are two of their more notable features. The wing and body regions of these birds are densely covered in feathers.
The wings have a gloss appearance and are tinted with various colors. One of Africa’s most distinctive voices is the call of the Hadada ibis, which gives the species its name.
21. HAIRY WOODPECKER
Scientific name: Dryobates villosus
The Hairy Woodpecker is the only kind of woodpecker on this list of birds. In terms of plumage coloration, this species looks a lot like Downy Woodpeckers, but there are many little differences between the two.
Their plumage is mostly black and white, with a single white stripe running down their backs. Hairy Woodpeckers, on the other hand, are bigger and have a longer beak.
Hairy Woodpeckers drill and dig a lot to eat on wood-boring insects and larvae, as compared to other smaller sized woodpeckers. Listen for their drumming and seek them out on tree trunks and main branches.
22. HARLEQUIN DUCK
Scientific name: Histrionicus histrionicus
The plumage of Harlequin ducks is among the most incredible and flamboyant of any duck on Earth. The winters are spent on the coastlines, but this species breeds in rivers and streams near forested habitats.
Only western Canada, Alaska, and portions of the Pacific Northwest in the United States’ lower 48 states can locate them. In the winter, Harlequin ducks are ubiquitous in Maine, but they can be found all throughout New England, from Connecticut to Rhode Island.