List of birds of North America (Pelecaniformes)
The birds listed below all belong to the biological order Pelecaniformes, and are native to North America.
Pelicans
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.
- American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
- Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis
Bitterns, herons and egrets
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the herons, egrets and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secretive. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
- Agami heron, Agamia agami
- American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus
- Bare-throated tiger heron, Tigrisoma mexicanum
- Black-crowned night heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
- Boat-billed heron, Cochlearius cochlearius
- Capped heron, Pilherodius pileatus
- Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
- Chinese egret, Egretta eulophotes (A)
- Chinese pond heron, Ardeola bacchus (A)
- Cocoi heron, Ardea cocoi
- Fasciated tiger heron, Tigrisoma fasciatum
- Gray heron, Ardea cinerea (A)
- Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
- Great egret, Ardea alba
- Green heron, Butorides virescens
- Intermediate egret, Mesophoyx intermedia (A)
- Least bittern, Ixobrychus exilis
- Little bittern, Ixobrychus minutus (A)
- Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea
- Little egret, Egretta garzetta (C)
- Pinnated bittern, Botaurus pinnatus
- Purple heron, Ardea purpurea (A)
- Reddish egret, Egretta rufescens
- Snowy egret, Egretta thula
- Striated heron, Butorides striata
- Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor
- Western reef heron, Egretta gularis (A)
- Yellow bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis (A)
- Yellow-crowned night heron, Nyctanassa violacea
Ibises and spoonbills
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Members of this family have long, broad wings, are strong fliers and, rather surprisingly, given their size and weight, very capable soarers. The body tends to be elongated, the neck more so, with rather long legs. The bill is also long, decurved in the case of the ibises, straight and distinctively flattened in the spoonbills.
- American white ibis, Eudocimus albus
- Buff-necked ibis, Theristicus caudatus (A)
- Eurasian spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia (A)
- Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus
- Green ibis, Mesembrinibis cayennensis
- Roseate spoonbill, Platalea ajaja
- Scarlet ibis, Eudocimus ruber
- White-faced ibis, Plegadis chihi