The systematic classification below is the version published on December 7th, 2012 by the South American Classification Committee (SACC). This Committee forms part of the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) and its objective is to create a standard classification for the bird species of South America. This list is under constant revision. Changes are forwarded as proposals which are evaluated to be passed or rejected by the members of the Committee. The Committee is composed of ornithologists from different countries of America. For more information see www.aou.org.

The SACC list contains the scientific name in latin and the common name only in English. Spanish speaking countries lack a standardized system to name birds, which hinders the compilation of a sole classification with Spanish names for all the countries. So, for Spanish names we follow the “Birds Filed Guide” by Tito Narosky and Dario Yzurieta.

Ð – Indicates that the species presents a noticeable or marked difference in colour between the male and female (sexual dimorphism). Species like raptors with size dimorphism have been omitted. The male is always in the photo. If there is no male photo, it is clarified between brackets whether it is a female or a juvenile.

P – Indicates that the species presents two different forms of adult, independently of sex (polymorphism). Individuals are called morphs.

Anhimidae
Southern Screamer Chauna torquata

Anatidae
Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor	White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata	Black-necked Swan Cygnus melancoryphus	Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba
Ð Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata	Ð Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys	Ð Brazilian Duck Amazonetta brasiliensis	Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix
Yellow-billed Teal Anas flavirostris	Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica	White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis	Silver Teal Anas versicolor
Ð Ánade real Anas platyrhynchos	Ð Cinammon Teal Anas cyanoptera	Ð Red Shoveler Anas platalea	Ð Rosy-billed Pochard Netta peposaca
Ð Black-headed Duck Heteronetta atricapilla	Ð Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus	Ð Lake Duck Oxyura vittata

Cracidae
Dusty-legged Guan Penelope obscura

Podicipedidae
White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland	Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps	Great Grebe Podiceps major	Silvery Grebe Podiceps occipitalis

Phoenicopteridae
Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis

 

Spheniscidae
Magellanic Penguin (j) Spheniscus magellanicus

Ciconiidae
Maguari Stork Ciconia maguari	Wood Stork Mycteria americana

Phalacrocoracidae
Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Anhingidae
Ð Anhinga (j) Anhinga anhinga

Ardeidae
Rufescent Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma lineatum	Stripe-backed Bittern Ixobrychus involucris	Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax	Striated Heron Butorides striata
Cattle Heron Bubulcus ibis	Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi	Great Egret Ardea alba	Whistling Heron Syrigma sibilatrix
Snowy Egret Egretta thula

Threskiornitidae
White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi	Bare-faced Ibis Phimosus infuscatus	Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja

Cathartidae
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

Accipitridae
White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus	Ð Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis	Cinereous Harrier Circus cinereus	P – Ð Long-winged Harrier Circus buffoni
Roadside Hawk Rupornis magnirostris	Harris’s Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus

Aramidae
Limpkin Aramus guarauna

Rallidae
Giant Wood-Rail Aramides ypecaha	Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajaneus	Rufous-sided Crake Laterallus melanophaius	Red-an-white Rail Laterallus leucopyrrhus
Spotted Rail Pardirallus maculatus	Plumbeous Rail Pardirallus sanguinolentus	Common gallinule Gallinula galeata	Spot-flanked Gallinule Gallinula melanops
Purple Gallinule (j) Porphyrio martinicus	Red-gartered Coot Fulica armillata	Red-fronted Coot Fulica rufifrons	White-winged Coot Fulica leucoptera

Charadriidae
American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica	Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis	Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus	Collared Plover Charadrius collaris
Rufous-chested Dotterel Charadrius modestus

Recurvirostridae
Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus

Scolopacidae
South American Snipe Gallinago paraguaiae	Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica	Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia	Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes	Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria	Red Knot Calidris canutus	White-rumped Snadpiper Calidris fuscicollis
Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii	Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos	Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus	Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor

Thinocoridae
Ð Least Seedsnipe (h) Thinocorus rumicivorus

Jacanidae
Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana

Rostratulidae
South American Painted-Snipe Nycticryphes semicollaris

Laridae
Brown-hooded Gull Chroicocephaus maculipennis	Gray-hooded Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus	Olrog’s Gull (j) Larus atlanticus	Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus
Large-billed Tern Sternula superciliaris	Snowy-crowned Tern Sterna trudeaui

Rhyncopidae
Black Skimmer Rynchops niger

Columbidae
Ð Ruddy Ground Dove Columbina talpacoti	Picui Ground Dove Columbina picui	Rock Pigeon Columba livia	Picazuro Pigeon Patagioenas picazuro
Spot-winged Pigeon Patagioenas maculosa	Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata	White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi

Cuculidae
Ash-colored cuckoo Coccycua cinerea	Dark-billed cuckoo Coccyzus melacoryphus	Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus	Greater Ani Crotophaga major
Smoth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani	Guira Cuckoo Guira guira	Striped Cuckoo Tapera naevia

Strigidae
Tropical Screech-Owl Megascops choliba	P Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum	Striped Owl Pseudoscops clamator	Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus

Caprimulgidae
Ð Long-tailed Nightjar Hydropsalis torquata

Trochilidae
Ð Glittering-bellied Emerald Chlorostilbon lucidus	White-throated Hummingbird Leucochloris albicollis	Gilded Hummingbird Hylocharis chrysura

Alcedinidae
Ð Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata	Ð Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana

Picidae
Ð White-barred Piculet (h) Picumnus cirratus	Ð Checkered Woodpecker Veniliornis mixtus	Ð Green-barred Woodpecker Colaptes melanochloros	Ð Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris

Falconidae
Southern Caracara Caracara plancus	Chimango Caracara Milvago chimango	Ð American Kestrel Falco sparverius	Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Psittacidae
Guacamayo azul y amarillo Ara ararauna	White-eyed Parakeet Aratinga leucophtalma	Nanday Parakeet Nandayus nenday	Burrowing Parakeet Cyanoliseus patagonus
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Brotogeris chiriri	Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus	Turquoise-fronted Parakeet Amazona aestiva

Thamnophilidae
Ð Rufous-capped Antshrike Thamnophilus ruficapillus

Furnaridae
Narrow-billed Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes angustirostris	Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus	Wren-like Rushbird Phleocryptes melanops	Buff-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes fuscus
Tufted Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura platensis	Freckle-breasted Thornbird Phacellodomus striaticollis	Sharp-billed Canastero Asthenes pyrrholeuca	Sulphur-throated Spinetail Cranioleuca sulphurifera
Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail Spartonoica maluroides	Chotoy Spinetail Schoeniophylax phryganophilus	Yellow-chinned Spinetail Certhiaxis cinnamomeus	Spix’s Spinetail Synallaxis spixi
Sooty-fronted Spinetail Synallaxis frontalis

Tyrannidae
Large Elaenia Elaenia spectabilis	White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps	Small-billed Elaenia Elaenia parvirostris	Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma obsoletum
Suiriri Flycatcher Suiriri suiriri	Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant Anairetes flavirostris	Sooty Tyrannulet Serpophaga nigricans	White-crested Tyrannulet Serpophaga subcristata
Straneck’s Tyrannulet Serpophaga griseicapilla	Bearded Tachuri Polystictus pectoralis	Warbling Doradito Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris	Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant Euscarthmus meloryphus
Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet Phylloscartes ventralis	Many-colored Rush-Tyrant Tachuris rubigastra	Bran-colored Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus	Euler’s Flycatcher Lathrotriccus euleri
Tropical Pewee Contopus cinereus	Ð Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus	Ð Austral Negrito Lessonia rufa	Ð Blue-billed Black-Tyrant (h) Knipolegus cyanirostris
Ð Spectacled Tyrant Hymenops perspicillatus	Yellow-browed Tyrant Satrapa icterophrys	Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola macloviana	Gray-bellied Shrike-Tyrant Agriornis micropterus
Gray Monjita Xolmis cinereus	Black-crowned Monjita Xolmis coronatus	White Monjita Xolmis irupero	Pied Water-Tyrant Fluvicola pica
Cattle Tyrant Machetornis rixosa	Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus	Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus	Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarhyncus pitangua
Variegated Flycatcher Empidonomus varius	Crowned Slaty Flycatcher Empidonomus aurantioatrocristatus	Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus	Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savana
Swainson’s Flycatcher Myiarchus swainsoni

Cotingidae
Ð White-tipped Plantcutter Phytotoma rutila

Tityridae
White-naped Xenopsaris Xenopsaris albinucha	Ð Pachyramphus viridis (h) Pachyramphus viridis	Ð Pachyramphus polychopterus Pachyramphus polychopterus

Vireonidae
Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis	Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Corvidae
Plush-crested Jay Cyanocorax chrysops

Hirundinidae
Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca	Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopterix ruficollis	Brown-chested Martin Progne tapera	Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea
White-rumped Swallow Tachycineta leucorrhoa	Chilean Swallow Tachycineta meyeni	Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Troglodytidae
House Wren Troglodytes aedon

Polioptilidae
Ð Masked Gnatcatcher Polioptila dumicola

Turdidae
Rufous-bellied Thrush Turdus rufiventris	Creamy-bellied Thrush Turdus amaurochalinus	Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco

Mimidae
Chalk-browed Mockingbird Mimus saturninus	White-banded Mockingbird Mimus triurus

Sturnidae
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Motacillidae
Short-billed Pipit Anthus furcatus

Thraupidae
Red-crested Cardinal Paroaria coronata	Yellow-billed Cardinal Paroaria capitata	Ð White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus	Diademed Tanager Stephanophorus diadematus
Ð Fawn-breasted Tanager Pipraeidea melanonota	Ð Blue-and-yellow Tanager Pipraeidea bonariensis	Sayaca Tanager Thraupis sayaca	Ð Guira Tanager Hemithraupis guira
Ð Mourning Sierra-Finch (h) Phrygilus fruticeti	Long-tailed Reed-Finch Donacospiza albifrons	Cinnamon Warbling-Finch Poospiza ornata	Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa
Buff-throated Warbling-Finch Poospiza cabanisi	Ð Ringed Warbling-Finch Poospiza torquata	Ð Black-capped Warbling-Finch Poospiza melanoleuca	Ð Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
Grassland Yellow-Finch Sicalis luteola	Great Pampa-Finch Embernagra platensis	Ð Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina	Ð Rusty-collared Seedeater Sporophila collaris
Ð Double-collared Seedeater Sporophila caerulescens	Ð Tawny-bellied Seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha	Ð Dark-throated Seedeater (j) Sporophila ruficollis	Ð Red-crested Finch Coryphospingus cucullatus
Ð Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata

Emberizidae
Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis	Yellow-striped Brush-Finch Atlapetes citrinellus

Cardinalidae
Ð Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava	Ð Black-backed Grosbeak Pheucticus aureoventris	Ð Glaucous-blue Grosbeak Cyanoloxia glaucocaerulea	Ð Ultramarine Grosbeak Cyanocompsa brissonii
Grayish Saltator Saltator coerulescens	Green-winged Saltator Saltator similis	Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris	Many-colored Chaco-Finch Saltatricula multicolor

Parulidae
Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi	Ð Masked Yellowthroat Geothlypis aequinoctialis	Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus

Icteridae
Solitary Black Cacique Cacicus solitarius	Orange-backed Troupial Icterus croconotus	Campo Troupial Icterus jamacaii	Epaulet Oriole Icterus cayanensis
Scarlet-headed Blackbird Amblyramphus holosericeus	Ð Unicolored Blackbird Agelasticus cyanopus	Ð Yellow-winged Blackbird Agelasticus thilius	Ð Chestnut-capped Blackbird Chrysomus ruficapillus
Brown-and-yellow Marshbird Pseudoleistes virescens	Bay-winged Cowbird Agelaioides badius	Screaming Cowbird Molothrus rufoaxillaris	Ð Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis
White-browed Blackbird Sturnella superciliaris	Long-tailed Meadlowlark Sturnella loyca

Fringillidae
Ð Hooded Siskin Sporagra magellanica

Passeridae
Ð House Sparrow Passer domesticus

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