Bird names are more intriguing if you take a look at their origin or translate them from the scientific taxonomy because they have so many stories to tell!
If you categorize birds based on alphabetic order, the outcome would be a mountain to climb with a wide array of bird species fitting your criteria.
Such is the case for birds that start with ‘H’. Whether you’re looking forward to educating yourself with these bird groups or more focused on species names to win your word game, I’ve got both ends covered.
From the beginning, you’ll find generic groups that remain honest to common bird names holding ‘H’ as the first letter.
And at the end, a table with over 200 bird species is presented alphabetically so that you can ideate about every individual bird name in the quickest possible time!
Contents
Types of Birds Beginning with H
Firstly, let’s get around the bird types whose names start with H. There are only 15 groups true to this classification and are briefly discussed here.
Hawk
Source: @davidlei
- Order Name: Accipitriformes
- Size: 51 cm (20 in) on average
- Locality: All continents except Antarctica
Hawk refers to the ‘bird of prey’ family that specializes in hunting down their food with swift motion and enhanced tracing. Animals like rodents or rabbits are often prone to becoming Hawk diets. It’s a prominent bird when it comes to falconry and the sport was previously known as “hawking” due to the birds’ widespread use.
Popular Species
These birds are divided into two major groups: Accipiter & Bueto. Species like Cooper’s Hawk or Red-tailed Hawk are often confused by bird lovers due to many similarities. Additionally, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks are two of the most popular birds in their habitat zones. Around 270 species exist for these intelligent beings with regular recurrence in popular culture.
Habitat
As you can see, hawks are distributed all over the world with the exception of Antarctica. A common feature across all hawks is their knack for living around open areas that allocate them sufficient hunting grounds. During migration, most of the hawk species travel in flocks due to a higher chance of survival. They mostly migrate during autumn and spring.
Hawk-Cuckoo
Source: @chefpinaki
- Order Name: Cuculiformes
- Size: 34 cm (13 in)
- Locality: South, Southeast, and East Asia
Hawk-cuckoos are popular birds under the Hierococcyx genus as a part of the Cuculidae family. It’s a bird actually belonging to the cuckoo traits but the merger with a hawk name derives from the way it perches up on a branch. Much like other cuckoos, these birds are infamous for being brood parasites – laying their eggs on other birds’ nests.
Popular Species
Eight recognized species belong to the Hawk-cuckoo bird group, some of the easy to find species are Common hawk-cuckoo, Large hawk-cuckoo and Hodgson’s hawk-cuckoo. The first one is also referred to as the “brainfever bird” because of its high pitched calling sounds. Insects take up most of their food preference at every available habitat.
Habitat
Most of the eastern and southeastern parts of Asia belong to the distribution zones of hawk-cuckoo birds. All of the species are allocated to particular altitudes, like the Common ones prefer higher territories while the Large ones are situated closer to the ground. Forests, gardens and any place with sufficient plants or trees are ideal for their habitation.
Honeyeater
Source: @sandyhorne4093
- Order Name: Passeriformes
- Size: 15 cm (5.9 in)
- Locality: Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and the Pacific islands
The large family of Meliphagidae hosts all of the honeyeater species that belong to the lower and medium gradient of bird sizes. These birds usually have large beaks proportionate to their body sizes. It has much to do with their nectar-eating tendencies. Other species consume insects or fruits as well – a lot of it depends on locality and bird type.
Popular Species
If you manage to count, you’ll find at least 186 species named as honeyeaters. Around 50% of these birds can be found in Australia. There exist many bird species that are nectarivorous outside of the Meliphagidae family, but rest assured that they aren’t genetically connected. It’s speculated that there’s a partnership of evolution between honeyeaters and Australasian flowering plants.
Habitat
The Oceania territories have always been home to honeyeaters. Apart from Australia, New Guinea holds the second highest number of population in the world. A lot of the species tend to follow along the flowering areas because they need nectar for survival. Despite local migration, no identifiable pattern has been located as of this moment.
Hornbill
Source: @anishkjayan
- Order Name: Bucerotiformes
- Size: 32 cm (1 ft 1 in)
- Locality: Tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia
Hornbills are tropical birds belonging to the family of Bucerotidae. These birds are iconic for their sizable bills that stand as a defining factor for almost all of the species. Even the family name originates from the word “buceros”, translating into “cow horns” as the shapes are highly similar. Most of the bills are orange in tone, but some deviate from the color across regions.
Popular Species
Currently, hornbills have 55 living species with a few complexities with their cryptic species like the Red-Billed Hornbill. These birds roam around during day time and are omnivorous, consuming small animals, insects or fruits. A lot of the hornbill species share a mutual relationship with dwarf mongooses or monkeys who alert each other in case of predatory presence.
Habitat
Although hornbills have quite a widespread distribution zone, no single species is shared across both Asian and African regions. Species have a diverse preference when it comes to habitats. While some breed in open lands, others find comfort in savannah regions or even within woodlands. In common cases, these birds create flocks during or outside mating season.
Hamerkop
Source: @rog_tom_hogg
- Order Name: Pelecaniformes
- Size: 56 cm (22 in)
- Locality: Africa and Madagascar
From the order Pelecaniformes, Hamerkop is the only living species carrying on the Scopidae family. These birds are covered in black feathers and look similarly shaped like herons, although the necks and feet aren’t as long. Even though their only relative is currently extinct, this species can be found in abundance around African lands.
Popular Subspecies
Subspecies for Hamerkop is an arguable topic because it’s been a matter of content for quite a while now. Two subspecies are currently recognized, one of which is the nominate race. Added to these, two more subspecies have been proposed because of their distinct traits. A third additional subspecies has been proposed for the birds around the Kavango River in Namibia.
Habitat
Even though Hamerkop birds can be found within Sahara regions, it does require some level of water to forage on. That’s why Madagascar and the Arabian coasts in the southwest are ideal places for them to survive. Otherwise, any wetland, savannah or forest inside Africa can make do for breeding and nesting. A lot of migration occurs in search of water bodies during mating seasons.
Hawfinch
Source: @rosenberg.natur
- Order Name: Passeriformes
- Size: 18 cm (7.1 in)
- Locality: Europe, Eastern Asia (Palearctic including North Japan) and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria)
Moving on to the finch group of birds, Hawfinch is a particular species from the Fringillidae family and the only living being of its genus Coccothraustes. These passerines are quite tiny in size, holding a few of the Grosbeaks as their closest relatives. White wing stripes over black feathers categorize this bird with a few other unique avians and render an easy identification.
Popular Subspecies
Based on habitats and behavior, Hawfinches are divided into six subspecies that are currently alive and an additional two extinct from the face of earth. There exists a handful of finches with similar, large beaks but that has little to do with genealogy. Rather, it’s due to their shared feeding behavior of seeds as well as insects, secured with long bills and powerful jaws.
Habitat
The most common habitat area for Hawfinches is Europe. This continent holds the record number of Hawfinches with surplus over to eastern Asian and north African lands. For breeding, the species usually select deciduous forests or pine woods with an adjacent water body. Habitation close to human settlements isn’t an uncommon occurrence for this bird.
Harrier
Source: @dolejsek_nature_photography
- Order Name: Accipitriformes
- Size: 50 cm (20 in)
- Locality: Northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere
Harrier is a type of hawk that comes from the Circinae subfamily. These are diurnal birds who fly close to the ground while hunting. That’s why open habitats are always a necessity for them to find reptiles or small mammals. It’s truly a unique bird group evolved through the long course of time and their feathers are considered to be sacred, much like other hawks.
Popular Species
The harrier group has 16 recognized species with the genus tag of Circus. Additionally, two more species were identified based on the fossil records that are currently extinct. Since the harrier population is in decline and a very limited amount of population exists now, the DNA differences that vary in characteristics are minute.
Habitat
Almost the entire Northern Hemisphere has harrier habitats here and there, with some parts of South America and Oceania as the only exceptions. As mentioned, due to their low flight, open grasslands are the most common territories to find them. They can go very slow while gliding over and it’s a distinctive factor from other hawks.
Heron
Source: @birdsbycarolyn
- Order Name: Pelecaniformes
- Size: 91 cm (35 in)
- Locality: All continents except Antarctica
Herons are usually distinguished by their long neck and equally sizable legs. Floridan long-beaked birds include a few heron species as they fit the description perfectly. A fun fact: herons used to be called “shitepokes” because of their tendency to excrete when they’re highly excited. This group includes some of the tallest birds in the world if you measure by height.
Popular Species
These birds are the torchbearers for the Ardeidae family with 72 particular species belonging to the lot. Some of these aren’t titled with ‘heron’, rather names like ‘egret’ or ‘bittern’ have surfaced to fit their description. A major reason for such distinction in naming has to do with their plumes and not biological diversity.
Habitat
Apart from the cold extremes of the arctic, herons are widespread across all of the world. Also, mountainous and desert terrains are the ones these birds usually avoid living around. Although water bodies are essential for their survival, herons aren’t swimmers by nature. Rather, they stand on the edge of lakes, rivers or the ocean to catch fish for survival.
Honey Buzzard (Pernis)
Source: @birdlife.europe
- Order Name: Accipitriformes
- Size: 52 to 60 cm (20 to 24 in)
- Locality: Europe to as far east as southwestern Siberia
Honey buzzards are similar in nature to hawks as both of them are raptors (birds of prey). The name honey buzzard latched on to these birds because of their consumption of bee larvae that they consume from honey combs. Scientifically these birds go by their genus name Pernis. They are conveniently recognized by their plumage, like the one on Common Buzzard juveniles.
Popular Species
It’s a very limited group of birds if you consider the number of species that have been recognized. Four Pernis species make up the entire listing for honey buzzards. Apart from these, five clades are often discussed by ornithologists. Each of the species are endowed with subspecies except for European honey buzzards.
Habitat
If you plan on locating honey buzzards, warmer and temperate places are where you should seek. The distribution range is wide open, starting in Europe and ending in Siberia. Their breeding rituals take place inside woodlands and are concealed from human eyes. Only two of the species preferring warmer localities show signs of migration during winter.
Hoatzin
Source: @naturephotography_andres
- Order Name: Opisthocomiformes
- Size: 65 cm (26 in)
- Locality: South America
Hoatzins are one of the most debated bird species when it comes to their taxonomy (which is still unclear among experts). It goes by the scientific name of Opisthocomus hoazin, both the genus and species have Hoatzin as the only living representative. This bird looks quite unique and their red crest stands out from the lot of crowned birds due to its authentic structure.
Popular Species
While it’s the only living species bearing one nominate bird without any subspecies, evidence suggests that other close relatives ceased to exist many years ago. Fossil records hint at the fact that their extinction event occurred right after the disappearance of dinosaurs. Although the genus names had been assigned for the extinct species, finding the accurate families is still up for grabs among experts.
Habitat
Hoatzins are tropical birds living in different types of forests in South America. Mostly, swamplands, river basins and Amazonian mangroves host the major portion of its population. The concentration is observed mostly around the northwestern parts of the continent. They usually form minute colonies who nest in trees hanging over water during breeding seasons.
Honeycreeper
Source: @raulzv17
- Order Name: Passeriformes
- Size: 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in)
- Locality: Mexico to Brazil
Honeycreepers are much different from honeyeaters as a group of birds, although they belong to the same Passeriformes order. Most of their feathers are vibrant and easy to locate in the wilderness. They too have beaks that are long and curved, allowing them to collect nectar from flowers.
Popular Species
There are only four species for this group of birds and all of them are colored in blue – ranking them among highly attractive blue birds. The Red-Legged Honeycreeper is deemed as the type species for honeycreepers. Their scientific name combines two ideas together: kuanos for their blue color and herpēs referring to them as creepers for the way they obtain nectar.
Habitat
It’s a bird group native to the range between Mexico and Brazil. Short-billed Honeycreepers are somewhat widely distributed as opposed to the rest of the three. Forest canopies with sufficient flowers in the given territories have always been a benchmark living area for this bird group. They breed in cup-shaped nests built in trees or shrubs with some clearance from the ground.
Hornero
Source: @manugopro
- Order Name: Passeriformes
- Size: 18 to 20 cm (7 to 8 in)
- Locality: South America
Hornero birds basically refer to their genus Furnarius who are usually brown and contain long bills. The name hornero comes from their trait of building nests with muds that are shaped like clay ovens (which is ‘horno’ in Spanish). Not all of the Furnariidae family members build their nest the same way, but the Furnarius trait has stuck on with the whole group, earning them the hornero title.
Popular Species
There are eight species under the Furnarius genus which pays homage to the oven-shaped nesting trait. Furnarius in Latin literally translates to ‘baker’, a hint that became prominent for their association with furnace. Rufous Hornero is a red-chested bird that has been recognized as the nominate species for the entire group and it’s the national bird of Argentina and Uruguay.
Habitat
It’s a bird group truly native to South America and doesn’t ever migrate out of this given periphery. Savannah, pasture or cultivating lands are their favorites to inhabit due to abundance of food. Most of their habitat zones are surrounding human settlements because of this reason. These oven-birds often sit on top of their nests or forage on the ground with a stern posture.
Hummingbird
Source: @pescando_en_mi_jardin
- Order Name: Apodiformes
- Size: 8.5 cm (3.4 in)
- Locality: The Americas
Hummingbirds are probably the most common birds that start with H in my list. They’re the ideal representatives of the Trochilidae family and often found in places like Florida. Many of the species from this group are either endangered or near-threatened because of rapid habitat loss. The name hummingbird derives from their wing-flapping sounds that can be heard from quite some distance.
Popular Species
Hummingbirds are probably the largest group in terms of the species number with about 366. Out of them, 28 are currently threatened and the overall population is decreasing day by day. Their Trochilidae family even has two subfamilies and nine major clades to accommodate all the birds. Primitive hummingbird fossils from 30 million years ago tell us a lot about these birds.
Habitat
The Americas is the only wide locality that allows hummingbirds to plant nests and breed. These birds mostly live in remote territories, usually unreachable by humans or other prey. A large portion of their species exist in the temperate central American lands, forests and mountains. Diverse elevations make room for different species to satisfy their habitational checkboxes.
Hoopoe
Source: @daniele.occhiato
- Order Name: Bucerotiformes
- Size: 26 to 28 cm (10.2 to 11 in)
- Locality: Europe, Asia, and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar
If you’re looking for colorful birds starting with H, Hoopoe is your ideal candidate for the job. This bird is a particular genus under the Upupidae family. With the zebra textured crown and tail feathers, it’s a bird promising to satisfy every eye that lays upon. It has a conflict of interest with humans due to their dietary practice and is considered to be “pests” because of that.
Popular Species
From the Upupa genus, Hoopoe has four species – one of which are currently extinct. From the rest of the three, Eurasian hoopoe is the nominated one. This bird group was formerly considered to have one species only, but researchers found evidence of two more after thorough investigation. The physical variations are very miniscule among these species.
Habitat
Hoopoes are prominent in Africa, Europe, North Africa and the island of Madagascar. Only the African population are content with their localities and don’t show signs of migration. Birds from Europe and Asia do migrate but that depends on weather and context. For most parts, open foraging ground and crevices to live in describes the perfect habitats for Hoopoes.
Hwamei
Source: @shun_t35
- Order Name: Passeriformes
- Size: 21 to 25 cm (8.3 to 9.8 in)
- Locality: Eastern Asia
Hwameis are basically Laughingthrush birds found in the eastern parts of Asia, especially in China and Taiwan. This passerine bird finds its name from the Chinese phrase huà méi, translating to “painted eyebrow”. It’s because of the visible colored patch on both eyes that are dragged across to the back of their head. Otherwise, these are small birds below ten inches in length.
Popular Species
Two Hwamei species are named thusly in the Garrulax genus, the other one is the Taiwan hwamei. You can make out the fact that the names are associated due to their abundance in these two particular places. These two birds often engage in mating, sprouting out hybridized birds. While the former has a large population, the latter is currently “Near Threatened”.
Habitat
A major portion of these birds inhabit Hainan Island in China and the rest in Taiwanese woodlands. One of the subspecies from the Chinese species has been introduced to Singapore and Japan due to their melodious singing performed as cagebirds. Scrubs, forests, gardens – all of these are habitable for Hwamei birds and are quite common to the locals.
Birds Names that Start With H
If the generic bird names don’t suit you, then I have an astounding list with almost every bird names that begin with H. However, these names are species-based and don’t always represent one unique set of avians.
| Bird Names Starting with H | |||||
| Hadada Ibis | Hawaii Creeper | Hepatic Tanager | Hispaniolan Parakeet | Hooded Pitta | House Bunting |
| Hainan Blue-Flycatcher | Hawaii Mamo | Herald Petrel | Hispaniolan Parrot | Hooded Plover | House Crow |
| Hainan Leaf-Warbler | Hawaii Oo | Herero Chat | Hispaniolan Pewee | Hooded Robin | House Finch |
| Hainan Partridge | Hawaiian Coot | Hermit Thrush | Hispaniolan Trogon | Hooded Seedeater | House Sparrow |
| Hainan Peacock-Pheasant | Hawaiian Crake | Hermit Warbler | Hispaniolan Woodpecker | Hooded Siskin | House Swift |
| Hair-crested or Spangled Drongo | Hawaiian Crow | Hermit White-eye | Hoary Puffleg | Hooded Tanager | House Wren |
| Hairy Woodpecker | Hawaiian Duck or Koloa | Herring Gull | Hoary Redpoll | Hooded Tinamou | Hoy’s Screech-Owl |
| Hairy-backed Bulbul | Hawaiian Goose or Nene | Heuglin’s Bustard | Hoary-headed Grebe | Hooded Treepie | Huallaga Tanager |
| Hairy-breasted Barbet | Hawaiian Hawk | Heuglin’s Francolin | Hoary-throated Barwing | Hooded Visorbearer | Huayco Tinamou |
| Hairy-crested Antbird | Hawaiian Petrel | Heuglin’s Masked-Weaver | Hoary-throated Spinetail | Hooded Vulture | Hudson’s Black-Tyrant |
| Half-collared Kingfisher | Hawfinch | Heuglin’s Wheatear | Hoatzin | Hooded Warbler | Hudson’s Canastero |
| Hall’s Babbler | Hazel Grouse | Hierro Blue Tit | Hodgson’s Frogmouth | Hooded Wheatear | Hudsonian Curlew |
| Hall’s or Northern Giant-Petrel | Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant | Highland Elaenia | Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo | Hooded Whistler | Hudsonian Godwit |
| Halmahera Cuckooshrike | Heart-spotted Woodpecker | Highland Guan or Black Penelopina | Hodgson’s Redstart | Hooded Yellowthroat | Huia |
| Hamerkop or Hammerhead | Hedge Accentor | Highland Motmot | Hoffmann’s Woodpecker | Hoogerwerf’s Pheasant | Humblot’s Flycatcher |
| Hammond’s Flycatcher | Heermann’s Gull | Highland Tinamou | Hoffmanns’s Woodcreeper | Hook-billed Bulbul | Humblot’s Heron or Madagascar Heron |
| Handsome Flycatcher | Heinroth’s Shearwater | Hildebrandt’s Francolin | Holub’s Golden-Weaver | Hook-billed Hermit | Humblot’s Sunbird |
| Handsome Francolin | Hellmayr’s Pipit | Hildebrandt’s Starling | Honduran Emerald | Hook-billed Kingfisher | Humboldt Penguin |
| Handsome Fruiteater | Helmetbird | Hill Blue-Flycatcher | Honeyguide Greenbul | Hook-billed Kite | Humboldt’s Sapphire |
| Hangnest Tody-Tyrant | Helmeted Curassow | Hill Myna | Hood Mockingbird | Hook-billed Vanga | Hume’s Lark |
| Happy Wren | Helmeted Friarbird | Hill Partridge | Hooded Antpitta | Horned Coot | Hume’s Owl |
| Hardhead | Helmeted Guineafowl | Hill Pigeon | Hooded Berryeater | Horned Curassow | Hume’s Wheatear |
| Hardy’s or Amzonian Pygmy-Owl | Helmeted Hornbill | Hill Prinia | Hooded Butcherbird | Horned Grebe or Slavonian Grebe | Hume’s Whitethroat |
| Harlequin Antbird | Helmeted Manakin | Hill Swallow | Hooded Crane | Horned Guan | Hunter’s Cisticola |
| Harlequin Duck | Helmeted Myna | Hill-forest Honeyeater | Hooded Cuckooshrike | Horned Lark or Shore Lark | Hunter’s Sunbird |
| Harlequin Quail | Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant | Himalayan Bulbul | Hooded Gnateater | Horned Parakeet | Huon Astrapia |
| Harpy Eagle | Helmeted Woodpecker | Himalayan Flameback | Hooded Grebe | Horned Puffin | Huon Wattled Honeyeater |
| Harris’s Hawk | Hemprich’s Hornbill | Himalayan Griffon | Hooded Grosbeak | Horned Screamer | Hutton’s Shearwater |
| Harris’s Sparrow | Henderson Island Crake | Himalayan Monal | Hooded Merganser | Horned Sungem | Hutton’s Vireo |
| Hartlaub’s Bustard | Henderson Island Fruit-Dove | Himalayan Quail | Hooded Monarch | Horsfield’s Babbler | Hwamei |
| Hartlaub’s Duck | Henderson Island Reed-Warbler | Himalayan Snowcock | Hooded Mountain-Tanager | Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo | Hyacinth Macaw |
| Hartlaub’s Francolin | Henderson Petrel | Himalayan Swiftlet | Hooded Mountain-Toucan | Horus Swift | Hyacinth Visorbearer |
| Hartlaub’s Turaco | Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner | Himalayan Woodpecker | Hooded Munia | Hose’s Broadbill | |
| Harwood’s Francolin | Henna-tailed Jungle-Flycatcher | Hinde’s Pied-Babbler | Hooded Oriole | Hottentot Buttonquail | |
| Hauxwell’s Thrush | Henslow’s Sparrow | Hispaniolan Emerald | Hooded Parrot | Hottentot Teal | |
| Hawaii Amakihi | Henst’s Goshawk | Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo | Hooded Pitohui | Houbara Bustard | |
FAQ
This section sheds further light on birds that start with H by answering some frequent questions asked by netizens on the matter.
Q: Is there any bird with ‘H’ living in Wisconsin?
Ans: One bird that easily fits your description is Hairy Woodpecker, a native in the US state of Wisconsin. There are other woodpeckers in the state as well which you can learn about if it arouses your avian interest.
Q: Can you name a bird that starts with H and ends with N?
Ans: House Wren can be considered a very small bird starting with the letter ‘H’ and ending with ‘N’. Although it doesn’t represent a group of birds following the notion of this article, it should get your job done if you’re doing crosswords.
Thoughts
This brings us to the end of our article on birds that start with ‘H’. There are other similar instances of bird names beginning with ‘A’, so do check them out if you find this particular article helpful.
It’s a merger between bird enthusiasts and word lovers to find a common filtering ground for birds and gaining knowledge based on this categorization.
If I described each of the species from the table individually, it’d probably take you a few hours to skim through them all and honestly, none of us want that.
I’d urge the avian followers to check out the other articles on different bird varieties because the flow of information never stops!
And for the rest, alphabetically sorted birds are our forte as well, so there’s much to take away for you in future!
Similar Post:
- An Enticing Introduction To 20 Birds That Start With “U”
- Explore Everything About 25 Birds That Start With E
Audio Credits: xeno-canto, wikimedia
