Are there birds that start with K? In fact there are, and dozens of them! Consider the kittiwakes, the kestrels and the kingfishers, and the list does not just end there– it only begins.
In this article, we have listed out some of the most amazing looking birds of all types in North and South America. We have included warblers and gnatcatchers, kestrels and gulls, parrots and toucans, even vultures! Discussion on where they live, what they eat, their biometrics and their conservation status– all have been included.
Let’s not twiddle our thumbs any longer and start right away.
North American Birds That Start With K
Starting from the coasts of Alaska to New Mexico in the southern part of the United States, there are some exquisite species of birds that start with K. Take the American Kestrels, the Keel-Billed Toucans or the American Pygmy Kingfishers, they all have a jaw-dropping, exotic appearance like no other.
Let’s know more about where they live and what they like to eat.
Kittiwake, Red-Legged
Source: @alaskasealifecenter
- Scientific Name: Rissa brevirostris
- Length: 35 to 39 cm (14 to 15 in)
- Weight: 325 to 510 g (11.5 to 18.0 oz)
- Wing Span: 84 to 92 cm (33 to 36 in)
- Locality: Islands and Coastal Areas of the Subarctic Pacific Zone
- Status: Vulnerable
Red-legged Kittiwake are seabirds that belong to the Laridae family of gulls. Its breeding areas are limited to Pribilof, Buldir and Bogoslof Islands of Alaska, and in winters they stay at sea. Mostly bluish-gray and white in appearance, these birds have orange-red legs and that is why they are named so.
These seabirds capture fish and other creatures, like squids and lampfish, close to the surface of the waterbody by dipping their head under the water or plunging into the water. Their breeding season starts in May and continues till September. Nests are built on cliff ledges resembling shallow cups made of mud, grass and kelp.
Young ones of these birds are fed by the parents by the regurgitation process and they start to fly at about 37 days. Red-legged kittiwakes have an average life span of 4 years.
Vocalization: Short nasal calls that resemble their own name, “kitti-waka”
Kentucky Warbler
Source: @triplikewedo
- Scientific Name: Geothlypis formosa
- Length: 13 cm (5.1 in)
- Weight: 13 to 14 g (0.4 to 0.5 oz)
- Wing Span: 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 in)
- Locality: South-Eastern United States, Central America
- Status: Least Concern
Kentucky warblers are heard more than seen, despite their bright colors. Over the years they have found their habitat in the deciduous forests. In winters, they migrate to Mexico and Central America for warmth and food.
With a dotted black crown and black cheeks, these warblers wear a yellow ‘spectacle’ around their dark eyes. Their feathers are olive-green and their throat and chest are a bright yellow.
These warblers prefer forests with dense understory and streams nearby. They hop about on the forest floor turning over leaves to prey on caterpillars, locusts and beetles. Breeding between May and August, Kentucky warbler parents will build their nests at the bottom of shrubbery hidden in low vegetation.
The females will lay 3 to 6 eggs at a time and the eggs appear to be white or off-white colored, with specs of brown on them. The baby warblers can move about only after 10 days of hatching. Kentucky warblers live for up to 6.9 years on average.
Vocalization: A rolling ‘churr’ sound, repetitive
Kirtland’s Warbler
Source: @baitmn_photography
- Scientific Name: Setophaga Kirtlandii
- Length: 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in)
- Weight: 12.3 to 16 g (0.43 to 0.56 oz)
- Wing Span: 22.2 cm (8.75 in)
- Locality: Wisconsin and Michigan, Great Lakes of Canada
- Status: Near Threatened
Kirtland’s warbler’s favorite habitat are young jack pine forests that are available only in the north-eastern parts of the United States. This is the reason why this warbler species is near threatened. When jack pine forests mature and the young branches break off, the birds are forced to leave the area and look for alternatives which is difficult.
With a black crown, and intermittent black and white patterns down their rear wings, these warblers boast a bright, yellow chest. These beautiful warbles are omnivores and will eat insects, fruits and even nectar. Breeding season is between September and October. Cup-shaped nests are built on the ground and 3-6 eggs are laid at a time.
Vocalization: Loud ‘chip’
Kestrel, American
Source: @melissagroo
- Scientific Name: Falco sparverius
- Length: 22 to 31 cm (8.7 to 12.2 in)
- Weight: 80 to 143 g (2.8 to 5.0 oz)
- Wing Span: 51 to 61 cm (20 to 24 in)
- Locality: Abundant in North and South America
- Status: Least Concern
American kestrels are native breeders in Central and South America, and those that stay in the north migrate to the south during winters. Though these birds are big themselves, they fall prey to larger birds like the Red-Tailed Hawks, Barn Owls and Cooper’s Hawks.
These birds have large wings that are tapered, with strong bills and talons. Styled in a black cap and deep-gray wings with black spots, American kestrels flaunt chestnut brown chests and backs.
Open areas like meadows, grasslands, parks and deserts are their favorite foraging places. They are carnivores and eat insects, rodents and small songbirds. Breeding season of these birds is between early spring and late summer. Mother kestrels lay 4-5 eggs at a time in nests that are made in cavities or abandoned woodpeckers’ holes.
Vocalization: Loud ‘klee’ or ‘killy’ sounds lasting for over a second
Kingfisher, American Pygmy
Source: @waxwingeco
- Scientific Name: Chloroceryle aenea
- Length: 13 cm (5.1 in)
- Weight: 10 to 16 g (0.35 to 0.56 oz)
- Locality: Central and South America
- Status: Least Concern
These exquisite looking kingfishers are one of the smallest species known of its kind! Their body size is a little over 5 inches which makes it as small as warblers or chickadee birds.
We should not underestimate it by its size though— these pygmy kingfishers have a streamlined body with a large, black beak. As soon as it spots a fish underwater, it swoops down superfast but silently, like a bullet, penetrating the water surface that promises zero splash of water droplets.
Covered in lustrous, luminescent green all over the head and back, these kingfishers have a rich chestnut brown color on their throat and breast areas. As they love fish, so quite naturally these birds have built their habitats around water bodies, near swamps and groves. They breed between January and September.
Vocalization: Sounds like “dip”, “squeak”, “chirps”, chatters and rattles
Kelp Gull
Source: @friendlychestnut
- Scientific Name: Larus dominicanus
- Length: 54 to 65 cm (21 to 26 in)
- Weight: 540 to 1390 g (1.19 to 3.06 lbs)
- Wing Span: 128 to 142 cm (50.0 to 56.0 in)
- Locality: Gulf Of Mexico, South America
- Status: Least Concern
In the United States, Kelp gulls can be spotted only on rare occasions. The first time they were spotted were in the 1980s in the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana.
With a milk white head, throat and chest, these beautiful birds are black and white in the rest of their body. They have long light-orange colored legs, and subtle yellow-orange beaks.
Estuaries, bays and inlets are frequented by these birds for foraging and nesting purposes. While you are walking along beaches, you may spot kelp gulls there too. These birds use their strong bills to peck at their prey—right whales and seals among the victims. Nests are made on the ground, covered with leaves and feathers.
Vocalization: Loud and harsh sounds resembling ‘kee-och’, ‘yo yo yo’, ‘kwee ya’
King Eider
Source: @urs_h_wildlifephotography
- Scientific Name: Somateria Spectabilis
- Length: 50 to 70 cm (20 to 28 in)
- Weight: 1.668 kg (3.68 lb)
- Wing Span: 86 to 102 cm (34 to 40 in)
- Locality: Arctic Coasts of North America
- Status: Least Concern
King Eider belongs to the duck family and spends most of its life in the coastal marine areas. In June and July, they leave for the Arctic Tundra for breeding purposes. With their extraordinary looking bulged-out heads and chevrons on their backs that remind you of the fins of a shark, these black and white birds seem straight out of a fairy tail!
Arctic coasts and tundras are their foraging and nesting spots. They move about in flocks and each flock may contain more than a hundred thousand birds. The ducks feed on crustaceans, starfish, sea-anemones, sea urchins and mollusks. Nests are built on the ground and lined with vegetation and down feathers from the mother’s own body.
Vocalization: They make sounds like doves resembling ‘croo croo’ and ‘hoo hoo’
King Rail
Source: @ladyyoakam
- Scientific Name: Rallus elegans
- Length: 39 to 48 cm (15.5 to 19 in)
- Weight: 290 g (10 oz)
- Wing Span: 48 cm (19 in)
- Locality: Eastern United States
- Status: Near Threatened
Native breeders in the eastern and south-eastern United States, these waterbirds at times migrate to the southern parts of Canada and Mexico in the winters. These elegant looking rail birds have a brown tone to its entire body, with black and white streaks down its upper and under wings. The bird has a long bill that gives it an advantage while foraging.
Coastal areas and marshes are places where king rails are often spotted, probing with their legs and bills into shallow waters looking for crustaceans and insects. Nests are built on raised platforms lined with vegetation and covered with canopies to protect the baby birds from being attacked by predators.
Vocalization: Grunt noises; call resembling ‘kik-brr’
Killdeer
Source: @alasijiaq
- Scientific Name: Charadrius vociferus
- Length: 20 to 28 cm (7.9 to 11 in)
- Weight: 72 to 121 g (2.5 to 4.3 oz)
- Wing Span: 59 to 63 cm (23 to 25 in)
- Locality: Whole of North America
- Status: Least Concern
Killdeer are large plover birds that got their unique name from the types of calls that they make. Mostly breeding in the United States, southern Canada and Mexico, these birds migrate further south during the winter season. These long-legged birds flaunt black stripes on their crowns and chest areas, brown upper wings, and white underparts.
Killdeer birds breed between February and mid-May, choosing to build their nests on open fields and even on rooftops. It has been found that they deliberately choose darker colored materials to build their nests to keep the nests 2-3 degrees cooler. In wetlands and on beaches, these plovers are seen foraging on worms, snails and spiders.
Vocalization: Loud and sharp calls resembling its own name, “kill-dee”
Key West Quail Dove
Source: @juansangiovanni
- Scientific Name: Geotrygon chrysia
- Length: 27 to 31 cm (10.6 to 12.2 in)
- Weight: 148 to 199 g (5.2 to 7.0 oz)
- Wing Span: 38 to 43 cm (15 to 17 in)
- Locality: The Bahamas
- Status: Least Concern
Key West birds belong to the dove and pigeon family of Columbidae. These birds live and breed in the Bahamas that lies south-east of Florida in the United States. With a beautiful purple-hued brown on the upper wings and head, these quail doves have a white stripe across their heads and an off-white chest region.
These dove birds are usually found in the tropical and sub-tropical forests and shrublands, feeding on mostly seeds and fruits. Sometimes they would gobble up snails too. Breeding between January and August, these avians build their nests on short shrubs or on thee ground.
Vocalization: Low ‘hoo hoo hoo’ that increases in pitch gradually
Kittlitz’s Murrelet
Source: @birdsbybijs
- Scientific Name: Brachyramphus brevirostris
- Length: 25 cm (9.8 in)
- Weight: 230 g (8.11 oz)
- Wing Span: 20 cm (8 in)
- Locality: Coastal Areas of Alaska
- Status: Near Threatened
Murrelets are seabirds, and this species that breeds and lives in the Alaskan coasts, are a near threatened species. Named after the German zoologist Heinrich von Kiittlitz, these birds are mostly grayish-brown in appearance, with white underparts.
These seabirds feed on krills, zooplankton and larval fish, and carry food in their bills for their chicks. Beside glaciers and shores, these birds can usually be spotted. Nests are made on the ground, close to the availability of snow. Only one egg is laid at a time in the breeding season that lasts for a couple of months from July to August.
Vocalization: Keer, whining, whistle
Kermadec Petrel
Source: @david_stowe
- Scientific Name: Pterodroma neglecta
- Length: 38 cm (14.9 in)
- Weight: 500 g (17.6 oz)
- Wing Span: 100 cm (39.4 in)
- Locality: United States
- Status: Least Concern
These are petrel birds that are mostly found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. A few vagrants were reported in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. A few visitors spotted them at South Farallon Islands, California. These birds are bluish-gray overall, with white marks close to their eyes.
Breeding may occur anytime between March and October, and only one fledgling is born at a time, and the babies start flying and foraging only after 100 to 130 days. They mostly rely on squids and fish for survival.
Vocalization: Explosive sounds resembling ‘yuk-kerr–a–ooo-wuk’
King Vulture
Source: @jeh_biologa
- Scientific Name: Sarcoramphus papa
- Length: 67 to 81 cm (26 to 32 in)
- Weight: 2.7 to 4.5 kg (6 to 10 lbs)
- Wing Span: 1.2 to 2.0 m (4 to 7 ft)
- Locality: Central and South America
- Status: Least Concern
These magnificent and surreal looking creatures have a bluish-gray and white body, with purple, blue, orange and red colors at different parts of its face. The head and the neck region is featherless, decorated with blue and orange wattles that give these birds their unique look. Among the New World vultures, the king vulture has the largest skull and the strongest bill.
Found mainly between Mexico and Argentina, these beautiful birds forage and nest in marshy and swampy habitats. They breed during the summer season and lay only one egg at a time. Vultures are scavengers and will eat anything between dead cattles and lizards. Despite its bright colors, this non-migratory bird is well camouflaged in forests.
Vocalization: Grunts and hisses
Keel-Billed Motmot
Source: @birding_experiences
- Scientific Name: Electron carinatum
- Length: 31 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in)
- Weight: 68 g (2.4 oz)
- Wing Span: Not known
- Locality: Parts of Central America
- Status: Vulnerable
These motmot birds have an attractively colored plumage– turquoise blue upper wings and patches on the head, a little spot of orange in front of the face, and off-white chest. Places like Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa Rica are where these birds are found.
Keel-billed motmots choose undisturbed primary forests for nesting and foraging, something which is rare due to the needs of urbanization. This is the reason why this species is a vulnerable one. They like to perch from trees and eat insects. They breed between January and March, and build their nests on the banks of streams.
Vocalization: Harsh sounds resembling ‘bo-eek–ka ka ka’
Keel-Billed Toucan
Source: @hl_menagerie
- Scientific Name: Ramphastos sulfuratus
- Length: 42 to 55 cm (17 to 22 in)
- Weight: 380 to 500 g (13.4 to 17.6 oz)
- Wing Span: 109 to 152 cm (42.9 to 159.8 in)
- Locality: South-Eastern Mexico
- Status: Near Threatened
Also known as rainbow-billed toucan or sulfur-breasted toucan, their population is limited to Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, the reason why they are a vulnerable species of toucans. With a large, hooked bill of 12 to 15 cm, decorated with patches of purple, orange and blue on a green background, these toucans look out of this world.
These toucans are omnivores and would eat anything between fruits, seeds, invertebrates, lizards and small birds. Keel-billed toucans roost in the canopies of tropical and subtropical forests, and make holes in tree-trunks to nest in. These beautiful birds breed between March and April, laying 1 to 4 eggs at a time.
Vocalization: Frog-like croaking sounds
Kamchatka Leaf Warbler
Source: @yuki_eightysix
- Scientific Name: Phylloscopus examinandus
- Length: 13 cm (5.1 in)
- Weight: 9 to 13 g (0.32 to 0.5 oz)
- Wing Span: 7.1 to 7.3 cm (2.79 to 2.87 in)
- Locality: Shemya Islands, Alaska
- Status: Least Concern
Though these warblers breed in Kamchatka islands, a few have been spotted in the Shemya Islands of Alaska. They migrate to the Philippines and Indonesia during the winters. These beautiful warblers boast an olive-colored head and upper wings, with white breast and belly regions.
These birds mostly live in low vegetation and forage on insects and other invertebrates. However, Kamchatka Island natives like to live in deciduous forests of willows and birches. Breeding season is between June and August. Nests are built on the ground with 2 eggs laid at a time.
Vocalization: Chuck, ‘trrrt’, high-pitched ‘dzz-rit’
South American Birds That Start With K
Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru and the Amazon see a lot of extraordinary looking birds. Certain birds are quite rare in appearance like the Kerguelen Petrels, while others like the Kinglet Calyptura have turned endangered due to lack of protection of natural habitats. Let’s get introduced to some exotic birds that start with K in South America.
Kelp Goose
Source: @nestorsotomayor_
- Scientific Name: Chloephaga hybrida
- Length: 55 to 65 cm (22 to 26 in)
- Weight: 2.54 to 2.58 kg (5.6 to 5.7 lbs)
- Wing Span: 127 to 145 cm (50 to 57 in)
- Locality: Southernmost End of South America
- Status: Least Concern
Kelp Geese are waterfowls that belong to the Anatidae family. These birds could be found in the southernmost part of South America–in Chile, Argentina and Falkland Islands. The females and the males look quite different from each other– females being black all over with white streaks, and males being completely white.
Coastal areas, beaches and freshwater lakes are frequented by these waterfowls. During the winters, they may migrate further north, but they are mostly sedentary. They are vegetarians and feed mainly on algae, seaweeds and berries. Breeding between October and January, they build their nests covered in vegetation laying 3 to 7 eggs at a time.
Vocalization: Weak whistles resembling ‘sip sip sip’
Koepcke’s Hermit
Source: @claubrasileiro
- Scientific Name: Phaethornis koepckeae
- Length: 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in)
- Weight: 4.7 to 5.8 g (0.17 to 0.20 oz)
- Wing Span: 21.6 cm (8.5 in)
- Locality: Western Parts of South America
- Status: Near Threatened
Though the name sounds like they could be giant birds, the bird we are referring to here is actually a species of hummingbird belonging to the family Trochilidae. These birds could be found only in Peru. Like most other hummingbirds, this hermit species is surreal looking. It has a shiny bronze-green body, and dark purple wings.
Peruvian Andes is a special habitat of these birds and they usually inhabit the understory of forests present at the foothills of the Andes. With the help of its long and slender bill, Koepcke’s hermit hummingbirds probe at the nectar of flowers. They build nests at the edge of a hanging leaf, resembling a butterfly’s cocoon.
Vocalization: A ringing, buzzy sound resembling ‘ba-zee ba-zee ba-zee’
King Penguin
Source: @natgeowild
- Scientific Name: Aptenodytes patagonicus
- Length: 70 to 100 cm (28 to 39 in)
- Weight: 9.3 to 18 g (21 to 40 lb)
- Wing Span: 63.5 cm (25 in)
- Locality: South of Chile
- Status: Least Concern
In South America, this species of penguins could be found in Tierra del Fuego, Georgia and the Falkland Islands. It breeds at these places as well. With a shiny blue-black back, these penguins have a milk white chest and belly. They also have bright yellow spots on the sides of their face and on the lower part of their beak.
King penguins thrive on lanternfish, krills and squids. These penguins love to dive in the deepest layers of the oceans, and have been recorded to have reached up to 300 meters under water. They breed from November to April.
Vocalization: Squawking or braying
Kerguelen Petrel
Source: @tomblanchon_photographies
- Scientific Name: Aphrodroma brevirostris
- Length: 36 cm (14.2 in)
- Weight: 331 to 357 g (11.7 to 12.6 oz)
- Wing Span: 80 to 82 cm (31.5 to 32.3 in)
- Locality: South Georgia
- Status: Least Concern
Breeding in the southern Atlantic islands mostly, a few of these petrels were spotted in South Georgia. They burrow in wet soil and lay eggs there. The burrows face against the wind for protection of the little ones.
Eggs are incubated by both the parents for 49 days. They have bluish-black flight wings with a gray over-all body.
Vocalization: Wheezy tone of “chee chee chee”
Koepcke’s Screech Owl
Source: @daniel_pacheco_osorio
- Scientific Name: Megascops koepckeae
- Length: 24 cm (9.4 in)
- Weight: 112 to 127 g (4 to 4.5 oz)
- Wing Span: 45.7 to 68.6 cm (18 to 24 in)
- Locality: Peru
- Status: Least Concern
Endemic to Peru, these species of screech owls have a glossy gray body, with a slight brownish tinge. Their bright yellow eyes never fail to catch attention.
High altitude evergreen forests and scrubby areas are often visited by these birds for breeding and feeding reasons. They are nocturnal and eat insects and other small-sized vertebrates.
Vocalization: High to low-pitched “ko ko ko ka ka ka”
Kingfisher, Green and Rufous
Source: @andremendoncabirder
- Scientific Name: Chloroceryle inda
- Length: 24 cm (9.4 in)
- Weight: 40 to 60 g (1.4 to 2.1 oz)
- Wing Span: Not Available
- Locality: South America
- Status: Least Concern
Argentina, Uruguay and Chile are the places in South America where the green and rufous kingfishers can be spotted. They own a colorful plumage of olive-green upper wings and orange or rufous breast and belly. They also have a yellow throat.
Swamps, mangroves and areas with water sources nearby are frequented by these avians. Green and rufous kingfishers prefer to eat small fish, shrimps, aquatic insects and crabs.
Vocalization: High-pitched “week week week”
Kaempfer’s Woodpecker
Source: @joaoalbertovale
- Scientific Name: Celeus obrieni
- Length: 26.5 to 38 cm (10 to 15 in)
- Weight: 85 to 105 g (3 to 3.7 oz)
- Wing Span: Not Available
- Locality: Brazil
- Status: Vulnerable
These birds, as the name itself is self-explicable, belong to the woodpecker family Picidae. They are also known as Piaui or Caatinga woodpeckers. They breed only in Brazil but due to habitat loss and forest fires, their population has dwindled to the point of vulnerability.
They have a majestic appearance accentuated with a dark brown mohawk and upper wings. The upper wings also have a black and white striped beginning that creates a sharp contrast. Bamboo and palm forests are frequented by these avians, ants being their favorite munchies.
Vocalization: Squeals and chuckles
Kawall’s Parrot
Source: @echelenss
- Scientific Name: Amazona Kawalli
- Length: 35 to 36 cm (13.8 to 14.2 in)
- Weight: Not Recorded
- Wing Span: Not Recorded
- Locality: South Central Amazon
- Status: Least Concern
South Central Amazon is the only place where these birds can be found. They are also known as white-faced or white-cheeked amazon parrots. The body of Kawall’s parrots are mostly green with a yellowish tinge at the edges of their tails.
Woodlands and forest edges are their favorite habitat. They feed on fruits and seeds, and also young leaves and flowers. Dry seasons are when they breed.
Vocalization: Nasal “crow” sounds
Klages’s Antwren
Source: @sidnei7314
- Scientific Name: Myrmotherula klagesi
- Length: 10 cm (3.94 in)
- Weight: Not Recorded
- Wing Span: Not Recorded
- Locality: Brazil
- Status: Vulnerable
Edges of forests and canopies are their favorite nesting and breeding grounds, but due to habitat loss for industrialization purposes, they have become a vulnerable species currently.
Their body is brown in the underparts, and black and white on the upper wings. Their whole body has black and white stripes and specs on it.
Vocalization: They sound like weak kittens meowing
Klages’s Antbird
Source: @pedrohenriquetunes
- Scientific Name: Drymophila klagesi
- Length: 15 cm (6 in)
- Weight: Not Recorded
- Wing Span: Not Recorded
- Locality: Venezuela
- Status: Least Concern
These birds prefer the foothill forests between Serrania de Perija and the coastal range of Venezuela. Bamboo thickets and montane forests are also frequented by Klages’s Antbirds.
These avians look extremely pretty with orange sides, with the rest of its body set in stark contrast of black and white.
Vocalization: Raspy and wheezy ‘pips’
Kinglet Manakin
Source: @ciroalbano
- Scientific Name: Machaeropterus regulus
- Length: Not Recorded
- Weight: Not Recorded
- Wing Span: Not Recorded
- Locality: Brazil
- Status: Least Concern
Kinglet manakins breed in the Atlantic forests of Brazil, and they are passerine birds belonging to the family Pipridae. These birds have a striped and puffy black and white chest, with a red crown that the females, however, do not have.
They are mainly found in the lower and in the middle layers of forests, and because of their olive upper wings, they camouflage themselves pretty well.
Vocalization: Harsh calls resembling ‘chew chew’
Klages’s Gnatcatcher
Source: @talltom8261
- Scientific Name: Polioptila paraensis
- Length: 10 to 11 cm (3.9 to 4.3 in)
- Weight: 6 g (0.21 oz)
- Wing Span: 15.24 cm (6 in)
- Locality: Brazil
- Status: Not Recorded
Also known as Para gnatcatchers, these birds belong to the Polioptilidae family. The upper parts of this bird is dark bluish-gray, and under parts white. These birds breed only in Brazil, and therefore their population is limited within the Amazon River and the north of Bolivia.
These birds prefer primary forests only and thrive on tiny arthropods for food. They forage on the canopy and subcanopy of forests, and due to their color, are very easy to overlook.
Vocalization: High-pitched ‘sip’ notes, repetitive
Kaempfer’s Tody-Tyrant
Source: @muller_marcelo
- Scientific Name: Hemitriccus kaempferi
- Length: 10 cm (3.9 in)
- Weight: Not Recorded
- Wing Span: Not Recorded
- Locality: Brazil
- Status: Endangered
This species of tody-tyrant, belonging to the family of Tyrannidae, are very rare. They can be found only in the forests of Brazil. The birds are beautiful with off-white and olive-green plumage.
Lowlands and understories of forests are their favorite nesting and foraging grounds. They always make sure that there are streams nearby.
Vocalization: Short and sharp chirps
Kinglet Calyptura
- Scientific Name: Calyptura cristata
- Length: 3 to 8 cm (1.2 to 3.2 in)
- Weight: Not Recorded
- Wing Span: Not Recorded
- Locality: Brazil
- Status: Critically Endangered
Breeding only in the Atlantic Forests of Brazil, this bird is unfortunately critically endangered. For a long time it was being considered that this bird may have gone extinct, but then in 1996, two birds were spotted at Serra dos Orgaos.
Coastal Mountains and primary foothill forests of Brazil are its habitat. They forage in pairs and survive on insects and berries. Its population has fallen critically low because of increased industrialization and deforestation. These birds look very beautiful with olive green and yellow plumage, with a red mohawk wattle on their head.
Vocalization: Brief and hoarse
FAQ
Some enthusiasts entertain themselves with the presumption that maybe all birds that start with K are exotic or rare. They also show surprise that there could be dozens of birds the names of which could start with the letter K. Below we have listed out some frequently asked questions that will clarify your confusion and brush up your knowledge on birds.
Q: Are all birds that start with K rare?
Ans: There are birds that start with K that are rare, like for instance, Kinglet Calyptura, Kaempfer’s Tody-Tyrant, and Klages’s Antwrens that are either endangered or endemic to particular parts of America only. But most other birds that start with K are not rare and can be easily spotted near their habitats, like the Red-Legged Kittiwakes, Kentucky Warblers or American Kestrels
Q: Which birds that start with K are endangered?
Ans: Kinglet Calyptura, Kaempfer’s Tody-Tyrant, Klages’s Antwren and Koepcke’s Hermit are some birds in South America that start with K that are endangered.
Q: Are there toucan and vulture birds that start with K in North America?
Ans: The Keel-Billed Toucan and the King Vulture are the birds that we have listed in this article.
Thoughts
In this article we have listed out 30 American birds that start with K. We have, or at least tried to, chosen different types of birds that start with K. We have included the toucans and parrots, the warblers and gnatcatchers, the kestrels and gulls, the kingfishers and woodpeckers, and even vultures, owls and penguins!
No, not all birds that start with K are rare or exotic. And much to everyone’s surprise, there are tons of birds available whose names start with K. Hopefully, this article will increase your curiosity of birds around the world and appreciate their magnificent beauty.
