Do you want to get into birdwatching without feeling overwhelmed? Then, you should try learning about birds alphabetically.
Whether you start with B, E, H, or U, knowing them in an alphabetic order will make your fun experience more organized, helping you to keep track.
If you get to know about birds that start with T, you will find the diversity in names and their families, habits, behaviors, and even how they interact with the ecosystem.
You will find both similarities and dissimilarities that will help you get to know the variations of the avian world while connecting the dots in this grand, intricate ecosystem.
The incredible birds beginning with the letter T will enrich the connection you have with nature while introducing you to a whole new world in the avian puzzle.
So, scroll through and explore the world of our feathered buddies, starting with the letter T.
19 Incredible Birds Beginning With T
Birds beginning with T have their unique, diverse nature. In this section, we will learn some facts about the birds that start with T, along with their pictures so that you can easily spot them in the wild.
Let’s dive deeper into the conversation.
Townsend’s Solitaire
Source: @john0g1
- Scientific Name: Myadestes townsendi
The Townsend’s Solitaire, a mid-sized thrush species, is endemic to America. Their range starts from southern Alaska, British Columbia, and Alberta to northern Zacatecas in Mexico.
It prefers living in the montane woodlands of its range. However, during winter, it moves toward lower elevations, including the Great Plains, northern interior Mexico, and even desert oases.
Most of its body is brown, and its wings are grayish-black with buffish stripes. Their tails are long with white lines on their tips.
The majority of Townsend’s Solitaire’s diet consists of berries and insects. During winter, however, it consumes the fleshy cones of the juniper bush.
Tricolored Blackbird
Source: @kkobersteen
- Scientific Name: Agelaius tricolor
The Tricolored Blackbird is native to coastal areas of the Pacific coast of North America, from Northern California in the U.S. to upper Baja California in Mexico. Occasionally, it can be spotted in Oregon as well.
The highly gregarious but endangered species can be found around marshes, wetland cattails, and bulrushes nesting in colonies.
As per its name, the bird has three colors, but not on its body, but rather on its wings. The colors are glossy black, fiery red, and bright white stripes that are placed under their shoulder patches. The colored spots might be small, but it’s bound to catch anyone’s attention.
Tūī
Source: @photonaturemarcandre
- Scientific Name: Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
The Tūī, a mid-sized passerine species, is endemic to New Zealand. It is found almost everywhere around the country, especially in the North Island, the west and south coasts of the South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, and the Chatham Islands.
This species inhabits the broadleaf forests around its range, usually at low altitudes. However, people have also detected the species living 1500 meters high up its usual range.
In addition, the Tūī also inhabits small remnant patches, regrowth, exotic plantations, and well-vegetated suburbs.
The primary diet choice of this species is nectar. However, occasionally, it will feed on fruits, insects, pollen, and seeds.
Tataupa tinamou
Source: @chrispiw93
- Scientific Name: Crypturellus tataupa
The Tataupa Tinamou is a tinamou species that inhabits most of Southeastern South America. However, it doesn’t reside in all the places in its range and usually avoids wetlands.
This species lives in the dry forests of the subtropical and tropical regions of its distribution.
The upper part and the crown of this medium-sized species are dark brown. Its throat is pale bluish-grey.
One of the most distinctive features of its appearance is its purplish-red bill and legs. Apart from this, the rest of its body, including its head, neck, and breast, is dark grey.
The Tataupa Tinamou predominantly forages on fruits. Moreover, it also consumes invertebrates, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, and roots.
Tawny-tufted Toucanet
Source: @gmagmago
- Scientific Name: Selenidera natterer
The Tawny-tufted Toucanet is a near-passerine species that is commonly found in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. It usually prefers inhabiting the forests on sandy soil and near waterways.
The adult males’ heads, napes, chins, throats, and bellies are covered in stunning black plumage. The upperparts and tails are green.
Their wings have a range of yellow to rusty brown colored plumage. Moreover, their under-tails have signs of red.
The females, on the other hand, have rusty brown-colored chin and belly with yellowish wings and skin relatively paler than males.
Both sexes have similar bill patterns and pale blue skin around their eyes.
Taveta Weaver
Source: @potta_folia
- Scientific Name: Ploceus castaneiceps
The Taveta Weaver, also known as the mango species, inhabits the areas of the African savannah in Kenya and Tanzania.
It resides in the bulrushes, woodland, and swampy areas around its preferred range. It has also been spotted in Asia.
The males have a radiant, lustrous golden color that gets duller on its back. The back of the head has a hint of vibrant red. Their wings and tails are bushy green with small brown spots on their chests.
The females, on the contrary, have an olive-colored body with pale streaks all over them.
This highly sociable species mostly favors consuming seeds and occasional small insects, corns, and grasses.
Tanimbar Corella
Source: @muhdramzan
- Scientific Name: Cacatua goffiniana
The Tanimbar Corella, also known as the Goffin’s Cockatoo, is a near-threatened species that has a limited range, including the forests of Yamdena, Larat, and Selaru, all islands in the Tanimbar Islands archipelago in Indonesia.
Due to issues like deforestation and bird trading, the population of this bird is slowly declining.
Similar to the members of the Cacatuidae family, this species has a crest that it can raise or lower according to its mood.
The whole body of the Tanimbar Corella is covered in a bright white color. The only other color it has around its body is a salmon pink color between its beaks and eyes, near its crest and neck feathers.
Tennessee Warbler
Source: @kimberlyreneephotos
- Scientific Name: Leiothlypis peregrina
The Tennessee Warbler inclines toward different types of breeding and wintering regions. It prefers breeding in Eastern North America. However, it chooses southern Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America for winter.
This species looks similar to that of female Black-throated Blue Warblers. The back, shoulder, rump, and vent of an adult breeding male is olive. The underside is grayish-white. The neck, crown, and eyeliner are a dull-shaded gray.
The female has an almost identical coloration to that of the male, except the color is relatively pale with a yellow and olive hue all over its body.
Tanager Finch
Source: @ovinpa
- Scientific Name: Oreothraupis arremonops
The most interesting fact about the Tanager Finch is that it doesn’t belong to a Tanager or a Finch but rather a New World Sparrow. This songbird species is the only one existing in the monotypic genus Oreothraupis.
This species inhabits subtropical and tropical moist montane forests of Colombia and Ecuador.
It has been listed as a least concern species by the IUCN. However, it is facing incessant habit loss. However, it is still not rapid enough to cause worries or to reach the threshold of being vulnerable.
It is a mid-sized species that has a reddish-brown color on most parts of its body. Its head, beak, and eye color are a glossy black color.
Trumpeter Swan
Source: @wildmapledigest
- Scientific Name: Cygnus buccinator
The Trumpeter Swan, one of the heaviest and longest-living species of North America, prefers breeding in large shallow ponds, undisturbed lakes, pristine wetlands wide, slow rivers, and marshes near its distribution.
Their preferred nesting sites must include proper water and food accessibility without any disturbances from humans.
The adults have a vivid, bright white body with a large black bill and salmon pink-colored minimal lining around the mouth.
The dietary preferences of this species highly depend on aquatic plants and occasional insects. During winter, it consumes grasses and grains from the field.
The chicks, however, initially prefer feeding on insects, small fish, fish eggs, and small crustaceans.
Tambourine Dove
Source: @brinji.the.bird.nerd
- Scientific Name: Turtur tympanistria
The Tambourine Dove’s range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa.
It prefers inhabiting the woodland and thick vegetation in its range. As a shy species, the inhabiting woodlands include dense gardens and plantations of castor oil, cocoa, and rubber.
The Tambourine Dove has a small, plumpy, and rounded body. The backs, hind necks, wings, tails, and under-tails of the males are brown. However, the face and underpart are white with a distinctive black spot.
On the contrary, the females have the pale version of the males’ coloration, with white only on the belly.
Tawny Frogmouth
Source: @david_stowe
- Scientific Name: Podargus strigoides
The Tawny Frogmouth is endemic throughout Australia and Tasmania. It has a wide range of habitats, including forests and woodlands, scrub and heathland vegetation, and savannahs.
They can be found hovering around places with humans, from suburbs to parks and gardens with trees. They try to avoid regions with heavy rainforests and treeless deserts.
The Tawny Frogmouth is a big-headed, mid-sized species with an owl-like face shape and distinctive color morphs.
As a nocturnal carnivore species, the majority of their diet includes large, nocturnal insects, such as moths, spiders, worms, slugs, and snails, as well as bugs, beetles, wasps, ants, centipedes, millipedes, and scorpions.
Tamaulipas Pygmy Owl
Source: @alas_y_garras
- Scientific Name: Glaucidium sanchezi
The Tamaulipas Pygmy Owl, an owl species, belongs to the subtropical and tropical montane forests of Mexico. It mostly prefers living in moist evergreen forests, montane forests, and cloud forests around its range.
The facial disk and upper part of the male have a range from brownish hue to olive-brown color.
Moreover, it has short and visually striking white eyebrows. The wing and tail are streaked in white color.
Its crown is primarily grey with white spots all over the sides and front of the crown. Its legs have feathers, and its eyes are bright yellow.
The female looks almost identical, except the shade is more to the reddish-brown side.
Tawny-capped Euphonia
Source: @dansoz
- Scientific Name: Euphonia anneae
The Tawny-capped Euphonia belongs to the family Fringillidae, preferring being native to Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama.
If you want to have a closer look at the species in their inhabiting regions, then you should search for them in the forests. Their preferred forested spaces include subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forests.
This species is small and has a finch-like compact body. The adults have a dark bluish-black upper part with a vibrant yellow underpart.
The only difference in appearance between the male and the female is in the color of their crown, throat, and belly.
The males have a rusty-orange crown with a darker throat. The females have the duller version of these shades with a grayish belly.
Tufted Titmouse
Source: @daleburke1957
- Scientific Name: Baeolophus bicolor
The Tufted Titmouse, a small songbird species, belongs to North America and prefers living in deciduous and mixed woods in its range. It also inhabits gardens, parks, as well as shrublands.
This species has simple but unique coloration. The upper part of its body is grey, and the front is snowy white with rusty-brown colored flanks. They have a black forehead with a bluish-grey crest.
The only dissimilarity in appearance between males and females is that the males tend to be relatively larger in size than females.
During summer, it tends to feed on caterpillars. In addition, it also consumes berries, nuts, seeds, small fruits, insects, and other invertebrates.
Turkey Vulture
Source: @ieateggseverymorning
- Scientific Name: Cathartes aura
The Turkey Vulture has a wide distribution ranging from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It is regarded as one of the most widely distributed vultures in America.
It permanently resides in the Southern United States, and occasionally, some species migrate to South America.
It avoids completely treeless areas and prefers living in open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts.
It’s a large-sized bird with minimal sexual dimorphism. Both sexes seem similar in their plumage, coloration, and even sizes.
Similar to most other vultures, the adults don’t have any feathers on their heads. The body is mostly dark brownish-black with a relatively short, ivory-colored bill.
Taiwan Blue Magpie
Source: @paper.nautilus.illustrations
- Scientific Name: Urocissa caerulea
The Taiwan Blue Magpie stays true to its name and is endemic exclusively in the broadleaf forests of Taiwan at 300 to 1200 m elevations. Unlike its appearance, this species belongs to the crow family.
It has little to no sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration. Both sexes have a jet-black head, necks, and breasts. The bill and feet are contrastingly fiery red, and small, beady eyes are yellow.
The rest of their body has different shades of blue, especially the stunningly vibrant ones. The tails of the Taiwan Blue Magpie are relatively long, particularly the central pair.
Tree Swallow
Source: @nuts_about_birds
- Scientific Name: Tachycineta bicolor
The breeding range of the Tree Swallow is in North America, which extends from north-central Alaska to the tree line in Canada. Its breeding habitat is usually around open and wooded areas, especially those near water.
The upper part of the males are usually green with a bluish hue, and the underparts and cheek patch are bright white. The wings, tails, and bill are black.
The females have the drabber version of the males’ coloration and occasionally a brown forehead. As the females grow older, their plumage exhibits a subadult version of their original color.
The males often tend to choose their breeding mate according to the brightness of the plumage.
Taiwan Barbet
Source: @gavin.ivid
- Scientific Name: Psilopogon nuchalis
The Taiwan Barbet, as per its name, is endemic exclusively to the forests of Taiwan, nesting in tree cavities.
This species exhibits a wide array of incredibly striking colors on its body. As they have almost five different colors in one body, they are also known as the Five-colored Bird or the “Colorful Monk.”
Their plumage is mostly different shades of green that get dark to light. The second color, blue, is spotted on their ear coverts and malar.
Their throats have a third, vibrantly mustard yellow color. They have yellow on their foreheads and a red spot on the lore. Their feet seem greyish.
FAQ
If you want to take a look at the answers to the frequently asked questions about birds that start with T, then take a look at this section.
Q: What is a 6-letter bird that starts with T?
Ans: Several 6-letter birds beginning with T are common in the avian world. Among them, Takahe, Toucan, Tyrant, and Trogon are the most common ones.
Q: What is the British bird that starts with the letter T?
Ans: The British bird that starts with the letter T is Twite. Its appearance seems unremarkable because of the brown streaks.
Q: What is a seabird that starts with T?
Ans: The sea bird species’ name beginning with T is Terns. There are almost 40 tern species, and they all have slender, light bodies.
Thoughts
After reaching the end of the article, you are now more familiar with the birds, starting with T, than ever.
Learning about the birds is not always about the birds themselves. It’s also about getting yourself into science and inadvertently developing an interest in biology, ecology, ornithology, etc. Moreover, it can even turn into your lifelong passion and career.
This hobby will take you outdoors while sharpening your observational skills. You would be fascinated to discover how many wonders of the avian world you can find in your own backyard or local park.
It can become your own little treasure hunt, helping you to appreciate the little wonders in your surroundings.
And if you are afraid of small talk, then you can always add tidbits about birds beginning with the letter T to create a fun twist in any conversation.
Happy bird-watching, everyone!