How all “American” are different birds? More than 20 birds have the word “American” in their common names (though not all birders may realize which ones do!). For these birds, it’s not a nationalist reference to the United States, but rather a geographic reference to the American continents, both North and South (just one of the different ways birds get their names). Many of these birds are found on both continents, sometimes seasonally, but sometimes with such widespread ranges that they do stretch between these massive landforms year-round.
Which American birds have you seen? Click any photo to enter the full-size gallery (no ads!) and learn the full names of each species. (Name references from BirdLife International.)
