Kinds of Perching Birds

Perching birds account for 60 percent of all bird species. These are the birds that are commonly seen in front yards, in gardens, around buildings, and in both metropolitan and country areas.

Name

Perching birds belong to the order Passeriformes. Many types of perching birds are commonly called songbirds (though not all perching birds are songbirds).

Classification

There are about 5,300 different species of perching birds, consisting of over 70 different families.

Identifying Perching Birds

The best way to identify different perching birds is to use a field guide for your region. One popular series is the Peterson guides (see Resources).

Common Perching Bird Families

Perching bird families include swallows, crows, jays, thrushes, sparrows, finches, wrens and many others.

Unusual Perching Birds

Unusual perching birds include manakins, birds of paradise and bowerbirds.

Distribution

Perching birds are found in habitats across the globe and live on all continents except Antarctica. The richest diversity of perching birds is found in tropical regions.

References

• Perching Birds
• All About Birds

Resources

• Peterson Bird Guides