Hardly few! But there’re many birds that start with the letter K. From the elusive Kagu of New Caledonia to the majestic Kingfisher found in various parts of the globe. These birds have unique physicalbehaviouralioral characteristics that make them stand out.
Some of these birds have intriguing names, such as the Knob-billed Duck and the Kea, while others have interesting migratory patterns, like the Kestrel, which can travel thousands of kilometres yearly.
In this blog post, you’ll explore different birds beginning with K.
10 Types of Birds That Start With K – With Fun facts
Kentucky Warblers
Kentucky Warbler is one of the few birds that start with K, and its scientific name is Geothlypis formosa. It is a small brightly-colouredred bird found in deciduous forests of southern Mexico and northern South America.
Birds that start with K
A bright yellow underside, olive-green back, and black stripes around the eyes characterise its striking appearance. Furthermore, adult Kentucky Warblers have short tails, and large bodies.
It is a migratory species in the New World Warbler family and was reclassified as another separate species.
These birds are insectivorous, feeding mainly on spiders, caterpillars, and beetles, during the breeding season, which typically takes place between May and august. Males sing loudly and persistently to attract a mate.
Kerguelen Tern
The Kerguelen tern, scientifically known as Stevirgategata, is a stunning seabird in the southern Indian Ocean. Their breeding habitat is on the Kerguelen Islands, after which they have been named. Kerguelen terns are one of many bird species that start with K.
Their distinctive appearance includes a black cap, greyish body, wings, white cheek, and legs. They have a sharp, short reddish bill and are small, measuring about 33 cm long.
They are known to eat marine invertebrates and fish, which they hunt from different water bodies. In coastal areas, there are many other types of terns, like royal terns.
Breeding season for Kerguelen terns starts in November and continues until December. During this time, they form large colonies on rocky shores, and females lay a single egg in a small scrape.
king PenKing
These birds that start with K live in the southern hemisphere, specifically in the sub-Antarctic regions, where they feed on krill, squid, and fish.
Birds that start with K
The scientific name of the King Penguin is Aptenodytes patagonicus, one of the most stunning birds. King Penguins have a white underbelly, yellow cheeks, a black face, and upper portions like all other penguin species.
It’s easy to differentiate between the male and female, as the adult male King Penguins are larger than the females. Moreover, they’re social creatures and gather in large colonies to breed, with a unique courtship dance that’s charming and attractive.
Kingfisher
The Kingfisher, a magnificent bird species with the scientific name Alcedo, is found in its natural habitats in the lowlands of the American tropics, from southern Mexico to Central America, northern Argentina, South America, and Southern Africa.
These small birds have metallic blue, orange plumage and blackish long pointed bills, and the females have a red patch at the base.
These birds feed on fish, small aquatic creatures and insects, and they are excellent divers, plunging into water from perches or hovering above the water.
Due to their habitat loss and degradation, many species of birds that start with K, including the Kingfisher, are facing a decline in numbers.
Karoo lark
The scientific name of the Karoo lark is Calendulauda albescens found in the subtropical or tropical dry shrubland regions of southern Africa.
Birds that start with K
It has striking brown and rusty wings, with a distinctive dark brown and white head pattern. Karoo larks feed on insects and seeds found on the ground. It is a medium-sized lark bird known as the red-backed lark and belongs to the lark family.
Unfortunately, like many other birds beginning with K, the Karoo lark is also greatly affected by habitat loss in southern Africa. As a result, their numbers have diminished, and they are now classified as endangered species.
kiwi
The iconic kiwis are birds that start with k, and the scientific name of this flightless bird is Apteryx australis. This flightless bird is endemic to New Zealand. Their appearance includes a long- bill, a small round brown body and feathers that look like hair.
Birds that start with K
Despite being flightless, the kiwi is a skilled runner and can reach up to 12 mph speeds. Its diet primarily consists of insects, worms, and fruits, which it hunts for at night with its keen sense of smell.
Kelp Geese
The scientific name of Kelp Geese is Chloephaga hybrida, and they are coastal birds that start with K. These birds are found in different parts of southern South America, Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Birds that start with K
These birds have white colour, black bills, and yellow feet. However, female geese have dark grey streaks on their chests and yellow feet.
Kelp Geese feed on seaweed and other marine vegetation, which they pluck from the rocky shorelines where they make their homes. Despite their primarily vegetarian diet, they are considered opportunistic predators and have been known to consume small invertebrates and fish when available.
Kirtland’s Warbler
The Kirtland warbler is known to natives of Michigan as the Jack Pine bird. These songbirds are found in Wisconsin and Ontario. Their scientific name is Setophaga kirtlandii.
These birds have unique appearance brightly yellow underparts, grey-blue upperparts, and a distinctive black mask around their eyes.
The Kirtland’s warbler feeds on insects and caterpillars, and its breeding habitat consists of young jack pine forests, which are essential to its survival. The population of these birds is declining due to habitat loss.
Kashmir Flycatcher
These small birds start with K and are found in coastal areas. Usually inhabits South America, central Sri Lanka, and the Western Ghats of India. Its scientific name is Ficedula suburbia, and it belongs to the Muscicapidae family.
Its diet consists mainly of insects like beetles, moths, flies, fruits and berries.
Its attractive appearance includes a yellow throat, greyish upper part, black wings, and tail. These small birds are closely related to other flycatchers, like the red-breasted and white-gorged flycatchers.
King Eider
The king eider’s scientific is Somateria spectabilis, found in coastal Greenland, Northern Alaska, Siberia, Northern Hemisphere, and Northern Canada.
Birds that start with K
The scientific name of the king eider is Somateria spectabilis, and it certainly lives up to its name with its impressive appearance. This large bird boasts striking plumage with black, white, and vibrant shades.
The king eider’s diet consists mainly of molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish, which it catches underwater. Interestingly, these birds have a unique relationship with the Kelp Geese of the southern hemisphere.
Despite living on opposite ends of the earth, these two species have similar foraging habits and may even compete for the same food sources.
Q. What popular birds start with K?
Kingfisher, Kashmir flycatcher, and Karoo thrushes are popular birds that start with K.
Q. What are the four types of different k birds?
King eiders, karoo thrush, keel-billed toucans, and karoo korhaan are the four different types of birds that start with K.
Q. Is there a bird that starts with K?
Killdeer Plover is a bird that starts with the letter K.
Finally, checkout the entire series of birds that start with or begin with the letter: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.
Hi, I’m Olivia Kepner and I am a zookeeper here in San Diego. Since I was a young girl I have always been fascinated by animals and species across the globe.
I used to beg my parents to take me to our local zoo every single weekend. Well, I say local – it was more like a two hour drive away. But they took me as much as they could, allowing me to fall in love with the animals again and again.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy
