42 Birds That Start With C: From Backyard Favorites to Rainforest Rarities
October 24, 2026
Open any field guide and the letter C delivers one of the richest rosters in the entire bird world. Birds that start with C range from the Northern Cardinal perched on a backyard feeder to the Southern Cassowary stalking the rainforests of New Guinea, and the list keeps growing once you count towhees, tanagers, and tiny island endemics most people have never heard of.
This bird identification guide walks through 42 species whose common names begin with C, grouped loosely by familiarity so backyard birders and serious ornithology reference hunters can both find what they came for. Expect household names, desert specialists, and a few birds so rare that only a handful of researchers have ever seen them in the wild.
1. Canary
The wild ancestor of the pet-store canary is the Atlantic Canary, Serinus canaria, a small finch native to the Canary Islands, Azores, and Madeira. In the wild it wears a muted streaky green-yellow, but centuries of selective breeding produced the vivid yellow canaries recognized worldwide for their singing ability. Canaries were once carried into coal mines to detect dangerous gases, a practice that only ended when electronic sensors replaced them.
Because canaries are one of the most commonly kept pet birds in the United States, owners should know which common houseplants pose a risk; a quick check of plants that are poisonous to birds is worth doing before bringing one home.
2. Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is arguably the most recognizable bird on this list, with males sporting brilliant red plumage and a black face mask around a thick, cone-shaped beak built for cracking seeds. Females wear a softer olive-brown with red accents on the wings and crest. Unlike many songbirds, cardinals do not migrate, which is why they show up year-round at feeders across the eastern and central United States and serve as the official state bird in seven states.
That orange-red bill is one of the easiest identification shortcuts in backyard birding; readers curious about similar beak coloration across species can browse birds with orange beaks for comparison.
3. Cassowary
The Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is a flightless giant from the rainforests of New Guinea and northern Australia, standing roughly five feet tall with a tall bony casque atop its head and a dagger-like inner claw on each foot. Despite its intimidating build, the cassowary is primarily a fruit eater and plays an outsized role in dispersing rainforest seeds that few other animals can swallow whole.
Important Note: Wildlife agencies in Australia classify the Southern Cassowary as potentially dangerous to humans, and visitors to its range are advised to keep a safe distance and never approach one that appears agitated.
Its bizarre, almost prehistoric appearance also earns it a spot among the planet’s birds with weird names and stranger looks.
4. Crane
North America’s Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) is a tall, long-legged wader known for its rolling, bugling call that can carry for miles across open wetlands. Adults are mostly gray with a patch of bare red skin on the forehead, and their elaborate courtship dances, complete with bowing and leaping, are a highlight of spring wetland birding. Sandhill Cranes undertake some of the longest migrations of any North American bird, with some populations traveling thousands of miles between breeding and wintering grounds.
5. Cuckoo
The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) of Europe and Asia is best known for its two-note call, which gave cuckoo clocks their name, and for a far less charming habit: laying its eggs in the nests of other songbirds and leaving the host parents to raise the chick. This brood parasitism is so refined that cuckoo eggs often mimic the color and pattern of the host species’ own eggs.
Key Insight: Brood parasitism has evolved independently in several unrelated bird families, but cuckoos are the textbook example studied in ornithology courses worldwide.
Anyone building a full alphabetical bird list might also enjoy tracking down the handful of birds that start with X, a letter with far fewer common names to choose from.
6. Crow
The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is an all-black, highly social corvid found across most of North America. Crows live in extended family groups, remember human faces for years, and have been documented using tools and solving multi-step puzzles in laboratory studies, placing them among the most intelligent birds on Earth. Their glossy, uniformly dark plumage makes them easy to spot alongside other birds with black heads.
7. Cockatoo
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a large white parrot native to Australia and New Guinea, instantly recognizable by the bright yellow crest it raises when excited or alarmed. In captivity, cockatoos can live 40 to 60 years and form intensely strong bonds with their owners, which also means they demand far more daily attention than most people expect from a pet bird. Their striking white plumage places them firmly among birds with white wings worth knowing before adopting one.
8. Carrier Pigeon
The carrier pigeon is a trained form of the domesticated Rock Dove (Columba livia), bred for centuries for its uncanny homing ability. Armies used carrier pigeons to relay messages during both World Wars, and the sport of competitive pigeon racing, which relies on the same homing instinct, remains popular today in parts of the US and Europe. Readers assembling a complete species roster letter by letter can continue on to bird names that start with K.
9. Chicken
The domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) descends from the red junglefowl of South and Southeast Asia and is, by sheer population, the most numerous bird species on the planet. Hundreds of recognized breeds exist, raised across the US for eggs, meat, or simply as backyard companions, and a rooster’s crow at dawn remains one of the most universally recognized bird sounds in the world. For a change of letter, the list of bird names that start with I covers a very different set of species.
| Bird | Native Region | Typical Lifespan | Best Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canary | Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira | 8–10 years | Singing ability |
| Cockatoo | Australia, New Guinea | 40–60 years | Intelligence and vocal mimicry |
| Carrier Pigeon | Domesticated worldwide | 10–15 years | Long-distance homing |
| Chicken | Southeast Asia (ancestral) | 5–10 years | Eggs and meat production |
| Cockatiel | Australia | 15–20 years | Whistling and low-maintenance care |
10. Canada Goose
The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a large waterfowl species easily identified by its black head and neck broken by a white chin strap, set against a brown body. Once associated mainly with long migratory V-formations overhead, many populations have become year-round residents of parks, golf courses, and retention ponds across the United States. Those interested in less common letters can also check out bird names that start with Z.
11. Chickadee
The Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small, round songbird with a black cap and bib framing white cheeks, found across much of northern North America. Its cheerful “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call gives the species its name, and chickadees cache thousands of seeds each fall, relying on remarkable spatial memory to relocate them through winter. Their round-headed, large-eyed appearance makes them a favorite among fans of birds with big eyes.
12. Cormorant
The Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) is a dark, long-necked diving bird found on lakes, rivers, and coastlines throughout North America. Unlike ducks, cormorant feathers are not fully waterproof, so the birds are frequently seen perched with wings spread wide to dry after a dive, a posture that doubles as one of the easiest ways to identify them from a distance.
13. Cockatiel
The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) is the smallest member of the cockatoo family and a native of the Australian outback. Gray-bodied with a yellow face and, in males, bright orange cheek patches, cockatiels are prized as low-maintenance, whistling companion birds that can live 15 to 20 years with proper care.
Pro Tip: Before bringing home any pet parrot species, including canaries, cockatiels, or cockatoos, double-check household plants against a verified toxic-plant list, since several common decorative species are harmful to birds.
14. Cactus Wren
The Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is the largest wren species in the United States and the official state bird of Arizona. Its brown, heavily speckled plumage blends into desert scrub, and it builds nests tucked deep inside cholla or saguaro cacti, using the spines as natural armor against predators. Its harsh, mechanical call is unmistakable once learned, and curious readers chasing a full alphabet can jump to birds that start with Q next.
15. California Quail
The California Quail (Callipepla californica) is California’s state bird, known for the single forward-curving black plume that bobs above its head. Grayish-brown with a scaled belly pattern, these ground-dwelling birds travel in tight-knit groups called coveys through chaparral and suburban scrub across the West Coast.
16. California Thrasher
The California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum) is a large, long-tailed mimid found almost exclusively in California’s dense chaparral. Its long, strongly curved bill is built for digging through leaf litter and soil in search of insects, and like other thrashers it can mimic the songs of surrounding bird species with remarkable accuracy.
17. California Towhee
The California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) is a plain, uniformly brown sparrow relative common in backyards and scrublands throughout coastal California and Baja California. Pairs often forage together on the ground year-round, rarely straying far from the same territory for their entire lives.
18. Calliope Hummingbird
The Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) holds the title of smallest breeding bird in the United States and Canada. Males display a streaked magenta throat patch called a gorget during courtship flights, and the species breeds in mountain meadows of the western US before migrating to Mexico for winter.
19. Canvasback
The Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is a large diving duck recognized by its distinctive sloping forehead profile and, in males, a deep reddish head contrasting with a black breast and pale body. Canvasbacks breed in prairie pothole wetlands and are one of the few duck species with strikingly red eyes, a trait shared with other birds with red eyes.
20. Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) is the largest tern species in the world, found on coastlines and large inland lakes across multiple continents. Its thick, carrot-orange bill is the easiest field mark, placing it comfortably among other birds with red beaks seen patrolling shorelines for fish.
21. Cackling Goose
The Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) looks like a miniature version of the Canada Goose, with a shorter neck and a noticeably stubbier bill. It breeds on Arctic tundra and winters across parts of the United States, often mixing into larger flocks of its more familiar relative, which makes careful size and bill comparisons necessary for a confident identification.
22. Carolina Wren
The Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a small, reddish-brown bird with an outsized voice, belting out a loud “teakettle-teakettle” song from dense cover across the eastern United States. It serves as the state bird of South Carolina and tends to stay put year-round rather than migrating, even through cold winters.
23. Caatinga Cacholote
The Caatinga Cacholote (Pseudoseisura cristata) is 25 to 26 cm (9.8 to 10 in) long, a large, crested furnariid with a long bill. It is endemic to Brazil, specifically the dry, thorny Caatinga region of the northeast, and has uniform cinnamon plumage, a bushy crest, and yellow eyes, occurring in dry forests and scrub, often near human habitations.
Pairs are famously vocal: the male emits an accelerating series which finishes in a rattle, and the female gives continuous buzzy “zjeep” notes, creating a duet that researchers use to tell pairs apart in the field. According to eBird, the species forages mostly on the ground and builds large, thorny stick nests, while Wikipedia’s entry on the Caatinga cacholote notes it was once lumped with a closely related species under the name “rufous cacholote” before taxonomists split the two apart.
24. Crested Coua
The Crested Coua (Coua cristata) belongs to the cuckoo family and is endemic to Madagascar, and is the most widespread of all couas, found mainly along the island’s coastal regions. According to Wikipedia, although their population numbers are unknown, their range is thought to be 562,000 km2 along the coast of the island, found at altitudes as high as 900m above sea level.
Physically, the North Carolina Zoo describes it as having a lilac colored eye outlined in black with bright turquoise behind the eye, and greenish-grey underparts and grey head with a conspicuous pointed crest. The species is a weak flier and instead hops between branches using a reversible toe for grip, staying in small groups of three to five birds outside the breeding season.
25. Copper Pheasant
The Copper Pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringii) is endemic to the mountain forests of Japan, where males trail long, glossy, copper-red tail feathers that shimmer in dappled sunlight. Naturally shy and elusive, this pheasant spends most of its time on the forest floor and is far more often heard than seen.
26. Capuchinbird
The Capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor) is a chunky, bald-headed bird of the Amazon and Guiana Shield rainforests, named for its naked blue-gray head reminiscent of a monk’s cowl. Males gather at communal display sites called leks to produce a strange, droning moan that sounds uncannily like a cow, one of the most bizarre vocalizations in the bird world.
27. Cedar Waxwing
The Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a sleek, crested songbird with soft brown and gray plumage, a black mask, and a yellow-tipped tail. Its name comes from its fondness for cedar berries, and flocks move together through orchards and berry-laden trees, often arriving and departing a feeding tree almost in unison.
28. Common Crane
The Common Crane (Grus grus), also called the Eurasian Crane, breeds across northern Europe and Asia and winters as far south as Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Gray-bodied with a bold black-and-white head pattern and a small patch of red skin on the crown, migrating flocks announce themselves with loud, far-carrying bugling calls audible long before the birds come into view.
29. Common Coot
The Common Coot (Fulica atra) is an all-black waterbird of Europe, Asia, and Africa, easily identified by its contrasting white bill and frontal shield. Lobed toes rather than webbed feet allow it to swim efficiently, and coots are notoriously territorial, frequently chasing off rivals with aggressive splashing confrontations on open water.
30. Crested Caracara
The Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus) is an unusual falcon-family raptor with a black cap, bare orange-red facial skin, and a habit of scavenging alongside vultures as readily as it hunts live prey. Its range stretches from the southern United States through Central America into much of South America, typically in open grasslands and scrub.
Key Insight: Ornithologists have gone back and forth over whether northern and southern caracara populations represent one species or two, a reminder that bird classification is an evolving science rather than a fixed list.
31. Canada Warbler
The Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) breeds in boreal forests across Canada and the northern US, identified by a gray back, yellow underparts, and a necklace of black streaks across the chest. It undertakes one of the longest migrations of any warbler, wintering deep in the forests of northern South America.
32. Canyon Towhee
The Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca) is a plain grayish-brown bird of rocky canyons and arid scrubland across the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its understated plumage and ground-foraging habits make it easy to overlook, but its persistent, repetitive call is a familiar desert soundtrack.
33. Cape May Warbler
The Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) breeds in the spruce forests of Canada and the northern US, where males show off chestnut cheek patches against tiger-striped yellow underparts. The species has an unusual tubular tongue adapted for sipping nectar, and its population often booms during outbreaks of spruce budworm, its preferred prey.
34. Cardinal Lory
The Cardinal Lory (Chalcopsitta cardinalis) is a brilliantly red parrot native to the Solomon Islands and Bougainville, feeding primarily on nectar and pollen from flowering trees. Its loud, screeching calls carry across the forest canopy, and its all-red plumage makes it one of the most visually striking lories in the Pacific.
35. Cardinal Myzomela
The Cardinal Myzomela (Myzomela cardinalis) is a small honeyeater found on islands across the South Pacific, including Samoa and the Solomon Islands. Males wear scarlet-red plumage offset by black wings, while females are duller, and both feed primarily on nectar from flowering trees in coastal and lowland forest.
36. Cherrie’s Tanager
Cherrie’s Tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis) is found along the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and western Panama, where males display glossy black plumage set off by a vivid red rump patch. Like many tanagers, it feeds heavily on fruit and is a frequent visitor to garden feeding stations stocked with ripe bananas.
37. Cherry-Throated Tanager
The Cherry-throated Tanager (Nemosia rourei) is one of the rarest songbirds in the Americas, known only from a tiny remnant of Atlantic Forest in Espírito Santo, Brazil. The species was feared extinct for decades before a small population was rediscovered, and it remains critically endangered due to continued habitat loss.
Important Note: Several tanagers and tropical songbirds on this list, including the Cherry-throated Tanager, face serious extinction risk from deforestation, and conservation status can change quickly; readers should consult current IUCN assessments for the latest figures.
38. Chopi Blackbird
The Chopi Blackbird (Gnorimopsar chopi) is a glossy, all-black songbird found across open grasslands and savannas of South America. It has an unusual talent for vocal mimicry, including the ability to learn and reproduce whistled human tunes, a trait that unfortunately has made it a target for illegal capture in parts of its range.
39. Christmas White-Eye
The Christmas White-eye (Zosterops natalis) is endemic to Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. This small olive-green bird, identified by a thin white ring around each eye, forages actively through the forest canopy for insects and small fruit, and as an island endemic it is especially vulnerable to introduced predators and habitat disturbance.
40. Chapman’s Swift
Chapman’s Swift (Chaetura chapmani) is a fast-flying, sooty-dark swift found across parts of South America. Like other swifts, it spends nearly all its waking hours airborne hunting insects, and flocks often roost together in hollow trees or man-made structures such as chimneys when not in flight.
41. Charlotte’s Bulbul
Charlotte’s Bulbul is a less widely documented common name applied regionally within the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae, a group of medium-sized songbirds spread across Africa and Asia known for their cheerful, repetitive songs. Bulbuls as a family are highly adaptable, thriving in everything from dense forest to city gardens, and most species share a similarly slim build, short crest, and gregarious, chattering social habits.
42. Charming Hummingbird
The Charming Hummingbird (Amazilia decora) lives in the lowland forests and garden edges of Costa Rica, Panama, and northwestern Colombia. True to its name, it combines iridescent green plumage with a warm rufous tail, and like other tropical hummingbirds it defends flowering shrubs aggressively against rivals despite its small size.
Pro Tip: When trying to tell similar-looking hummingbird species apart in the field, focus on tail color and shape first; body plumage can look nearly identical in poor light, but tail patterns rarely do.
From backyard regulars like the Northern Cardinal to rainforest oddities like the Capuchinbird, this list of 42 birds that start with C only scratches the surface of global avian diversity. Anyone using this as a bird identification guide or broader ornithology reference should keep in mind that taxonomy shifts over time, species names change, and once-common birds like the Cherry-throated Tanager can slide toward extinction within a few generations. For readers building out a full A-to-Z bird species list, the letter C alone proves just how much ground a single letter can cover, and it’s worth continuing the alphabet to see how birds starting with letter A and other letters compare in both number and diversity.