Bird names that start with U are some of the shortest entries in any field guide, yet the twenty-six species on this list carry outsized stories. Several survive on a single Pacific island or one Tanzanian mountain range, and at least one may already be gone for good. Others are everyday sights across three continents, known to birders from the grasslands of Nebraska to the rice paddies of Japan.
This guide moves through flycatchers, antshrikes, owls, and one spectacular crested cotinga, pulling from current taxonomic research and field accounts. Along the way, it flags the species conservationists are racing to save and the ones that have quietly held on for millions of years. For readers who enjoy tracking down birds with unusual names, the letter U delivers more than its share.
1. Ua Pou Monarch
The Ua Pou monarch (Pomarea mira) is a small flycatcher that may no longer exist. According to Wikipedia, the Ua Pou monarch is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae, endemic to the French Polynesian island of Ua Pou, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and heavily degraded former forest.
It was considered extinct due to habitat loss, having last been observed in 1975 and not located on intensive searches in 1998 and 1999, though in 2010 an unconfirmed but convincing report of a male was observed on Ua Pou. If indeed still extant, the remaining population would be very small, certainly less than fifty.
Key Insight: The Ua Pou monarch belongs to the genus Pomarea, a group of Pacific monarch flycatchers in deep trouble. The black Fatuhiva Monarch, the Tahiti Monarch, and the black-and-white Ua Pou Monarch are all currently classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
2. Udzungwa Forest Partridge
The Udzungwa Forest Partridge (Xenoperdix udzungwensis) is one of the more unusual discoveries in modern ornithology. On 3 July 1991, the discovery of the Udzungwa Partridge in a montane forest in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains not only added a new species of bird to Africa, but a whole new genus with affinities to the hill-partridges Arborophila of the Indo-Malayan region. The field story behind that find is almost as notable as the bird itself: the Udzungwa Forest Partridge was first discovered in 1991 by western ornithologists after a pair of strange orange feet were noticed in a cooking pot in a Tanzanian forest camp.
Birds of the World notes that within a few years it became clear that in the Udzungwa Mountains, the new partridge occurs only in the large Ndundulu-Luhombero Forest where it was first discovered, and in the nearby, smaller Nyumbanitu Forest. Physically, it is a small, approximately 29 centimetres (11 in) long, boldly barred, brownish partridge with rufous face, grey underparts, olive-brown crown, and its diet consists mainly of beetles, ants and seeds.
Important Note: Population estimates vary by source. A 2021 peer-reviewed study put the figure at c.2,800 individuals (1,680–3,860) confined to less than 150 km2, while a more recent Tanzania Daily News report suggests around 10,000 individuals remain in the wild, all confined to this limited region. Either way, the species stays restricted to a tiny patch of Eastern Arc forest.
3. Uganda Woodland Warbler
The Uganda woodland warbler (Phylloscopus budongoensis) is a small, olive-green leaf warbler found in the mid-altitude and montane forests of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It forages actively in the forest canopy and understory, picking insects from leaves with quick, restless movements typical of its genus.
Its range sits almost entirely within the Albertine Rift forests, a biodiversity hotspot shared with gorillas and several other range-restricted bird species. Readers tracking East African endemics across the alphabet may also want to browse birds that start with I for a similar regional mix.
4. Ultramarine Flycatcher
The Ultramarine Flycatcher (Ficedula superciliaris) breeds across the Himalayan foothills and winters in the plains of India and Southeast Asia. Males wear a deep blue upper body set off by a bright white throat and belly, making them one of the more photogenic small flycatchers in South Asian forests.
Females and juveniles are far duller, showing grayish-brown tones that can lead new birders to misidentify them. Anyone building a broader list of vividly colored species might enjoy comparing notes with birds that start with K, which includes several equally striking Asian forest species.
5. Ultramarine Grosbeak
The Ultramarine Grosbeak (Cyanoloxia brissonii) lives in scrubby woodland and forest edges across central and eastern South America, from Bolivia and southern Brazil down into Argentina and Uruguay. Males are a rich, deep blue that can look almost black in poor light, while females wear a warm cinnamon-brown plumage entirely unlike their mates.
Like many grosbeaks, it has a thick, conical bill built for cracking seeds, though it also takes fruit and insects, especially during the breeding season when protein demands rise for feeding chicks.
6. Ultramarine Kingfisher
The Ultramarine Kingfisher (Todiramphus leucopygius) is endemic to the Solomon Islands, where it hunts insects and small vertebrates in lowland and hill forest rather than diving for fish like many of its relatives. Its deep blue back and head contrast with a white or buff underside, depending on the subspecies.
Because it rarely strays from forest interior habitat, the species is sensitive to logging pressure across its island range. Fans of remote island specialists may also want to check out birds beginning with X, another short but geographically scattered list.
7. Ultramarine Lorikeet
The Ultramarine Lorikeet (Vini ultramarina) is a small, strikingly blue parrot restricted to a handful of islands in the Marquesas archipelago of French Polynesia. It feeds on nectar and pollen from flowering trees, using a specialized brush-tipped tongue shared across the lorikeet group.
- Habitat loss from agriculture and introduced plants
- Predation by introduced rats and feral cats
- Competition from invasive bird species
- Vulnerability to tropical cyclones given its small total range
Conservation groups have moved birds between islands in an effort to establish backup populations, a strategy already used for several other Pacific parrots on the list of Q bird names facing similarly narrow ranges.
8. Upland Sandpiper
The Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) breaks the shorebird mold by nesting in grasslands and prairies rather than on mudflats or beaches. It breeds across the northern Great Plains and parts of the northeastern United States and Canada, then undertakes one of the longest migrations of any North American grassland bird.
- Breeds in tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie from May through July
- Gathers in loose flocks on short-grass fields during late summer staging
- Migrates south through Central America in a single long flight
- Winters on the pampas grasslands of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay
Its loud, rolling “wolf whistle” call carries far across open fields, often the first clue to its presence before it is ever seen. Grassland-bird enthusiasts following alphabetical lists may also like animals that start with T for a broader prairie-species comparison.
9. Unicolored Blackbird
The Unicolored Blackbird (Agelasticus cyanopus) inhabits marshes, reed beds, and wet grasslands across much of South America, from Bolivia and Brazil south to Argentina and Chile. As the name suggests, males are a solid, glossy blackish color with no obvious wing patches, setting them apart from the many pied or streaked blackbird relatives in the same family.
It nests low among dense marsh vegetation, weaving a cup nest anchored to reed stems just above the waterline, and forages for insects and seeds within reach of standing water.
10. Unicolored Jay
The Unicolored Jay (Aphelocoma unicolor) lives in humid cloud forest from central Mexico through Guatemala, Honduras, and into Nicaragua. True to its name, the plumage is a deep, uniform blue-gray without the bold patterning seen in many of its New World jay relatives.
It travels in noisy family groups through the forest mid-story, and its large, dark eyes help it track movement in the dim light beneath a dense cloud-forest canopy, a trait shared with several species covered in a broader roundup of birds with big eyes.
11. Upland Goose
The Upland Goose (Chloephaga picta) breeds across the open grasslands of southern Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. The two sexes look strikingly different: males show a mostly white head and underparts, while females wear a barred, cinnamon-brown plumage that offers better camouflage while nesting on the ground.
In flight, both sexes reveal bold white wing coverts, a pattern similar to several species profiled among birds with white wings. Flocks graze on grasses and sedges much like true geese, and some populations move to lower elevations during the harshest part of the austral winter.
12. Undulated Antpitta
The Undulated Antpitta (Grallaria squamigera) is one of the larger antpittas, found in humid montane forest along the Andes from Venezuela south to Bolivia. Its common name describes the fine, wavy barring across the breast and flanks, a pattern that helps it disappear into dappled undergrowth.
Like most antpittas, it is far easier to hear than see, delivering a low, mournful series of hooting notes at dawn from deep cover. Patient birders sometimes lure it into view with careful playback, though this technique should be used sparingly to avoid disturbing nesting pairs.
13. Unicolored Thrush
The Unicolored Thrush (Turdus haplochrous) is one of the rarest and least-recorded birds on this list, known only from a small area of humid forest in the Bolivian lowlands near the border with Brazil. Its plumage lives up to the name, showing a plain, warm olive-brown tone with little contrast between the upperparts and underparts.
Common Mistake: Because so few confirmed sightings exist, some older field reports likely confused this species with immature or female plumages of more common South American thrushes. Any claimed sighting benefits from photographs and, ideally, a recording of the call.
14. Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant
The Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant (Uromyias agraphia) is a tiny tyrant flycatcher restricted to high-elevation Polylepis woodland and shrubby scrub in the Peruvian Andes. Unlike most tit-tyrants, which show bold streaking on the breast, this species has plain, unmarked underparts, giving rise to its descriptive common name.
It forages actively near the ground and in low shrubs, gleaning small insects from leaves and bark, and its restricted habitat makes it vulnerable to the ongoing loss of Polylepis forest patches across the high Andes.
15. Usambara Eagle-Owl
The Usambara Eagle-Owl (Bubo vosseleri) is endemic to the Usambara and Nguu Mountains of northeastern Tanzania, part of the same Eastern Arc Mountains system that shelters the Udzungwa Forest Partridge farther south. It is a medium-large owl with mottled brown plumage and the prominent ear tufts typical of the genus Bubo.
| Feature | Usambara Eagle-Owl | Ural Owl |
|---|---|---|
| Range | Usambara and Nguu Mountains, Tanzania | Northern Europe to Japan |
| Habitat | Montane and submontane forest | Boreal and mixed forest |
| Relative size | Medium-large owl | Large owl, among the bigger Strix species |
Its large, forward-facing eyes give it excellent night vision for hunting rodents and large insects, a feature shared by many nocturnal species profiled on this site’s birds with big eyes list.
16. Ussher’s Flycatcher
Ussher’s Flycatcher (Melaenornis ussheri) inhabits the lowland rainforest of West Africa, from Sierra Leone and Liberia east through Ghana and into southern Nigeria. It is a small, dark flycatcher that typically perches low in the understory, sallying out to catch flying insects before returning to the same vantage point.
Because it keeps to dense forest interior and rarely visits forest edges or cleared land, it is considered a reliable indicator of intact lowland rainforest, and its decline in a given area often signals broader habitat degradation. Readers interested in comparable understory specialists can browse birds that start with I for more West and Central African forest birds.
17. Unadorned Flycatcher
The Unadorned Flycatcher (Myiophobus inornatus) occupies humid montane forest edges and shrubby clearings along the eastern slope of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia. True to its name, it lacks the crest or bright markings seen in many of its Myiophobus relatives, showing plain olive-brown plumage throughout.
It hunts small insects by sallying short distances from a low perch, a foraging style shared by dozens of tyrant flycatchers across the Andes, and its plain appearance means careful attention to range and elevation often matters more than plumage for a confident identification.
18. Umbrellabird
Umbrellabird is the common name for three large cotingas in the genus Cephalopterus, found in the humid forests of Central and South America. Males carry an oversized crest that arches forward over the bill like an umbrella, along with an inflatable throat wattle used in courtship displays.
| Species | Range | Distinguishing Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Long-wattled Umbrellabird | Western Colombia and Ecuador | Wattle can reach nearly the length of the body |
| Bare-necked Umbrellabird | Costa Rica and Panama | Bright red, feather-free throat skin |
| Amazonian Umbrellabird | Western Amazon basin | Shorter wattle, glossy black plumage |
Pro Tip: Umbrellabirds gather at traditional display sites called leks, where several males perform side by side. Local birding guides in the Chocó and Amazon regions often know these sites, making a guided outing far more productive than searching alone.
All three species rank among the more memorable entries on any list of birds with unusual names, both for their looks and for the odd common name itself.
19. Uguisu
Uguisu is the Japanese name for the Japanese Bush Warbler (Horornis diphone), a small, olive-brown bird far better known for its voice than its looks. It breeds in dense understory across Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and parts of eastern China, usually staying hidden in thickets rather than showing itself in the open.
Key Insight: In Japanese culture, the uguisu’s song has long been treated as a herald of early spring, appearing throughout classical poetry and seasonal tradition. The bird itself, however, is far less visible than its cultural reputation might suggest.
Its loud, variable song carries well beyond what its small size would suggest, and experienced birders in Japan often identify it by ear long before spotting it in the brush.
20. Uniform Crake
The Uniform Crake (Amaurolimnas concolor) is a secretive rail found in swampy forest and dense wetland vegetation from southern Mexico through Central America and into parts of northern South America. Its plain, reddish-brown plumage and reluctance to leave cover make it one of the hardest rails to observe reliably.
It walks rather than flies when startled, slipping through tangled vegetation close to the ground, and most records come from its distinctive call rather than a direct sighting. Birders chasing similarly elusive wetland species might also enjoy birds that start with Z for another short, tricky-to-find list.
21. Upland Antshrike
The Upland Antshrike (Thamnophilus aroyae) occupies humid montane forest on the eastern slope of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia, typically at mid-elevations between the lowland rainforest and the high cloud forest. Males show a bold pattern of black, white, and gray, while females carry warmer rufous and brown tones.
It forages in pairs or small family groups, often joining mixed-species flocks that move through the forest understory together, a common strategy among Andean antbirds for spotting predators and locating insect prey more efficiently.
22. Undulated Tinamou
The Undulated Tinamou (Crypturellus undulatus) is a ground-dwelling bird of the Amazon basin and surrounding lowland forests, named for the fine, wavy barring across its back and wings. Like all tinamous, it is a strong runner that prefers slipping away on foot through dense cover rather than taking flight.
Its low, mournful whistled call is a familiar sound across much of lowland South America at dawn and dusk, even though the bird itself stays almost entirely hidden in leaf litter and undergrowth.
23. Upland Pipit
The Upland Pipit (Anthus sylvanus) breeds on open, rocky slopes and grassy hillsides across the Himalayan foothills and parts of South and Southeast Asia. It shows the streaked brown plumage typical of pipits, built for blending into dry grass and scree rather than standing out.
Unlike many pipits that favor lowland fields, this species sticks to steep, open terrain at moderate to high elevations, delivering its simple song from a rock or low perch during the breeding season.
24. Ural Owl
The Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) ranges across a broad swath of boreal and mixed forest from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe through Russia to Japan and Korea. It is a large, pale owl with a relatively long tail for its genus, and it hunts rodents and other small mammals from a perch within dense forest cover.
Females defending a nest are notably aggressive toward intruders, including researchers who approach too closely, a trait well documented in long-term studies of the species across Finland and Scandinavia. Its pale, almost white facial disc and underparts place it among the more recognizable large owls discussed alongside birds with white wings and other pale-plumaged species.
25. Uhehe Fiscal
The Uhehe Fiscal (Lanius marwitzi) is a shrike restricted to the highland grasslands and scrub of the Uhehe Plateau in south-central Tanzania, the same general region that gives the bird its name. It shows the black-and-white pattern typical of fiscal shrikes, using an exposed perch to scan for insects and small prey below.
Its narrow range and reliance on open highland habitat make it sensitive to agricultural conversion of its native grassland, a pressure shared by several other Tanzanian highland endemics. Readers exploring East African specialties across the alphabet may enjoy comparing it with entries on birds that start with I.
26. Uniform Antshrike
The Uniform Antshrike (Thamnophilus unicolor) lives in the humid understory of Andean foothill forest from Colombia south through Ecuador into Peru and Bolivia. Males are a plain, dark slate-gray throughout, while females show warmer olive-brown tones, consistent with the sexual dimorphism common across the antshrike family.
It forages low in dense vegetation, often in pairs, picking insects from leaves and stems rather than following army-ant swarms the way some of its relatives do. Its understated plumage and quiet habits make it one of the easier “uniform” and “unicolored” U birds to overlook, despite a wide range across the tropical Andes.
From a possibly extinct Pacific flycatcher to a shrike found on a single Tanzanian plateau, the birds whose names start with U share a pattern: many occupy small, specific ranges that leave little room for error when habitat disappears. Field guides and regional checklists remain the best tools for tracking down any of these species, and local birding groups often know the most current status for the rarest among them.