RareList

Birds that start with G

64 birds, sorted from the ones everyone says first to the ones almost nobody thinks of. 12 of them are in the Rare tier or rarer.

Rare but real

Names that are easy to defend and hard to guess. Good when you need an answer no one else will have.

Garganey
Small Eurasian teal. Rare
Grayback
A sandpiper that breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere. Rare
Great skua
Large brown skua of the northern Atlantic. Rare
Guacharo
Nocturnal fruit-eating bird of South America that has fatty young yielding an oil that is used instead of butter. Rare
Goosander
Common merganser of Europe and North America. Rare
Greenshank
Large European sandpiper with greenish legs. Rare

All 64 birds that start with G

Sorted by search interest, most familiar first. The last column is average monthly US Google searches.

Showing all 64. Tap a name to copy it.

Birds that start with G, with definition, group, rarity tier and monthly searches
NameWhat it isGroup
also Black-footed albatross, Gooney, Gooney bird A variety of albatross with black feet. Birds Plankton 201K
Web-footed long-necked typically gregarious migratory aquatic birds usually larger and less aquatic than ducks. Birds Plankton 201K
Large eagle of mountainous regions of the northern hemisphere having a golden-brown head and neck. Birds Plankton 135K
also Guineabreed A west African bird having dark plumage mottled with white. Birds Plankton 135K
Brown North American horned owl. Birds Plankton 110K
also Crow blackbird Long-tailed American blackbird having iridescent black plumage. Birds Too Clever 91K
Small European finch having a crimson face and yellow-and-black wings. Birds Too Clever 74K
Large American heron having bluish-grey plumage. Birds Too Clever 74K
also Fighting cock A cock bred and trained for fighting. Birds Too Clever 61K
Popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs and feet. Birds Too Clever 61K
Mature male goose. Birds Too Clever 33K
also Catbird, Gray catbird North American songbird whose call resembles a cat's mewing. Birds Too Clever 27K
Brightly colored crested pheasant of mountains of western and central Asia. Birds Too Clever 22K
Large hawk of Eurasia and North America used in falconry. Birds Too Clever 22K
Large flightless auk of rocky islands off northern Atlantic coasts. Birds Too Clever 22K
The most common variety of prairie chicken. Birds Too Clever 22K
Small compact-bodied almost completely aquatic bird that builds floating nests. Birds Too Clever 22K
also Seagull, Sea gull Mostly white aquatic bird having long pointed wings and short legs. Birds Too Clever 22K
also Jungle fowl Small Asiatic wild bird. Birds Too Clever 18K
also Great gray owl Large dish-faced owl of northern North America and western Eurasia. Birds Too Clever 18K
Large white heron of Florida and the Florida Keys. Birds Too Clever 15K
also Greenwing Common teal of Eurasia and North America. Birds Too Clever 15K
also Gerfalcon Large and rare Arctic falcon having white and dark color phases. Birds Too Clever 15K
Large heavily built seabird with a long stout bill noted for its plunging dives for fish. Birds Too Clever 12K
also Grossbeak Any of various finches of Europe or America having a massive and powerful bill. Birds Too Clever 12K
also Canada jay, Gray jay, Camp robber A jay of northern North America with black-capped head and no crest. Birds Schooler 9.9K
The largest moa. Birds Schooler 6.6K
American golden-crested kinglet. Birds Schooler 6.6K
also Goldcrest European kinglet with a black-bordered yellow crown patch. Birds Schooler 6.6K
Large vulture of southern Europe and northern Africa having pale plumage with black wings. Birds Schooler 6.6K
Very small North American and South American warblers. Birds Schooler 5.4K
also Graylag, Greylag goose, Graylag goose Common grey wild goose of Europe. Birds Schooler 5.4K
Any of several large turkey-like game birds of the family Cracidae. Birds Schooler 5.4K
also Marsh hen, Water hen, Swamphen Any of various small aquatic birds of the genus Gallinula distinguished from rails by a frontal shield and a resemblance to domestic hens. Birds Schooler 4.4K
also Black-backed gull White gull having a black back and wings. Birds Schooler 4.4K
Small black or brown speckled auks of northern seas. Birds Schooler 4.4K
breed Any of several breeds reared for cockfighting. Birds Schooler 3.6K
Peafowl of southeast Asia. Birds Schooler 3.6K
Large wading bird that resembles a curlew. Birds Schooler 2.9K
Large scaup of North America having a greenish iridescence on the head of the male. Birds Schooler 2.9K
also Giant fulmar Large brownish petrel chiefly of Antarctic seas. Birds Schooler 2.4K
A variety of yellowlegs. Birds Schooler 2.4K
Largest European land bird. Birds Schooler 1.9K
Large Old World grebe with black ear tufts. Birds Schooler 1.9K
Woodpecker of Europe and western Asia. Birds Schooler 1.9K
also Hungarian partridge, Gray partridge Common European partridge. Birds Schooler 1.9K
Southwestern United States bird like the yellow-shafted flicker but lacking the red neck. Birds Schooler 1.6K
Plovers of Europe and America having the backs marked with golden-yellow spots. Birds Schooler 1.6K
Any bird (as grouse or pheasant) that is hunted for sport. Birds Schooler 1.3K
Bright yellow songbird with black wings. Birds Schooler 1.3K
Towhee of the Rocky Mountains. Birds Schooler 1.3K
also Gray kingbird, Petchary A kingbird that breeds in the southeastern United States and winters in tropical America. Birds Schooler 1K
Small Eurasian teal. Birds Rare 880
A sandpiper that breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere. Birds Rare 880
Large brown skua of the northern Atlantic. Birds Rare 880
also Oilbird Nocturnal fruit-eating bird of South America that has fatty young yielding an oil that is used instead of butter. Birds Rare 720
Common merganser of Europe and North America. Birds Rare 590
Large bowerbird of northern Australia. Birds Rare 320
Large European sandpiper with greenish legs. Birds Rare 320
Madagascan roller with terrestrial and crepuscular habits that feeds on e.g. insects and worms. Birds Rare 320
also Woodcock snipe Old World snipe larger and darker than the whole snipe. Birds Rare 260
Usually brightly-colored Australian weaverbirds. Birds Deep Cut 70
also Whitethroat, Sylvia communis Greyish-brown Old World warbler with a white throat and underparts. Birds Deep Cut 30
Seabirds of the order Gaviiformes. Birds One in a Krillion <10

Questions about birds that start with G

How many birds start with G?

RareList lists 64 birds that start with G, including 2 breeds. 5 are in the Plankton tier, the names everyone knows, and 12 are in the Rare tier or rarer.

What are common birds that start with G?

The most searched birds starting with G are Goonie, Goose, Golden eagle, Great horned owl and Grackle.

What is a rare bird that starts with G?

Greater whitethroat is one of the rarest. Greyish-brown Old World warbler with a white throat and underparts. It gets about 30 US searches a month. Other rare picks: Garganey, Grayback and Great skua.

How does RareList decide what counts as rare?

Each name is ranked by its average monthly Google searches in the United States. Fewer searches means fewer people are likely to think of it, which is what matters in games that reward unique answers. See how we rank for the details.