Birds That Start With N

9 birds Animals and nature Checked 9 Oct 2026

Here are 9 birds that start with N, each with a one-line description so you can tell what it is. The best-known ones come first, then the full list in A to Z order.

Night is the big theme of the N list. The nightingale sings after dark, and the nighthawk, nightjar and night heron are all active at dusk or at night. That makes these nine birds easy to sort into two camps: night birds and the rest.

The nuthatch is a small songbird with strong feet that many backyard watchers know. The nene is a rare goose native to Hawaii, and the noddy is a dark tropical tern with a pale cap. The nandu is a tall, fast-running bird that cannot fly, similar to an ostrich.

Birds starting with N: 9
Best known: nightingale, nuthatch
Longest name: nightingale

Best-known birds that start with N

The ones most people will recognise, good for school lists, quizzes and games.

nightingale
nuthatch
nene
noddy

All birds that start with N

#	Name	What it is
1	nandu	smaller of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed
2	nene	rare goose native to the Hawaiian islands
3	night heron	nocturnal or crepuscular herons
4	nighthawk	mainly nocturnal North American goatsucker
5	nightingale	European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song
6	nightjar	mainly crepuscular or nocturnal nonpasserine birds with mottled greyish-brown plumage and large eyes; feed on insects
7	noddy	dark tropical tern with a pale cap
8	nutcracker	any of various small short-tailed songbirds with strong feet and a sharp beak that feed on small nuts and insects
9	nuthatch	any of various small short-tailed songbirds with strong feet and a sharp beak that feed on small nuts and insects

Short birds with N

nene
noddy
nandu

Questions people ask

How many birds start with N?

This list has 9 birds starting with N, from well-known ones like nightingale, nuthatch, nene to rarer kinds.

What birds start with N?

Well-known examples are nightingale, nuthatch, nene, noddy.

Source: Princeton WordNet, a public dictionary database, reviewed by our editors to keep only clear, real members of the list. Meanings are short dictionary glosses.

See every letter on one page: birds A to Z