Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean Sea west of the Italian Peninsula, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the Italian island of Sardinia. Mountains make up two-thirds of the island, forming a single chain. The island has an area of 8,722km2 (3,368sqmi) and measures 183km (114mi) in length (north to south) and 83km (52mi) east to west.[2]
The status of each species is based on the annotated list by Jean-Claude Thibault and Gilles Bonaccorsi published in 1999 with supplemental additions from Avibase. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Accidental species are included in the total species count for Corsica. As with its parent List of birds of Metropolitan France, this list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (English and scientific names) are those of the IOC World Bird List, Version 14.2 (2024).[3]
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
These are terrestrial species of gamebirds, feeding and nesting on the ground. They are variable in size but generally plump, with broad and relatively short wings.
Common pheasant - Phasianus colchicus - (French: faisan de Colchide) introduced breeder
Common quail - Coturnix coturnix - (French: caille des blés) breeding visitor and passage migrant
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Alpine swift - Apus melba - (French: martinet à ventre blanc) breeding visitor and passage migrant
Common swift - Apus apus - (French: martinet noir) breeding visitor and passage migrant
Pallid swift - Apus pallidus - (French: martinet pâle) breeding visitor and passage migrant
Little swift - Apus affinis - (French: martinet des maisons) accidental visitor
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and moorhens. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. Many are shy and secretive birds, but some are bold and conspicuous. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and appear to be to be weak fliers, though many are capable of long-distance migration.
Water rail - Rallus aquaticus - (French: râle d'eau) resident breeder, passage migrant and winter visitor
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Common crane - Grus grus - (French: grue cendrée) passage migrant and winter visitor
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Little grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis - (French: grèbe castagneux) resident breeder and winter visitor
Flamingos are gregarious warm temperate to tropical wetland birds, usually 1 to 1.5 metres (3ft 3in to 4ft 11in) high, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shrimps and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
The stone-curlews, also called thick-knees, are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes, and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterel, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized waders including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, woodcock, snipe, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings, and pointed bills which curve downwards.
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls and terns. Gulls are typically grey and white, often with black markings on the head and wingtips. They have stout, longish, bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally small to medium seabirds typically with grey and white plumage, often with black cap on the head, but more extensive black in some species. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Gulls and terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large sea birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Great skua - Stercorarius skua - (French: grand Labbe) passage migrant
A family of seabirds which are superficially similar to penguins with their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits but which are able to fly.
Little auk - Alle alle - (French: mergule nain) accidental visitor
Razorbill - Alca torda - (French: petit pingouin) passage migrant
Divers are a group of aquatic birds found in northern parts of North America and Eurasia. They are around the size of a cormorant, which they somewhat resemble in shape when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated. In particular, their legs are set very far back which assists swimming underwater but makes walking on land extremely difficult.
The albatrosses are among the largest flying birds, with long, narrow wings for gliding. The majority are found in the Southern Hemisphere with only vagrants occurring in the North Atlantic.
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wetland birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Black stork - Ciconia nigra - (French: cigogne noire) passage migrant
White stork - Ciconia ciconia - (French: cigogne blanche) passage migrant and winter visitor
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium-to-large fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage.
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and, despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Northern bald ibis - Geronticus eremita - (French: ibis chauve) introduced species
The family Ardeidae contains bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
Great bittern - Botaurus stellata - (French: butor étoilé) passage migrant and winter visitor
Little bittern - Ixobrychus minutus - (French: blongios nain) breeding visitor and passage migrant
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. They have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.
Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disc.
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. There are 13 species worldwide; one species occurs in Corsica.
European roller - Coracias garrulus - (French: rollier d'Europe) passage migrant and possibly occasional breeder
The bee-eaters are a group of birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, and nutcrackers. Corvids are larger than the average size for species in the order Passeriformes and some show high levels of intelligence and exceptional spatial memory.
Eurasian jay - Garrulus glandarius - (French: geai des chênes) resident breeder
Eurasian magpie - Pica pica - (French: pie bavarde) occasional breeder and passage migrant
The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.
The tits are mainly small stocky woodland species with short but strong bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding on flying insects. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Sand martin - Riparia riparia - (French: hirondelle de rivage) passage migrant
Eurasian crag martin - Ptyonoprogne rupestris - (French: hirondelle de rochers) resident breeder
Barn swallow - Hirundo rustica - (French: hirondelle rustique) passage migrant and breeding visitor
Western house-martin - Delichon urbicum - (French: hirondelle de fenêtre) passage migrant and breeding visitor
European red-rumped swallow - Hirundo rufigula - (French: hirondelle rousseline) passage migrant and occasional breeder
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects, spiders and small seeds.
Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow or white below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.
The members of this family are medium size to large warblers. Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above and yellow to pale buff below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, and several species in Africa.
Great reed warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus - (French: rousserolle turdoïde) breeding visitor and passage migrant
Moustached warbler - Acrocephalus melanopogon - (French: lusciniole à moustaches) passage migrant, winter visitor and occasional breeder
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
The Cisticolidae are a family of warblers found in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance, found in open country such as grassland or scrub.
Zitting cisticola - Cisticola juncidis - (French: cisticole des joncs) resident breeder and passage migrant
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous birds. They mainly occur in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa; the highest diversity is in the Mediterranean region. Most are generally grey-brown, but often with black or grey head patterns, and a white throat; some have a reddish breast and/or rufous wings. Many have distinctive songs.
Eurasian blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla - (French: fauvette à tête noire) resident breeder, passage migrant and winter visitor
The crests and kinglets are a small family of birds which resemble some warblers. They are very small insectivorous birds in the single genus Regulus. The adults have coloured crowns, giving rise to their name.
The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin down-turned bills, and often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. The family is almost entirely found in the New World, with just one species widespread in the Old World, including Corsica.
Eurasian wren - Troglodytes troglodytes - (French: troglodyte mignon) resident breeder and possibly a passage migrant
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet. The Corsican nuthatch is France's sole endemic species.
The wallcreeper is a small bird of mountain crags related to the nuthatch family, which has stunning crimson, grey, and black plumage. It is the only species in its family.
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Their plumage is variable; many are dark with a strong to very strong metallic sheen, others are brightly patterned in pink, yellow, or other colours.
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft-plumaged, small-to-medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Old World flycatchers are a large group of birds which are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements.
Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Rock sparrow - Petronia petronia - (French: moineau soulcie) resident breeder and passage migrant
The accentors and dunnocks are the only bird family which is endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows, but with a slender bill.
Alpine accentor - Prunella collaris - (French: accenteur alpin) resident breeder and possibly a winter visitor
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
Western yellow wagtail - Motacilla flava - (French: bergeronnette printanière) passage migrant and occasional breeder
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Common chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs - (French: pinson des arbres) resident breeder, passage migrant and winter visitor
Brambling - Fringilla montifringilla - (French: pinson du Nord) passage migrant and winter visitor
The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds which had been traditionally grouped with the buntings, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.
Thibault, Jean-Claude; Bonaccorsi, Gilles (1999). The Birds of Corsica: An Annotated Checklist. BOU Checklist Number 17. Tring, Herts. UK: British Ornithologists' Union. ISBN0-907446-21-3. An updated version of this checklist without the annotations is available as a pdf from Corse-Ornitho.
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