Birds That Start With S – List With Pictures And Facts

Last Updated on September 11, 2026

Say the alphabet out loud, and S probably brings more birds to mind than almost any other letter; sparrows, swans, storks, and starlings are all common enough that most people could name one without thinking twice. This guide goes further, working through a full set of bird names that start with the letter ‘S’ and mixing in a few species that rarely make anyone’s first list, like the shoebill and secretarybird. 

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Each entry among these birds that start with ‘S’ for preschoolers and kids comes with a picture and a short handful of facts worth remembering. The point of collecting these ‘S’ letter bird names isn’t just recognition; it’s giving children a real reason to care about each species, whether that’s an unusual hunting style or a call that carries for miles. Here’s the full list. 

List Of Bird Names That Start With ‘S’

There’s a lot of ground to cover with birds beginning with ‘S’, from birds that never leave the water’s edge to ones built for stomping across dry grassland. Below is a selection of well-known species, along with facts and sightings to help kids recognise them. 

1. Swan

The swan is a large, graceful waterbird known for its long, curved neck and pure white feathers. 

Did You Know?

• Swans are among the heaviest flying birds in the world. 
• They mate for life and fiercely defend their nesting territory. 
• A group of swans on water is called a “bevy.” 
• Despite their calm appearance, swans can hiss loudly and act aggressively when threatened. 

Where You Might See: Swans are commonly found on lakes and rivers across the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America. 

2. Sparrow

The sparrow is a small, familiar bird known for its cheerful chirping and close association with human settlements. 

Did You Know?

• Sparrows are one of the most widespread wild bird species in the world. 
• They often build messy, untidy nests in gaps around buildings. 
• Sparrows are highly social and usually seen in noisy groups. 
• Their population has declined in some cities, raising conservation concerns. 

Where You Might See: Sparrows are found across most of the world, particularly in towns, cities, and farmland. 

3. Seagull

The seagull is a familiar coastal bird known for its loud calls, bold behaviour, and opportunistic feeding habits. 

Did You Know?

• Seagulls are highly intelligent and have learnt to drop shellfish onto hard surfaces to crack them open. 
• They can live for over 30 years in the wild. 
• Seagulls are known to steal food directly from unsuspecting beachgoers. 
• They are strong fliers, able to cover long distances over open water. 

Where You Might See: Seagulls are widely found along coastlines in the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America. 

4. Stork

The stork is a tall wading bird known for its long legs, long beak, and association with folklore about delivering babies. 

Did You Know?

• Storks are mostly silent birds, communicating instead by clattering their beaks together. 
• They build enormous nests, often reused and expanded over many years. 
• Storks fly with their necks fully extended, unlike herons. 
• Many stork species migrate thousands of kilometres between breeding and wintering grounds. 

Where You Might See: Storks are found across Europe, Africa, and Asia, particularly near wetlands and open farmland. 

5. Starling

The starling is a glossy, dark-feathered bird known for its remarkable ability to mimic sounds and songs. 

Did You Know?

• Starlings can imitate car alarms, other birds, and even human speech. 
• Large flocks of starlings perform stunning aerial displays known as murmurations. 
• Their feathers shimmer with shades of purple and green in the sunlight. 
• Starlings are highly social birds and rarely seen alone. 

Where You Might See: Starlings are widely found across the United Kingdom and Europe, and have also spread to parts of North America. 

6. Swallow

The swallow is a graceful, fast-flying bird known for its deeply forked tail and long-distance migration. 

Did You Know?

• Swallows can travel thousands of kilometres between their breeding and wintering grounds. 
• They build cup-shaped nests from mud, often under the eaves of buildings. 
• Swallows catch insects while flying, rarely landing to feed. 
• They are known to return to the very same nest site year after year. 

Where You Might See: Swallows are found almost worldwide, breeding across the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and North America. 

7. Snowy Owl

The snowy owl is a large, striking owl known for its thick white feathers, well suited to Arctic conditions. 

Did You Know?

• Snowy owls are one of the few owl species active during the day. 
• Male snowy owls become almost pure white as they age, while females keep more dark markings. 
• They can spot prey from over a kilometre away. 
• Snowy owls hunt mainly lemmings, though they will take birds and other small mammals. 

Where You Might See: Snowy owls are found in Arctic regions, including parts of Canada, Alaska, and northern Scandinavia. 

8. Skylark

The skylark is a small, ground-dwelling songbird known for singing melodiously while flying high into the sky. 

Did You Know?

• Skylarks can sing continuously for several minutes while hovering high above the ground. 
• They build their nests directly on the ground, hidden among grass. 
• Skylarks mainly feed on seeds and insects found in open fields. 
• Their song has inspired poets and musicians for centuries. 

Where You Might See: Skylarks are widely found across the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia, particularly in open farmland and grassland. 

9. Scarlet Macaw

The scarlet macaw is a large, vividly coloured parrot known for its bright red, yellow, and blue feathers. 

Did You Know?

• Scarlet macaws can live for 50 years or longer in the wild. 
• They have an extremely strong bite, capable of cracking open hard nuts and seeds. 
• Scarlet macaws are highly social and often mate for life. 
• Their loud calls can carry for over a kilometre through dense rainforest. 

Where You Might See: Scarlet macaws are found in the rainforests of Central and South America. 

10. Secretarybird

The secretarybird is a tall, long-legged bird of prey known for hunting on foot and stomping on snakes to kill them. 

Did You Know?

• Secretarybirds kill prey, including venomous snakes, by stomping on them with powerful, rapid kicks. 
• They can walk up to 30 kilometres in a single day while hunting. 
• Their name may come from the quill-like feathers on their head, resembling old-fashioned pens. 
• Despite hunting on foot, secretarybirds are also capable, strong fliers. 

Where You Might See : Secretarybirds are found across the grasslands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. 

11. Shoebill

The shoebill is a tall, prehistoric-looking wading bird known for its enormous, shoe-shaped beak. 

Did You Know?

• Shoebills can stand almost perfectly still for hours while waiting to ambush prey. 
• Their powerful beak can snap shut with enough force to decapitate a fish. 
• Shoebills mainly hunt lungfish, catfish, and even baby crocodiles. 
• They are known for a distinctive bill-clattering display used to greet mates or chicks. 

Where You Might See: Shoebills are found in swamps and wetlands across central and eastern Africa. 

12. Spoonbill

The spoonbill is a striking wading bird known for its long, flat, spoon-shaped beak, used to feel for food in shallow water. 

Did You Know?

• Spoonbills feed by swinging their beaks side to side through mud and shallow water. 
• Their beak is lined with sensitive nerve endings that help detect prey by touch. 
• Spoonbills often nest alongside herons and egrets in mixed colonies. 
• Several spoonbill species develop delicate plumes during the breeding season. 

Where You Might See: Spoonbills are found near wetlands across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. 

13. Sunbird

The sunbird is a small, iridescent bird known for feeding on nectar with its thin, curved beak. 

Did You Know?

• Male sunbirds often display shimmering, metallic feathers that change colour depending on the light. 
• They feed mainly on nectar, occasionally supplementing their diet with small insects. 
• Sunbirds are considered the Old World equivalent of hummingbirds. 
• They build small, hanging, pouch-like nests. 

Where You Might See: Sunbirds are found across Africa, Asia, and Australia, particularly in gardens and tropical forests. 

14. Snow Goose

The snow goose is a striking white waterbird known for travelling in enormous, noisy flocks during migration. 

Did You Know?

• Snow geese can form migrating flocks numbering in the hundreds of thousands. 
• They have a dark colour form, sometimes called a “blue goose,” in addition to their typical white plumage. 
• Snow geese mate for life and often travel as family units within larger flocks. 
• Their loud, honking calls can be heard from a considerable distance. 

Where You Might See: Snow geese breed in the Arctic and migrate to parts of the United States and Mexico for winter. 

15. Song Thrush

The song thrush is a small, spotted songbird known for repeating each phrase of its song two or three times. 

Did You Know?

• Song thrushes are known for smashing snail shells against rocks, called “anvils,” to access the soft body inside. 
• Their loud, clear song is often one of the first heard at dawn. 
• Song thrushes mainly feed on worms, insects, and snails. 
• Their spotted chest provides useful camouflage while foraging on the ground. 

Where You Might See: Song thrushes are widely found across the United Kingdom and Europe, particularly in gardens and woodlands. 

More ‘S’ Letter Birds

Beyond this list, the letter S covers several more ‘S’ starting birds’ names, many of which are lesser known but just as interesting to discover. The table below rounds up 20 additional species. 

Birds That Start With ‘S’ – Chart

If you’re trying to place what bird starts with the letter ‘S’, everything covered above is gathered together in the chart below for easy scanning. 

FAQs

1. How Does A Secretarybird Kill Venomous Snakes Without Getting Bitten? 

Secretarybirds strike with extremely fast, forceful kicks, often faster than a snake can react, allowing them to stun or kill prey before it has a chance to bite back. 

2. Why Does The Shoebill Stay So Still While Hunting? 

Shoebills rely on patience rather than speed, standing motionless for long stretches so that fish and other prey lose their sense of caution and swim close enough to be caught in a single strike. 

3. What Causes The Colour Difference Between Male And Female Snowy Owls? 

As snowy owls age, males gradually lose most of their dark markings and turn almost pure white, while females retain noticeably more barring throughout their lives. 

4. Why Do Song Thrushes Use Rocks To Break Open Snail Shells? 

Song thrushes cannot crack tough snail shells with their beaks alone, so they repeatedly smash the shell against a favourite stone, often used repeatedly and known as an “anvil,” to reach the soft body inside. 

Few letters offer quite as much range as S, stretching from the everyday sparrow to the stomping, snake-hunting secretarybird. Spending time with these bird names starting with ‘S’ gives kids’ vocabulary a real boost, especially with so many distinctive species to remember along the way.