How many species of birds are there?
Science medium Data from 2024
Guess before you scroll — the answer is below
The answer
11,000 species
Roughly 11K.
The IOC list recognises roughly 11,000 bird species, and the count keeps moving as genetic work splits and merges populations. For comparison there are about 6,500 mammal species and over a million described insects. Roughly one bird species in eight is threatened with extinction.
Where this number comes from
| Source | International Ornithological Congress World Bird List |
|---|---|
| Figure refers to | 2024 |
| Last checked | |
| Unit | species |
Numbers move. If this one has drifted from its source, let us know.
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