20 Best Bird Pokemon From All Generations

Birds, there are always birds flying in the air. You’ve probably had birds land on your window. In our previous post, we tackled the best dog Pokemon, and it’s an interesting topic, just like this one. It’s very exciting to discover which Pokemon are inspired by real animals.

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That being said, birds are very prominent in the Pokemon world. There are a ton of Pokemon based on birds. That’s why we’re going to make a list of the 20 best bird Pokemon around.

20 best bird pokemon

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The 20 Best Bird Inspired Pokemon

Please note that we’re not listing them based on how good they are in the games. We’re just listing the best birds to give you an idea of which ones are the cooler bird Pokemon around.

This is a fun list, and you may have your own favorite birds that aren’t on this list.

20) Murkrow

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Let’s start this best bird Pokemon list with good old Murkrow. Debuting in Gen 2, Murkrow is one of the few Pokemon to have the Dark-type considering it was new at the time.

It is Dark and Flying-type, which looks like it’s wearing a hat. Murkrow is based on a crow because both of them are wrapped with black feathers. Also, like crows, Murkrow’s Pokedex entries state that people hate it and fear it for its bad luck or the ill omen that it brings.

19) Wingull

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Wingull first appears in Gen 3 as a Water and Flying-type. In the Pokemon series main games, you may notice that there are early birds, or we’ll call them starter birds. You can catch these bird Pokemon, and most players use them later as their Fly HM slave. In Gen 3, Wingull is not the starter bird but Taillow is.

However, Wingull offers a bit of variety due to it being a Water-type. Wingull itself is based on a real-life bird which is the seagull. Its evolved form Pelipper is based on another bird which is a Pelican, where both of them have a beak mouth or beak.

18) Xatu

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Xatu is the evolved form of Natu, which debuted in Gen 2. Xatu is a Psychic and Flying-type Pokemon, and it seems to be a mixture of a bird and something else.

While we can’t determine what kind of bird it is, part of its design is based on those Native American Totem Poles. They also say that Xatu is able to look to the past through its left eye and look to the future in its right eye. They describe Xatu as a mystical bird of some sort.

17) Zapdos

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You know this wouldn’t be a best bird Pokemon list without one of the three Legendary Birds making an appearance. Zapdos, based on its name DOS meaning two or second, takes this spot.

It is an Electric and Flying-type Legendary Pokemon. Along with its two compatriots, Zapdos first appears in Gen 1 as one of the Legendaries. The design makes it look like it’s surging electricity from its body. A lot of people do rank Zapdos as their least favorite of the three. Then again, a lot of speed runners love using Zapdos.

16) Dodrio

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There’s something interesting about a three-headed Pokemon, and that’s where Dodrio comes in. This Gen 1 alumnus is the evolved form of Doduo, which only had two heads.

It’s a Normal and Flying-type Pokemon that is based on an ostrich. While ostriches in real life cannot fly, you don’t need to worry about Dodrio not being able to fly.

Much like an ostrich, Dodrio can run really fast on the ground at around 40mph. While the other two heads sleep, one stays awake to stand on guard.

15) Skarmory

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There’s nothing cooler than a bird that looks like it’s wrapped in armor. Even better, Skarmory’s body is made of steel. Being a Steel and Flying-type, Skarmory is a great addition to the list of the best bird Pokemon.

Skarmory is seemingly based on a certain breed of condor. While it doesn’t have a fluff of feathers around its neck, it resembles a condor indeed. Also, even if it is seemingly made from Steel, it can fly fast at a speed of 190mph.

It can be a bit of a pain to get one in Gen 2 and the Gen 4 remakes. It only appears on Silver and Soul Silver with a 5% encounter rate and also in Crystal.  

14) Delibird

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Delibird made its debut in Gen 2, caught in the Ice Path but only for Silver and Crystal. That much hasn’t changed in the remake, as it’s only available on Soul Silver.

The Delibird has no evolutions, and despite its red color, it’s based on a penguin. To be more specific, those penguins that you see which has special eyebrows.

The Delibird is also an Ice and Flying-type, one of the few starting Pokemon to have an Ice-type. True to its name, the Delibird has been used or associated with delivery mechanics in some of the games.

13) Altaria

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Despite its first form being Swablu just having a Normal and Flying-type, Altaria evolved to have the Dragon-type making it a very good early Pokemon to get when it first appeared in Gen 3.

Altaria’s design makes it look like its body is surrounded by clouds, but those are actually its feathers. Its head and overall body make you think it’s based on a peacock, but this isn’t officially confirmed. In the later games, Altaria also has a mega evolution form.

12) Moltres

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One of the other bird Pokemon from the Legendary Bird Trio. Moltres is a Fire and Flying-type that is seemingly the middle favorite of the Pokemon community.

Its design gives it a nice long beak, and fire spreads around its body, making it look like those feathers are burning. According to the Pokedex, Moltres fly around and drop ashes and tiny bits of flame. It is also said that when Moltres appears, spring comes right behind it.

11) Chatot

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This next one is interesting because it has an eighth musical note on its head. Chatot is a Normal and Flying-type introduced in Gen 4. If you take a look at its head, it does have that musical note as a part of its design.

It’s also based on a parrot bird which is why the name is Chatot. Even the Pokedex entries state that it can learn and talk like a human. It also produces musical notes and tunes when it shakes its tail feather.

10) Farfetch’d

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We’re halfway through our list of the best bird Pokemon, and we got another interesting fowl in the form of Farfetch’d. This one is a Normal and Flying-type, which is also one of the pioneer Pokemon in Gen 1.

It carries around a leek which it believes to be a weapon. It also has a Galarian counterpart that is only a Fighting-type. There’s a dark joke where people eat Farfetch’d since It is a duck or based on a duck, and they use the leek it carries as a part of the seasoning.

09) Swanna

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Swanna first appeared in Gen 5 as a Water and Flying-type. Its first form is Ducklett, and it writes itself. Swanna is based on a swan, and if you know the story of the ugly duckling, Ducklett is that duckling that evolves into the graceful Swanna.

It can be tricky to get a Swanna and even a Ducklett. That’s because they only appear during a Shadow phenomenon. The encounter rate is at least 20%, so it isn’t so much of a grind, but still annoying to get one of these two.

08) Rowlet

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Number 8 is Rowlet which made its debut in Gen 7. It’s a Grass and Flying-type, so it is at least competent against other Flying-types even though it has a Grass-type.

Rowlet is based on an owl, although as it evolves into its later evolutions, it loses its traits as an owl. When you look at it, it’s an adorable ball of feathers. According to the Pokedex entry, it absorbs sunlight as food during the day and becomes active at night like an owl should.

07) Articuno

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Articuno is the last of the Legendary bird trio of Gen 1, seemingly the fan favorite. There’s also a reason why it’s number one because of the UNO in its name. Articuno is an Ice and Flying-type, so it’s very resistant to ice which is one of the weaknesses of Flying-types.

Articuno is also the hardest or at least the most annoying to get out of the other three Legendary birds. It is the best bird Pokemon of the three? That could be subjective, but Articuno is strong enough to trump its other brethren.

06) Piplup

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One of the three Starters from Gen 4 is Piplup representing the Water-type. It is based on a baby penguin, and as it evolves, it becomes a bigger penguin.

What’s there to say about Piplup, aside from the fact that it is cute and adorable? It is also a fan favorite as it appears in multiple games outside the main series. Plus, it is renowned for being Dawn’s partner in the anime.

Despite its small stature, Piplup is filled with pride, and these little buggers can dive deep underwater to hunt for food.

05) Pidgeot

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We’re now in the top 5, and we’re giving it to Pidgeot as one of the best bird Pokemon. Its first form Pidgey is iconic, being the first starter bird that you can catch.

Most players kept their Pidgeys until they evolved into Pidgeot. Considered one of the best Pokemon in Gen 1, its Normal and Flying-type gave it an edge. It later got a mega evolution form making it more formidable.

What’s there to say about Pidgeot aside from the fact that most, if not all, had one in their team?

04) Ho-Oh

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We’re tackling another Legendary bird which is Ho-oh. First appearing in Gen 2 alongside its counterpart Lugia, they are the exclusives for each game. Before that, there was an argument if Lugia is a bird or not, but maybe that’s why it’s not on this list.

Ho-oh is a Fire and Flying-type and is dubbed as a Rainbow Pokemon. That’s because it has a lot of colors making up its body. In order to get one, you need to have the Rainbow Wing and go to the top of the Tin Tower to encounter it.

Ho-oh is also inspired by the mythical Phoenix bird because its lore surrounds fire and reincarnation as the Phoenix has.

03) Talonflame

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Talonflame is another Fire and Flying-type that made its debut in Gen 6. While Talonflame looks intimidating, making it look like a hawk or a falcon, it started out as a little Fletchling which is Gen 6’s starter bird.

Talonflame is one of the most popular bird Pokemon around. It’s really good to have on your team and is even one of the best in terms of gameplay. One interesting Pokedex entry is that the Talonflame loves eating Wingulls, so that’s terrifying to the Wingull, at least.

02) Hawlucha

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When you look at Hawlucha, you’ll probably think about those Luchador wrestlers. It is a mixture of those since if you look at the face of a Hawlucha, it looks like it’s wearing a mask.

Its posture alone makes it look like it’s jumping to make a wrestling move. The other part of its name Haw is probably part of being a hawk. It is also a Fighting and Flying-type, so it further solidifies it being a Luchador.

01) Staraptor

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The best bird Pokemon around, at least to us, is Staraptor. Making its debut on Gen 4, its first form Starly is the Gen’s starter bird. Staraptor is a Normal and Flying-type, and due to how it’s so good, players have on in their team up to the end. Aside from being their Fly slave, Staraptor is actually a good Pokemon to have.

It has impressive Attack and Speed, which is why players want one since it can dish out good damage and knock out opponents in one turn. Even the Pokedex states that the Staraptor is aggressive and picks fights with other Pokemon.


In Closing

That concludes our list of the 20 best bird Pokemon, according to us anyway. There are still a ton of bird Pokemon from the series that we didn’t mention. If you want to count, there are over 40 of them, but some of them are base and final evolution forms.

If you have some of your favorites that aren’t on this list, feel free to hit the comments. Birds are beautiful, and there are still a ton of them out there. In the coming new games, there might be new bird Pokemon, and one of them is a duckling wearing a cap.



About Taichee

Taichee is the ultimate writer for Pokémon gaming enthusiasts. With extensive experience, he expertly delves into popular Pokemon game series and ROM hacks for GBC, GBA, and NDS, meticulously testing cheats and sharing general gaming strategies on Pokemoncoders.

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