Energy development in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and the potential for future development have raised concerns that bird populations could be affected, particularly during the spring migration. Understanding bird vulnerability is useful not only for understanding potential impacts to birds but also for planning ways to minimize those impacts. We conducted a novel review of 318 bird species known to occur in the Gulf and assessed population, displacement, and collision vulnerability for each species. We determined vulnerability based on a review of demographics, behavioral traits, life history, morphometrics, habitat use, and conservation trends. Based on these metrics, we calculated vulnerability values for each species. Population vulnerability was highest for northern storm-petrels, shearwaters and petrels, frigatebirds, and gannets, primarily driven by low clutch size, long life span, high age at first breeding, and low global population size. Displacement vulnerability includes species circumventing their preferred habitat, such as anhinga, storm-petrels, and loons, as well as species attracted to structures, which are therefore deflected from migratory pathways during migration, such as swifts, swallows, kinglets, and gnatcatchers. Collision vulnerability was highest for species that don’t rest on the water and fly constantly during the day and night, such as osprey, swifts, nightjars, and falcons. Application of vulnerability assessments in the Gulf can identify bird species groups that are most affected by energy development. These species groups can be prioritized for future research efforts to better understand how adverse impacts can be minimized or mitigated.