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Photo credit: Daniel Schwen
The Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) is a large white-headed gull that lives on the western coast of North America. It is a large gull, around 60 cm long with a white head and body, and gray wings. It has a yellow bill with a red subterminal spot (this is the small spot near the end of the bill that chicks peck in order to stimulate feeding).
Photo credit: Fir0002
The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus, female shown here) is a member of the Old World sparrow family Passeridae. It occurs naturally in most of Europe and much of Asia, but has been introduced to most other parts of the world. Despite being so common, it is often confused with the smaller and slimmer Tree Sparrow.
The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a North American jay which can be found over a very large area of the eastern side of the continent. It is mainly a bird of mixed woodland, but also of parks and gardens in some towns and cities. Its food is sought both on the ground and in trees and includes virtually all known types of plant and animal sources.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Barred Owl (Strix varia), commonly known as the hoot owl, is a large typical owl. Its breeding habitat is dense woods across Canada, the eastern United States and south to Central America. They hunt at dawn, dusk, or night, by waiting on a high perch or flying through the woods and swooping down on prey. They mainly eat small mammals, such as mice and rabbits, and also small birds.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri, female shown here) is a small hummingbird found in open semi-arid areas near water in the western United States, northern Mexico and southern British Columbia. They are migratory and most winter in Mexico.
Photo credit: Mdf
A female American Wigeon (Anas americana), a common and widespread duck which breeds in northern North America. It is the New World counterpart of the Eurasian Wigeon. This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range.
A House Sparrow, a "true sparrow" of the family Passeridae, as opposed to American sparrows. There are other birds, such as the Dunnock, also known as a Hedge Sparrow — a relic of the old practice of calling any small bird a "sparrow". There are 35 species of Old World sparrows, in four genera.
Photo credit: Mdf
A female Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis), a medium-sized grouse native to the boreal forests or taiga across Alaska, Canada and the northern United States. Grouses nest on the ground in dense growth. They are not migratory, but some move short distances by foot to a different location for winter.
Photo credit: Diliff
The Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Despite the name, the gull's head is only black during the summer. In winter the head becomes white as seen here, leaving just dark vertical streaks.
Photo credit: Fir0002
The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is a species of pelican widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous—particularly in the male.
Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson
A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk eating a California Vole. This act, called predation, is a biological interaction where a predator species kills and eats others, known as prey. Predators are either carnivores or omnivores. Herbivores are usually treated separately, but from an ecological perspective, the activities of the herbivorous species that kill the organism they feed on is functionally the same as predation.
Photo credit: Alan D. Wilson
A male Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) in flight. This species of pigeon, native to western and southern Europe and North Africa, is known throughout the world, although pure Rock Pigeons are increasingly rare, having been displaced by the domesticated version. Some pigeon breeds such as homing pigeons have been extremely useful to humans.
Photo credit: Alan D. Wilson
A Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) in mid-flight. This species of whistling duck breeds in the southernmost United States and tropical Central and South America. As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear whistling waa-chooo call.
The Willet (Tringa semipalmata) is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family. Adults have gray legs and a long, straight, dark and stout bill. The body is dark gray above and light underneath. The tail is white with a dark band at the end. The distinctive black and white pattern of the wings is a common sight along many North American coastal beaches.
Photo credit: Fir0002
An Eastern Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus ornatus) with nesting material in its mouth. This subspecies of the Striated Pardalote, the least colourful and most common of the four pardalote species, is found in subtropical areas of Eastern Australia. They are more often heard than seen, foraging noisily for lerps and other small creatures in the treetops.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) is a member of the grebe family of water birds. In summertime, adults are unmistakable, due to their red neck and white throat. In winter, the Red-necked Grebe is duskier than most grebes, with no white above the eye, and a thick, yellowish bill. It is a somewhat large grebe, about the same size as an average duck.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens, female shown here) is a large hummingbird that breeds in mountains from the southwestern United States to western Panama. The bird appears very dark unless the sun catches the iridescence of the plumage and the brilliant colours flash in the sunlight. It is generally about 13 cm long, with males weighing 10 g and females 8.5 g. The black bill is long and slightly curved.
Photo credit: K.-M. Hansche
The Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) is a species of owl resident in much of Europe and southern Russia. It is a medium-sized earless owl, 37-43 cm in length with an 81-96 cm wingspan. The Tawny Owl is stocky with a large rounded head and rounded wings. This species probably injures more people than any other European bird. It is fearless in defence of its nest and young, and strikes for the intruder's face with its sharp talons. Since its flight is silent, at night in particular it may not be detected until too late.
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Photo credit: André Karwath/Debivort
The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a migratory wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It is the most widespread ibis species and can be found in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas. The Glossy Ibis falls under the conservation protection of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.
Photo credit: Sean Breazeal
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird common to Canada and the northern United States. In appearance the bird is similar to the Common Snipe, which can be found in northern Europe and Russia. Normally shy, the bird prefers to remain hidden in marshy grasses and watered fields, probing for worms and other invertebrates with its sensitive beak. In spring and early summer the Snipe is heard and seen more frequently as male birds search for mates and pairs establish nesting locations.
Photo credit: Daniel Schwen
A young fluffed up female Blackbird (Turdus merula). Unlike males, who are all black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill, females have brown plumage and a brown beak. Blackbirds are common in woods and gardens over all of Europe and much of Asia south of the Arctic Circle. Females are aggressive in the spring when competing with others for good nesting territory.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) is a New World warbler. It is the most widespread Dendroica warbler, breeding in almost the whole of North America and down to northern South America. Shown here is a member of the aestiva group of subspecies, which average about 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length and 9 g (0.32 oz) in mass.
Image credit: L. Shyamal
An illustrated comparison of different types of bird beaks, displaying the different shapes that are a result of different feeding adaptations. Bird heads are not shown to scale.
A – Nectar feeding (Sunbird)
B – Insectivore (Flycatcher)
C – Granivore (Grosbeak)
D – Specialist seed eater (Crossbill)
E – Fishing (Kingfisher)
F – Netting (Pelican)
G – Filter feeding (Flamingo)
H – Surface probing (Avocet)
I – Probing (Ibisbill)
J – Surface skimming (Skimmer)
K – Raptorial
Photo credit: Wolfgang Wander
The White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is a medium-sized sparrow native to North America. Their breeding habitat is brushy areas across northern Canada and the western United States. Its call has many dialects, but one subspecies sounds similar to "You can't come and catch me!"
Photo credit: Wolfgang Wander
The Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) is a small owl native to eastern North America. Usually solitary, they nest in a tree cavity, either natural or excavated by a woodpecker; they will also use nesting boxes. They are strictly nocturnal, roosting during the day in cavities or next to tree trunks. They mainly eat large insects and small rodents, as well as small birds. They are active at night or near dusk, using their excellent hearing and night vision to locate prey.
Photo credit: Whit Welles
The Senegal Wattled Plover (Vanellus senegallus) is a large lapwing, a group of largish waders in the family Charadriidae. It is a resident breeder in most of Sub-Saharan Africa outside the rainforests, although it has seasonal movements. These are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are large brown waders with a black crown, white forehead and large yellow facial wattles. The tail is white, tipped black and the long legs are yellow.
Emperor Penguin life-cycle
Image credit: Zina Deretsky, NSFThe life-cycle of the Emperor Penguin, the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. Adults spend nine months of the year breeding and caring for the egg and chick, during which they must trek across 90 km (56 mi) of ice and go without eating for up to four months. This cycle was depicted in the popular film March of the Penguins.
Photo credit: Paul Thomsen
The Magpie-goose is a type of waterbird found in the countries of Australia and New Guinea. In the state of Victoria, Australia, the bird was listed 'near threatened' in 2007, but is not considered threatened in the rest of the country. It is a unique member of the order Anseriformes, and arranged in a separate family and genus.
Photo credit: Chuck Szmurlo
The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a critically endangered species of North American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. It has the largest wingspan of any bird found in North America and is one of the heaviest. The condor is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion. The California Condor is one of the world's rarest bird species. In 1987, all 22 remaining wild individuals were captured. Thanks to captive breeding, numbers rose, and beginning in 1991, they were reintroduced to the wild. As of March 2008, there are 297 condors known to be living including 146 in the wild.
Photo credit: Alain Carpentier
The Great Blue Heron is a wading bird in the heron family, common over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. Great blue herons can be found in a range of habitats, in fresh and saltwater, but always near bodies of water. They feed by using their long legs to wade into the water and then catch fish or frogs with their long bill.
Photo credit: Mdf
A Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) hanging on a bird feeder. This woodpecker species' breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the eastern-central United States. Adults are strikingly tri-colored, with a black back and tail and a red head and neck. Their underparts are mainly white. The wings are black with white secondary remiges. It is often confused with the Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and generally common across much of its North American range.
Photo credit: Mdf
The American Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) is a New World vulture which lives from the southeastern United States to South America. Despite the similar name and appearance, this species is unrelated to the Eurasian Black Vulture. With a wingspan of 1.5 m (5 ft) the American Black Vulture is a large bird but is relatively small for a vulture. It has black plumage, a featherless, grayish-black head and neck, and a short, hooked beak.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is the only mockingbird commonly found in North America. It breeds in southeastern Canada, the United States, northern Mexico, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and the Greater Antilles. This species has occurred in Europe as an extreme rarity.
Photo credit: Benjamint444
A Red-capped Plover chick (Charadrius ruficapillus) adopting a camouflaged position that helps it avoid detection by predators such as gulls and crows. This plover species is widespread throughout Australia.
Photo credit: Benjamint444
A Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) in first-year plumage, taken in southeastern Australia at Wingan Inlet in the Croajingolong National Park. This tern breeds in tropical and subtropical coastal parts of the Old World from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific and Australia.
An adult Dunlin (Calidris alpina) in breeding plumage. This bird is one of the most common and best-known waders throughout its breeding and wintering ranges, and it is the species with which other waders tend to be compared.
Photo credit: Eric Baetscher
A Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) looking for food on a partially frozen pond in Massachusetts. This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Canada Geese are also found naturally on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, eastern China, and throughout Japan. They have reached northern Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries.
Photo credit: Fir0002
A Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta) in flight. This passerine bird is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long, with a glossy dark blue crown, a grey back and white underparts. It is similar to the Willie Wagtail, though the lack of a black throat & white eyebrow are distinguishing features. Its main food is insects.
Photo credit: Mdf
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. The similarity between the orange-red coloring of its breast to that of the smaller and unrelated European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) led to its common name. It is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering south of Canada from Florida to central Mexico and along the Pacific Coast.
Photo credit: Benjamint444
Two Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) chicks, one day after fledging. The Welcome Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family native to Australia and nearby islands, but not until recently to New Zealand. It is very similar to the Pacific Swallow.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) is a small American sea duck of the genus Bucephala. The name Bufflehead is a combination of buffalo and head, referring to the oddly bulbous head shape of the species. This is most noticeable when the male puffs out the feathers on the head, thus greatly increasing its apparent size.
Photo credit: John O'Neill
A Brolga (Grus rubicunda), sometimes known as the 'Native Companion' or 'Australian Crane', in Victoria, Australia. This individual is approximately 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height. A common gregarious wetland bird species in tropical and eastern Australia, the Brolga is well known for its intricate mating dance.
Photo credit: Mike Baird
The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is a large North American shorebird, similar in appearance to the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs. Its closest relative, however, is the Greenshank, together with which and the Spotted Redshank it forms a close-knit group. They are also the largest shanks apart from the Willet, which is altogether more robustly built.
Photo credit: Richard Bartz
The Bearded vulture or Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus), is an Old World vulture, the only member of the genus Gypaetus. It breeds on crags in high mountains in southern Europe, Africa, India and Tibet, laying one or two eggs in mid-winter which hatch at the beginning of spring. The Lammergeier has been successfully re-introduced into the Alps, but is still considered threatened in Europe, although it is rated Least Concern overall.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Green Violetear (Colibri thalassinus) is a hummingbird that is a resident breeder in highlands from south-central Mexico, (the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt), to western Panama and in the Andes from northern Venezuela to Bolivia. It shows seasonal movements and wanders to the United States and even Canada.
Photo credit: Mike Baird
The Kentish Plover or Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) is a small wader in the plover bird family. Despite its name, this species no longer breeds in Kent, or even Great Britain. Instead, it breeds in most subtropical and tropical parts of the world.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Yellowish Flycatcher (Empidonax flavescens) is a small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds in highlands from southeastern Mexico south to western Panama. Its upper parts are olive-green and the underparts are yellow with an ochre tint to the big breast.
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Photo credit: John O'Neill
The Royal or Black-billed Spoonbill (Platalea regia) is a spoonbill found in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The specimen shown here is in breeding plumage, with long white plumes growing from the back of its head and coloured patches on the face.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Bicoloured Antbird (Gymnopithys leucaspis) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Photo credit: AngMo
The Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) is a bird of prey from the Accipitridae family. It is a close relative to the Spanish Imperial Eagle and very similar to the Golden Eagle, but a little smaller and less powerful. The species can be found in Southeast Europe, West and Central Asia, but has nearly vanished from much of its former distribution area of Hungary and Austria.
Photo credit: Alan Wilson
The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca, juvenile shown here) is a mid-sized shorebird similar in appearance to the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs. The Greater Yellowlegs can be distinguished from the Lesser Yellowlegs by its larger size and relatively longer bill. The bill of the Greater Yellowlegs is longer than the head, while the bill of the Lesser is about the same length.
Image credit: John James Audubon
A hand-colored engraving of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), a very large member of the woodpecker family Picidae native to the Southern United States. This species is officially listed as an endangered species, but by the end of the 20th century had widely been considered extinct. Sightings in Arkansas in 2004 and 2005 were followed by evidence for existence in Florida in 2006, but conclusive evidence of a population of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, in the form of unambiguous photographs/videos, specimens, or DNA from feathers, has not been forthcoming.
Photo credit: Fir0002
The Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
The Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) is a cockatoo native to Australia. The species can be found in the wild around western Victoria and southern New South Wales. Feral populations have sprung up in Sydney, Perth and Hobart from the release of unwanted birds. This has serious implications in Western Australia where they may hybridize with the endangered southern race of the Western Corella.
Photo credit: Fir0002
The Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. Its habitat is lightly wooded swamps and marshes. This abundant duck nests in a tree hole laying 8–12 eggs. They are usually 45 to 51 centimetres (17.7 to 20.1 in) in length and look like a small goose. It rarely swims, feeding mostly by grazing. The male is grey with a dark brown head and mottled breast. The female has white stripes above and below the eye and mottled underparts. Both sexes have grey wings with black primaries and a white speculum.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
A female Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus). Native to eastern Australia and Tasmania, this species of honeyeater is found in dense forest and alpine habitats, as well as heathland, parks and gardens. Its diet is made up of nectar and invertebrates. The Crescent Honeyeater measures 14–17 cm (6–7 in) in length and weighs about 16 g (0.56 oz).
Photo credit: Benjamint444
The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a species of frogmouth found throughout the Australian mainland, Tasmania and southern New Guinea. Despite its owl-like appearance, frogmouths are more closely related to nightjars and oilbirds.
Photo credit: Mdf
The American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) is a medium-sized American sparrow found on the tundra or the northern limits of the boreal forest in Alaska and northern Canada. These birds migrate to the United States or southern Canada to spend the winter.
A male Gadwall (Anas strepera), a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and central North America. This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range, from coastal Alaska south into Central America and eastward to the East Coast of the United States.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
A Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) perched on a blooming Cestrum species. The Silvereye is a very small passerine bird (~12 cm (4.7 in) in length) native to the Australasia region. Silvereyes are omnivorous but have a particular fondness for fruit. Some orchardists, grape growers, and home gardeners regard them as a pest particularly as, being so small, Silvereyes simply ignore bird nets, popping in and out through the netting at will.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
A Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) displaying in breeding plumage. This member of the tern family nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia. It is closely related to the Royal and Lesser Crested Terns, but can be distinguished by its size and bill colour.
Photo credit: Mdf
The Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches on the Atlantic coast of North America, the shores of the Great Lakes and in the mid-west of Canada and the United States. This individual has been banded for research purposes.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
A Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) foraging for food. This member of the rail and crake family Rallidae occurs and breeds in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, and has recently expanded its range into New Zealand.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
The Embden Goose is a breed of domestic goose, named for the town of Emden in Lower Saxony, Germany, from where it was once thought they originated. Embdens are pure white with a light orange, short, bill, and orange feet and legs. They are fast-growing birds and females will reach about 9 kg (20 lb), with males growing up to 14 kg (31 lb).
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
Three Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus), a medium-sized pelican species widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, as well as Fiji, parts of Indonesia and rarely New Zealand. The birds are usually 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.3–6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6–8.3 ft) and weigh 4 to 13 kg (9–29 lb).
Photo credit: Fir0002
The Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops) is a mid-sized bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae found on the east coast of Australia from northern Queensland to the coast of South Australia. As its name suggests, it has a distinctive yellow stripe on each side of its face, between two black stripes and a blue eye. It feeds on nectar, particularly of Eucalyptus and Banksia, seeds, fruits and insects and mainly forages in the foliage of trees.
Photo credit: Benjamint444
The Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa) is an omnivorous bird in the Rallidae family found in the wetland habitats of Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, with a preference for freshwater marshes.
Photo credit: Dakoman
The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) is a large pelican species found from southeastern Europe through Asia and in Africa. At a mass of 10 kg (22 lb), 160 cm (63 in) long and with a 280 cm (110 in) wingspan, it is second in size only to the Dalmatian Pelican.
Photo credit: Fir0002
The White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) is a common heron found throughout most of Australasia. It can be found almost anywhere near shallow water, fresh or salt. Adults are relatively small, averaging about 550 g (19 oz) in weight and 60–70 cm (24–28 in) in height. They are pale blue-grey in colour, with white on the forehead, crown, chin and upper throat. The crown pattern is variable, with the white occasionally spreading down the neck; the variability makes identification of individuals possible. The beak is black and often pale grey at the base.
Photo credit: Fir0002
The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a carnivorous kookaburra in the Kingfisher family well known for its laughing call. It is about 45 cm (18 in) in length and is found throughout eastern Australia and neighboring islands, and has been introduced to southwestern Australia as well as Kawau Island near New Zealand. Its trademark "laugh" is to establish territory amongst family groups. When one bird starts, often others will join in, including nearby birds from rival tribes, which can fill the bush with their calls.
Photo credit: Mick Stephenson
The Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata) is a large species of honeyeater found across southern Australia. Growing up to 35 cm (14 in) in length, it has distinctive red wattles, white streaks on the chest and belly, and a bright yellow patch towards the tail. Its diet consists mostly of nectar, but it will take insects as well as fruit.
Photo credit: Leon Bojarczuk
A pair of Bananaquits (Coereba flaveola), small passerine birds averaging 11 cm (4.3 in) in length native to tropical South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Its curved beak is adapted to taking nectar from flowers, but they will also eat fruit and insects.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
The Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) is a very large (58–66 cm (23–26 in) in length) gull native to the coasts of Australia. It is less common than the Silver Gull, and its numbers have been declining in some parts due to competition from the Kelp Gull. Pacific Gulls are usually seen alone or in pairs.
Photo credit: Vincent Legendre
The Light-mantled Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata) is a small (length of 79–89 cm or 31.1–35.0 in) sooty-brown or blackish albatross, with markings similar to a Siamese cat. It has a circumpolar pelagic distribution in the Southern Ocean. Except when breeding, its habitat is entirely marine, and it will forage from the edges of the Antarctic drift ice to about 40° S.
Photo credit: Matthew Field
The Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) is a distinctive tyrant flycatcher native to western North America, ranging from southwestern Oregon and California to west Texas and northern Mexico. In South America, it can be found in the Andes mountain region, ranging from Colombia in the north, south to northern Argentina. The Black Phoebe reaches a length of 5.75 in (14.6 cm), and unlike other phoebes, has highly contrasting plumage, dark brown or black on most of the body, with white on the underbelly and under the wings.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
A New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), a honeyeater species native to southern Australia, sitting on a flowering stalk of Phormium tenax with its crown dusted by pollen. It was the first bird to be scientifically described in Australia. It is around 18 cm (7.1 in) long, is mainly black, with a white iris, white facial tufts and yellow margins on its wing and tail feathers.
Photo credit: Fir0002
The Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang, female shown here) is a common red-breasted Australasian robin. It is endemic to Australia, where it is found near the coast from southern Queensland to central South Australia, Tasmania and south west Western Australia. It is a stocky passerine bird with a large head. It ranges in size from 12 to 13.5 cm (4.7 to 5.3 in) in length and weighs between 12 and 14 g (0.4 and 0.5 oz).
The Southern Crowned Pigeon (Goura scheepmakeri) is a large, approximately 75 cm (30 in) long, terrestrial pigeon confined to southern lowland forests of New Guinea. It has a bluish-grey plumage with elaborate blue lacy crests, red iris and very deep maroon breast. Both sexes are similar. It also looks very similar to its relatives, the Victoria Crowned Pigeon, and the Western Crowned Pigeon.
Photo credit: Noodle snacks
The Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) is a long-tailed, slim pigeon native to tropical southern Asia, although it has since been introduced to many other countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. It ranges from 28 to 32 cm (11 to 13 in) in length. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
A juvenile House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) has a pink bill and nestling gape flanges on both sides of its face where the upper part of the beak is connected to the lower part. In juvenile altricial birds, brightly colored gapes help the parents determine how to distribute food among their chicks.
The Fulvous Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) is a whistling duck which breeds across the world's tropical regions. It is a common species, growing to about 48–53 cm (19–21 in) long. Its habitat is still freshwater lakes, paddy fields or reservoirs with plentiful vegetation, where it feeds mainly at night on seeds and other parts of plants.
Photo: Fir0002
The Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris) is a wader native to Australia, where they can be found on sandy coastlines feeding on various bivalve molluscs, but not actually oysters, which are found mostly on rocky shorelines. This oystercatcher species is easily recognized by the characteristic 5–8 cm (2–3 in) long orange-red beak, slender pink legs and black and white plumage.
Photo: Fir0002
The Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), native to Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, is one of the smallest species of falcon (about 31 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in) in length). Unlike other raptors, it does not rely on speed to catch its prey. Instead, it simply perches in an exposed position, but it also has a distinctive technique of hovering over crop and grasslands.
Photo: Fir0002
The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus, male shown here) is the most widely distributed wild bird. It originated in the Middle East and has spread throughout much of the world, mostly due to deliberate introductions but also through natural dispersal and shipborne travel. It is quite successful, due to its adaptability and ability to easily co-exist with humans.
Photo: Fir0002
The Royal Spoonbill is a species of spoonbill found through much of the Australasia region. It lives in wetlands and feeds on crustaceans, fish, amphibians and small insects by sweeping its spoon-shaped bill from side to side through water.
Photo: Fir0002
The Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus ssp. moluccanus shown here) is a species of Australasian parrot. It is a medium sized bird, with the length ranging from 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in) in size, and has a wingspan of about 17 cm (6.7 in). The weight varies from 75 to 157 g (2.6 to 5.5 oz). Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas, and it feeds mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar.
A female Hardhead (Aythya australis), the only true diving duck found in Australia, swimming amongst duckweed. Hardheads are relatively small ducks, usually not much more than 45 cm (18 in) long. Both male and female are a fairly uniform dark brown above, with rufous flanks and white undersides.
Photo: David Iliff
A Skylark (Alauda arvensis), with two beetles in its beak. Skylarks are found throughout much of the world. It is a mostly dull-looking bird, being mainly brown above and paler below. They are known for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from heights of 50 to 100 m (160–330 ft).
Photo: Fir0002
The Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is a pheasant-sized songbird endemic to Australia. At approximately 100 cm (39 in) long, it is the longest of all songbirds. The male (shown here) has a showy tail, with the two outermost feathers forming the shape of a lyre.
The Tasmanian Native-hen (Gallinula mortierii) is a flightless rail, one of twelve species of birds endemic to the Australian island of Tasmania, except the southwestern portion. Although flightless, it is capable of running quickly and has been recorded running at speeds up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). Fossil records indicate that the Tasmanian Native-hen was found on the Australian mainland until around 4700 years ago. Suggested reasons for its extinction there have included the introduction of the dingo, or an extremely dry period.
Photo: Fir0002
The Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea, male shown here) is an omnivorous dabbling duck found in southern Australia. The male has a distinctive green coloured head and mottled brown body. The female has a brown head and mottled brown body, which is almost identical to a female Grey Teal.
Photo: Fir0002
The Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna) is a species of lorikeet found in south-central/eastern Australia. It grows to about 22 cm (9 in) long, and can be identified by its red forehead, blue crown and a distinctive yellow band on its wing.
Photo: Fir0002
The Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) is a dabbling duck found throughout much of the southwestern Pacific. It has a dark body, and a paler head with a dark crown and facial stripes, with a green speculum and pale underwing. The size range is 54–61 cm (21–24 in), with males being slightly larger than females.
Photo: Noodle snacks
The Black Currawong (Strepera fuliginosa) is a large passerine bird native to Tasmania. One of three currawong species, it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian Magpie. It is a large crow-like bird, around 50 cm (20 in) long on average, with yellow irises, a heavy bill, and black plumage with white wing patches. It is similar in appearance to the Clinking Currawong, but the latter has a white rump and larger white wing patches. The Black Currawong is usually found in wetter eucalypt forests, in areas above 200 m (656 ft) altitude, mainly in the Central Highlands, with scattered records elsewhere in Tasmania and the surrounding islands.
The Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen) is an omnivorous medium-sized passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It has been introduced to New Zealand, where it is considered invasive, as well as to the Solomon Islands and Fiji, where it is not. Adults range from 37 to 43 cm (15 to 17 in) in length, with distinctive black and white plumage, red eyes and a solid wedge-shaped bluish-white and black bill. Described as one of Australia's most accomplished songbirds, the Australian Magpie has an array of complex vocalisations.
Photo: Fir0002
A male Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), a common Australian bird of small to medium size. Like many Australian birds, it was named for its physical similarity to the northern hemisphere birds familiar to European settlers. In fact, it is neither a magpie nor a lark and is not particularly closely related to either.
Photo: Fir0002
The Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris, male shown here) is a species of whistler found in New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and throughout Australia (with the exception of Tasmania). Predominantly a reddish-brown and grey bird, it has a variety of musical calls.
Photo: Fir0002
A nesting Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans), a passerine bird native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. It was previously known as the Brown Flycatcher, but is more closely related to crows than to true flycatchers. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests, and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.
Photo: Fir0002
A female Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), a passerine bird native to Australasia. The Willie Wagtail is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range. Males and females are coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts. The common name is derived from its habit of wagging its tail horizontally when foraging on the ground.
Photo: Fir0002
The Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus) is the largest species of Australasian treecreeper. It is endemic to forests and woodlands of the Great Dividing Range in eastern Australia. As the name implies, its colour is pale brown to grey-brown, with black streaking on the underparts and black bars on the undertail, with almost no sexual dimorphism. Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the Brown Treecreeper a "Least Concern" species, one subspecies found in New South Wales is rated threatened by Australian authorities.
Photo: Fir0002
The Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) is a medium-sized diurnal raptor found throughout Australia, New Caledonia and New Guinea. It ranges in size from 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24 in), with a wingspan between 123 and 146 cm (48 and 57 in). Males and females appear similar, with pale buff on the head, breast and tail, with browner wings and black flight feathers, but females are generally larger. It is named for its loud whistling call, which it gives in flight, while perched, and even while in the nest.
Photo: Fir0002
An Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) in flight. This species of pelican can be found on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant to New Zealand. At about 1.7 m (5.6 ft) in length and with a wingspan of about 2.4 m (7.9 ft), it is medium-sized by pelican standards, but has the largest beak of any bird; the largest one on record was 49 cm (19 in) long. Widespread throughout its large range, the Australian Pelican is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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Photo: Fir0002
The Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis) is an easily observed species of Australasian robin found in coastal and sub-coastal eastern Australia. The Eastern Yellow Robin occupies a wide range of habitats, most often in damper places or near water. Like all Australian Robins, it is not closely related to either the European Robin or the American Robin.
Photo: Fir0002
The Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) is a species of bird in the darter family, which also includes the American, African, and Oriental darters. Darters are also known as snakebirds, which refers to the snake-like appearance of the neck when they swim with their bodies submerged. Australasian Darters are typically found in freshwater or brackish wetlands in Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.
Photo: Fir0002
The Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia as well as New Zealand. They are large birds with mostly black plumage and red bills. They are monogamous breeders that share breeding responsibilities between the sexes.
Photo: JJ Harrison
A Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera) among Red Flowering Gum flowers. It is the smallest of the wattlebirds, but considered medium-to-large in the honeyeater family. Little Wattlebirds feed on nectar obtained with a long, brush-tipped tongue adapted for probing deep into flowers.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles, ssp. novaehollandiae shown), also known as the Spur-winged Plover, is a common and conspicuous bird native to northern and eastern Australia, as well as New Zealand. They are most common around the edges of wetlands and in other moist, open environments, but are adaptable and can often be found in surprisingly arid areas.
Photo: JJ Harrison
A female Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) in her nest. Cup nests like the one shown here, usually made of pliable materials like grasses, are commonly built by passerines. Other types of nests include the knot-hole left by a broken branch, a burrow dug into the ground, a chamber drilled into a tree, an enormous rotting pile of vegetation and earth, or a mud dome with an entrance tunnel.
Photo: Wagner Machado Carlos Lemes
The Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris) is a relatively small bird of prey. Specimens normally range from 31 to 41 centimetres (12 to 16 in) in length and weigh 250–300 grams (8.8–10.6 oz). The Roadside Hawk is common throughout its range: from Mexico through Central America to most of South America east of the Andes. It is well adapted to most ecosystems in its range, and can also be found in urban areas. Its diet consists mainly of insects, squamates, and small mammals, such as young common marmosets and similarly sized monkeys.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Cape Barren Goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) is a large goose native to southern Australia. It is 75–100 cm (30–40 in) long, weighs 3.1–6.8 kg (7–15 lb) and has a 150–190 cm (59–75 in) wingspan, with males slightly larger than females. Its plumage is almost uniformly grey, bearing rounded black spots.
Photo: Gavin Schaefer
The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is a species of nightjar that is native to the Americas. It breeds in open country across North America and migrates in flocks to wintering grounds in South America. As seen here, the Common Nighthawk does not build a nest, but instead lays eggs on bare ground.
Photo: Nevil Lazarus
A male Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens), a passerine bird found throughout much of Australia. This individual is engaged in the 'face fan' courtship display, in which he flares his blue ear tufts by erecting the feathers. The species exhibits a high degree of sexual dimorphism: males in breeding plumage are brightly coloured, whereas non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a nocturnal species of Australian frogmouth commonly mistaken for an owl. Males and females look similar, growing to 35–53 cm (14–21 in) long and up to 680 g (1.5 lb) in weight. The Tawny Frogmouth is almost exclusively insectivorous, feeding rarely on frogs and other small prey. It generally sits very still on a low perch and catches food with its beak.
Photo: Mark Whatmough
The Kea (Nestor notabilis) is the world's only species of alpine parrot, found on New Zealand's South Island. Measuring around 48 cm (19 in) in length, it is mostly olive-green with brilliant orange plumage under its wings and has a large narrow curved grey-brown upper beak. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects.
Photo: Ironman br
The Golden Parakeet (Guaruba guarouba) is an endangered species of Neotropical parrot that lives in the drier, upland rainforests in the Amazon Basin. Males and females appear alike, being mainly yellow with green in the outer wings and with an all-yellow tail. It has a breeding system that is almost unique amongst parrots, as pairs are aided by a number of helpers which aid in the raising of the young.
The Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata, female shown here) is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. This 45–51 cm (18–20 in) duck looks like a small goose, and feeds on grassland mostly by grazing in flocks. Unusually for a duck, it rarely swims.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Star Finch (Neochmia ruficauda) a species of estrildid finch found in Australia. It inhabits dry grassland and dry savanna habitats. Despite its having been listed as Near Threatened in the wild it is a common aviary bird.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Pied Heron (Ardea picata), also known as the Pied Egret, is a heron found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea. It grows to 43–55 cm (17–22 in) long, with dark slate grey wings, body, and crested head, with a white throat and neck. The weight ranges from 225 to 280 g (8 to 10 oz), with males being heavier than females.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) is a parrot native to eastern and south-eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It grows to about 36 cm (14 in) long, much of which is tail, with males larger than females. Of the five subspecies, two are not actually coloured crimson.
The White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) is a common species of heron found throughout most of Australasia. It is a relatively small bird, typically weighing 550 g (1.21 lb) and ranging 60–70 cm (24–28 in) in height. It can be found almost anywhere near shallow water, fresh or salt, including residential fish ponds. Adults are pale, slightly bluish-grey, with yellow legs and white facial markings.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides) is the largest of the three Australian species commonly known as ravens. Measuring 46–53 cm (18–21 in) in length with a 100 cm (39 in) wingspan and weighing around 650 grams (23 oz), the adult is an all-black bird with black feet and beak and a white iris. It is common throughout south-eastern Australia and southern Western Australia, but it is not found in the far north. It has adapted very well to human habitation in some cities and is a common bird in Melbourne, Sydney, and Rottnest Island.
Photo: Benjamint444
The Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) is found widely throughout mainland Australia except for the tropical northern areas. It is larger than the Spinifex Pigeon, the other Australian pigeon with an erect crest. The Crested Pigeon grows 30–34 cm (12–13 in) long and is coloured grey with tinges of brown, with striped wings that are bronzed.
An Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) duckling. Also known as the Maned Duck or Maned Goose, this species of dabbling duck is found throughout most of Australia. Its habitat includes lightly wooded swamps, marshes, open woodland and grassland.
Photo: 72426950scott
The Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) is a large member of the true finch family. It is found in coniferous woods across Alaska, the western mountains of the United States, Canada, and in subarctic Fennoscandia and Siberia. Adult males (example shown here) have a rose-red head, back and rump, while females are olive-yellow on the head and rump and grey on the back and underparts.
Photo: Benjamint444
The Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus, nominate race T. h. haematodus shown) is a true parrot found throughout Australasia. It ranges from 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in) in size, and has a wingspan of about 17 cm (6.7 in). The plumage of all 12 subspecies is very bright, with the exact distribution of colours varying by subspecies.
Photo: Benjamint444
The Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is a medium-sized bird of prey easily identifiable by its angled wing and distinctive forked tail. It is widely distributed through the temperate and tropical parts of Eurasia and parts of Australasia and Oceania, with the temperate region populations tending to be migratory.
A female Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope), the smallest bird found in Canada and the United States, feeding insects to chicks. Found mostly in western North America (although vagrants have been found in New York and Connecticut), it is migratory and winters in southwestern Mexico.
The Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) is a finch native to northern North America. The plumage is drab, being brown on the upperparts and pale on the underparts, with heavy streaking throughout. They have yellow patches in their wings and tail, which are not always visible. They grow to 11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in) in length and typically weigh 12–18 g (0.4–0.6 oz).
The Eastern Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta) is a subspecies of the Great Egret found throughout Asia and Oceania. Measuring 83–103 cm (33–41 in) in length and weighing 0.7–1.2 kg (1.5–2.6 lb), the Eastern Great Egret is a large heron with all-white plumage. Its bill is yellow in the breeding season and black at other times, and its long legs are red or black. It can be distinguished from other white egrets and herons in its range by its very long neck, one and a half times as long as its own body.
The Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) is a large sandpiper species, closely related to the curlews, found across central North America and Alaska. Unlike other members of its family, it is not associated with water, but instead lives in fields and open grassland. It is a long-distance migrant and winters in South America.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, female shown here) is a species of honeyeater found in south-eastern Australia. It feeds on nectar from many plants, as well as small insects and other invertebrates. It is around 15 cm (5.9 in) long, and has a distinctive black, white and chestnut plumage, a red eye, and a long downcurved bill.
The Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus) is a passerine bird native to south-eastern Australia. It is a fairly nondescript bird of dark grey plumage and paler underparts, highlighted by yellow wing patches and a broad, black crescent, outlined in white, down the sides of its breast. Females are slightly duller than males. It is found in areas of dense vegetation and its diet is made up of nectar and invertebrates.
The Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala) is a passerine bird in the bunting family. It breeds in southeast Europe east to Iran. It is migratory, wintering in India. It is a rare but regular wanderer to western Europe. The breeding male (shown here) has bright yellow underparts, chestnut upperparts and a black hood.
The Red-and-yellow Barbet (Trachyphonus erythrocephalus) is a species of African barbet found in eastern Africa. The males of the species have distinctive black (spotted white), red and yellow plumage, while youngsters and females are similar, but a little more dull. The species lives in broken terrain and both nests and roosts in burrows. Omnivores, the species is generally very tame, feeding on seeds, fruit and invertebrates.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) is a passerine bird common and familiar across south-eastern Australia. The species is sedentary and territorial, also exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism: the male in breeding plumage (shown here) has a striking bright blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle, and tail, with a black mask and black or dark blue throat, while non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Pink Robin (Petroica rodinogaster) is a small passerine bird native to temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of southeastern Australia. Measuring 13.5 cm (5.5 in) in length, the robin has a small thin black bill, and dark brown eyes and legs. The male (seen here) has a distinctive white crown and pink breast, grey-black upperparts, wings and tail.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata) is a medium-sized mostly insectivorous thrush found predominantly in shrubland, forests, and rainforests of southeastern Australia including Tasmania. It grows to about 28 cm (11 in) in length and about 100 g (3.5 oz) in weight.
Photo: Richard Bartz
A pair of Mallards, an easily recognized species of dabbling duck that is found throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The male birds have a bright green head (during breeding season) and are grey on wings and belly, while the females are brown all over. Both sexes have blue speculum feathers. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are gregarious. This species is the ancestor of almost all of the breeds of domestic ducks.
Photo: JJ Harrison.
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) is native to forested areas in the Australasia region. Like other cuckoo species, it practises brood parasitism, laying its eggs in the nests of other birds like fairywrens or thornbills. Its diet is omnivorous and includes fruits and vegetables, insects, reptiles, mammals, and birds.
Photo: JJ Harrison
A Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus) feeding a wasp to its chicks. The Dusky Woodswallow is found in eastern and southern Australia. It is medium sized and swallow-like, although it is not related to true swallows. It is an omnivore, with its diet consisting of insects, various forms of foliage, and nectar from flowers.
Photo: JJ Harrison
A family of Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) exiting their burrow. At an average of 33 cm (13 in) in height, 43 cm (17 in) in length, and 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) in weight, this is the smallest species of penguin. It is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with some colonies popular as tourist attractions.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Dusky Robin (Melanodryas vittata) is a small passerine bird native to Tasmania. A member of the Australian Robin family, it is not related to European or American Robins. It is a brown-plumaged bird of open woodland, measuring 16–17 cm (6.3–6.7 in) in length.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family found in Australia and nearby islands, including New Zealand. It is about 15 cm (6 in) long, metallic blue-black in colour above, light grey below on the breast and belly, and rusty on the forehead, throat and upper breast.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis) is a species of bird endemic to southern Australia and Tasmania. It is medium in size for a plover, stocky, and pale in color. Its length is 190 to 230 mm (7.5–9.1 in) and its wing-span 230 to 440 mm (9.1–17.3 in). Males and females are similar in appearance. With a population of about 7,000 individuals, it is classified as vulnerable.
The Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) is a wading bird endemic to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries. All of its feathers are black and it has a red eye, eye ring and bill, and pink legs. The heaviest of all oystercatchers, it weighs up to 980 g (2.16 lb), averaging around 819 g (1.806 lb), with females being slightly heavier than males.
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The Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. Males have vibrant red heads and chests while the females are duller. Often seen in small flocks on dry savannas, it is a ground feeder which feeds companionably with other species and often visits waterholes.
The Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) is a member of the grebe family found in Australia and New Zealand. It is a fairly small dark grey and white grebe. During the breeding season the adult's plumage has white streaks over its entire head (seen here), which is the source of the common name.
The Blue-winged Parrot (Neophema chrysostoma) is a small parrot found in Tasmania and southeast Australia. Males (example shown here) are mainly olive green with a blue frontal band reaching from forehead to eye, blue wing coverts, black primaries, and a yellow belly. Females are slightly duller with more green on the wings.
Photo: Benjamint444
Nazca Booby (Sula granti) is a booby found primarily on the Galápagos Islands. It is known for practicing obligate siblicide. The female lays two eggs, several days apart. If both eggs hatch, the elder chick will push its sibling out of the nest area. The parent booby will not intervene and the younger chick will inevitably die.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) is a small plover native to Australia. Adult males have a rufous crown and hindneck. Adult females (shown here in breeding plumage) have a paler rufous and grey brown crown and hindneck, with pale loreal stripe. Non-breeding plumage is duller in both sexes.
The Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes) is a small shorebird native to northeast Siberia. It is strongly migratory and winters on muddy and sandy coasts from southeast Asia to Australia. It is closely related to and physically resembles the North American Wandering Tattler.
Photo: Benjamint444
The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a large species of frogmouth found throughout the Australian mainland, Tasmania, and southern New Guinea. Unlike the owl for which it is often mistaken, the Tawny Frogmouth is not a bird of prey. Instead, it is almost exclusively insectivorous. For defense, it relies on cryptic camouflage, standing still to appear part of a branch.
Two Pied Oystercatchers (Haematopus longirostris) in Tasmania; the one on the left is feeding on a small mussel. Although known as oystercatchers, they rarely feed on oysters.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Himalayan Bluetail (Tarsiger rufilatus) is a small passerine bird. Males are of a more vibrant colour than females. This specimen was photographed at the summit of Doi Inthanon in Thailand.
Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
The Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) is an African wading bird which feeds mostly on carrion. With a wingspan verified to reach 3.19 m (10.5 ft), it has one of the largest wingspans of any land bird. This specimen was found in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
An Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami) in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The species, which measures up to 60–75 centimetres (24–30 in) in length, is the largest extant species of megapode. Although physically similar, the species is not closely related to the Turkey.
Portrait of a Bald Eagle
Photograph: W. Lloyd MacKenzieThe Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America. As visible here, adults are not bald, but have a head of white feathers. Its name comes from an older meaning of the word, meaning "white headed".
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A Raja Shelduck (Tadorna radjah) at Centenary Lakes in Cairns, Australia. The Raja Shelduck prefers the brackish waters of mangrove flats and paperbark tree swamps, but will live elsewhere during the wet season. It feeds mainly on mollusks, insects, sedge materials and algae.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) is a Eurasian wader. The smallest of the shanks, it is usually found near fresh water. This specimen, in non-breeding plumage, was found in Laem Phak Bia, Thailand.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus), a large wader, photographed in Thailand. Red-wattled Lapwings are found in much of Asia, where they prefer well-watered open country, ploughed fields, grazing land, and margins and dry beds of tanks and puddles.
The Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti) is a bird found in South and Southeast Asia. Averaging 18–20 centimetres (7.1–7.9 in) in length, the bird prefers eating insects such as bees.
The Australian Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) is a species of bird found in Australia and parts of Indonesia. Males, like the one pictured here, have a bright yellow underside and nape, olive-green back and wings, a black head and chest-band, and a white throat; females are generally a dull brownish-grey.
Photo: Brocken Inaglory
A flock of Sanderlings (Calidris alba) at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, US. The species is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Tasmanian Scrubwren is a bird of controversial taxonomy found in Tasmania and King Island, Australia.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta) is a medium-sized albatross that ranges extensively across the Southern Ocean. It measures 90–100 cm (35–39 in) in length and 210–260 cm (83–100 in) in wingspan, making it the largest of the mollymawks.
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae) is a small passerine bird found in dense scrub to forest habitats through tropical Asia. Males, as pictured here, have vibrant colours; females are a duller blue. The birds feed on insects, either those caught flying or found on the ground.
The White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus) is a small passerine bird native to South and South-East Asia. Females, like the one pictured here, are shorter than males and of a gray-brown colouring. Mating couples will raise their brood together.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans) is a large stork found mostly in South and South-East Asia. They hunt in wetlands and prey on snails, water snakes, frogs, and insects.
The Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) is a small migratory wader. It breeds in the tundra of Siberia and Alaska but winters in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The pictured specimen is in its winter plumage.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a rail native to Eurasia and Africa. The species, thought to consist of numerous subspecies, prefers wet climates. They generally nest on a mass of floating debris or amongst matted reeds slightly above water level in swamps.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Mountain Bulbul (Ixos mcclellandii) is a songbird species in the bulbul family which ranges across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
Photo: Benjamint444
Male (top) and female Freckled Ducks (Stictonetta naevosa). Native to southern Australia, the ducks are protected by law. They are easily identified by their large heads with a peaked crown.
Picture: JJ Harrison
The Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) is a large seabird and most common member of its family. The birds, named for the black plumage above their eyes, feed on fish, squid, crustaceans, carrion, and fishery discards. This specimen was photographed east of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia.
Pair of Spotted Pardalotes
Photograph: JJ HarrisonA female (left) and male Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus), a small Australian songbird, as photographed at Risdon Brook Park, Risdon Vale, Tasmania. The species nests in tunnels; the pair shown here have nesting material in their beaks.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Cape Petrel (Daption capense) is a seabird common to the Southern Ocean. The species are aggressive eaters which feeds mostly on crustaceans, although they are also known to eat fish, squid, and edible waste. When feeding they may spit their stomach oil at competitors.
Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Two adult Long-tailed Fiscals in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. The Long-tailed Fiscal (Lanius cabanisi) is a species of bird in the shrike family Laniidae which is native to Africa. The birds prey on insects and small vertebrates, perching on a tree branch then diving at its target.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) in breeding plumage. This wader averages 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in length and lives in beaches, mud flats, grasslands and on bare ground.
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Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
The Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala), a species of wading bird common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. The heron is a large bird, standing up to 85 centimetres (33 in) tall with a 150-centimetre (59 in) wingspan.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is the only species of bee-eater found in Australia. The brilliantly coloured species averages 19–24 centimetres (7.5–9.4 in) in length.
Photograph: David Iliff
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is a species of duck, with adults averaging 47 to 54 cm (19 to 21 in) in length with a wingspan of 66 to 73 cm (26 to 29 in). Owing to their attractive colouration, the ducks have often been brought to Britain from their native North America; this specimen was photographed at St. James's Park in London.
The Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche carteri), at 2.55 kg (5.6 lb) in weight, 76 cm (30 in) in length, and 2 m (6.6 ft) across the wings, is the smallest of the mollymawks. These birds are found on several islands in the Indian Ocean.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons) is a species of bird endemic to Queensland, Australia. It is in the family Petroicidae.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis) is a species of bird endemic to southern Australia and Tasmania. It was described in 1789. There are two subspecies, neither of which (as of 2011) is known from a population of more than 5,000 individuals.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis) is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific. Three subspecies are known. This specimen was photographed in Little Swanport, Tasmania.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Striated Heron (Butorides striata) is a small heron. When hunting, the species stands still at the water's edge and waits to ambush its prey. It sometimes uses bait, dropping a feather or leaf carefully on the water surface and picking fish that come to investigate.
The Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is the largest Old World member of the grebe family. The species is skilled at swimming, chasing fish underwater.
The Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) is a large South American parrot with blue top parts and yellow underparts. These birds are quite intelligent and are popular in aviculture. This specimen was photographed in Jurong Bird Park.
The Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) is one of the smallest members of the grebe family. Native to greater Australia, New Zealand and nearby Pacific islands, this grebe was first described in 1826.
A Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella) male (top) and female. In this common Australian species of estrildid finch, nest-building and raising children is done collaboratively.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea) is a small kingfisher found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. First described in 1802, seven subspecies are known.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Dark-sided Thrush (Zoothera marginata) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. Described by Edward Blyth in 1847, the species is closely related to the Long-billed Thrush and Scaly Thrush.
A juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) hovering. The species, the smallest bird that breeds in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada, is named after a distinctive red throat patch exhibited by adult males. Females and juveniles, however, do not have such a patch.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito) is a species of passerine bird endemic to eastern Australia. This insectivorous species prefers rainforest or dense eucalypt forest.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) is a nomadic bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae which can be found in Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. They eat a variety of food, including molluscs, frogs, grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) is a large bird endemic to Australia. This nocturnal bird is a terrestrial predator which specialises in hunting small grassland animals. Though it lives mostly on the ground, it is also capable of flight.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea) is a species of bird of the whistler family Pachycephalidae that is native to southeastern Australia. Adults measure around 18–20 cm (7–8 in) long. The species' call has been likened to "I'll wet you" or "You're cranky".
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Photo: Pierre-Selim
The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now considered to be a chat. Around 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 in) in length, the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts and a whitish belly.
The Bar-backed Partridge (Arborophila brunneopectus; top: male, bottom: female) is a species of partridge in the family Phasianidae, found in Southeast Asia and China. It is typically 28 centimetres (11 in) long and mostly buff in color. It feeds on seeds and small insects on the forest floor.
The Plumbeous Water Redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa, male pictured) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae which is found in South Asia, Southeast Asia and China. The bird's common name refers to its colour, resembling lead. The bird tends to be found near running water, often at higher altitudes, though it will go to lower altitudes during the winter.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) is a shelduck native to Australia and Tasmania. Females can be differentiated from males by white feathers around the eye.
The Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (Meliphaga notata) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters are aggressive birds and have a loud, metallic call; some have described as akin to a machine gun.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura) is a species of bird in the honeyeater family which lives in various habitats in Oceania and the Malay archipelago. Feeding on insects and nectar, these birds may be sedentary or migrant, depending on the habitat in which they live.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
Male (top) and female Black-breasted Thrush (Turdus dissimilis), photographed at the Royal Agricultural Station in Ang Khang, Thailand. The common name of this species, which was first described in 1847 by Edward Blyth, is derived from the male's breast plumage.
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Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
The Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus) is a bird of the lapwing subfamily found in Africa, coast of the Red Sea to the southern and southwestern parts of the continent. Their diet consists mainly of insects, particularly termites.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta) is a small and highly migratory wader bird. It breeds in northern Asia (little is known about its breeding habits) and winters in south and south east Asia and Australasia. This specimen was photographed in Pak Thale, Phetchaburi, Thailand.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A Yellow-throated Honeyeater (Lichenostomus flavicollis) stealing hair from a Tasmanian Pademelon for nesting material, Melaleuca, Southwest Conservation Area, Tasmania, Australia. The nest is constructed by the female from grass, bark-shreds, leaves and spiders' web and lined with treefern fibres, wool and fur. It is often within 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) of the ground in a low bush or tussock, but may occasionally be found at up to 10 metres (33 ft) in foliage.
Photograph: JJ Harrison; edit: John O'Neill
The Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula) is a species of passerine bird in the family Monarchidae. Found in the mangrove forests of eastern and northern Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, males are a shiny lead-grey with white underparts, while females have grey upperparts and a rufous throat and breast. This specimen was photographed in the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Rufous-tailed Robin is a small passerine bird. It breeds in forests in the taiga of northeastern Asia and south to Mongolia, and winters in Southeast Asia and southern China; this specimen was photographed in Thailand.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Mangrove Robin (Peneoenanthe pulverulenta) is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae which lives in the mangrove forests of Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. These birds feed on insects, hunting those found in the mud after the tide ebbs; they may also feed on crabs.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Great Shearwater (Puffinus gravis) is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae which feeds on fish and squid, which it catches from the surface or by plunge-diving. It is one of the few birds which migrate from breeding grounds in the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere. It flies by dipping from side to side on stiff wings, the wingtips almost touching the water, with few wingbeats.
Photo: JJ Harrison
The Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) is a passerine bird usually found in eastern and south-eastern Australia. It can grow up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long. These thornbills are predominantly insectivores, though they may also eat seeds, fruit, or nectar.
Photograph: Basar
The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a heron species of North and Central America; this specimen was photographed at Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Adults have a body length of about 44 cm (17 in) and have been known to use tools to attract fish which they then eat.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The short-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris) is a shearwater which breeds in Australia and migrates northwards during the austral winter. The chicks of this species, one of the most common seabirds in Australian waters, are commercially harvested.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus) is a wading bird of the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. Found in much of Australia, the species has become increasingly urban since the 1970s; this specimen was photographed in Perth.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird, a circumpolar Arctic breeder which migrates south during the winter. Sanderlings feed mostly on small invertebrates, particularly crustaceans and insects, although they may eat plant material. This individual was found in Laem Phak Bia, Phetchaburi, Thailand.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A white-headed stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) in Lake Joondalup, Perth. The white-headed stilt is sometimes considered a subspecies of the black-winged stilt.
Photo: Michael Gäbler
A pair of ruddy shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea) in Springe, Hanover. This shelduck species lives in the open country and is usually found in pairs, though large groups may form moulting and wintering gatherings.
Salvin's albatross (Thalassarche salvini) is a large seabird that can be found across the Southern Ocean. Long considered to be a subspecies of the shy albatross, from the mid-1990s experts began classifying it as a separate species. The species' population is thought to be declining, and the IUCN has classified it as vulnerable.
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The red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) is a large diving duck which breeds in the lowland marshes and lakes of southern Europe and Central Asia and winters in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa; this specimen was photographed in the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. These gregarious birds are classified least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The buffy hummingbird (Leucippus fallax) is a South American species of hummingbird. It can be found in subtropical or tropical dry forests, mangrove forests, and dry shrubland; it prefers living near the canopy.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A female (top) and male orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), photographed in Melaleuca, Tasmania, Australia. First described by John Latham, this small parrot breeds only in South West Tasmania. Fewer than 50 individuals are known in the wild, and the species is considered critically endangered, though there is a captive breeding population.
A white-throated rock thrush (Monticola gularis) found in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. These thrushes live in forested areas, shrublands, and rocky areas through much of east Asia. They feed mainly on invertebrates.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The great-winged petrel (Pterodroma macroptera) is a species of petrel endemic to southern Australia and New Zealand; this specimen was photographed east of Tasmania. Two subspecies of the great-winged petrel are recognized.
Photograph: Simon Pierre Barrette
A male myrtle warbler (Setophaga coronata coronata) in breeding plumage, photographed in the Léon-Provancher Ecological Reserve, Québec, Canada. This form, found in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, is considered conspecific with the Audubon's warbler, which is found further west. The myrtle warbler can be distinguished from the Audubon's by its white eyestripe, white (not yellow) throat, and contrasting cheek patch.
A male Australian shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) in Perth, Western Australia. First described in 1828, this species of shelduck is sexually dimorphic: males are larger than females and do not have a white ring around their eyes.
The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae which breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia and winters in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. The species predominantly feeds on insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch.
The Siberian blue robin (Luscinia cyane) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. These robins breed in eastern Asia and Japan and winter in south-east Asia.
The European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) is a small passerine bird in the finch family. Found throughout Europe and in parts of northern Africa and western Asia, goldfinches feed on small seeds such as those from thistles but may take insects when feeding their young. Goldfinches are commonly kept by humans for both their plumage and their song.
The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae. Its migration is the longest known non-stop flight of any bird; in 2007, godwits tagged in New Zealand were tracked to the Yellow Sea in China, with one specimen continuing on to Alaska, then returning to New Zealand in a non-stop trip.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The white-necked petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis) is a seabird in the family Procellariidae; adults measure some 43 centimetres (17 in) in length, with a wingspan of 95–105 centimetres (37–41 in). Although the species is found in much of the South Pacific, it breeds on only three islands and is thus considered vulnerable by the IUCN.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) is an albatross, averaging 81 cm (32 in) in length and 2.2 m (7.2 ft) in wingspan, which breeds further south than any other mollymawk. Though its common name derives from the species' ashy-grey head, throat and upper neck, the scientific name is a reference to the bright golden streaks on its bill.
Photograph: Luc Viatour
The northern carmine bee-eater (Merops nubicus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family. Native to Africa, the species is predominantly carmine in colour. Its diet consists mostly of bees and other flying insects.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) in flight off the coast of the Tasman Peninsula. The wandering albatross is the largest of its genus, with an average wingspan ranging from 2.51 m to 3.5 m (8 ft 3 in – 11 ft 6 in). It feeds mostly on cephalopods, crustaceans, and small fish.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) is a small wader which breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia. This migratory species generally winters in Africa and India, but some individuals – such as this one, photographed in Thailand – go to South East Asia or Australia.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala) is a bird in the honeyeater family endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia and feeds mostly nectar, fruit and insects. This highly vocal species has a large range of songs, calls, scoldings and alarms, lives in large groups, and is territorial. Populations have grown in numerous places along this miner's range, and as such there is now an overabundance.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The musk duck (Biziura lobata) is a duck native to southern Australia and the only extant member of its genus. Named for the peculiar musky odour that it gives off during breeding season, this duck is highly aquatic, preferring deep, still lakes and wetlands with areas of both open water and reed beds. The musk duck feeds primarily on water beetles, yabbies, water snails, and freshwater shellfish, supplemented with a variety of aquatic plants and a few fish.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A Buller's albatross (Thalassarche bulleri) in flight, with a short-tailed shearwater behind it, as photographed east of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia. This small mollymawk species, named for the ornithologist Walter Buller, breeds on islands around New Zealand. It is classified as near threatened, though the population is increasing.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The shy albatross (Thalassarche cauta) is a medium-sized albatross, averaging 90 to 99 centimetres (35–39 in) in length with a 220–256 cm (87–101 in) wingspan. It breeds on rocky islands off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, but non-breeding birds can be found throughout the southern oceans. The shy albatross feeds on fish, cephalopods, crustacea, and tunicates; it has been known to dive to depths of 5 m (16 ft) in search of prey.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The striated pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) is a passerine bird found in Australia. The most common pardalote species, it was first described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. Although plumage varies, the nominate subspecies (as shown here) is identifiable by a yellow spot on the wing.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) is a small, highly migratory wader in the plover family of birds. It feeds predominantly on insects, crustaceans and annelid worms.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Papuan frogmouth (Podargus papuensis) is the longest bird in the frogmouth family. First described by Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard in 1830, this species is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. This nocturnal bird feeds by hunting for insects, lizards, frogs, and small rodents on the ground.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is a large tree kingfisher found throughout tropical Asia. First described by Pieter Boddaert in 1783, this species frequents coastal waters, particularly those with mangroves. It feeds primarily on insects.
This individual was found in Phra Non, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The common greenshank (Tringa nebularia) is a sub-Arctic migratory wader which breeds from northern Scotland eastwards across northern Europe and Asia. They feed on small invertebrates, but will also take small fish and amphibians.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Chinese pond heron (Ardeola bacchus) is an East Asian freshwater bird of the heron family. Generally measuring 47 cm (19 in) in length, this heron feeds on insects, fish, and crustaceans. The specimen shown here, photographed in Laem Phak Bia, Thailand, is in its winter plumage.
Photograph: Andreas Trepte
The common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush found throughout much of the world, though known under a variety of names. These omnivorous birds eat a wide range of insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits.
Photograph: Simon Pierre Barrette
A male (top) and female purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus), photographed in the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area in Quebec. This species, part of the finch family, mainly eats seeds, berries and insects. They breed in the coniferous and mixed forests of Canada and the northeastern United States; birds from the northern part of this species' range will migrate in the winter.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The hooded pitta (Pitta sordida) is a passerine bird commonly found in eastern and southeastern Asia and maritime Southeast Asia. Reaching a length of 16 to 19 centimetres (6.3 to 7.5 in), these birds feed on insects and berries.
Photograph: Benjamint444
A dorsal view of a swallow-tailed gull (Creagrus furcatus) taken on Española Island, one of the Galapagos Islands where the gulls often breed. This species of nocturnal seabird spends most of its life flying and hunting for squid and small fish over the open ocean.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A male red-capped plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) in breeding plumage, photographed at Ralph's Bay in Tasmania, Australia. These birds are seasonal breeders along the coast, but inland they will breed in response to unpredictable rains. The nests are found on the ground, in vicinity of wetlands, and may hold a clutch of two eggs.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A male (top) and female eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius). These rosellas, which average 30 cm (12 in) in length, are native to southeastern Australia and Tasmania. The species, first described by George Shaw in 1792, is sometimes considered a subspecies of the pale-headed rosella; the two hybridize where their ranges meet.
Photograph: Pierre Selim
The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, which is found through much of the world. Measuring about 20 cm (8 in) in length, these starlings are a noisy bird in communal roosts and other gregarious situations. This species is omnivorous, taking a wide range of invertebrates, as well as seeds and fruit.
Photograph: Fir0002
A female chestnut teal (Anas castanea), a species of dabbling duck commonly found in southern mainland Australia and Tasmania. These omnivores, which can be differentiated from grey teals by their darker colour and larger size, prefer coastal estuaries and wetlands.
Photograph: Julius Rückert
A juvenile European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), photographed in the south of Cres, Croatia. This species of cormorant, first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761, lives along the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia, and north Africa. These birds eat a wide variety of fish, diving to depths of 45 m (148 ft) to find their prey.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The little wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera) is a passerine bird in the honeyeater family. First described in 1802, this bird is found in coastal and sub-coastal south-eastern Australia. It uses its long, brush-tipped tongue to feed on nectar; this wattlebird may also eat insects, berries and some seeds.
Photograph: Yathin S Krishnappa
The chat flycatcher (Bradornis infuscatus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae found in the savannas of southern Africa; this specimen was photographed in Etosha National Park, Namibia. This species hunts insects, but may also eat small reptiles.
Photograph: Alain Carpentier
A black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) feeding on a fish in the shallows of the Chêne River in Montreal, Quebec. These widespread ambush predators average 64 cm (25 in) in length.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) is a small, strongly migratory wader which breeds in the tundra of north eastern Siberia and winters on coasts from southern Asia through Australia. The species feeds on molluscs and insects.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The red-bearded bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus) is a large species of bee-eater found in the Indo-Malayan subregion of South-East Asia. This colorful species feeds predominantly on insects.
Photograph: Pierre Dalous; edit: Nikhil
A male Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) capturing a common starling. This small bird of prey species is found throughout the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World, and though it specialises in catching woodland birds it can be found in any habitat. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows, while the larger females catch primarily thrushes and starlings.
Photograph: Pierre Dalous
Mating lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) in Hérault, France. The breeding range of this small bird of prey goes from the Mediterranean across southern central Asia to China and Mongolia.
Photograph: Richard Bartz
Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a species of seabird in the auk family. The only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean, it breeds in Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland and many North Atlantic islands. The species spends the autumn and winter in the open ocean, returning to coastal areas in late spring and nesting in clifftop colonies. The Atlantic puffin has a large population and a wide range, and is thus not considered endangered.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The blue-winged pitta (Pitta moluccensis) is a passerine bird in the family Pittidae native to Australia and Southeast Asia. This small bird, measuring 180 to 205 mm (7.1–8.1 in) in length, is found in a variety of habitats to an altitude of 800 m (2500 ft).
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Photograph: Olaf Oliviero Riemer
The Inca tern (Larosterna inca) is a species of seabird in the family Sternidae and the only member of its genus. This piscivorous species is restricted to the Humboldt Current and breeds on the rocky coastal cliffs in Peru and Chile, laying one or two eggs which hatch after 4 weeks.
Photograph: Carlos Delgado
A captive Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) showing white plumage. Wild specimens usually appear soiled, with a rusty or brown shade to the white plumage, derived from mud or iron-rich soil.
Photograph: Pierre Dalous
The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. This seed-eating species breeds in southwestern Europe, but has been naturalised elsewhere.
Photograph: Andreas Trepte
The common redshank (Tringa totanus) is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae. This migratory species feeds predominantly on invertebrates.
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Photograph: Yathin S Krishnappa
The groundscraper thrush (Psophocichla litsitsirupa) is a passerine bird of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the thrush family. Four subspecies are known of this bird, which is found in savannas, grasslands and open woodlands.
Photograph: Jason Thompson
The ruddy kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) is a medium-sized tree kingfisher which is widely distributed in the forests of east and southeast Asia. Like other kingfishers, ruddy kingfishers generally feed on fish, crustaceans, and large insects, though in areas with less running water they are known to take frogs and other amphibians.
Photograph: Andreas Trepte; edit: Hans Hillewaert
The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter. This sparrow-sized bird feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptions to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.
Photograph: Francis C. Franklin
The willow tit (Poecile montanus) is a passerine bird in the tit family commonly found throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia. These birds feed on insects, caterpillars, and seeds, and nest in holes in (mostly conifer) trees.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) is a large seabird from the albatross family which is found in the seas around Antarctica. The first albatross to be described (though it was long grouped with Tristan and the Antipodean albatrosses), the wandering albatross is the largest member of its genus and one of the largest birds in the world.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a medium-sized migratory plover. It breeds in the Arctic tundra from northernmost Asia into western Alaska and winters in south Asia and Australasia.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The pin-tailed snipe (Gallinago stenura) is a small stocky wader. It breeds in northern Russia and migrates to spend the non-breeding season in southern Asia from Pakistan to Indonesia. These birds forage in mud or soft soil, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and earthworms, but also some plant material.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The black-naped monarch (Hypothymis azurea) is a slim and agile passerine bird belonging to the family of monarch flycatchers. They are sexually dimorphic: males have a distinctive black patch on the back of the head and a narrow black half collar ("necklace") while females are duller and lack the black markings. Their call is similar to that of the Asian paradise flycatcher. In tropical forest habitats, pairs may join mixed-species foraging flocks. Populations differ slightly in size and plumage colour.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) is a small wader in the plover family of birds. This highly migratory species feeds on insects, crustaceans and annelid worms.
The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan in the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia and is an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name "mute" derives from it being less vocal than other swan species. Measuring 125 to 170 cm (49 to 67 in) in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange bill bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob atop the bill, which is larger in males.
Photograph: Andreas Trepte
A juvenile pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) near Oosterend, Texel Island, the Netherlands. While adults are black and white, juveniles of this species have more greyish and sepia tones.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A juvenile common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) in Laem Pak Bia, Petchaburi, Thailand. This Palearctic wader breeds across most of temperate and subtropical Europe and Asia, and migrates to Africa, southern Asia and Australia in winter.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Siberian rubythroat (Luscinia calliope) is a small passerine bird generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of the family Muscicapidae. This migratory insectivorous species breeds in mixed coniferous forest with undergrowth in Siberia, where it nests near the ground. It winters in Thailand, India and Indonesia. It is an extremely rare vagrant to Western Europe and the Aleutian Islands.
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Photograph: David Iliff
The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is a perching duck species endemic to East Asia but since introduced to Europe and the United States. It is medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan. The species mainly eats plants and seeds, especially beech mast. It will also add snails, insects and small fish to its diet.
This specimen was photographed in Richmond Park, London.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) is a small passerine bird of the family Muscicapidae. Native to densely vegetated habitats in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, its popularity as a cage-bird and songster has led to it being introduced elsewhere. The species feeds on insects in the wild, but in captivity may be fed a diet of boiled, dried legumes with egg yolk and raw meat.
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Wakatobi flowerpecker
Photograph: Seán B. A. Kelly, David J. Kelly, Natalie Cooper, Andi Bahrun, Kangkuso Analuddin, Nicola M. MarplesA comparison of plumage characteristics between grey-sided flowerpeckers (Dicaeum celebicum) from mainland Sulawesi (top) and Wakatobi flowerpeckers (Dicaeum kuehni) from the Wakatobi archipelago (bottom); male flowerpeckers are on the left and females on the right. The Wakatobi flowerpecker was long considered a subspecies of the grey-sided flowerpecker, but it was reclassified in 2014.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Richard's pipit (Anthus richardi) is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in northern Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Named after the French naturalist Monsieur Richard of Lunéville, this bird belongs to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae. It was formerly lumped together with the Australasian, African, mountain and paddyfield pipits in a single species, though these pipits are now commonly considered to be separate species.
Photograph: Toby Hudson
The buff-banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis) is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the family Rallidae. This species comprises several subspecies found throughout much of Australasia and the south-west Pacific region. A largely terrestrial bird the size of a small domestic chicken, it feeds on a range of terrestrial invertebrates and small vertebrates, seeds, fallen fruit and other vegetable matter, as well as carrion and refuse.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Malaysian plover (Charadrius peronii) is a small wader that nests on beaches and salt flats in Southeast Asia. It is classified as near-threatened, a situation attributed to increased human use of important beach habitats.
Photograph: Andreas Trepte
The whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. One of the most widespread of the curlews, this migratory species winters on coasts in Africa, South America, south Asia into Australasia and southern North America. It is also a coastal bird during migration. It is fairly gregarious outside the breeding season.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) on a banana inflorescence in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi, Thailand. This species, which is similar in size to a sparrow, can be found in subtropical or tropical moist forests (both lowland and montane) in much of South and Southeast Asia. The streaked spiderhunter feeds on the nectar of flowers such as the wild banana blossom.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus) is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. First described by German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764, the spotted redshank measures 29–31 cm (11–12 in) long, with a wingspan of 61–67 cm (24–26 in) and a weight ranging from 121 to 205 g (4.3 to 7.2 oz). It breeds across northern Scandinavia and northern Asia and migrates south to the Mediterranean, the southern British Isles, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia for the winter.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala) is a large wading bird in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia. Its distinctive pink tertial feathers give it its name. This stork forages in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes, immersing its half open beak in water and sweeping it from side to side to snap up its prey. The painted stork nests colonially in trees, often along with other waterbirds. The only sounds it produces are weak moans or bill clattering at the nest. This bird is not migratory and only makes short distance movements in some parts of its range.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The red-kneed dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus) is a long-legged, medium-sized plover in the subfamily Vanellinae. It is often gregarious and will associate with other waders of its own and different species, even when nesting. It is nomadic and sometimes irruptive.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) is a small wader. It breeds in the boggy tundra of northeast Asia and is strongly migratory, wintering in south east Asia and Australasia.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The black-fronted dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) is a small, slender plover found in Australia and New Zealand. It is common in freshwater wetlands, where it can be found feeding on insects and other small creatures.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World and the Atlantic coast of North America. It can dive to considerable depths, but often feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings its prey, mostly fish, to the surface.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica) is a species of whistling duck that breeds in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are nocturnal feeders and during the day may be found in flocks around lakes and wet paddy fields. They can perch on trees and sometimes build their nest in the hollow of a tree. This brown and long-necked duck has broad wings that are visible in flight and produces a loud two-note wheezy call.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The Indian yellow-nosed albatross (Thalassarche carteri) is a member of the albatross family, and the smallest of the mollymawks. This colonial breeder feeds on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. In 2004, BirdLife International split this species from the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, though this distinction is not universally recognized.
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Photograph: Olaf Oliviero Riemer
A portrait of a king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) at Walsrode Bird Park, Germany. This species of vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Though its ruff, flight, and tail feathers are gray to black, the king vulture's head and neck are bald and with varying skin color.
Photograph: Sumeet Moghe
A yellow-billed shrike (Corvinella corvina) with its prey. The yellow-billed shrike is a common resident breeding bird in tropical Africa, from Senegal east to Uganda, and locally in westernmost Kenya. It frequents forest and other habitats with trees. Although it generally feeds on insects, this shrike may hunt larger prey as well.
Photograph: Francis C. Franklin
The great tit (Parus major) is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia, and parts of North Africa; this female was photographed in Lancashire. Most great tits do not migrate except in extremely harsh winters.
Photograph: Francis C. Franklin
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small insectivorous passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. Around 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 in) in length, the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts and a whitish belly. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.
Photograph: Frank Schulenburg
The long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) is a large North American shorebird of the family Scolopacidae. The species breeds in the grasslands in west-central North America, migrating south and towards the coast in winter. It feeds predominantly on crabs and various other small invertebrates.
Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) are birds derived from domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild. Originally bred from the wild rock dove, which naturally inhabits sea-cliffs and mountains, these pigeons use the ledges of buildings as a substitute for sea cliffs. They have become adapted to urban life, preying on insects and scavenging. They are abundant in towns and cities throughout much of the world.
Photograph: Carlos Delgado
The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is one of the largest species of owl and one of the most widely distributed, being found throughout much of Europe and Asia. It is easily identified thanks to its distinctive ear tufts and orange eyes. The Eurasian eagle-owl is found in a number of habitats but is mostly a bird of mountain regions, coniferous forests, steppes and other relatively remote places.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
A portrait of a red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata), a mostly predatory terrestrial bird in the seriema family (Cariamidae). Found in South America, its range covers grasslands from Brazil to Uruguay and northern Argentina. This bird is also known as the crested seriema for the soft feathers that emerge from the base of the bill to form a fan-shaped crest.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
A male (top) and female rusty-naped pitta (Hydrornis oatesi) in Mae Wong National Park, Thailand. This species of bird in the family Pittidae was described by amateur ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume in 1790. It is found in East and Southeast Asian subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, montane forests, and bamboo forests.
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Photograph: Chris Woodrich
A portrait of a ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) in Windsor, Ontario. The popular name of this medium-sized gull comes from the black ring around its bill. This species is found near lakes, rivers, or the coast in Canada and the northern United States. It nests in colonies on the ground, often on islands.
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Malachite kingfisher
Photograph: Charles J. SharpA malachite kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus) at Lake Baringo, Kenya. Although many male birds have brighter colours than females, this is not the case with the malachite kingfisher; both sexes are equally colourful. When fishing, these birds often perch less than a metre above the water, diving in once they spot fish, aquatic insects, or crustaceans to prey upon.
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Photograph: Chris Woodrich
A pair of black lories (Chalcopsitta atra) at Gembira Loka Zoo in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Described in 1786 by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, this aptly named lory is found in eastern Indonesia. This species averages 32 cm (13 in) in length.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
A male saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola), a species of tanager endemic to South America. Although frequently called a canary, the species is not related to the Atlantic canary. When nesting, the saffron finch typically makes use of cavities such as abandoned rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus) nests, bamboo branches, and the underside of house roofs. Males are polygamous, mating with two females during the nesting season.
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Photograph: Chris Woodrich
A dusky lory (Pseudeos fuscata) at Gembira Loka Zoo in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This species is endemic to New Guinea, where it lives in subtropical or tropical forests below heights of 2,500 metres (8,200 ft).
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
A female giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) feeding on a tilapia on Lake Naivasha, Kenya. From left to right, this composite of four images illustrates: 1. the kingfisher returning to its perch with its prey; 2. smashing it against the post to break its spine; 3. holding it; 4. beginning to consume it.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
A vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) photographed at Strawberry Hill in Jamaica. This species, which can also be found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, is the second-smallest bird in the world after the bee hummingbird. It has an average length of 6 cm (2.4 in), including the bill, and weight of 2–2.4 g (0.071–0.085 oz).
Photograph: Francis Franklin
A female Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) photographed in Lancashire. This small passerine bird in the finch family was listed in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. It is breeds across Europe and temperate Asia, where it is mainly resident, though some birds may migrate. Birds of this species feed mainly on seeds and the buds of fruit trees.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
A savanna hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis) from the Brazilian Pantanal. This species of large raptors is found in open savanna and swamp in Central and South America. It feeds on small mammals, lizards, snakes, crabs, and large insects.
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Photograph: Michael Gäbler
The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large, white owl of the typical owl family. Snowy owls are native to Arctic regions in North America and Eurasia. Males are almost all white (as seen here), while females have more flecks of black plumage. Juvenile snowy owls have black feathers until they turn white. The snowy owl is a ground nester that primarily hunts rodents and waterfowl and opportunistically eats carrion.
Photograph: Pierre Dalous
The griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) is a Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. Specimens average 93–122 cm (37–48 in) long, with a 2.3–2.8 m (7.5–9.2 ft) wingspan. Like other vultures, the griffon vulture is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals which it finds by soaring over open areas.
Photo: Daiskue Tashiro
The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a medium-sized gamebird in the grouse family. Averaging 34–36 cm (13–14 in) long, with a wingspan of 54–60 cm (21–24 in), this species feeds primarily on birch and willow buds and catkins. The rock ptarmigan breeds across arctic and subarctic Eurasia and North America and commonly has up to six chicks.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
Two yellow-billed oxpeckers (Buphagus africanus africanus) perched atop a zebra in Senegal. This bird is native to the savannah of Sub-Saharan Africa, where it feeds on insects and ticks, including the arthropod parasites found on large mammals, as well as blood. The species nests in tree holes lined with hair plucked from livestock, where it lays 2–3 eggs.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small insectivorous passerine bird. Formerly classified as a member of the thrush family, it is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher. About 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 inch) in length, males and females are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts and a whitish belly; the orange breast emerges gradually after birth, as with the juvenile specimen shown here. The species is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north. The unrelated American robin was named after it.
Photograph: Andreas Trepte
The black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. There are three subspecies, all with orange head, neck and chest in breeding plumage and dull grey-brown winter coloration, and distinctive black and white wingbar at all times. Its range stretches from Iceland through Europe and central Asia during the breeding season, wintering in areas as diverse as the Indian subcontinent, Australia, western Europe, and west Africa. The species is more likely to be found inland and on freshwater than the similar bar-tailed godwit. The world population is estimated to be 634,000 to 805,000, and the species is classified as Near-Threatened.
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Bare-faced curassow
Photograph: Charles J. SharpA portrait of a female bare-faced curassow (Crax fasciolata), taken at the Pantanal in Brazil. This species of bird in the family Cracidae is found in eastern-central and southern Brazil, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, and extreme northeast Argentina. Its natural habitats are tropical and subtropical dry and moist broadleaf forests.
Photograph: Andreas Trepte
The nacunda nighthawk (Chordeiles nacunda) is a species in the nightjar family. It is endemic to South America, living in dry savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and heavily degraded former forest. It is among the largest nightjars in the world, with a length of 27.5 to 32 cm (10.8 to 12.6 in).
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Rufous-tailed flycatcher
Photograph: Charles J. SharpThe rufous-tailed flycatcher (Myiarchus validus) is a species of tyrant flycatcher endemic to Jamaica.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
The yellow-billed shrike (Corvinella corvina) is a common resident breeding bird in tropical Africa, from Senegal east to Uganda, and locally in westernmost Kenya. It frequents forest and other habitats with trees. Although it generally feeds on insects, this shrike may hunt larger prey such as small frogs and mice.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
The black-headed lapwing (Vanellus tectus tectus). It is a resident breeder across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Photograph: Jason Auch
The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a species of penguin common along the entire Antarctic coast, which is their only residence. They are named after the French Antarctic territory of Adélie Land, which is in turn named for Adèle Dumont d'Urville. She was the wife of French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, who discovered these penguins in 1840. Adélie penguins are the most widely spread of the penguin species, and obtain their food by both predation and foraging. Their diet is mainly krill and fish.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
Swallows, together with martins, form a family of passerine birds known as the Hirundinidae. They are found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. There are around 90 species of Hirundinidae, with the greatest diversity found in Africa, which is thought to be where they evolved as hole-nesters. For the most part swallows are insectivorous, taking flying insects on the wing and using foveae in their eyes to help track prey.
This picture shows the pied-winged swallow, which is found in several countries in western Africa.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The blue petrel (Halobaena caerulea) is a small seabird in the family Procellariidae, the only member of its genus. It is distributed across the Southern Ocean but breeds at only six known sites, all close to the Antarctic Convergence zone. Its plumage is predominantly blue-grey, with an "M" banding across its top, which is similar to that of the closely-related prion. It also has a white-tipped tail. The blue petrel is 28 cm (11 in) in length with a wing span of 66 cm (26 in), and feeds predominantly on krill as well as other crustaceans, fish, and squid.
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Photograph: Charles J. Sharp
The roadside hawk (Rupornis magnirostris) is a relatively small bird of prey found in the Americas. A vocal species, it is often the most common raptor in its range. It has many subspecies, and although previously placed in the genus Buteo, it is now usually placed in the monotypic genus Rupornis. The roadside hawk is 31–41 cm (12–16 in) long and weighs 250–300 g (8.8–10.6 oz). Males are about 20% smaller than females, but otherwise the sexes are similar.
This picture shows an immature roadside hawk in the Pantanal, Brazil.
Photograph: JJ Harrison
The curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is a strongly migratory bird, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in Australia, New Zealand, and south and southeast Asia. The curlew sandpiper is similar to the dunlin, and has a length of 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) and wingspan of 38–41 cm (15–16 in). In breeding season it has a bright red underside. This picture shows a curlew sandpiper in Thailand, with its winter plumage.
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Common black hawk
Photograph: Charles J. SharpThe common black hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. The mangrove black hawk, traditionally thought to be a distinct species, is now generally considered a subspecies, B. a. subtilis, of the common black hawk.
This picture shows a bird of the Buteogallus anthracinus gundlachii subspecies, in Cuba.
Photograph: Simon Pierre Barrette
The collared whitestart (Myioborus torquatus), also known as the collared redstart, is a tropical New World warbler endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica and western-central Panama. It is common at heights between 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) and the timberline in mossy mountain forests, ravines, second growth, and adjacent pastures. The collared whitestart is around 13 centimetres (5 in) in length with a weight of 10.5 grams (0.4 oz). It has a chestnut crown bordered with black, and a black forehead. The rest of the upperparts are slaty black, and the tail is black with white edges. The face and underparts are bright yellow, with a black band across the breast.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and twenty-seven species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All have long down-turned bills and medium to long wings, which may be pointed or round. Male and female plumages are usually similar. As their name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air by flights from an open perch. The stinger is removed by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the insect on a hard surface. During this process, pressure is applied to the insect, thereby extracting most of the venom.
This composite, taken in 2016, shows six bee-eaters of the genus Merops found in Africa. Clockwise from top left, the species depicted are the blue-cheeked bee-eater (M. persicus chrysocercus), the cinnamon-chested bee-eater (M. oreobates), the little bee-eater (M. pusillus pusillus), the white-throated bee-eater (M. albicollis), the swallow-tailed bee-eater (M. hirundineus chrysolaimus) and the European bee-eater (M. apiaster).
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The Cuban green woodpecker (Xiphidiopicus percussus) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is the only species within the genus Xiphidiopicus and is endemic to Cuba. A distinctive, relatively small woodpecker of the general size and shape of a sapsucker, the Cuban green woodpecker occasionally appears crested, with bright olive-green overparts and yellow underparts. The nape and upper breast are bright red, with some black bases to feathers usually visible, with a black chin and throat; the crown is red in males and black with white stripes in females. Females are significantly smaller than the male and generally shorter-billed. Juveniles are generally duller in plumage, showing more barring and streaking below. It typically measures 21 to 25 cm (8.3 to 9.8 in) in length and weighs 48 to 97 g (1.7 to 3.4 oz). This picture shows a female X. p. percussus individual.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) is a species of whistling duck that breeds from the southernmost United States and tropical Central America to south-central South America. In the U.S., it can be found year-round in peninsular Florida and parts of southeast Texas, as well as seasonally in southeast Arizona and Louisiana's Gulf Coast. Since it is one of only two whistling duck species native to North America, it is occasionally just known as the "whistling duck" or "Mexican squealer" in the southern United States.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a species of water kingfisher that is widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Originally described by Linnaeus in 1758, it has five recognised subspecies. Its black and white plumage and crest, as well as its habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish, make it distinctive. Males have a double band across the breast, while females have a single gorget that is often broken in the middle. They are usually found in pairs or small family groups. When perched, they often bob their head and flick up their tail. This picture shows a female C. r. leucomelanurus individual.
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Photograph credit: Andrew Shiva
The gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is a penguin species in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely related to the Adélie penguin and the chinstrap penguin. The earliest scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a reference point of the Falkland Islands. They call in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud trumpeting which the bird emits with its head thrown back. The gentoo penguin is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. It has pale whitish-pink webbed feet and a fairly long tail – the most prominent tail of all penguin species. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. As the gentoo penguin waddles along on land, its tail sticks out behind, sweeping from side to side, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, which means 'rump-tailed'.
Lithograph credit: John Gerrard Keulemans
The red-banded fruiteater (Pipreola whitelyi) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae. Its known range is restricted to the humid highland forests of the tepuis in the southeast of Venezuela and western Guyana. While likely present, it remains unconfirmed in adjacent parts of northern Brazil. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". Uniquely among the fruiteaters, the underparts of the male are primarily grey. As suggested by its common name, the male also has a conspicuous red pectoral collar. The species grows to a length of about 16.6 cm (6.5 in).
This picture is a lithograph of a female (top) and a male (bottom) red-banded fruiteater, produced by Dutch bird illustrator John Gerrard Keulemans in 1886 for an edition of the journal Ibis. The adult male has greyish-green upper parts with a distinctive long golden stripe that runs above the eye and round the ear coverts. The chin and belly are grey and there is a broad, orange-red chest collar, and yellowish-ochre under-tail coverts. The female has similar head markings, a yellowish patch at the side of the neck, and moss-green upper parts. There is no chest collar and the underparts are greyish-white, boldly streaked with black. The beak and legs are pinkish-grey; the male has an orange iris and the female's is ochre.
Photograph credit: Laitche
The crested myna (Acridotheres cristatellus), also known as the Chinese starling, is a species of starling in the genus Acridotheres native to southeastern China and Indochina. It is named after the tuft of feathers on its forehead that resembles a crest. The crested myna is typically found in open spaces near urban and agricultural areas. It is a popular cage-bird and, as a result, has been accidentally released in a few places outside of its usual range. For example, this species was introduced around 1890 into the Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. Like many starlings, the crested myna is omnivorous. It will eat a variety of food including worms, grub, grains, fruit, and even garbage. It is a highly beneficial bird to farmers as it predates on insects and does not attack crops.
This picture shows a crested myna photographed in Osaka, Japan.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a member of the bird family Coraciidae, the rollers. It occurs widely from the Arabian Peninsula to the Indian subcontinent and is designated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The bird is best known for the aerobatic displays of males during the breeding season. It is commonly found in open grassland and scrub forest habitats, and is often seen perched on roadside bare trees and wires, which give it a good view of the ground below where it finds its prey. Its diet consists mainly of insects such as beetles and grasshoppers, but also includes spiders, scorpions, amphibians and small reptiles. The largest population occurs in India, and several states in India have chosen it as their state bird.
This picture shows an Indian roller of the benghalensis subspecies, photographed in Kanha Tiger Reserve in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The black-chested snake eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) is a large African bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It resembles other snake eagles and was formerly considered conspecific with the short-toed and Beaudouin's snake eagles, to which it is closely related. As well as feeding on snakes, which may be swallowed while still alive, it feeds on lizards, small mammals, frogs and insects. It typically perches in an elevated position ready to swoop silently to capture its prey, before returning to its perch to eat.
This picture shows a black-chested snake eagle swallowing a snake, photographed in Awash National Park, Ethiopia.
Photograph credit: Frank Schulenburg
The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small member of the heron family, Ardeidae, native to the Americas, where it has a widespread distribution. The bird forages for fish, frogs, crustaceans, insects and worms in marshes and shallow water habitats, applying various techniques to persuade the prey to reveal itself. A sociable species, it often forages in mixed species groups, and nests in the company of other herons and egrets. The bill is specially adapted for probing and stabbing.
This picture shows a snowy egret photographed at Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds, near San Rafael, California.
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Photograph credit: Andrew Shiva
The chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) is a species of penguin that inhabits land masses in the Southern Pacific and Antarctic Oceans. The bird's black back and white underparts provide camouflage in the form of countershading when viewed from above or below, helping it to avoid detection by its predators, which include the leopard seal, the southern giant petrel, the brown skua and the south polar skua. The chinstrap penguin grows to a length of 68–76 cm (27–30 in) and a weight of 3.2–5.3 kg (7.1–11.7 lb), with the weight varying with the time of year. Males are greater in weight and height than females.
This picture shows a chinstrap penguin photographed on Deception Island, in the Antarctic archipelago of the South Shetland Islands.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The Malayan banded pitta (Hydrornis irena) is a small woodland bird in the family Pittidae from tropical southeastern Asia, seen here in Si Phang Nga National Park, Thailand. Although common in parts of its range, its forest habitat is threatened by logging and conversion to agricultural land, and populations are also declining because of illegal collection for the cage-bird trade. Pittas are a popular group of birds among birdwatchers, due to their bright-coloured plumage and the relative difficulty of seeing these retiring birds in dark forest habitats.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The white-faced plover (Charadrius alexandrinus dealbatus) is a small shorebird, usually considered to be a subspecies of the Kentish plover. With a length of about 17 cm (6.7 in), it differs from the latter in having a thicker, blunter beak, white lores, paler crown and overparts, less black on the lateral breast patches and a larger white wingbar. The bird is found in south-eastern China, Vietnam, Thailand, peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, and is partially migratory.
Seen here on the mudflats of Laem Phak Bia in Thailand, the white-faced plover feeds on the foreshore, searching visually for prey then dashing forward to catch the animal or probe in the substrate with its beak. Its diet consists of small invertebrates such as insects and their larvae, spiders, molluscs, crustaceans and marine worms. Its breeding habits are not known.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The tropical kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) is a large tyrant flycatcher, growing to a length of about 22 cm (8.7 in). It feeds on insects, either catching them in flight, or gleaning them from the surface of foliage, and also eats some fruit. The birds remain in pairs all year round, and drive intruders from their territories, including birds much larger than them. It nests high in trees, usually in the fork of a branch, building a bulky, untidy structure. The female incubates the typical clutch of two to four eggs and the young fledge in about 18 days. Its breeding range extends from the southern United States to central Argentina, with birds near the northern and southern limits of the range being migratory. This picture shows a T. m. melancholicus individual in the Pantanal, Brazil.
Photograph credit: Yann Forget; edited by Samsara and Christian Ferrer
The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is an Old World vulture native to India, Pakistan and Nepal. It has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002. The cause of the catastrophic reduction in their numbers has been identified to be the use by farmers of the veterinary drug diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which extends an animal's working life, but makes its carcase toxic to vultures if the drug was recently administered. The Indian government has banned the use of the drug, and it is hoped that the vultures will stage a comeback.
This photograph shows a group of Indian vultures nesting on a tower of Chaturbhuj Temple in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh.
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Photograph credit: Frank Schulenburg
The black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) is a species of shorebird in the family Recurvirostridae, inhabiting wetlands and coastlines in North, Central and South America. Adults average about 36 cm (14 in) in length, with black-and-white plumage and a thin, straight, black bill. The legs are long and pink, and there is a white spot above the eye that distinguishes the species from the white-backed stilt.
Seen here near Corte Madera, California, the black-necked stilt forages by probing and gleaning on mudflats, grassy marshes and lakesides, as well as in shallow waters near the shore; the diet consists mainly of insects and their larvae, crustaceans, other arthropods, mollusks, tadpoles and small fish. The species nests in colonies that may have several dozen pairs spread out loosely, with the birds defending an extensive perimeter around groups of nests, patrolling in cooperation with their neighbors.
Photograph credit: Claudney Neves
The cliff flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. Native to South America, it is found among mountain crags, cliffs and gorges. It is also found, particularly in the south of its range, around buildings in cities, where window sills and facades provide a form of artificial cliff. About 18.5 cm (7.3 in) in length, its rufous colouring and behaviour are distinctive. It has a wide beak and long pointed wings, resembling those of a swallow. The overparts are dusky brown, with a distinctive rufous rump and tail base. The tips of the wing feathers are dark, but the remaining parts are cinnamon-rufous, and are exposed in flight. The underparts are pale cinnamon-rufous, with some grey speckling on the throat.
This picture shows a cliff flycatcher photographed in the municipality of Pindamonhangaba, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The blue pitta (Hydrornis cyaneus) is a species of passerine bird native to tropical south-eastern Asia. It has long legs and a short tail, and is about 23 cm (9 in) long, the female being more sombrely clad than the male. Secretive and shy, it is found in moist lowland and montane forests, particularly in ravines and near watercourses. It forages on the forest floor for insects and other small invertebrates, flicking away leaves and probing the ground with its beak. The nest is a large, bulky dome-shaped structure with a side entrance, hidden amongst tangled plant growth.
This picture shows a male blue pitta photographed in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand.
Photograph credit: Cephas
The marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small North American songbird of the wren family. The adult has a dark cap, brown upper-parts, a white throat and breast, and light brown underparts. It breeds in southern Canada and the United States; some birds are resident while others migrate to overwinter in the southern United States and Mexico. Its habitat is marshland where it nests in tall vegetation, the male building several oval structures with side entrances, only one of which is eventually used by the female. The male is fiercely territorial, attacking the eggs and young of other birds nesting in the vicinity. This photograph was taken in the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area in the province of Quebec, Canada.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The rufous-headed ground roller (Atelornis crossleyi) is a forest bird endemic to Madagascar. It is a distinctively coloured bird, about 25 cm (10 in) in length. Seen here in Ranomafana National Park, it is a secretive bird that stays deep in the forest, feeding on the ground on ants, cockroaches and beetles. It nests in a burrow in an earth bank. The species is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as near threatened because it is hunted for food although it is present in a number of protected areas, and the forests in which it lives are threatened by slash-and-burn cultivation.
Photograph credit: Laitche
The Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) is a small passerine bird from temperate Asia. The adult male has a grey crown and nape, a black face and chin, brownish mantle and wings and a large white wing patch; the chest, lower back and rump are orange, and the tail is black with orange sides. The female is brown above and paler brown below, with an orange rump and tail sides, and a large white wing patch similar to the male's. The species grows to a length of about 15 cm (6 in), and breeds in Manchuria, southeastern Russia, northeastern Mongolia, central China and Korea. A common migratory species, it is not considered to be a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
This picture shows a male Daurian redstart photographed at Daisen Park in Osaka, Japan, in midwinter.
Photograph credit: Laitche
The Japanese pygmy woodpecker (Yungipicus kizuki) is a species of woodpecker native to coniferous and deciduous forests in Russia, China, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. With a length of about 140 mm (5.5 in), its plumage is a dark greyish-brown, barred and blotched with white, with pale brown, streaked underparts. The male has a small red mark on the side of its nape, which the female lacks. It usually occurs in pairs or mixed-species foraging flocks, searching on trees for invertebrates, such as spiders, caterpillars, ants and aphids, and berries. Breeding takes place in the spring, with the nest being in a hole excavated in a dead branch.
This picture shows a Japanese pygmy woodpecker photographed in Sakai, in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
Photograph credit: Frank Schulenburg
The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. This photograph shows a juvenile brown pelican gliding over the Pacific Ocean at Bodega Head, California.
After hatching, the pelican chicks are fed on regurgitated predigested fish and take about two months to fledge. When they leave the nest, they are at first unable to fly and take wing several weeks later. When the parents cease to feed them, some six months later, each will have consumed around 70 kg (150 lb) of fish. The juvenile brown pelican does not acquire adult plumage until three years of age, when the feathers on the neck become paler, the upperparts striped, the wing feathers grayer, and the belly acquires dark spots.
Photograph credit: Laitche
The brown-eared bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis) is a medium-sized bulbul native to eastern Asia. Reaching a length of about 28 cm (11 in), it is grayish-brown, with brown cheeks (the "brown ears" of the common name), a small spiky crest and a long tail. A bird of the forest canopy, it is also found in plantations, parks and gardens. During the summer, the bird feeds primarily on insects, but in the winter the diet consists mainly of fruits and seeds. In addition, it feeds on nectar from Camellia flowers, becoming dusted with pollen in the process. This brown-eared bulbul was photographed in Tennōji Park in Osaka, Japan.
Photograph credit: Manojiritty
The wire-tailed swallow (Hirundo smithii) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family, found in Africa and southern Asia, and often seen flying low over water. It has bright blue upperparts, white underparts and a chestnut cap; adults have long filamentous outermost tail feathers, which trail behind during flight, but juveniles lack these.
This pair of images shows an adult wire-tailed swallow feeding a perched juvenile with insects it has caught in flight. The juvenile opens its bill ready to be fed, and the adult thrusts a beakload of insects into the juvenile's mouth.
Photograph credit: Francis C. Franklin
The goldcrest (Regulus regulus) is a passerine bird in the kinglet family, Regulidae. It occurs in mature lowland and mountain coniferous woodlands and has a wide range which extends from Iceland, the Canary Islands and Western Europe through southern Siberia to Sakhalin, Japan and Central China. It has olive-green upperparts, buff-white underparts, two white wing bars, and a plain face with conspicuous black irises. The black crown has a distinctive yellow crest with an orange centre in the male while the female's crest is pure yellow; in other respects the sexes are similar. It is the smallest European bird, with a weight of 4.5–7.0 g (0.16–0.25 oz). This picture shows a female goldcrest photographed in Lancashire, England.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The white-necked laughingthrush (Garrulax strepitans) is a species of passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae, native to Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Chinese province of Yunnan. It is about 32 cm (13 in) long and has a chestnut-coloured crown, a brownish-black face and throat, and a rather diffuse white collar separating these from the body. Typically birds of forest and woodland, laughingthrushes are difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer. They are noisy birds, and their characteristic laughing calls are often the best indication that these birds are present. This white-necked laughingthrush was photographed in Mae Wong National Park, in Thailand's Nakhon Sawan Province.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The paddyfield pipit (Anthus rufulus) is a passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, comprising pipits, longclaws and wagtails. About 15 cm (6 in) in length and native to southern Asia, its plumage in both sexes is greyish-brown above and paler yellowish-brown below, with dark streaking on the breast. A bird of open country, pasture and cultivated fields, it sometimes makes short flights, but mostly runs on the ground, foraging for insects and other small invertebrates. The paddyfield pipit builds its cup-shaped nest in a concealed location on the ground, and may have two or more broods in a year. This A. r. rufulus individual was photographed in Kanha Tiger Reserve, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The golden-headed cisticola (Cisticola exilis) is a species of warbler in the family Cisticolidae, found in Asia and Australia. An unobtrusive bird, it forages for invertebrates, such as insects and small slugs, near the ground, but supplements its diet with grass seeds. Both sexes construct the rounded nest with a side entrance in a grass tussock or among tangled herbage. Built of green leaves and fine grasses and lined with soft plant down, it is stitched together with cobweb silk and camouflaged on the outside with further herbage. The female incubates the eggs and the male drives off intruders, but despite this concealment and care, only 32 per cent of the eggs successfully hatch. This golden-headed cisticola was photographed near Cornwallis, New South Wales, in Australia.
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Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
The violet-backed starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster) is a relatively small species of starling, common in most of sub-Saharan Africa. It is strongly sexually dimorphic, with the male's iridescent violet plumage contrasting with the heavily streaked brown female. A bird of open woodland, clearings and gallery forests, it feeds in the treetops, with its diet including fruits, seeds and insects. It nests in tree cavities, with green leaves and dung having been recorded as nesting materials. The female incubates the clutch of two to four eggs, and the male helps rear the young until they fledge about three weeks after hatching. This male violet-backed starling, of the subspecies C. l. verreauxi, was photographed in Damaraland, Namibia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The yellow-faced honeyeater (Caligavis chrysops) is a small-to-medium-sized bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae, native to southeastern Australia. Its typical habitat is open sclerophyll forests, as well as woodland, riparian corridors, parks, orchards and gardens. Although some populations are resident, others migrate, using geomagnetic fields to navigate. Comparatively short-billed for a honeyeater, it has adapted to a mixed diet including nectar, pollen, fruit, seeds, honeydew, and insects. It is considered a pest in some areas because of the damage it does to fruit in orchards and urban gardens. This yellow-faced honeyeater was photographed near Lake Parramatta in New South Wales.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) is a species of wading bird endemic to Australia. It frequents the intertidal zone on sand, shingle or pebble beaches, mudflats, and saltflats. With a length of 42 to 52 cm (16.5 to 20.5 in), females are slightly larger than males, and have relatively longer beaks. The two sexes differ in their diets; females tend to select soft prey such as small fishes and crabs, bluebottle jellyfishes and sea squirts, which they can swallow whole, while males choose hard prey such as mussels, turban shells and periwinkles.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The pink-necked green pigeon (Treron vernans) is a species of bird in the dove family, Columbidae, common in Southeast Asia. It is primarily a frugivore, feeding in groups in the mid-canopy on figs and other fruits. It is an important disperser of fruit seeds in forests, and is thought to be one of the species responsible for helping to return many Ficus species to the islands of Krakatoa in Indonesia after the archipelago was largely destroyed in the 1883 eruption. This male pink-necked green pigeon was photographed in Kent Ridge Park, Singapore.
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a variable duration depending on the species. This diagram shows a cross-section of a chicken egg on its ninth day of incubation. The embryo is surrounded by the amnion, a membrane that fills with amniotic fluid and cushions it against shock; the allantois helps the embryo obtain oxygen and handles metabolic waste; the vitellus, or yolk, is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg, containing most of its fat, minerals, and many of its proteins and blood vessels; the chorion forms the amniotic sac and encloses the other structures; the albumen protects the yolk and embryo and provides additional nutrients; the porous shell allows oxygen to enter while keeping unwanted fluids and contaminants out.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia from the Sinai Peninsula east through the Indian subcontinent to the Philippines. Seen here in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, it perches conspicuously on wires or other exposed perches within its territory, and is a frequent sight in southern Asia. This species mainly hunts large crustaceans, insects, earthworms, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs; it bathes in water but rarely drinks.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The hardhead (Aythya australis) is a species of diving duck found in Australia. Also known as the white-eyed duck, its plumage is chocolate brown in both sexes, but only males have the distinctive white eye. The common name "hardhead" has nothing to do with the density of the bird's skull, instead referring to the difficulty encountered by early taxidermists in processing the head. These female (top) and male (bottom) hardheads were photographed at Hurstville Golf Course in Mortdale, New South Wales.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The noisy pitta (Pitta versicolor) is a species of bird in the pitta family, Pittidae, found in eastern Australia and southern New Guinea, where it mainly occurs in rainforest, but sometimes in drier woodland and scrub. It is a shy bird, and its distinctive call is heard more often than the bird is seen. It forages on the forest floor, bobbing its head up and down and flicking its tail, searching for insects, woodlice, snails and other invertebrates. Its diet includes some fruit, and it cracks open the shells of molluscs on an anvil. This noisy pitta was photographed in Kembla Heights, New South Wales.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The zebra dove (Geopelia striata) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae, native to southeastern Asia. Unlike other doves, zebra doves tend to forage alone or in pairs. Their diet consists mostly of grass and weed seeds, and they will also eat insects and other small invertebrates. They prefer to forage on bare ground, short grass or on roadsides, scurrying about with rodent-like movement. Their grey-and-brown barred plumage camouflages them well when they are on the ground. This zebra dove was photographed in the Chinese Garden in Singapore.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The red-billed streamertail (Trochilus polytmus) is the most common hummingbird in Jamaica, where it is the national bird. The female, shown here in hovering flight, lacks the red bill and long tail streamers of the male. The species's diet consists of nectar and small insects caught on the wing.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The mangrove pitta (Pitta megarhyncha) is a species of passerine bird in the family Pittidae native to the eastern Indian subcontinent and the westernmost parts of Southeast Asia. In general, pittas are reclusive birds and difficult to observe, but this species is easier than most, calling from high in mangrove trees, and responding readily to recordings of its voice. This mangrove pitta was photographed at Pulau Ubin in Singapore.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The spotted wood owl (Strix seloputo) is a species of earless owl native to tropical southeastern Asia, growing to a length of about 44 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) with a wing length of 30 to 36 cm (12 to 14 in). Its typical habitats include lowland forest, mangrove swamps, cleared woodland, plantations, and parks in urban areas, with a diet consisting mainly of mice and rats, supplemented by insects and small birds. This spotted wood owl was photographed in Pasir Ris Park, Singapore.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The pied bush chat (Saxicola caprata) is a small passerine bird widely distributed in Asia. The males are black with white shoulder and vent patches, while the females are predominantly brownish. This species is insectivorous, and like other chats hunts from a prominent low perch. This female pied bush chat was photographed in Pench National Park, India.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The double-banded plover (Charadrius bicinctus) is a species of bird in the plover family native to New Zealand. During the winter and the spring, it has a dark, greyish-brown back with a distinctive white chest, a thin band of black below the neck running across the chest, and a thicker brown band below. Outside the breeding season, the double-banding is lost; this photograph, taken in March, shows a double-banded plover in non-breeding plumage at Boat Harbour in New South Wales, Australia.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush, in the family Turdidae. It breeds in Europe, Asiatic Russia, and North Africa, and has a number of subspecies across its wide range; a few of the Asian subspecies are sometimes considered to be full species. Depending on latitude, the common blackbird may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory. This female northwestern African blackbird (T. m. mauritanicus) was photographed in the Souss-Massa National Park, Morocco. This small, dark subspecies breeds in central and northern Morocco, coastal Algeria and northern Tunisia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The Pacific reef heron (Egretta sacra) is a species of heron found throughout southern Asia and Oceania. About 60 cm (24 in) in length, this species has two distinct colour morphs, charcoal-grey (as seen here) and pure white. The bird's diet consists mainly of fish, crustaceans and molluscs. This Pacific reef heron was photographed at Boat Harbour, in New South Wales, Australia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The plumed whistling duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) is a species of whistling duck native to Australia and New Guinea. Weighing around one kilogram (2.2 lb), it is a long-necked duck with brown upperparts, paler underparts and a white rump. The breast is chestnut-coloured with thin black bars, while long black-margined plumes arise from its flanks. The sexes are similar in appearance and its call is a characteristic whistle. This plumed whistling duck was photographed at Macquarie University, in New South Wales, Australia.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The Palestine sunbird (Cinnyris osea) is a small passerine bird of the sunbird family, Nectariniidae, found in parts of the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. Its long, downward-curving beak and the brush-tipped tongue are adapted for sipping nectar from flowers. The Palestinian Authority adopted the species as a national bird in 2015. This male Palestine sunbird in breeding plumage was photographed in the Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The sapphire-throated hummingbird (Chrysuronia coeruleogularis) is a shiny, metallic-green hummingbird found in Panama, Colombia, and Costa Rica. During flight, hummingbirds have one of the highest metabolic rates among small birds and therefore need to eat more than their own weight of nectar each day to avoid starvation; insects and spiders are also consumed for added protein. Males are polygamous, and after mating play no part in nest-building or rearing the young. This male sapphire-throated hummingbird was photographed in the gardens of Biomuseo, a natural-history museum in Panama City designed by Frank Gehry.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae, found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open habitats, and frequently forms large, noisy colonies in towns, villages and hotel grounds. This male, of the subspecies P. c. bohndorffi, was photographed building a nest in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Male birds make elaborate nests, each incorporating about 300 strips of palm or grass leaves that they have torn off the plant and transported individually. These are woven together to form roofed, dangling structures with the entrance at the bottom. The only involvement of the female is in the creation of the lining of the egg-laying cup.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The Campbell albatross (Thalassarche impavida) is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family, Diomedeidae. It breeds only on Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, in an uninhabited subantarctic island group of New Zealand located in the South Pacific. Because of its restricted breeding range, the bird is considered to be a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The greatest threat it faces is from the fishing industry. This Campbell albatross in flight was photographed off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The crested shriketit (Falcunculus frontatus) is a species of bird endemic to Australia, where it inhabits open eucalypt forest and woodland. It has a parrot-like beak that is used for stripping bark off trees in order to access insects and other invertebrates underneath. Males are larger than females in wing length, weight and bill-size, and have black throats, while females have olive-green throats; both sexes have bold black and white markings on the face. This male crested shriketit was photographed in Dharug National Park, New South Wales.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a large wading bird in the family Scolopacidae. Breeding takes place each summer in the Arctic, and the bird then makes a long-distance migration southwards to overwinter in more temperate areas, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. This photograph, taken in March, shows a bird in non-breeding plumage at Taren Point in New South Wales, Australia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The Campbell albatross (Thalassarche impavida) is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family, Diomedeidae. It breeds only on Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, in an uninhabited subantarctic island group of New Zealand located in the South Pacific. Because of its restricted breeding range, the bird is considered to be a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The greatest threat it faces is from the fishing industry. This Campbell albatross in flight was photographed off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The orange-headed thrush (Geokichla citrina) is a species of bird in the thrush family, Turdidae. About 225 mm (9 in) in length, it is common in well-wooded areas of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, but is a shy, secretive bird, usually occurring alone or in pairs. It mainly feeds on the ground in dense undergrowth, and is most active at dawn and dusk, probing the leaf litter for insects and their larvae, spiders, other invertebrates and fruit. This male orange-headed thrush, of the subspecies G. c. innotata, was photographed in Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Photograph credit: Antonios Tsaknakis
The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a carnivorous passerine bird and a member of the shrike family, Laniidae. It breeds in a range stretching from western Europe eastwards to central Russia, and it overwinters in the eastern areas of tropical and southern Africa. About 17 centimetres (7 inches) in length, it feeds on large insects, small birds, frogs, rodents and lizards. Like other shrikes, it hunts from prominent perches, and impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a "larder". This male red-backed shrike was photographed at Lake Kerkini in northern Greece.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) is a common bird native to south-eastern Australia. About 28 centimetres (11 in) long, the male's plumage is a bright emerald-green with yellow underparts, a brick-red rump and blue highlights on the upper back and wings; the female is altogether more dowdy, having dull-green wings and back, bluish-black wingtips and pale-olive underparts. These parrots are typically found in pairs or small groups in open country with access to water, including in suburban parks and gardens. These male and female red-rumped parrots were photographed in Cornwallis, New South Wales.
Photograph credit: unknown; restored by Adam Cuerden
War pigeons are homing pigeons used in military service. They have long played an important role in war, often being used as military messengers. Before the advent of radio, carrier pigeons were used on the battlefield as a means for mobile forces to communicate with stationary headquarters. A metal canister containing the message was attached to the bird's leg. This photograph, in the Swiss Federal Archives, shows Swiss Armed Forces personnel preparing a pigeon for a mission during World War I. The Swiss army made extensive use of carrier pigeons, finally disbanding its pigeon section in 1996.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) is a nocturnal bird found in open woodland across Australia and in southern New Guinea. Despite not being an owl, it is colloquially known as the moth owl, and is the most common nocturnal bird in Australia; despite suffering from predation and competition by introduced species, it is not considered to be threatened. This Australian owlet-nightjar was photographed in a nesting hollow in Castlereagh Nature Reserve, New South Wales.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a tern-like bird in the gull family Laridae, breeding in North and South America. Skimmers have the lower mandible (jawbone) and bill longer than the upper ones, which allows them to fly low over the water surface, skimming the water for small fish, insects, crustaceans and molluscs. This black skimmer was photographed fishing while in flight over the Rio Negro in the Pantanal, an area of tropical wetland in southwestern Brazil.
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Bee hummingbird
Photograph credit: Charles J. SharpThe bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is endemic to Cuba and is the smallest bird in the world and smallest known dinosaur. This immature male has yet to develop the iridescent blue plumage of the adult. The bee hummingbird feeds mainly on nectar, probing deep into flowers with its bill and moving its tongue rapidly in and out. In the process of feeding, the bird picks up pollen on its bill and head. As it flies from flower to flower, it transfers the pollen, and in this way plays an important role in plant reproduction. In one day, the bee hummingbird may visit 1,500 flowers.
Photograph credit: Michal Klajban
The red-billed gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae scopulinus), also known as the tarāpung, is a member of the gull family, Laridae. Endemic to New Zealand, it is found throughout the country and on outlying islands including the Chatham Islands and the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands. Formerly considered a separate species, it is now usually treated as a subspecies of the silver gull. It regularly feeds on small fish, shell fish and worms, and sometimes berries, lizards and insects; it scavenges among urban waste in coastal towns. This red-billed gull was photographed in Christchurch.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The rockwarbler (Origma solitaria) is a species of bird in the Australian warbler family Acanthizidae. It is found only in the Australian state of New South Wales, where its preferred habitat is woodland with cliffs and gullies and exposed sandstone or limestone rocks. Its nest is a hanging structure in a cave, made of grasses, roots, bark and moss, with spider web used as an adhesive. The species is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This rockwarbler was photographed in the Royal National Park.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The green-crowned brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula) is a large hummingbird native to the highlands from Costa Rica to western Ecuador where it lives at altitudes of between 700 and 2,000 m (2,300 and 6,600 ft). It feeds at the large inflorescences of Marcgravia vines, which the male will sometimes defend, and will also feed at Heliconia and other large flowers. Unlike many hummingbirds, the green-crowned brilliant almost always perches to feed. This female, subspecies H. j. henryi, was photographed in the Mount Totumas cloud forest, Panama.
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Photograph credit: Diego Delso
The saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. The species has a widespread distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, and feeds on fish, frogs, crabs and other small creatures. This saddle-billed stork was photographed fishing in the shallow waters of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
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Photograph credit: John Harrison
The ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a small wading bird in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. This adult ruddy turnstone in non-breeding plumage was photographed at Boat Harbour in New South Wales, Australia.
Lithograph credit: Sidney Hall; restored by Adam Cuerden
Cygnus is a northern constellation on the plane of the Milky Way, deriving its name from the Latinized Greek word for 'swan'. Cygnus is one of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, and it features a prominent asterism known as the Northern Cross. Cygnus was among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. This illustration of Cygnus, with the surrounding constellations of Lacerta, Lyra and Vulpecula, was produced around 1823 as part of Urania's Mirror, a set of 32 astronomical star-chart cards published in the United Kingdom.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The northern royal albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) is a large seabird in the albatross family, Diomedeidae. It nests only on the Chatham Islands, on Enderby Island, and at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula of New Zealand. It spends the rest of the year away from land, in circumpolar flights over the Southern Ocean, feeding on squid, fish, crustaceans, salps and carrion. The species is listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered, but predators have been eliminated from the islands where it breeds, and conservation efforts have proved successful at the Taiaroa Head colony. This northern royal albatross was photographed off the southeastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.
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Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp
The Cape starling (Lamprotornis nitens) is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, found in southern Africa. It is a gregarious bird and forms large flocks outside the breeding season. It usually feeds on the ground, often foraging alongside other species of starlings. Habituated to humans, its diet includes fruit, insects and nectar. It sometimes feeds on ectoparasites that it picks off the backs of animals or visits bird tables for scraps. This Cape starling, of the subspecies L. n. phoenicopterus, was photographed in Damaraland, Namibia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison
The New Zealand dotterel (Charadrius obscurus) is a species of shorebird found only in certain areas of New Zealand. The southern subspecies (C. o. obscurus) is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with only 60 to 80 mature individuals remaining in 2017. This individual, from the more numerous northern subspecies (C. o. aquilonius), was photographed at Point Chevalier, Auckland.
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Rooster at Chicken
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Female mallard in mid-flight at Flying and gliding animals
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The prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It breeds in hardwood swamps in southern Canada and the eastern United States and winters in the West Indies, Central America and northern South America.
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Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, of birds. They are the outstanding characteristic that distinguishes the class Aves from all other living groups.
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Canada goose
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Female mallard and ducklings at Burnaby Lake Regional Park
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Bald eagle at Bird of prey
Chinese goose head at List of goose breeds
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Malurus cyaneus cyanochlamys, juvenile
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