The Nestor meridionalis (scientific name) or kaka is a parrot found only in the forests of New Zealand. Measuring 18 inches in length, the kaka is similar in looks to the kea. It has a greyish-brown plumage, with the forehead being greyish-white, and the neck and belly being reddish. The underside of the wings has […]
The Cyanolimnas cerverai (scientific name) or zapata rail is found only in the tangled bush covered flooded vegetation of the zapata swamp, in the Northern part of Cuba. 11.5 inches in length, this medium-sized bird has olive-brown upperparts, with a slate-grey head, side of the heads and underparts. It has white barring on the lower
The Perisoreus internigrans (scientific name) or sichuan jay is found in tropical moist forests in China. It is a medium-sized bird with a head that’s dark black and the throat, neck and upper body are almost silver-grey in colour. The wing coverts and tail coverts are a darker grey. The beak is whitish-yellow, while the
The Psophia viridis (scientific name) or dark-winged trumpeter is found only in the Amazon rainforests of Brazil. But in these forests, their range is limited to the south of river Amazon and East of river Madeira. 17-20 inches in length, these medium-sized birds also have some differences in their plumage based on their range. Black
The Sephanoides fernandensis (scientific name) or juan fernandez firecrown is a non-migratory hummingbird found only in the forests, thickets and gardens of a small island called Isla Robinson Crusoe, Chile. These small birds are 10-12 inches in length. The male and the female look very different from each other. While the male is a cinnamon-brown
The Leucogeranus leucogeranus (scientific name) or Siberian crane is a migratory bird which breeds in Western and Eastern parts of the Arctic tundra of Russia. While the Eastern population migrates to China in winters, the Western population migrates to Iran and India. When they stand, they are 55 inches in height, and have pure white
The Numenius (scientific name) or curlew is a group of migratory birds which have a cosmopolitan distribution, but is largely found in the European continent on wet grasslands and moorlands in North England, Wales and Scotland, and on the coast in winters. A medium-sized bird, it is 19-23 inches in length. While their plumage is
The Vanellus gregarious (scientific name) or sociable lapwing is found only in the open grasslands of Russia and Kazakhistan. They are migratory birds, which fly south to Sudan, Israel, Syria, North-West India and a few other countries. 10-12 inches in length, these medium birds, have long black legs and short sharp black beaks. The upperparts
The Phoebastria irrorata (scientific name) or waved albatross is endemic to the tropical regions of South America, with the breeding (Espanola Island) and non-breeding (off the coast of Peru and Ecuador) locations being different. 31-35 inches in length, this medium-sized bird has a mostly brownish-chestnut coloured body. The head and neck are a distinctive yellowish-cream
The Rhinocryptidae (scientific name) is a family of birds that go by the name tapaculo. These birds are only 4.0-9.5 inches in length and have short wings resulting in poor flight. They have strong legs, which help them to forage around the forest undergrowth. Most members of the family are small and have brown-black plumage.
The Heliopais personatus (scientific name) or masked finfoot is an aquatic bird, which is endemic to the wetlands of the Eastern Indian sub-continent, Malaysia, Indonesia and Indo-China. About 21 inches in length, this bird has a long neck, black masked face and throat. The crown and hind neck are grey. The under parts are whitish
The Aceros waldeni (scientific name) or rufous-headed hornbill is endemic to the rainforests of Negros and Panay Islands, the Philippines. 23-25 inches in length, this medium-sized bird has a rufous head, neck and upper chest. The orbital and gular skin is bare and bright orange (white with a bluish tinge in females). The rest of
The Callaeas cinereus (scientific name) or kokako is seen only in the forests of New Zealand. A large songbird, it has slate-grey plumage, black eye mask and beak. It is identifiable by the ‘wattles’ on the sides of its beak. The wattle changes colour and develops with age. The younger birds have pink wattles, while
The Colluricincla sanghirensis (scientific name) or sangihe shrike-thrush is a native of the moist tropical forests of Sangihe Island, Indonesia. 6.6 inches in length, this bird has an olive-brown colouration on the upperparts, with chestnut-coloured shoulders and back. The belly is reddish in colour, and the underparts are brown. Its diet consists mostly of insects,
The Claravis geoffroyi (scientific name) or purple-winged ground-dove is found in the bamboo Atlantic forests, in 2-3 parts of South America. No more than 9 inches in length, the male has slate-blue plumage overall, which gets lighter on the underparts. The belly, head and tail are all white. The tail has two central grey feathers.