221 Exotic Birds Encyclopedia

The Ducula pinon or pinon’s imperial pigeon is generally found in tropical and sub-tropical forests of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (where they are hunted commonly). 17.0-18.5 inches in height, this mauve-grey coloured bird has slightly darker wings and tail. It also has a prominent red area of skin surrounding its eyes. While its beak […]

The Otidiphaps nobilis (scientific name) or magnificent ground pigeon is commonly found in hilly and mountainous forests of New Guinea, as also the islands of Aru, Batanta, Yapen and a few others. Approximately 18 inches in height, this bird is a large ground dwelling pigeon. It has a black head, with an iridescent blue green

The Picinae (scientific name) or woodpecker is the sub-family of the Picidae family. These birds have a cosmopolitan distribution in wooded habitats, excepting Australasia, Antarctica and Madagascar. Ranging from 3.5 inches to 19 inches, the woodpecker has predominantly black, white, brown and red-coloured plumage. The darker areas are iridescent and the head and the belly

The Cygnanser kretzoi (scientific name) or swan has a cosmopolitan distribution, with 4-5 breeds found in the Northern Hemisphere, one species are found in Australia and New Zealand and one species in South America. Over 16 inches in length, this bird is known for its long slender neck and graceful poise. Overall body plumage is

The Anas platyrhynchos domesticus (scientific name) or Indian runner duck is a unique breed of ducks which are a native of the Indian sub-continent and also Malaysia. 14 inches in height, is bird prefers to travel by running rather than swimming or waddling. Even though it looks like a regular duck, with webbed feet and

The Pycnonotus jocosus (scientific name) or red-whiskered bulbul is found commonly in hilly forest regions, gardens and tropical forests throughout Asia. At 7.9 inches in length, this bird stands out because of its pointed black crest, red face-patch and thin line from its beak that resembles a moustache. It has brown upperparts and whitish underparts.

The Pycnonotus atriceps (scientific name) or black-headed bulbul is found in forest areas in South-East Asia, more specifically Andaman Islands and North-East India. A medium-sized bird, the black-headed bulbul has a more olive-yellow plumage all over, with a glossy blackish-blue head. The wings and tail feathers have an overlaying pattern of black and olive-yellow, with

The Pycnonotus bimaculatus (scientific name) or orange-spotted bulbul is a native of the forest edges and meadows in Indonesia, Java, Bali and Sumatra. It is a small bird, with a height not exceeding 10 inches. With a white underbelly, and brownish upper parts and wing, this bird is named so because of the two orange

The Dicrurus paradiseus (scientific name) or greater racket-tail drongo is generally found in forests, ranging from the East to West Himalayas, Java and Borneo. With a height of 14-16 inches not including its long tail feather, this bird is mostly glossy black in colour with blue-green shades on its wings and the crest of feathers

The Cissa chinensis (scientific name) or green magpie is a bird from the crow family found in evergreen forests and scrublands from North-East India, in the lower Himalayas towards Thailand, Sumatra, Malaysia and north-western Borneo. This bird is 10-12 inches in height, and has a vivid green colour, which turns turquoise in captivity. There is

The Copsychus saularis (scientific name) or oriental magpie robin is a small Old World flycatcher which is found in gardens and forests across the Indian sub-continent and parts of South-East Asia. Only 7.5 inches in length, this bird is sexually dimorphic. The male has a black throat, neck and upper parts. Apart from its white

The Platylophus galericulatus (scientific name) or crested jay is a monotypic bird found in moist tropical forests of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. It is a medium-sized glossy black bird with a black beak and legs. It has small white markings near its eye and also a crescent-like white shape below its head. The

The Pittidae (scientific name) or pitta is a family of bird native to semi-forests and tropical regions of Asia, Australia and parts of Africa. There are 32 different species of pitta. The size of the pitta bird varies from region to region, but is between 5.9 inches to 9.1 inches in length. They are brightly

The Hydronis guajana (scientific name) or banded pitta is actually 3 different birds of the same species formerly placed in the same group. However, they have been separated into sub-species, Hydronis schwaneri (Bornean Banded pitta), Hydronis guajana (Javan Banded Pitta) and Hydronis irena (Malayan Banded Pitta). They are native to the regions mentioned in their

The Leiothrix argentauris (scientific name) or silver-eared mesia is native to South-East Asia, specifically the foothills of the Himalayas. With a height of 7 inches, the silver-eared mesia has a black head and yellow neck. A tuft of silver feathers on either side of its head looks like ears. The body is greenish with red-orange