221 Exotic Birds Encyclopedia

The Psittacus Alexandri Linnaeus (scientific name) or mustached parakeet is a native of the Himalayas, and is also found from Southern China to Indonesia. With a maximum height of 16 inches, the mustached parakeet is easily identifiable because of the mustache-like markings below its beak. While the male is more attractive in the species, with […]

The Psittacula cyanocephala (scientific name) or plum-headed parakeet is found only in the Indian and Sri Lankan forests and woodland areas. About 13 inches in length, with an extremely long tail, the male and the female are different. The male is more vibrant and attractive with a red head, shading to bluish-purple on the back,

The Agapornis personatus (scientific name) or black-masked lovebird is a monotypic species of lovebirds that are native to Tanzania, Africa. However, after the 1920’s, these birds have been imported worldwide as pets. The black-masked lovebird, as the name suggests, is black-coloured on its face, with a white eye-ring, while its body is usually green (mutations

The Accipiter badius (scientific name) or shikra/hawk is found commonly across India, Sri Lanka and sub-Saharan Africa. 14 inches in length, this bird has rounded wings and a slightly narrow tail. The underside plumage is white with rufous bars. The crown, head, neck, wings and tail range from grey to brownish. The female is larger

The Aratinga solstitialis (scientific name) or sun conure is native to the North-Eastern parts of South America, from Brazil to Venezuela. A full-grown sun parakeet is a riot of rainbow colours from bright yellow, orange, red to blue and green. This parrot is medium in size, not extending more than 12 inches. Both its beak

The Hirundo fluvicola (scientific name) or streak-throated swallow is native to South Asia, specifically India. 4.7 inches in length, it has chestnut coloured plumage on the upper parts, with the neck, wings and tail being a darker brownish colour, and the crown being a more reddish-chestnut colour. The throat, chest and belly are all creamy-white

The Corvus splendens (scientific name) or house crow is also known as the Indian or grey-necked crow. Endemic to the Indian sub-continent, it is found commonly in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and parts of Maldives, Thailand and Southern Iran.16 inches in length, this bird is slimmer than its cousins. While the forehead, crown and throat

The Ara macao (scientific name) or scarlet macaw is found in the tropical rainforests of South America, all the way from Mexico to Bolivia, Peru and Brazil. The scarlet macaw is 32 inches long, but most of its length is made up by the tail. The plumage is bright scarlet. The tail feathers and rump

The Ara rubrogenys (scientific name) or red-fronted macaw is found only in the semi-desert mountainous regions of Bolivia.Just 24 inches in height, these birds are known as mini macaws. It is mostly green, but has a spectacular red accent on the forehead, crown, and behind the eye, as well as on the bend of its

The Psittacula krameri manillensis (scientific name) or rose-ringed parrot is native to the Indian sub-continent, found across India and Pakistan. 16 inches in length, including the tail, this bird is unmistakable on account of its bright green plumage and rose-coloured ring around the neck of the male. The female has no ring around her neck,

The Ara chloropterus (scientific name) or green-winged macaw is found in the forests of North and Central South America. This bird has a bright red colour on its chest, shoulders and head. Its wings and tail are red, green and blue in colour. With a height of 39 inches and wing-span of 49 inches, this

The Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (scientific name) or hyacinth macaw is native to 3 regions in South America. The hyacinth macaw is the largest parrot by length, measuring up to 3.3 feet in height. Its feathers are entirely blue, with a touch of bright yellow near its beak and around the eyes. They have extremely strong beaks

The Eclectus roratus (scientific name) or eclectus parrot is a native to Solomon Islands, New Guinea, nearby islands, as also North Eastern parts of Australia and the Maluku Islands. The eclectus parrot is very different from other parrots, because of the stark differences in colouring between male and female. While the male is bright green

The Balearica pavonina (scientific name) or black-crowned crane is found in the dry savannah, South of the Sahara, Africa. However, its nest is in wetter habitats. They are the only cranes which nest in trees. With a height of 3.3 feet and wing-span of 6 feet, these birds are black in colour with white wings.

The Gymnogyps Californianus (scientific name) or California condor is the largest bird to dominate North America, specifically Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. With a wing-span of 9.8 feet and body-weight of 12 kg on an average (females are slightly smaller), the California condor has black wings with white patches on the underside and a large