221 Exotic Birds Encyclopedia

The Brachyramphus brevirostris (scientific name) or Kittlitz’s Murrelt is found only on the coasts of Alaska and Eastern Siberia. While it breeds in Alaska, it nests in parts of Siberia and Wrangel Island. A compact auk, with length not exceeding 9.8 inches, its plumage changes colour. In summer, when breeding season starts, it adopts greyish-brown […]

The Sula nebouxii (scientific name) or blue-footed booby is a seabird, which is found in tropical climates, especially the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. 25-36 inches in length, this bird has a white throat, and chest and belly. The head and upper neck are speckled brown and white in colour, and the plumage on the upperparts

The Ardeotis nigriceps (scientific name) or great Indian bustard is found solely in arid and semi-arid areas, with sparse vegetation and tall grass. These birds are endemic to India and Pakistan. Nearly 3.3 feet in height, this bird is one of the heaviest amongst flying birds. It has a black cap-like crown on its head

The Pareudiastes silvestris (scientific name) or Makira Moorhen is endemic to the forests of Makira Island, part of the Solomon Islands. However, there is concern that this bird may already be extinct since it has not been seen since 1953. Villagers in the area claim to have spotted the bird, but no official record since

The Himantopus novaezelandiae (scientific name) or black-stilt is the world’s rarest wading bird, found only in New Zealand. Also known as kaki, there are only 60 odd birds remaining. Not more than 19 inches in length, this bird is unique with its all black plumage, fine black beak and long red legs. These birds use

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.