221 Exotic Birds Encyclopedia

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.

The Balaeniceps rex (scientific name) or shoebill is a large stork-like bird found in swampy tropical regions of Eastern Africa. A tall bird, with height ranging from 43-60 inches, this bird has beautiful grey plumage overall, with white tips on the wing feathers. It is also has a grey crest on its head. It has

The Francolinusnahani (scientific name) or nahan’s francolin is an extremely rare bird found mostly in the lowland swampy forests only in some eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Also known as nahan’s partridge, this bird is small measuring only 9.8 inches in length. The legs, base of the beak and a ring around

The Didunculus strigirostris (scientific name) or tooth-billed pigeon is endemic to Samoa in the Pacific. This pigeon is large in size, 31 inches in length. The head, neck and underpart plumage is an iridescent blue-green in colour. The wings, coverts and tail are chestnut in colour. The beak is bright red, large and curved like

The Rostratula australis (scientific name) or Australian painted-snipe is a uniquely patterned wader which is found in the wetlands with low dense vegetation in Australia. With a height of 9-11 inches, this bird has a chocolate brown head, neck and upper body, which changes to rufous at the back of the neck, and merges with

The Charadriinae (scientific name) or plover is a sub-family of 66 different species of wading birds that have a cosmopolitan distribution, excepting in the Sahara and polar regions. They are medium-sized birds, which have plumage colouration of black, white, rufous, grey and brown. Their height can vary depending on the species and the length of

The Sagittarius serpentarius (scientific name) or secretarybird is found mostly in grasslands and Sub-Saharan regions of Africa. With a height of 4 feet, this bird is identifiable because of its body type, which is similar to that of an eagle, but on the legs of a crane. The flight feathers and thigh plumage are black.

The Aegypius Monachus (scientific name) or vulture is divided into Old World vultures which are found across Asia, Africa and Europe, and the New World vultures which are found in warmer climates only in the Americas. While the height may vary, these birds have a formidable wingspan going up to 10-11 feet. Their plumage is

The Pseudochelidon sirintarae (scientific name) or white-eyed river martin is an extremely rare bird which has only been sighted a few times in a freshwater lake area in Thailand. First discovered in 1968, it hasn’t been seen since 1980. About 7 inches long, it has a glossy green-black plumage overall, which is divided at the

The Phodilus prigoginei (scientific name) or congo bay owl is found only in high altitude grasslands and tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is 9-11 inches in height and has a beautiful chestnut brown plumage on the upperparts, and a rusty lighter brownish-orange plumage on the underside. Its face is compact and

The Atrichornis (scientific name) or scrubbird is an extremely rare species of bird found only in 2 parts of Australia. This species has 2 types of birds, one found in tropical forests of Queensland and New South Wales, and the other found in the heaths on the West coast of Australia. Both the species are