221 Exotic Birds Encyclopedia

The Thaumatibis gigantean (scientific name) or giant ibis is found near marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes, only of Northern Cambodia. Till the 1920s, this bird was a resident breeder in parts of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam as well. Since then, the population has depleted greatly. 40-42 inches in length and 39 inches in height, the […]

The Oriolus chinensis (scientific name) or black-naped oriole is found not only in forests, but also gardens and plantations across many parts of Asia. A medium-sized bird, the black-naped oriole has a bright yellow plumage, with a black band around its eyes to the back of its head, like an eye mask. The wing tips

The Musophagidae (scientific name) or turaco is a family of arboreal birds native to the forests and savannah of Sub-Saharan Africa. Their average size ranges from 16-30 inches. It is a brightly coloured bird, with a colourful plumage of blue, green and purples. The bird has a crest on its head which gives it a

The Eurylaimidae (scientific name) or broadbills are found from Eastern Himalayas to Indonesia and the Philippines, with the exception of two species which are native to Sub-Saharan regions of Africa. 5-11 inches in height, these birds have brightly coloured plumage, large eyes and heads, and broad flat beaks. They are insectivorous and carnivorous. Their diet

The Cotinga cayana (scientific name) or spangled cotinga is only found in the Amazon rainforests of South America. 5.9 inches in height, the spangled cotinga is sexually dimorphic. The male is bright turquoise-blue, with a deep wine coloured throat. The wing feathers, as also the crest part of its head, are a darker midnight blue.

The Foudia madagascariensis (scientific name) or Madagascar red fody is a native of the grasslands and forest clearings of Madagascar. Just 5 inches in height, this tiny bird has bright red-coloured plumage with black markings around its eyes. The wings and the tail are brown-olive in colour. The male and the female in this species

The Furnarius cinnamomeus (scientific name) or the pacific hornero is generally found in wooded habitats near water, in the west part of South America. Not more than 7.5 inches in height, this bird is brown in colour with pale legs and a long thin sharp beak. Their diet is comprised of arthropods, and at times

The Nectariniidae (scientific name) or sunbird is a small family of birds distributed from rainforests to savannah and alpine forests, in Africa, India, South-East Asia and North Australia. These birds along with the Spiderhunters make up this family. Measuring just 4 inches on an average, the sunbird have bright iridescent colours. They have long thin

The Certhia Americana (scientific name) or brown creeper is a tree-creeper generally found only in moist coniferous forests of North America. This songbird is small, measuring only 5.3 inches in length. It has brown upperparts with white spotting, giving it the resemblance of a tree-bark. The underparts are white. The tail is long and stiff

The Thraupidae (scientific name) or tanager is a family of birds that are spread out through tropical America, with 60% in South America and 30% in the Andes. These birds are small to medium size, with the smallest measuring 3.8 inches and the largest species measuring 11 inches. While some species are black and white,

The Euplectus Hordeaceus (scientific name) or black-winged red bishop is found in the tall grasslands of tropical Africa. Prior to this, they were known as the Fire-crowned bishop in Southern Africa. With a height of 5.9 inches at the most, they are the largest of the bishop birds. This stocky bird is scarlet in plumage

The Fringillidae (scientific name) or finch is mostly found in the wooded forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Some species are common to the Hawaiian Islands and the Arctic. With breeds varying in sizes from 3.8 inches (Andean Siskin) to 10 inches (Pine Grosbeak), the Finch generally has brownish, greenish colour with a lot of black,

The Lonchura oryzivora (scientific name) or Java sparrow is a small resident-breeder of Java, Bali and Bawean in Indonesia. 15-17 inches in height, the Java sparrow has pretty distinguishing features. The male and the female have very little difference. The head and the tail are black. The upperparts and chest are grey with a pink

The Ploceidae (scientific name) or weaver birds are found mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and tropical parts of Asia. Ranging from 5 inches (African and Asian Weaver) to 10 inches (African Buffalo Weaver), these birds are small Old World birds, which generally have colourful plumage of either yellow or red and black. Their diet is comprised

The Coraciidae (scientific name) or rollers are Old World birds which can be found in warmer climates. Most roller species are found in Africa. While there are species found in Europe, they are migratory in nature. 10-11 inches in length, they resemble crows in shape and size, but are as colourful as kingfishers or bee-eaters.