Galliformes are found on every continent except Antarctica. Gallinaceous birds enjoy a wide variety of habitats: forests, mountains, farmland, semideserts, and savannas (plant communities characterized by shrubs and low trees as well as grasses and herbs). …
Both Albert's and the superb lyrebird are native to Australia, where they occur from southern Queensland and northern New South Wales along the Great Dividing Range and south to southwestern Victoria. Both species of lyrebird live only in Australia's rainforests and mixed temperate forests, although the Albert's specializes in mountainous areas and the superb occupies a b…
White-eyes are found widely in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and the smaller islands of the Pacific Islands. They have been introduced in Hawaii and Tahiti. White-eyes are found in almost every kind of wooded habitat including woodlands, forest edges and canopies (uppermost layer of vegetation of forest, treetops), and bushes within parks and gardens. They are foun…
Oilbirds eat fruit that they pluck from trees. All other caprimulgiforms eat arthropods, animals with no backbones. These include insects, spiders, and millipedes. Larger birds eat vertebrates, creatures with backbones, like frogs, mice, small birds, and bats. …
Moundbuilders have big, strong legs and feet. The short bill curves downward, and most moundbuilders look like other galliforms (members of the order Galliformes) in body shape and dull coloring. There are a few species that have patterned plumage (feathers), but in these birds, the patterning helps conceal them from predators. Moundbuilders weigh between 1.1 and 5.5 pounds (0.5 to 2.5 kilogr…
Both species of scrub-bird occur only in Australia and only within restricted ranges. The rufous species lives in isolated populations in the Queensland-New South Wales border area. The noisy scrub-bird occupies the far southwestern corner of the country in Two People's Bay Nature Reserve near Albany and, since they were reintroduced there in 1998, the Darling Range of Western Australi…
Oilbirds live mainly in South America and are found in the countries of Guyana, Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia. Oilbirds also range in the Central American countries of Costa Rica and Panama, and the islands of Tobago and Aruba. Oilbirds live in caves along coasts and in the mountains. Birds make their homes in areas near coniferous or evergreen forests�…
These birds are found in south Texas through tropical South America as far as central Argentina. United States is home to only one species, whereas Colombia and Brazil harbor twenty-four and twenty-two species, respectively. Cracids live in tropical forest regions, plantations, and forested areas where there is a second, lighter growth of vegetation. Although most species prefer the warmth of…
Australian honeyeaters are found throughout Australia (except for dense grasslands without trees and shrubs), New Guinea, Melanesia, Moluccas, and Lesser Sundas, west to Bali, Micronesia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand; through Polynesia to the Hawaiian Islands. Two species occur in southern Africa. People often find Australian honeyeaters in parks and gardens. A few species are regarded as p…
Australian frogmouths live in Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands, Tasmania, and the Solomon Islands. Asian frogmouths live in Asian countries including India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka¸ the Philippines, Borneo, and Java. Frogmouths live in a range of habitats where there are trees. Some species live in rainforests where heavy rain produces plenty of trees. Other birds live in grass…
Guineafowl are native to Africa and Madagascar. Though primarily found in rainforests, some guineafowl live in open-country habitats other than the desert, such as grasslands and plains with thickets and brush. Others prefer secondary forests, which are forests that grow after a major disturbance such as logging or fire occurs. Some guineafowl eat small invertebrates (animals without backbone…
Larks occur all over the world, but many of the species are extremely localized and are either rare or endangered. Most larks live in Africa, but many types also inhabit Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and all of Europe. …
The family ranges widely over the Americas including most of the continental United States, all but the northern-most parts of Canada, Mexico, and Central America, most of South America including as far south as Uruguay, northern Argentina, and northern Chile. Vireos and peppershrikes are found in boreal (northern), temperate, and tropical habitats including woodlands, scrublands, and forests…
Owlet-nightjars live in Australia, Moluccas, New Guinea and nearby islands, Tasmania, and New Caledonia. Owlet-nightjars live in various types of forests. Species in New Guinea range in rainforests, where rain throughout the year produces abundant growth. Owlet-nightjar species live in mountain forests, and in scrubland where there are fewer trees. Owlet-nightjars have little contact with peo…
Fowls and pheasants measure 6 to 48 inches (15 to 125 centimeters) and weigh 1.5 to 24.2 pounds (0.7 to 11 kilograms). All species have a heavy, round body. Legs and neck are short, head and tail are small (except in a few long-tailed species), and facial ornamentation varies. Coloration of skin and plumage (feathers) also varies, but males are almost always the more colorful sex. Fowls and p…
Potoos live in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Tobago, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Trinidad. Potoos live in rainforests, where rain throughout the year produces abundant growth. The birds live in coniferous or evergreen forests, where trees don't undergo seasonal change and shed leaves. …
New World finches range throughout the world, except for the interior of Greenland, far Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and Madagascar. They have been introduced in New Zealand. New World finches live in open and semi-open bushy or grassland areas, forest edges, tundra, prairies and meadows, deserts, hilly meadows, salt and freshwater marshes, and oak and pine woods. Diet consists most…
The majority of swallow species are found in Africa, but one can find swallows on virtually every major continent, except Antarctica and the high Arctic. They are also absent from New Zealand and other oceanic islands. Most swallows form monogamous (muh-NAH-guh-mus) pairs. Some species build their nests either in natural or human-made holes, such as tree crevices or nesting boxes. Other speci…
New World quails are native to North, Central, and South America, though they have been introduced elsewhere. New World quails occupy a vast array of habitats. Bobwhites live in ranges from grassland to woodland edge while other species prefer the desert. Others are found in mountain, tropical, and subtropical forests. Quail often make their homes on agricultural land. New World quails scratc…
Nightjar species are found throughout most of the world. No species live in the Arctic, Antarctic, and some oceanic islands. Some nightjar species migrate across continents. These include European nightjars that breed in Europe and spend the winter in Africa. Nightjars live in habitats ranging from semi-arid deserts to rainforests, where abundant rainfall produces plentiful growth. The birds …
Hoatzins are found in South America. Hoatzins live in vegetation bordering water such as swamps, lakes, lagoons, streams, and rivers. Large populations can be found along the Amazon and Orinoco River systems. Hoatzins never live in altitudes above 1,640 feet (500 meters). The local name given to this bird in Guyana is "stinking pheasant" because the strong odor of the hoatzin is…
New World warblers live in North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. Primarily forest birds, different species of New World warblers, also known as wood warblers, may be found in everything from thick and dark forests to dry and open woods. Some have more unusual habits, and will live either in deserts or swamps. These smallish birds spend much of their days on the m…
Most species live in open or semi-open country, and many prefer grassy areas such as fields and rocky meadows. Wagtails particularly favor streams, lake edges, rivers, and wetlands, while pipits search out open grasslands from sea level to as high as 17,400 feet (5,300 meters) in the Himalayas. Longclaws also tend to stick to open grasslands and the edges of wetlands. All members of this fami…
NEW WORLD BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES: Icteridae BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula): SPECIES ACCOUNTS RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus): SPECIES ACCOUNTS BAYWING (Agelaioides badius): SPECIES ACCOUNTS As their name implies, New World blackbirds are found throughout North and South America, as are orioles. Some species are also found in the Caribbean. Grasslands and marshes are popula…
Cuckoo-shrikes are found only in middle and southern Africa, south and Southeast Asia, Australasia, and the western Pacific Islands. Cuckoo-shrikes mostly eat insects such as caterpillars and some fruit, but some species also eat seeds and plant parts. Cuckoo-shrikes do not have a special significance to humans. Four cuckoo-shrike species are listed as Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinc…
The three species of mesites and roatelos are approximately 12 inches (30 centimeters) in length. Mesites and roatelos are characterized by short, rounded wings, long, wide tails, and sturdy legs. Their bills curve downward, making it easier for them to forage, or hunt for food, on the forest floor. Mesites and roatelos are found exclusively on the large island of Madagascar, off the eastern …
Swifts are found throughout most of the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Swifts' habitats vary from coniferous and deciduous forests to grasslands where there are few trees. Swifts need to build nests in locations where it is easy for them to take flight. Swiftlets build nests in caves. Some birds make nests on cliffs, in chimneys or other tall structures. Swifts are insect…
Finches range throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. They prefer forests, shrubby areas, savannas (flat grasslands), grasslands, agricultural areas, parks, and gardens. Finches eat seeds, grains, and other vegetable matter. They also eat insects and other small invertebrates (animals without a backbone). Many species forage on the ground, while others feed in trees. One species is…
Tree swifts live in Asia in the countries of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Bali, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam. They also range in New Guinea, Bismarck, the Philippines, and the Solomon Islands. Tree swifts eat flying insects like ants, beetles, wasps, and bees. Tree swifts are aerial feeders; they fly after prey, insects hunted for food. The birds also eat …
Buttonquails are found in southern Europe, Africa, south and Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. Buttonquails live in grassland, brush, and some forest habitats. Although they can fly, they live almost exclusively on the ground, often in grasses or amid crops or weeds. Many buttonquail species were once hunted for food, although this is no longer legal in most western countrie…
HAWAIIAN HONEYCREEPERS: Drepanididae APAPANE (Himatione sanguinea): SPECIES ACCOUNTS LAYSAN FINCH (Psittirostra cantans): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Hawaiian honeycreepers are found only on the Hawaiian Islands. They are believed to have descended from a single species of cardueline finch that came to the Hawaiian Islands (it is believed) about three to four million years ago. Most Hawaiian honeyc…
Ostriches are found in parts of central and southern Africa. Emus are distributed in several small areas of Australia. Kiwis are found in New Zealand. Rheas are distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Cassowaries are found in northern Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. Tinamous are found in southern Mexico and throughout Central and South America.…
Cranes are tall birds with large wings, long legs, and long, graceful necks. Most species are black and white or gray in color. Often there are bright patches of bare red skin that are shown in threat and dance displays. Cranes are found on all continents except for Antarctica and South America. Most cranes live in wetland habitats. Breeding generally occurs during the summer in freshwater we…
Hummingbirds live in North, Central, and South America. Hummingbirds live in coniferous forests where trees do not undergo seasonal change. They range in rainforests where year-round rain produces abundant growth and in deciduous forests where trees shed leaves during certain seasons. They are also found in grasslands, deserts, and wetlands like swamps. For centuries, hummingbirds have fascin…
Fairy bluebirds and leafbirds can be found throughout Asia, in southern China, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, the Greater Sundas, and in India. Some species have limited distribution such as the Marshall's iora that is found only in tropical Pakistan and northwestern India, or the yellow-throated leafbird that can be found only on the western Philippine island of Palawan and some its …
They are found in sub-Saharan Africa, southeastern Asia, Australia, and South Pacific islands. Various small populations have been introduced throughout other parts of the world. Weaverfinches are found in savannas (flat grasslands), forests, and semi-deserts, preferring forest edges. Their diet consists of small half-ripe and fully ripe grass seeds, and during the breeding season they also e…
Mousebirds live in sub-Saharan Africa, in countries south of the Sahara Desert. Bar-breasted mousebirds range throughout most of that area. White-headed mousebirds live in Kenya and Tanzania. Chestnut-backed mousebirds live in the region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. White-backed mousebirds and red-faced mousebirds live in southern Africa. Blue-naped mousebirds live in w…
Limpkins are found only in the Western Hemisphere, from Florida through most of Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America. They are also in South America east of the Andes mountain range and as far south as central Argentina. Limpkins generally occur in wetland habitats, including shallow-water areas near ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers. Limpkins were once hunted for meat, but hunting…
Tinamous are found in southern Mexico and throughout Central and South America, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Guatemala, French Guiana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Tinamous occupy a wide variety of habitats. Some species live in tropical rainforests, others in bush wood…
Shrikes appear throughout the world in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, Russia, and New Guinea. Virtually all of the bush-shrike species live in Africa, while the helmet-shrikes and the true shrikes live in sub-Saharan Africa. Of the true shrikes, the loggerhead is the only species to occupy North America. The other species are more widespread. Shrikes have only recently overcome their re…
Rheas are distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Rheas live almost exclusively on grassland although two subspecies of the lesser rhea also inhabit desert areas. Rheas are omnivores, meaning that they eat both plants and meat. Their diet consists mainly of grass, leaves, herbs, fruit, and seeds, as well as lizards, insects, and small animals. Rheas are hunted…
Trogons are distributed throughout central and southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and north and central South America. Trogons usually live in tropical forests, being found from rainforests to tropical woodlands. Most species are scattered within the tropics and subtropics, usually inhabiting the middle elevations of forests. On the northern and southern edges of their habitat,…
WEAVERS: Ploceidae VILLAGE WEAVER (Ploceus cucullatus): SPECIES ACCOUNTS BAYA WEAVER (Ploceus philippinus): SPECIES ACCOUNTS SOUTHERN RED BISHOP (Euplectes orix): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Weavers live mainly in tropical Africa, as well as Madagascar, southern Asia, and as far east as Borneo and Java. Some species have been introduced into non-native habitats, where they have quickly adapted and …
Kagus live in most kinds of forest on Grand Terre, although they seem to prefer tropical rainforests, from sea level up to 4,200 feet (1,400 meters). They will forage in shrubby or bushy areas and in low-growing dry forest, during the seasonal rains, when their sort of animal food becomes abundant. Kagus do not inhabit grasslands. …
Cassowaries are found in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, and surrounding islands. Cassowaries live in rainforest, ranging from lowland swamp forests to mountainous forests. Cassowaries are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and flesh. Their diet consists mainly of fruit, but they will also eat lizards, snakes, small marsupials (animals that have a pouch), and other birds. Humans ha…
Sparrows are small plumpish birds with short, powerful bills and short tails. They have different shades of brown and gray on their upperparts that is sometimes streaked lightly to heavily, and white or buff under parts that are streaked with black or brown. Adults are 4.5 to 7.0 inches (12.0 to 17.5 centimeters) long and weigh in the approximate range of 0.4 to 1.9 ounces (10 to 55 grams). T…
Vangas occupy varying ranges in the forested parts of Madagascar, a large island off the southeastern coast of Africa. One species, the blue vanga, is the only species found outside of Madagascar, it also lives on the Comoro Islands between Madagascar and Africa. All vangas are forest species, and are found in all the major forest types of Madagascar, which includes tropical rainforest along …
Twenty-five species of Coraciiformes are threatened with extinction. There are three Critically Endangered species, facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild; five listed as Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild; and seventeen species are Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. …
Emus are found throughout Australia. They are most common in southern Australia although they can be found as far north as the city of Darwin. Emus live in eucalyptus forests, woodlands, shrublands, desert, sandy plains, grasslands, and high alpine plains. Emus are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and flesh. They prefer plant parts that are rich in nutrients they need, such as seeds, f…
Each of the three groups has a different range. Waxwings are present across temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, while the cedar waxwing winters as far south as Guatemala. Silky flycatchers occupy habitat from the southern United States into Central America, and the gray hypocolius lives in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Waxwings have become increasingly common …
Starlings and mynas range through Africa (except for northern regions), Eurasia (except for northern areas), the South Pacific, and southeastern Australia. The birds have been introduced onto all continents except for South America and Antarctica, and on many oceanic islands. These birds are located in barren semideserts, temperate (mild) grasslands, tropical savannas (flat grasslands), tropi…
Rails are found worldwide except in the Arctic and Antarctica, and in very dry deserts. They are particularly common on oceanic islands. In part, this is because of their weak flying abilities, which causes them to be easily thrown off course. …
Kiwis are found in various locations in New Zealand and on nearby islands, including Stewart Island. The North Island brown kiwi is the most widespread, with an estimated 30,000 in the wild. Most kiwis prefer subtropical and temperate forests, including coniferous and deciduous forests, grassland, scrubland, and farmland. Two varieties live in the higher elevations, the Stewart Island brown k…
The palmchat is one of only two birds native to the Caribbean (the other is the Jamaican tody). It is native to the West Indian island of Hispaniola, which is split into Haiti and the Dominican Republic, including the Saona and Gonave islands. Palmchats forage and breed almost exclusively in savannas, flat grasslands, dotted with royal palms and in valleys, and tend to stay at elevations betw…
Kingfishers are found throughout aquatic or wooded habitats, avoiding open country. They range from arid savannas to dense rainforests, and from low seacoasts to high mountains. Species that feed on aquatic animals are found from arid (dry, little rainfall) seashores to small mountain streams. Species that feed on land animals are found from arid savannas to dense rainforests. Most kingfisher…
Orioles and figbirds are located throughout the far northwest Africa and the sub-Saharan, temperate Eurasia (except its central deserts), south and east to India, Southeast Asia, and Indonesian archipelagos as far as New Guinea, and north and east Australia. Orioles and figbirds are found in medium to tall woodlands and forests, including rainforests. They prefer to live in the upper dense fo…
Hedge sparrows are known to be widely distributed throughout the Palearctic region that includes the area from western Europe to Japan, in Asia north of the Himalayan mountains, and in Africa, north of the Sahara desert. Hedge sparrows tend to live in the thick undergrowth of shrubs, and in alpine meadows rather than in the trees themselves. Habitats can vary slightly among the species. The r…
Ostriches are found in parts of central and southern Africa. Ostriches live in dry, sandy regions of Africa, including grassland, desert, woodlands, shrubland, and savannas, flat grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs. The documented relationship between ostriches and humans dates back 5,000 years to Mesopotamia and Egypt, where ostriches were raised for their feathers, eggs, skin, and me…
The African finfoot occurs in Africa, where it is found through most of sub-Saharan Africa. The sungrebe is a New World species found in parts of Mexico and through most of Central and South America. The masked finfoot is found in Asia, including portions of Bangladesh, India, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula. All sungrebe species require overhanging trees or other forms of dense cover over a…
Todies range through the larger islands of the Caribbean, including the Greater Antilles in the West Indies. Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico each have one species, while Hispaniola holds two species. Todies eat large amounts of food with respect to their tiny body size, often eating one insect or more during every minute of the daytime hours. They eat a wide variety of insect families, but chi…
Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Australia, New Guinea, Java, Taiwan, Solomon Islands. Tropical rain forest, mixed open forest and grassland. Drongos eat mainly insects, but sometimes spiders, small birds, and nectar. There is little interaction between drongos and humans. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists two drongo species as Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction, and …
Sunbitterns are found in the New World tropics in Central America and South America. They occupy most of the southern part of Central America south to western Ecuador, and South America east of the Andes Mountains through the Amazonian portions of Colombia, Venezuela, and Guineas, as well as portions of Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. Sunbitterns prefer forested habitats near permanent water sourc…
Mimids, members of the Mimidae family, average in length from 8.2 to 12.2 inches (20.5 to 30.5 centimeters). Their plumage, feathers, is not bright or colorful. Most species are shades of gray or brown and gray with some black or whitish markings. Many have long, curved bills used for foraging for prey on the ground or in trees. Mimids are found throughout North and South America, and on a nu…
Motmots are found from northeastern Mexico through most of tropical South America, as far as northern Argentina. Honduras contains seven species, while Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua each have six species. Venezuela, the Guianas, and Suriname have only one species. Motmots are mainly found in tropical or mountainous forests and woodlands. Although most species are lowland dwellers, the blue…
No other birds have as wide a distribution as the Procellariiformes. They are found in Antarctica as well as Greenland and in every ocean across the globe. …
Trumpeters are found in northern South America, including portions of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Trumpeters live in areas of tropical rainforests where there are many trees and little ground cover. Because they are primarily fruit eaters, their habitats generally have many fruit trees. Trumpeters eat primarily fruit, with their favorites being soft f…
NEW ZEALAND WATTLEBIRDS: Callaeidae KOKAKO (Callaeas cinerea): SPECIES ACCOUNT Wattlebirds live on both main islands (North and South Islands) of New Zealand and many offshore islands. Wattlebirds are New Zealand endemics, meaning that they are found only there and nowhere else in the world. Wattlebirds inhabit native temperate forests of New Zealand, which are made up of a mix of hardwo…
Dippers can be found in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the western regions of North and South America. Though conditions are suitable for dippers to nest in other areas, they have not done so. Dippers make their nests above shallow mountain rivers and streams, behind waterfalls, and sometimes on rocky ledges beside mountain lakes. The water must be fast moving to keep it rich in oxygen and f…
Members of the Grallinidae family are various colorations of black, white, gray, and brown. The average length of an adult is 8 to 18 inches (20 to 45 centimeters). Mudnest builders are found in Australia, New Guinea, Timor, and Lord Howe Island. All but one species of Grallinidae dwell in open space with trees for nesting. The torrent-lark prefers wooded areas near rivers and streams, where …
Albatrosses are found in the northern Pacific Ocean, Galápagos Islands to the coasts of Ecuador and Peru. They are also found in the Southern Hemisphere on coastal waters. Squid is the favorite food of the albatross. Because many squid glow in the dark, albatross often feed at night. They also eat the carcasses of seals, penguins, whales, and other marine life. In addition to fish, alb…
Seriemas range in size from about 28 to 35 inches (70 to 90 centimeters) in length and 2.6 to 3.3 pounds (1.2 to 1.5 kilograms) in weight. They have long legs, long tails, long necks, and short, rounded wings. Seriemas have sturdy, hooked bills that resemble those of hawks. Their backs and necks are light brown in color, whereas the belly is pale or white. Male and female seriemas are similar…
Bee-eaters range throughout the tropics of the Old World, with their center of population in northern and tropical Africa. They are also found in Madagascar, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. Bee-eaters live in areas of open, lightly wooded country such as savannas (flat grasslands), woodlands, steppes (large, often treeless, plains), and scrub deserts. Some species prefer rainforest…
Woodswallows are found in Australia and Tasmania, throughout the islands of the South Pacific region, Southeast Asia, and across south China to India and Sri Lanka. This family lives in a wide variety of habitats including open forests, woodlands, scrublands, mangroves (groups of tropical evergreen trees located near tidal coasts), edges of forests, orchards, urban areas, and clearings. In fa…
Procellariids live on oceans throughout the world, in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Procellariids live almost exclusively on the ocean, coming to shore only to breed. These nocturnal, active at night, birds eat squid, plankton, and marine life that has been discarded from fishing vessels. Giant petrels also eat seal and penguin carcasses. Procellariid eggs and meat are eaten by peopl…
Bustards are found across much of the Old World, including Africa, Europe, and Asia, as well as in Australia. Bustards are found primarily in grassland habitats with low vegetation where they are able to look out over long distances. Some bustards occupy taller grasslands or even slightly wooded areas. Bustards are also frequently found in cultivated fields. Bustards play an important role in…
Rollers range within Africa, southern Europe, and southern Asia to northeastern and southeastern Asia, and Australasia, east to the Solomon Islands. Rollers live in forests, woodlands, savannas (flat grasslands), and within urban areas, preferring the tropics and subtropics. People generally have little interest in rollers. Some exceptions occur; for instance, body parts of rollers are used i…
THRUSHES AND CHATS: Turdidae EASTERN BLUEBIRD (Sialia sialis): SPECIES ACCOUNTS STONECHAT (Saxicola torquata): SPECIES ACCOUNTS AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Thrushes and chats are widely distributed throughout the world except in desert regions or those far northern regions that are not woodland areas. They can be found in the new and old worlds, in the islands o…
Magpie-shrikes are found in Australia and New Guinea, along with one species in Borneo. Their diet consists of various small vertebrates and invertebrates (animals with backbones and without backbones), such as insects, grubs, and worms. Magpie-shrikes also eat eggs, nestlings (young birds unable to leave the nest), and berries. There is little significance between people and magpie-shrikes o…
Though distributed throughout the world, storm-petrels are particularly plentiful in the Southern Ocean. While most species breed around Australasia (Australia and nearby Asian islands), five assemble around islands from Mexico to California. The birds can be found in all ocean waters. Because they are small and dart around so quickly, it is difficult to identify the storm-petrel, so its habi…
Birds of the order Charadriiformes range in size from 0.06 to 4.4 pounds (25 grams to 2 kilograms). They vary greatly in body length, body shape, leg length, and bill shape, making generalizations about their physical characteristics difficult. Charadriiforms are found worldwide, including all seven continents. Species in the order Charadriiformes occupy diverse habitats. They are generally f…
Hoopoes are widely found in northern, central, and southern Africa, Madagascar, Europe, and Asia. People like hoopoes because they eat many insects that are agriculture and forestry pests. Thus, hoopoes are widely protected by a variety of national laws. However, many hoopoes are still hunted in southern Europe and parts of Asia. …
With the exception of the picathartes, which evolved in Africa, most members of this family originated in Asia. Babblers can be found in regions of China, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Australia and New Guinea, Japan and the Philippines, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The only American species traces its roots to Asia as well. Most babblers live in forested regions. A few adapted to desert and sava…
Bowerbirds are found primarily on the mainland of New Guinea, but also in Australia and the offshore islands of both countries. They inhabit rainforests, rainforest edges, moss forests, woodlands, open riverine (located near river) forests, borders between forests and grasslands, open woodlands, savannas (flat grasslands), and semi-deserts. Their diet consists of fruits from trees and bushes …
Diving-petrels live in the waters of the Southern Hemisphere. Although they prefer shallow coastal waters, they have been sighted offshore as well. Peruvian and Magellan diving-petrels live in South American waters, while the common and South Georgian species are circumpolar, living at both the North and South Poles. Diving-petrels prefer the colder temperatures of the ocean waters. They bree…
Jacanas are found in the Old World and New World tropics, including parts of Central America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Madagascar. Jacanas inhabit aquatic environments such as marshes or ponds in open (rather than forested) areas. They prefer water bodies that are covered in vegetation, since they use floating vegetation for both feeding and shelter. Jacanas have also been …
Woodhoopoes range throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with a small number of birds in northeast Africa. They are one of the few bird families that are confined to Africa. Woodhoopoes live in rainforests, forests, woodland, savannas (flat grassland), thornbush country, and arid steppes (dry plains that are often grass-covered) that contain adequate amounts of scattered trees. They avoid treeless ar…
Birds of paradise are known for their bright and beautiful plumage and unique ornamental tail and head feathers. Males are almost universally more colorful than their female counterparts. Most species have a hooked bill that they use to extract insects from dead wood and tree bark. Sizes range from 6.3 to 43.3 inches (16 to 110 centimeters) in length and 0.11 to 1 pound (50 to 450 grams) in w…
The Galápagos penguin lives just north of the equator, but all other species live in the southern half of the world. Although many equate the penguin with Antarctica, more than half of the seventeen penguin species are never seen there. Although penguins spend most of their time diving for food, they do venture on land to rest, breed, and raise their young. Breeding colonies are usuall…
Greater painted snipes are found in Africa, south Asia, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia. The South American painted snipe is found only in South America. Painted snipes occur primarily in wetland habitats such as marshes. They can also be found in moist grasslands and along streams and rivers with vegetation along the banks. Some populations inhabit human-made enviro…
Hornbills are found in sub-Saharan Africa; from India and continuing east through south and Southeast Asia; onto the Indonesian and Philippine archipelagos including New Guinea; and east to the Solomon Islands. Hornbills inhabit deserts, rainforests, steppes (treeless plain, often semiarid and grass-covered), woodlands, savannas (flat grasslands), and mountains, but prefer forested areas to o…
Wrens are an American family of birds that can be found throughout North and South America, as far north as Alaska and northern Canada and as far south as Tierra del Fuego in Argentina (the southern tip of South America). One species lives in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The greatest diversity of species can be found in Central and South America. The many species and subspecies of wrens li…
Crab plovers are found in coastal habitats along the Indian Ocean. Populations are found in portions of Africa, Madagascar, the Middle East, and India. Crab plovers occupy desert and semi-desert habitats, generally within 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) of the ocean. They require sand dunes for nesting. Crab plovers have little contact with humans because of the harsh climates they live in. However, …
All species migrate (move region to region, seasonally) to warmer temperatures around the Gulf of Mexico and to the east and west coasts of North America during nonbreeding season. They also migrate to the Mediterranean Sea and coastal China. Alaska is the only region in which all five species can be found. Loons can be found in inland lakes and tundra ponds. Less often they are seen in large…
Corvids are located throughout most of the world. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. Members of this large family live in habitats ranging from treeless tundras where land is flat to mountain forests. Birds live in deciduous forests, where trees shed their leaves, and coniferous forests, with cone-bearing evergreen trees. Corvids range in deserts, grassland steppes where ther…
These birds have a wide distribution, including the subarctic, Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, and Pacific islands. Old World warblers occupy a variety of habitats from arid scrubland to islands in the ocean, and every habitable niche in between, ranging from sea level to as high as several thousand feet (meters). Many species occupy specific levels within a habitat,…
Piciforms inhabit forests and woodlands, mostly in tropical environments. They are arboreal—that is, they live in trees. Many of the species prefer mature forests with a closed canopy, meaning the tallest trees' leaves let little light onto the forest floor. However, some species prefer open, fragmented forests and woodland savannas (flat grasslands) while other species like for…
Oystercatchers are found in coastal habitats worldwide, including North America, Europe, Africa, east Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. They also inhabit lakeshore areas in New Zealand, temperate (mild) Europe and Asia, and northern Africa. Oystercatchers occupy diverse types of shoreline habitat. These include beaches of rock, sand, pebble, and shell. Some species can be found in marshes or …
Grebes live throughout the world but not in the Antarctic or high Arctic regions where temperatures are frigid. Grebes live in freshwater ponds and lakes as well as slow-moving rivers. Northern populations migrate, travel from region to region seasonally, to inland lakes and coastal waters during winter months. In addition to feathers, grebes eat many kinds of fish, including perch, herring, …
Old World flycatchers can be found in Europe, Asia, Africa, India, Micronesia, and Australia and New Guinea. The greatest concentration of species lives in tropical regions of Africa and Asia. African flycatchers are found only in Africa. Some Old World flycatchers live in dry forests, grasslands, and savanna, while others prefer wetlands and moist forests. Still others make their homes in pa…
Jacamars range from southern Mexico in Central America to northern Argentina in South America. Jacamars prefer to eat large, showy, flying insects such as blue morpho butterflies, hawk moths, and venomous insects such as wasps, ants, and sawflies. Their diet also consists of other types of butterflies and moths, dragonflies, and flying beetles. They grab prey out of the air with their long, s…
Stilts and avocets are found worldwide, on all continents except Antarctica. The largest number of species occupy areas near Australia. Most stilts and avocets occupy large wetland areas. The ibisbill, however, prefers rocky habitats along slow-moving streams. Avocets, as well as the banded stilt, generally live in saltwater wetlands. Other stilt species use both saltwater and freshwater wetl…
Since most of the birds in the Pelecaniformes order are seabirds, they can be found in oceans, at seashores, and on ocean islands all around the world. A few of the birds live inland near big lakes and rivers. Because they eat only water animals, none of them can live in dry areas. Most of the birds in this group prefer warm waters and avoid the coldest areas. But a few can be found in waters…
Fairy-wrens can be found throughout Australia and New Guinea. Some species are found only in a limited area, while others are distributed over the entire continent. Emu-wrens and grasswrens only inhabit Australia. Fairy-wrens are found in New Guinea as well as Australia. Australian fairy-wrens are omnivores, eating both plants and animals. They forage, search for food, on the ground for wide …
Thick-knees are found primarily in the Old World, including portions of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Two species occupy parts of Central America and South America, and several species occur in Australia. Many species of thick-knees are found in either grassland or brush habitats. Others occupy dry desert areas, usually adjacent to a river or stream. The beach thick-knee is found…
Puffbirds range from southern Mexico in Central America to northern Argentina and Paraguay in South America. They are not found on any islands off the coasts of these countries. Because puffbirds are difficult to locate, little is known about their eating habits. It is believed that they eat mostly insects. Most species also eat arthropods (invertebrate animals with jointed limbs), along with…
Tropicbirds live in warm, tropical waters and breed on islands all across the oceans. Tropicbirds build their nests on tropical islands. When they are not nesting, they fly over the ocean and rest on the water. Flying fish are the main food of tropicbirds. They also feed on other kinds of fish and squid. They can catch flying fish in the air or fly into the water and catch prey near the surfa…
Australian warblers are distributed throughout Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands. They are also found in Indonesia and South East Asia. Australian warblers occur in many different habitats throughout their distribution area including, mangroves, rainforests, eucalyptus (yoo-kah-LIP-tus) forests and woodlands, shrub lands, and desert. Most of this family cap…
Pratincoles and coursers are found in portions of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Most pratincoles live near water, with many species preferring areas along large rivers. Pratincoles of Europe and Asia generally occur in grassland or desert habitats near water. The Egyptian plover occupies sandbars along tropical African rivers. Coursers occupy dry habitats of various types, including ex…
Barbets are found in northern South America, southern Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, and south and Southeast Asia. They are found mainly within tropical Africa. Barbets inhabit lowland tropical forests and forest edges. Some species, especially the African ones, are found in secondary forests, parklands, and urban areas that contain fruiting trees. Other species live in drier thornbush …
Magnificent frigatebirds fly above the warm ocean water and breed on tropical and subtropical islands all around the world. The other four species of frigatebirds are more rare, and each species breeds on only a few remote islands. Frigatebirds breed in colonies with other frigatebird on tropical islands. The warm water near their islands is about 77°F (25°C). They choose island…
Australian chats are usually linked to various kinds of shrublands. They also live in the nearby semi-arid woodland areas full of acacias (uh-KAY-shahz). Gibberbirds live in areas that have come to be known as "Gibber plains" and are stony deserts, with a light grass and saltbush cover. Yellow chats prefer the low vegetation that grows close to swamps, floodplains, and bore drai…
Cormorants are spread widely across the worlds' continents, except for desert areas and the very coldest regions. The birds that nest in the coldest regions migrate to warmer places in winter. Anhingas live in the warm, tropical and subtropical areas of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Cormorants and anhingas live in freshwater wetlands, swamps, lakes, rivers, and …
Plovers and lapwings are found worldwide, on all continents except Antarctica. Plovers and lapwings occupy a wide range of habitats including seashores, the banks of freshwater lakes and ponds, grasslands, and even flooded tundra areas. Many species occupy human-associated habitats such as agricultural fields, sewage ponds, airports, golf courses, roads, and rooftops. Two plover species, the …
Toucans are found from north-central Mexico south through Central America to northern Argentina in South America. Colombia has the largest number of toucan species, twenty-one in all. Venezuela, Ecuador, and Brazil each are home to seventeen toucan species. Rivers often form barriers separating different species because toucans don't like to make long flights over water. Most toucans l…
Boobies and gannets are large seabirds with long, pointed wings, cone-shaped bills, forward-facing eyes, and long necks and tails. Their length is between 25 and 39 inches (64 to 100 centimeters) from their bills to the end of their tails. They are strong fliers and plunge divers—boobies and gannets hit the water headfirst from high in the air in search of fish, and have air sacs under…
Logrunners and chowchillas live on the litter-strewn floor of dense rainforests and wet sclerophyll (SKLARE-uh-fill) forests. Sclerophyll forests have plants with hard leaves that have adapted, changed, to low levels of phosphorous, a chemical that encourages plant growth. Logrunners and chowchillas will move into nearby vegetation if it is dense enough. These adjacent territories may include…
Honeyguides are found in the temperate (mild) and tropical parts of Africa south of the Sahara. In addition, two species are found along the southern foothills of the Himalayas and in Southeast Asia. Honeyguides live in dense primary forests, secondary forests, gallery forests in semiarid country, open woodlands and scrublands that include a mix of broadleaved trees, shrubs, and grassland. Ge…
Pelicans live on every continent except Antarctica. Brown pelicans live mostly along the coasts of North and South America. The other pelicans usually breed inland, and can be found on all continents except South America. At breeding time, pelicans prefer nesting areas that are undisturbed, with water nearby where there are plenty of fish. Brown pelicans are the only true seabirds in the grou…
Sandpipers are found worldwide on all continents except Antarctica. A large number of sandpipers breed in the Northern Hemisphere and migrate to the tropics or to the Southern Hemisphere for the winter. Only a small number of sandpipers breed in the tropics. The sandpiper family includes species which breed the farthest north of any birds, including on Franz Joseph Land, the Zemlya Islands, a…
All of the species except the rail-babbler are found exclusively in Australia and New Guinea. The rail-babbler lives in the lowland peninsular areas of Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. …
Seedsnipes are found in the New World (Western Hemisphere) tropics, occupying the Andes as well as the Patagonian and Peruvian coasts in western and southern South America. Seedsnipes are found in cold, windswept areas, including rocky slopes, short grasslands, and bogs. They also occupy dry riverbeds and the shores of partly dried-up lakes. Seedsnipes eat plant material exclusively. This inc…
Picids are found around the world except Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Madagascar, Ireland, many oceanic islands, and polar regions. Wrynecks are found only in Eurasia and Africa. Piculets are located only in Asia, South and Central America, and Hispaniola. Picids are found in any environment that contains woody vegetation, preferring forests, woodlands, and savannas (flat grasslands). …
Members of the order Ciconiiformes are found almost everywhere in the world, except for areas far to the north and south. Most of them prefer warm areas, and those that nest in the coldest places migrate in fall and spring. …
Sheathbills are found along the Antarctic Peninsula, on islands of the subantarctic, and in the southern parts of South America. Sheathbills are found primarily on coastal plains and in coastal wetlands. They are generally found in the vicinity of large seabird colonies. During the nonbreeding season, sheathbills may be found in meadows, bogs, and ice floes, sometimes as far as 0.6 miles (1 k…
Passerines are very widespread on all continents except Antarctica, but have the greatest numbers in the tropical areas of the world. They are considered the most widely distributed of all birds, living on nearly every oceanic island that can support a bird. Passerines include over half in total numbers of the known birds in the world. Passerines help to control insects that destroy trees. In…
Herons, egrets, and bitterns live on all continents except Antarctica. They also live on islands in all oceans. Many of these birds prefer warm climates, and they live in the tropics year round. The birds that nest in the cooler areas of the world usually migrate in spring and fall. Herons, egrets, and bitterns usually live in wetlands, including swamps, tidal areas (where saltwater and fresh…
Broadbills are found in sub-Saharan Africa, Himalayan portions of India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, far southern China (also Hainan Island), Borneo, Sumatra, Java, peninsular Malaysia, and the Philippines. Broadbills inhabit mostly humid tropical and subtropical lowlands (including evergreen or mostly evergreen broad-leaved lowland forests), while a few species are located in montane (mount…
Hammerheads live south of the Sahara Desert in the southern two-thirds of Africa. They are also found on the island of Madagascar and in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Some of the birds spread out when dry areas become flooded during the rainy season, but they do not migrate in spring and fall. They are common and familiar birds in the places where they live. Hammerheads are …
Gulls and terns are found in coastal regions worldwide. Skimmers are found in temperate, not too hot or too cold, and tropical regions in North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. Skuas and jaegers are found in temperate and polar areas. Chinese crested terns are Critically Endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction. Threats to gulls and terns include habitat destruction an…
Monarch flycatchers can be found in southern Africa, India and Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and the southern tip of Saudi Arabia. Indonesia is the home of thirty species that nest in the archipelagoes, or groups of tiny islands. Monarch flycatchers prefer forest habitats, living in clearings and along the edges of the forest growth. They also can be found nesting in fruit plantations, formal ga…
These species live in Madagascar, along the east coast and in the sambirano region, another rainforested area in the northwest. Asities eat nectar, fruits, insects, spiders, and other small creatures. Asities are not considered pests in any way, since they stay in rainforest and have no interest in human cultivated crops. The tiny, brilliant birds have become a ecotourist draw, especially for…
Storks are found on all continents except Antarctica. Most live in the warm areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The wood stork is the only kind that lives that lives in North America. Storks are found in a wide variety of habitats. Many live in or near wetlands with shallow water. Some, such as the marabou (MARE-uh-boo), prefer drier grasslands within flying distance of rivers or lakes. Black …
Australian robins can be found in India, Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Australia. Most Australian robins live in forests and woodlands, but scrub robins live in semi-arid scrub, dry areas with short trees and shrubs. Some species live in mangroves and eucalyptus (yoo-kah-LIP-tus) forests. Some Australian robins can be found nesting in trees and bushes along cultivate…
Auks and their relatives are found in the Northern Hemisphere, in oceanic habitats in the Arctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific. Auks and their relatives are found in cold ocean waters. They breed in seashore areas such as shorelines, seaside cliffs, and, in some species, coastal forests. Several species are hunted in large numbers in parts of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. …
Pittas are found from Africa to the Solomon Islands and from Japan through Southeast Asia to New Guinea and Australia. They are mostly found in peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. One species is found in India, two species are found from west-central to east-central Africa, and two species live along the northern and eastern coasts of Australia. Most pittas inhabit the understory …
New World vultures range from southern Canada to the southern tip of South America. The turkey vulture and the black vulture are the two most common vultures in North and South America, and they are sometimes called buzzards. These birds can live in almost any habitat, from seashores to deserts to forests, as long as they can find carrion, dead and decaying animals, to eat. All vultures hunt …
Whistlers are found in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia, and islands in the southwest Pacific. New Guinea and Australia, in particular, have the greatest number of different species in their regions. Some whistler species live in dense rainforests in the tropics or the forests and woodlands of temperate zones, and others occupy mangrov…
Sandgrouse are found exclusively in the Old World, including portions of Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India, China, and Mongolia. Sandgrouse are found in desert and semi-desert areas as well as in various grassland habitats. Sandgrouse eat seeds almost exclusively. They pick seeds off the surface of the ground, and may also look for buried seeds by flicking away the surface layer of sand …
New Zealand wrens are found on the North and South Islands, and some of the other surrounding islands of New Zealand. New Zealand wrens are found in forests, beech forests, scrublands, and alpine, high mountain, areas, especially when large amounts of insects are available. They are usually found from sea level to 1,150 feet (350 meters) in elevation. The diet of New Zealand wrens consists mo…
Shoebills live in central Africa. Most of them are in southern Sudan and northern Uganda. Some are also found in Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Rwanda. Shoebills live in swamps or beside marshy lakes or rivers where floating ferns, cattails and papyrus (puh-PIE-rus) grow. Papyrus is a tall water plant that covers some swampy areas. …
Australia and lowland New Guinea. This family of birds eats mainly insects and spiders but sometimes will eat seeds, buds, and fruit, and even small reptiles. Pseudo babblers have no known significance to humans. Pseudo babblers in some areas of Australia are threatened, or at a risk of extinction, or dying out. They have disappeared from some regions altogether. This is a result of habitat l…
Pigeons and doves are found worldwide, except in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and at high elevations. Particularly large numbers of species are found in tropical areas, especially those near the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. About 60 percent of pigeons and doves are found on small islands far from continental land masses. Dodos were previously found on several small islands in the India…
Ovenbirds are found from central Mexico to Patagonia in southern South America. Ovenbirds inhabit forests of various types, brushlands, pampas (grasslands), alpine areas (high mountain regions), and semi-deserts. Their diet consists of mostly insects, spiders, other invertebrates, animals without backbones, and sometimes small seeds. They forage, search for food, among litter on the ground, i…
Ibises and spoonbills are spread widely across the world where the temperatures are moderate or warm. Most ibises and spoonbills live in wetlands or in wooded areas near water, but some can be found in dry grasslands and on mountains. They are also attracted to farms and rice fields. Spoonbills and ibises usually use their sensitive bills to hunt by touch in shallow water or mud. They eat mos…
AUSTRALIAN CREEPERS: Climacteridae RUFOUS TREECREEPER (Climacteris rufa): SPECIES ACCOUNT Australian treecreepers live in various environments throughout the continent, preferring eucalyptus forest, dry savanna, or semi-arid mulga, an evergreen shrub, that inhabits Australia's interior. Brown treecreepers and rufous treecreepers can also be found in mallee—low woodland with…
Woodcreepers are found throughout the Central American and South American tropics. They occur from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. The greatest species diversity of woodcreepers is found in tropical Amazonia, the Amazon River basin area. Woodcreepers are found in many types of rainforests, montane (mountain) forests, and brush lands. Woodcreepers, along with other tropical birds, attra…
Pigeons and doves are found worldwide except in the Arctic and Antarctica. There are particularly large numbers of species in Asia, especially Southeast Asia, including on the many islands in that part of the world. Humans have hunted and raised pigeons for food, as pets, and even to transport written messages. A third of the 316 existing pigeon and dove species are believed to be Threatened …
Most flamingos live in South America and Africa. They also live in the Caribbean, southern Europe, southwest Asia, the Middle East, Pakistan, and India. Flamingos sometimes visit the Florida Keys and other places in southeastern United States. Pictures of flamingos appeared on cave drawings 7,000 years ago. People have hunted them and eaten their eggs for thousands of years, but many flamingo…
One species of titmice, the bushtits, can be found in western North America, from the northernmost parts of British Columbia to the southern regions of Mexico. Five species are found in the Himalayas, and mountainous regions of western China. Long-tailed tits, the species that is most common, have a range from Western Europe and Asia, to China and Japan. Pygmy tits, the smallest titmice speci…
Dodos and solitaires are Extinct, no longer existing, but were once found on the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, and perhaps Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Dodos and solitaires inhabited woodland areas. The dodo and the two species of solitaires are Extinct, due to human hunting and to the introduction of non-native species such as cats, rats, and pigs. …
Antbirds are found in tropical and subtropical rainforests from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. However, the greatest number of species is found in the rainforest of the Amazon River basin in Brazil and the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela. Antbirds live in damp, shrubby, forested regions and woodland areas in the tropics, including areas where the original trees have been cut down and…
Penduline tits are widely found from Africa through Europe and into Asia. One species, the verdin, is located in North America, specifically in southwest United States and northern Mexico. Penduline tits are found in a large range of open country habitats including deserts, large reed beds in marshes and along riverbanks, and scrublands and forests. Penduline tits eat many invertebrates (anim…
Falconiformes live on every continent except Antarctica. Most raptors are land birds, although some of them snatch fish from lakes or oceans. They live in every kind of land habitat, including the tundra of the far north, forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, mountains, farmlands, seacoasts, and even large cities. …
Tapaculos are found from Costa Rica in southern Central America to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, at the southern tip of South America. Many species live in the Andes Mountains in western South America. They are mostly absent from the hot, humid rainforest of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in Brazil and Venezuela. Because they are such shy birds, tapaculos are often overlooked by people wh…
Titmice and chickadees are located in Europe, Asia, the far north and most parts of central and southern Africa, North America, and Mexico. Titmice and chickadees eat many types of invertebrates (animals without backbones). They also eat seeds, nuts, fruits, and nectar (sweet liquid that flowering plants produce). Most species forage (search for food) in the canopies (uppermost layer of veget…
Most parrots live in the Southern Hemisphere, the portion of Earth south of the equator. This range includes the continents of South America, Australia, and Africa. Parrots also live in Central American countries including Belize, as well as countries including Mexico, New Zealand, New Guinea, India, and Afghanistan. Parrots are tree-dwellers that live in various habitats. They live in rainfo…
Hawks and eagles are found on all continents except Antarctica. Sea eagles catch fish along coasts, but most raptors are land birds. They live in every kind of land habitat, including the tundra of the Far North, forests, wetlands, deserts, grasslands, mountains, and farmlands. They can also live in towns and cities with parks. All hawks and eagles are carnivorous, meat eaters, and, except fo…
Turacos and plantain eaters are unique to Africa. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, the part of the continent below the Sahara Desert. The birds are found in the countries of Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, Kenya, Gabo…
Nuthatches and wall creepers are distributed throughout North America, Eurasia, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australasia (region consisting of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and the neighboring islands of the South Pacific). They inhabit mostly coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests and woodlands, while others live in rocky scrublands. People do not have any direct, significant relation…
They live south of the Sahara Desert in Africa, except for the heavily wooded areas in western Africa. Secretary birds live wherever there are plenty of prey animals available in a variety of grasslands and farmlands. They may enter deserts after a heavy rain, and they sometimes go to clearings in forests. They roost and nest in low trees growing in the grasslands. They cannot live in heavy f…
Tyrant flycatchers are found from the southernmost tip of South America to north of the Arctic Circle in North America. Species that summer in the Arctic usually migrate to Central or South America in the winter. The only area in the Western Hemisphere where tyrant flycatchers are not found is in the extreme northern edge of Canada. Tyrant flycatchers live wherever insects live. They have ada…
They range widely across the Northern Hemisphere, and in many areas of central and southwest Africa. Treecreepers inhabit mature pine-oak woodlands and open pine forests. Depending on the species, treecreepers are found anywhere from sea level to mountainous regions and from temperate (mild) to tropical climates. Treecreepers eat primarily small insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates…
Cuckoos are located on every continent except Antarctica. The great spotted cuckoo is found in countries including France, Iraq, and Egypt. The common cuckoo spends summers in Europe and Asia, then winters in Africa. The greater anis range in Central and South America. Greater roadrunners live in the United States and Mexico. Members of this large family live in a variety of habitats. Some cu…
The range of the sharpbill is unusual, because it is discontinuous, or broken. Sharpbills are found in isolated patches throughout Central and South America. They live year round in parts of Costa Rica and Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The broken up nature of their range suggests that at one time they may have been…
Falcons and caracaras live on every continent except Antarctica. They also live on many ocean islands. Birds in the falcon family live in almost every kind of land habitat. Many of the falcons that live in northern areas migrate to places where there is a better supply of food in winter. Falcons are carnivores (meat-eaters), and all but the caracaras feed on live animals. Some hunt other bird…
Philippine creepers are limited to the range of the major Philippine Islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, Mindanao, Negros, and Panay and of the minor islands of Catanduanes, Masbate, Calicoan, Dinagat, Basilan, and Bohol. Philippine creepers inhabit deep, dense, tropical primary and secondary lowland and mountainous forests, along with the edges of forests. They specifically prefer the upper leve…
Manakins are found continuously from Mexico to Argentina and on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Manakins live year round in the same location. They do not migrate, or relocate seasonally. Manakins prefer the understory, which is the part of the forest midway between the forest floor and the tops of the trees. They live in thick, subtropical woodlands and lowland tropical rainfor…
Screamers are found only in South America, whereas ducks, geese, and swans are found throughout the world except in the Arctic region. Waterfowl and screamers can be found in virtually any wetland as long as there is sufficient food available. Screamers inhabit tropical and subtropical wetlands such as marshes, swamps, and lagoons. They also are found on savannas, a tropical plant environment…
Owls are found on every continent except Antarctica. The tropics support the greatest variety of owl species. …
Flowerpeckers and berrypeckers are found on the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, southern China, Hainan Island, Taiwan, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, New Guinea and its surrounding islands, and Australia. Flowerpeckers reside in tall forests, from sea level up to more than 12,000 feet (3,700 meters) in altit…
Barn owls need a mix of wooded areas and open space. They also require tree cavities, caves, or other protected areas for nest sites. Barn owls eat mostly small mammals such as voles and mice. They will also take birds, reptiles, amphibians, and large insects, however. In Australia, where there are no native mammals, barn owls prey on small marsupials. Barn owl pellets have a distinctive dark…
Anatids (members of the family Anatidae) are medium to extra-large birds with stocky bodies, webbed feet, and a flat bill. Coloring varies but is primarily brown with white, black, and metallic green accents. The smallest species stands 13 inches (33 centimeters) and weighs no more than 0.5 pounds (0.2 kilograms) while the largest grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length and weighs up to 49 …
Cotingas live in southern Mexico, almost all of Central America, and in South America as far south as Argentina. The greatest number of species live in the Amazon River basin of Brazil and the Orinoco River basin of Venezuela. Most cotingas prefer lowland tropical rainforests where they live in the middle and upper levels of the forest. Some of the larger species prefer living along rivers an…
Pardalotes are found only on the continent of Australia. Pardalotes inhabit areas of woodlands and forests, mostly living alongside eucalyptus (yoo-kah-LIP-tus; tall, aromatic trees) and acacia (uh-KAY-shah; flowering trees). They range from the wet coasts to the arid interior of the continent, missing only from certain small areas of the southern desert. People and pardolotes have no special…
Screamers are found in South America, from Venezuela and Colombia to Uruguay and northern Argentina. Screamers live in swamps, marshes, lagoons, and lakes as well as flood plains, meadows, and savannas (tropical or subtropical plant communities characterized by low trees and shrubs as well as grasses and herbs). Screamers are vegetarian birds that feed on aquatic plants and seeds. They do not…
The Peruvian plantcutter lives only in the dry forest and scrublands of Peru's northwest coasts. The rufous-tailed and red-breasted plantcutters occupy a larger area, and may be found in Argentina's southern temperate zone and Chile, and north to subtropical Bolivia and Paraguay. The Peruvian plantcutter lives exclusively in the dry forests of Peru's northwest coast, wher…
Representatives of the family can be found on every continent except Antarctica. In contrast to tytonids, which are found only in regions where the climate is mild, some typical owls live in very cold climates. Typical owls can be found in almost every type of habitat, but 95 percent are forest dwellers. The term "forest" covers a wide range of habitats, from tropical rainforest…
Sunbirds live in tropical Africa, Madagascar, tropical Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Philippine Islands, Australia, and New Guinea. Sunbirds can be found in lowland and mountain tropical rainforest, savanna with open woodlands, gallery forests (along rivers in dry country), thornscrub, and mangrove. Sunbirds eat mostly nectar but also fruit, insects, spiders and related creatures. Sunbirds are n…
