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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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, …
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…
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…
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…
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 …
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…
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…
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. …
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…
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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…
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…
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. …
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…
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…
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…
