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My Missing Countries

My Missing Countries
nauru . somalia .

Monday, October 21, 2013

Birds









SLENDER-BILLED SCIMITAR BABBLER (Pomatorhinus superciliaris) is a passerine bird in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China. India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The slender-billed scimitar babbler was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Xiphirhynchus. It was moved to Pomotorhinus based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study of the babblers published in 2009 that showed that it nested within a clade with other members of Pomatorhinus. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.



RED AND YELLOW BARBET (Trachyphonus erythrocephalus) is a species of African barbet found in eastern Africa. Males have distinctive black (spotted white), red, and yellow plumage; females and juveniles are similar, but less brightly colored. The species lives in broken terrain and nests and roosts in burrows. Omnivorous, the species feeds on seeds, fruit, and invertebrates. Read more about red and yellow barbet HERE. Listen to red and yellow barbet calls HERE








RAGGIANA BIRD OF PARADISE.  The raggiana bird-of-paradise, (Paradisaea raggiana) also known as Count Raggi's bird-of-paradise, is a large bird in the bird-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae.

It is distributed widely in southern and northeastern New Guinea, where its name is kumul. It is also known as cenderawasih. Read more about raggianna bird of paradise HERE.  Listen to raggiana bird of paradise calls HERE.  


WESTERN PAROTIA BIRD OF PARADISE
.  The western or Arfak parotia (Parotia sefilata), is a medium-sized, approximately 33 cm long, bird-of-paradise with a medium-length tail. Endemic to Indonesia, the western parotia is found only in the mountain forests of Vogelkop and the Wandammen Peninsula of Western New Guinea.  Read more about western parotia HERE.  Listen to western parotia calls HERE.






WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT. (Luscinia svecica) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats. Read more about white-spotted bluethroat HERE. Listen to white-spotted bluethroat calls HERE.









EURASIAN BULLFINCH (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch. Read more about Eurasian bullfinch HERE. Listen to Eurasian bullfinch calls HERE.


RED-HEADED BULLFINCH(Pyrrhula erythrocephala) is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae, found all across the Himalayas and adjacent highlands. It is found in Bhutan, northern India, Nepal and adjacent southern Tibet. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.




SOUTHERN CASSOWARY.  The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary or two-wattled cassowary, is a large flightless black bird. It is a ratite and therefore related to the emu, ostrich, and the genus Rhea. Read more about southern cassowary HERE. Listen to southern cassowary calls HERE.


CHESTNUT-HEADED TESIA  (Cettia castaneocoronata) is a songbird species formerly in the "Old World warbler" but nowadays placed in the bush warbler family (Cettiidae). It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India,laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Read more about chestnut-headed tesia HERE, Listen to chesnut-headed tesia calls HERE.





GUIANAN COCK-OF-THE ROCK(Rupicola rupicola) is a species of South American passerine. It is about 30 centimetres (12 in) in length and weighs about 200 to 220 grams (7.1 to 7.8 oz). They are found in tropical rainforests, near its preferred habitat of rocky outcrops. Read more about Guianan cock-of-the rock HERE





ANDEAN CONDOR. It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in response to the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is a wattle on the neck and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the head. Unlike most birds of prey, the male is larger than the female. Read more about Andean condor HERE.  Listen to Andean condor calls HERE.

GREAT BLACK CORMORANT.  Many fishermen see in the great cormorant a competitor for fish. Because of this it was nearly hunted to extinction in the past. Thanks to conservation efforts its numbers increased. At the moment there are about 1.2 million birds in Europe (based on winter counts; late summer counts would show higher numbers).Increasing populations have once again brought the cormorant into conflict with fisheries. For example, in Britain, where inland breeding was once uncommon, there are now increasing numbers of birds breeding inland, and many inland fish farms and fisheries now claim to be suffering high losses due to these birds. In the UK each year some licences are issued to shoot specified numbers of cormorants in order to help reduce predation, it is however still illegal to kill a bird without such a licence.  Read more about great black cormorant HERE.  Listen to great cormorant calls HERE.




RED-CROWNED CRANE.  The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), also called the Japanese crane , is a large east Asian crane and among the rarest cranes in the world. In some parts of its range, it is known as a symbol of luck, longevity and fidelity.  Read more about red-crowned crane HERE.  Listen to red-crowned crane calls HERE.

SARUS CRANE. The sarus crane (Grus antigone) is a large non-migratory crane found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. The tallest of the flying birds, standing at a height of up to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in),[3] they are conspicuous and iconic[4] species of open wetlands. The sarus crane is easily distinguished from other cranes in the region by the overall grey colour and the contrasting red head and upper neck. Read more about sarus crane HERE.  Listen to sarus crane calls 



EURASIAN CURLEW.(Numenius arquata) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred to just as the "curlew", and in Scotland known as the "whaup" in Scots.
This is the largest wader in its range, at 50–60 cm (20–24 in) in length, with an 89–106 cm (35–42 in) wingspan and a body weight of 410–1,360 g (0.90–3.00 lb).[2] It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back, greyish-blue legs and a very long curved bill. Males and females look identical, but the bill is longest in the adult female. It is generally not possible to recognize the sex of a single Eurasian curlew, or even several ones, as there is much variation; telling male and female of a mated pair apart is usually possible however. Read more about Eurasian curlew HERE. Listen to Euraian curlew calls HERE.


WHIMBREL.
 The whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across much of sub-arctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland. 
Near the end of the 19th century, hunting on their migration routes took a heavy toll on this bird's numbers; the population has since recovered.  Read more about whimbrel HERE. Listen to whimbrel calls HERE.



EUROPEAN DIPPER. The white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus), also known as the European dipper or just dipper, is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies, based primarily on colour differences, particularly of the pectoral band. Read more about European dipper HERE. Listen to European dipper HERE.


ORIENTAL DOLLARBIRD (Eurystomus orientalis) is a bird of the roller family, so named because of the distinctive blue coin-shaped spots on its wings. It can be found from Australia to Japan and India. The oriental dollarbird has a length of up to 30 cm. It is dark brown but this is heavily washed with a bluish-green sheen on the back and wing coverts. Its belly and undertail coverts are light coloured, and it has glossy bright blue colouring on its throat and undertail. Its flight feathers are a darker blue. Its bill is short and wide and in mature animals is coloured orange-red with a black tip. It has very light blue patches on the outer parts of its wings which are highly visible in flight and for which it is named. The females are slightly duller than the males but overall the two are very similar. Immature birds are much duller than the adults and do not have the blue colouring on their throats. They also have brown bills and feet instead of the red of the adults. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.



EURASIAN TURTLE DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto), most often simply called the collared dove,also sometimes hyphenated as Eurasian collared-dove, is a species of dove native to warm temperate and subtropical Asia, and introduced in North America in the 1980s. In the latter half of the 20th century the species' native range vastly expanded, and it can now be found from Southeast Asia through to Western Europe. Collared doves are sometimes kept in aviculture, and form strong relationships with each other. Read more about Eurasian turtle dove HERE.  

LUZON BLEEDING HEART.  The Luzon bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba luzonica) is one of a number of species of ground dove in the genus Gallicolumba that are called "bleeding-hearts". They get this name from a splash of vivid red colour at the centre of their white breasts. The Luzon Bleeding-heart is the species in which this feature is most pronounced, and on first sight it is hard to believe that the bird has not recently been wounded. A reddish hue that extends down the belly furthers the illusion of blood having run down the bird's front.  Read more about Luzon bleeding heart HERE.  Listen to Luzon bleeding heart calls HERE.






CHILOE WIGEON.  It was first introduced to Europe in 1870; it soon bred in zoos. Today it is widespread. The IUCN estimates the present population to be around 500,000 adult individuals and determines their numbers are stable in the very large occupancy zone.  Read more about chiloe wigeon HERE.  Listen to chiloe wigeon calls HERE.





RUDDY SHELDUCK.  The ruddy shelduck is a common winter visitor in India.  This bird is found in large wetlands, rivers with mud flats and shingle banks.  Found in large congregation on lakes and reservoirs.  It breeds in high altitude lakes and swamps in Jammu and Kashmir.  Arrives in north India by October and departs by April.  Read more about ruddy shelduck HERE.  Listen to ruddy shelduck calls HERE.



WANDERING WHISTLING DUCK (Dendrocygna arcuata) is a species of whistling duck. They inhabit tropical and subtropical Australia, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Formerly named tree ducks, the wandering whistling duck has its new name because of their loud whistling calls and the whistling noise their wings make during flight. They have long necks and legs and look like a cross between a goose and a duck. They have a strong head and neck with a darker crown and hindneck. The breast contains black spotting and the feathers are mostly dark brown. They range in size from 54–60 cm in height and weigh on average 750 grams. They mainly feed on grasses, waterlillies, water plants and occasionally insects and aquatic vertebrae. Read more about wandering whistling duck HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.


WHITE-FACED WHISTLING DUCK. (Dendrocygna viduata) is a whistling duck that breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America.

This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight. As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear three-note whistling call. Read more about white-faced whistlng duck HERE. Listen to white-faced whistling duck HERE.


PHILIPPINE EAGLE.  The Philippine eagle is endemic to the Philippines and can be found on four major islands: eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. The largest number of eagles reside on Mindanao, with between 82 and 233 breeding pairs. Only six pairs are found on Samar, two on Leyte, and a few on Luzon. It can be found in Northern Sierra Madre National Park on Luzon and Mount Apo, Mount Malindang andMount Kitanglad National Parks on Mindanao.  Read more about the Philippine eagle HERE.  Listen to Philippine eagle calls HERE.


RUFOUS-BELLIED EAGLE.  The rufous-bellied hawk-eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is found in the forested regions of tropical Asia. Relatively small for eagles and contrastingly patterned like a falcon, this species was earlier placed in the genus Hieraaetus and sometimes also in the genus Aquila but thought to be distinctive enough to belong to a separate genus.  Read more about rufous-bellied eagle HERE.  Listen to rufous-bellied eagle calls HERE.




TAWNY EAGLE.  The tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. It breeds in most of Africa both north and south of the Sahara Desert and across tropical southwestern Asia to India.  Read more about tawny eagle HERE. Listen to tawny eagle calls HERE.




WHITE-TAILED EAGLE(Haliaeetus albicilla) — also called the sea eagle, erne (sometimes ern, ørn), and white-tailed sea-eagle — is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. It is considered a close cousin of the bald eagle and occupies the same ecological niche, but in Eurasia. Read more about white-tailed eagle HERE. Listen to white-tailed eagle calls HERE.








EURASIAN HOBBY.  The Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), or just simply hobby, is a small slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis. It is a bird of open country such as farmland, marshes, taiga and savannah. They are widespread in lowlands with scattered small woods. It is an elegant bird of prey, appearing sickle-like in flight with its long pointed wings and square tail, often resembling a swift when gliding with folded wings. Read more about eurasian hobby HERE.  Listen to eursian hobby call HERE.


PEREGRINE FALCON . The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache". Read more about peregrine falcon HERE.  Listen to peregrine falcon calls HERE.


STAR FINCH . The star finch (Neochmia ruficauda) is a bird species found in northern Australia.An estrildid finch, between 4.5—5 inches in length, with crimson fore-parts of the head and a scarlet bill. The upper and lower plumage is yellow-green, white spotted on the underparts, the belly more yellow. The upper tail coverts are scarlet, tail feathers are brownish scarlet. The female has less crimson on the head, and generally duller than the male, the immature star finch is olive to brownish with a grey face and head.


INDIGO FLYCATCHER (Eumyias indigo) is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is found in Sumatra, Java and northern montane areas of Borne0. Its natural habitat is tropical moist submontane montane forests  between 900m to 3000m, where it is a common to fairly common species.


GREY-HEADED FLYCATCHER soetimes known as the grey-headed flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis) is a species of small flycatcher-like bird found in tropical Asia. It has a square crest, a grey hood and yellow underparts. They are found mainly in forested habitats where they often join other birds in mixed-species foraging flocks. Pairs are often seen as they forage for insects by making flycatcher-like sallies and calling aloud. Several subspecies are recognized within their wide distribution range. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.


DARK-RUMPED ROSEFINCH






GOLDEN ORIOLE.  The Eurasian golden oriole or simply golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) is the only member of the oriole family of passerine birds breeding in northern hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and western Asia and spends the winter season in central and southern Africa.

Golden orioles have an extremely large range with large populations that are apparently stable. Therefore, they are evaluated as least concern by BirdLife International.  Read more about golden oriole HERE. Listen to golden oriole calls HERE













GRANDALA (Grandala coelicolor) is a bird species now placed in the family Turdidae. It is an arboreal insectivore. It ranges across the northeastern Indian Subcontinent and some adjoining regions, existing primarily in the low-to-mid altitudes of the Himalayas.. It is found in Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, and China. Read more about grandala HERE . Listen to grandala calls HERE.










BLACK GROUSE. The black grouse or blackgame (Tetrao tetrix) is a large game bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia in moorland and bog areas near to woodland, mostly boreal. Read more about black grouse HERE. Listen to black grouse calls HERE.



HELMETED GUINEAFOWL.  It is best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida.  It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies, Brazil, Australia and southern France.

VULTURINE GUINEAFOWL.  The vulturine guineafowl is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds. This species' food is seeds and small invertebrates. This guineafowl is terrestrial, and will run rather than fly when alarmed. Despite the open habitat, it tends to keep to cover, and roosts in trees.  Read more about vulturine guineafowl HERE.  Listen to vulturine guineafowl calls HERE.


BLACK-HEADED GULL.  The black-headed gull is a bold and opportunistic feeder and will eat insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps and carrion in towns, or take invertebrates in ploughed fields with equal relish. This is a noisy species, especially in colonies, with a familiar "kree-ar" call. Its scientific name means "laughing gull". Read more about black-headed gull HERE.  Listen to black-headed calls HERE.



NORTHERN HARRIER.  The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) or northern harrier (in the Americas) is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh hawk is a historical name for the American form.  Read more about norther harrier HERE.  Listen to northern harrier calls HERE.



HAWFINCH. The hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. The white wing bars and tail tip are striking in flight. The sexes are similar. The call is a hard chick. The song of this unobtrusive bird is quiet and mumbled. Read more about hawfinch HERE. Listen to hawfinch calls HERE.


RED-TAILED HAWK.  The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies, and is one of the most common buteos in North America.  Read more about red-tailed hawk HERE.  Listen to red-tailed calls HERE.


ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK The rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus), also called the rough-legged hawk is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter. Read more about rough-legged hawk HERE.  Listen to rough-legged hawk calls HERE.


GREAT BLUE HERON.  It is the largest North American heron and, among all extant herons, it is surpassed only by the Goliath heron (Ardea goliath) and the white-bellied heron (Ardea insignis). It is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores, England and the Netherlands.  Read more about great blue heron HERE.  Listen to great blue heron calls HERE.


GREY HERON.  The grey heron (Ardea cinerea), is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions. It has become common in summer even inside the Arctic circle along the Norwegian coast.  Read more about grey heron HERE.  Listen to grey heron calls HERE.


LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World snowy egret. In Botswana, it is known as the yellow-footed egret. Read more about little egret HERE. Listen to little egret calls HERE.


PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea)  There are estimated to be a total of between 270,000 and 570,000 purple herons in the world and the population is probably decreasing slowly. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern because the rate of decline is insufficient to justify rating it in a more threatened category. Read more about purple heron HERE. Listen to purple heron calls HERE.

STRIATED HERON.  The striated heron (Butorides striata) also known as mangrove heron, little heron or green-backed heron, is a small heron. Striated herons are mostly non-migratory and noted for some interesting behavioral traits. Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to Japan and Australia, and in South America.  Read more about striated heron HERE. Listen to striated heron calls 



GREAT INDIAN HORNBILL (Buceros bicornis) also known as the great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It is found in the Indian subcontinental and Southeast Asia. Its impressive size and colour have made it important in many tribal cultures and rituals. The great hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in captivity. It is predominantly frugivorous, but is an opportunist and will prey on small mammals, reptiles and birds. Read more about the great Indian hornbill HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.




TICKELL'S BROWN HORNBILL (Anorrhinus tickelli), also known as the rusty-cheeked hornbill, is a species of hornbill found in forests in Burma and adjacent western Thailand. Austen's brown hornbill is sometimes considered as a subspecies of Tickell's brown hornbill. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.





IBISBILL  (Ibidorhyncha struthersii) is a bird related to the waders, but sufficiently distinctive to merit its own family Ibidorhynchidae. It is grey with a white belly, red legs and long down-curved bill, and a black face and black breast band. It occurs on the shingle riverbanks of the high plateau of central Asia and the Himalayas. Read more about Ibisbill HERE. Listen to ibisbill call HERE.

CRESTED IBIS. The crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), also known as the Japanese crested ibis or toki (トキ?), written in hanzi as 朱䴉 or 朱鷺, and variously written in kanji as 朱鷺, 鴇, 鵇 or 鴾, is a large (up to 78.5 cm (30.9 in) long), white-plumaged ibis of pine forests. Its head is partially bare, showing red skin, and it has a dense crest of white plumes on the nape. This species is the only member of the genus Nipponia.  Read more about crested ibis HERE.  Listen to crested ibis calls HERE.






EURASIAN JAY.  A member of the widespread jay group, and about the size of the jackdaw, it inhabits mixed woodland, particularly with oaks, and is an habitual acorn hoarder. In recent years, the bird has begun to migrate into urban areas, possibly as a result of continued erosion of its woodland habitat.  It is well known for its mimicry, often sounding so like a different species that it is virtually impossible to distinguish its true identity unless the jay is seen.  It will even imitate the sound of the bird it is attacking, such as tawny owl.


STELLER JAY.  The Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the blue jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the long-crested jay, mountain jay, and pine jay. It is the only crested jay west of the Rocky Mountains.  Read more about Steller's jay HERE.  Listen to Steller's jay calls HERE.



CEYLON JUNGLEFOWL. The Sri Lankan junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii), also known as the Ceylon junglefowl, is a member of the Galliformes bird order which is endemic to Sri Lanka. This is one of four species of birds in the genus Gallus. The other three members of the genus are red junglefowl (G. gallus), grey junglefowl (G. sonneratii), and green junglefowl (G. varius). Read more about Ceylon junglefowl HERE. Listen to Ceylon junglefowl calls HERE.



AMERICAN KESTREL.  Sometimes colloquially known as the sparrow hawk, it is a small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats.  Read more about american kestrel HERE.  Listen to american kestrel calls HERE.




BROWN-WINGED KINGFISHER (Pelargopsis amauroptera) is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae.
It is found along the north and eastern coasts of the Bay of Bengal, occurring in the countries of Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. In India, it has been mainly reported from the Sundarbans region but records from further south near Chilka exist. read more about brown-winged kingfisher HERE. Listen to brown-winged kingfisher HERE.

COLLARED KINGFISHER (Todiramphus chloris) is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white-collared kingfisher or mangrove kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea  across southern Asia to Polynesia. Read more HERE. Listen to collared kingfisher calls HERE.


RUDY KINGFISHER (Halcyon coromanda) is a medium-sized tree kingfisher which is widely distributed in east and southeast Asia, ranging from South Korea and Japan in the north, south through the Philippines to the Sunda Islands, and west to China and India. It is migratory, with birds in the northern part of the range migrating as far south as Borneo during winter. Locally common in southern parts of its range, the ruddy kingfisher is rare in Japan, where it is highly sought after by birders. Ruddy kingfishers inhabit forested areas from the temperate to tropical zones, often in thick jungles and rainforests. Read more HERE. Listen to rudy kingfisher calls HERE.

GREAT KISKADEE Adult great kiskadees are one of the largest of the tyrant flycatchers. They can measure from 21 to 27 cm (8.3 to 10.6 in) in length and weigh 52 to 68 g (1.8 to 2.4 oz). The head is black with a strong white eyestripe and a concealed yellow crown stripe. The upperparts are brown, and the wings and tail are brown with usually strong rufous fringes. Read more about great kiskadee HERE. Listen to great kiskadee HERE.





FORMOSAN LAUGHINGTRUSH or White-whiskered laughingthrush is a large (26 to 28 cm (10 to 11 in) long) laughingthrush with a distinctive face pattern. The bill is thrush-like and yellowish to horn-colored. The eyes are black. The legs are strong and brownish pink. The mean body weight is about 77 grams (2.7 oz).  It is a sociable species that often occurs in large groups. It is not necessarily afraid of humans.[


HIMALAYAN CUTIA (Cutia nipalensis) is a bird species in the family Leiothrichidae. Its scientific name ultimately means "the khutya from Nepal", as Cutia is derived from the Nepali name for these birds, and nipalensis is Latin for "from Nepal".This species inhabits the Himalayan region, from India to northern Thailand. A subspecies also occurs in Peninsular Malaysia. Previously the genus Cutia was monotypic, but the Vietnamese cutia, for long lumped with the Himalayan birds as subsoecies, has been recently raised to full species status as C. legalleni.

Its natural habitat are tropical to subtropical humid montane forests. It is not a bird of the high mountains however, rather inhabiting broadleaf forest – e.g. of oaks (Quercus) – of the foothillss upwards of 1,500 m ASL or so, but rarely if ever ascending above 2,500 m ASL

The Himalayan cutia is not considered threatened by the IUCN retaining its pre-split status as a Species of Least Concern; in Bhutan for example it is a fairly frequently seen resident. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.



STREAKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH (Trochalopteron lineatum) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is commonly found in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent and some adjoining areas, ranging across Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia and Tajikistan.

The subspecies imbricatum is usually considered a separates species, Bhutan laughingthrush. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.


BUGUN LIOCICHLA.  The Bugun liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum) is a passerine bird species from the Leiothrichidae family closely related to the Emei Shan liocichla. First spotted in 1995 in Arunachal Pradesh, India, it was described as a new species in 2006 by Ramana Athreya. The description was made without the collection of a type specimen as they were too few to risk killing one. It is thought to be an endangered species, with the only known population estimated to consist of 14 individuals and commercial development threatening the habitat of this population.  Read more about Bugun liocichla HERE.  Listen to Bugun liocichla HERE.




LOVELY WREN. The lovely fairywren (Malurus amabilis) is a species of bird in the Maluridae family. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Read more about lovely wren HERE. Listen to lovely wren calls HERE.


SUPERB LYREBIRD (Menura novaehollandiae) is an Australian songbird, one of two species from the family Menuridae. It is one of the world's largest songbirds, and is noted for its elaborate tail and excellent mimicry. The species is endemic to the south east of the country, and has been introduced to Tasmania. According to David Attenborough the species displays the most sophisticated voice skills within the animal kingdom. Read more about superb lyrebird HERE. Listen to superb lyrebird calls HERE.



SIRKEER MALKOHA or sirkeer cuckoo (Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii), is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the hoatzin. It is a resident bird in the Indian subcontinent. Read more about sirkeer malkoha HERE. Listen to sirkeer malkoha calls HERE.




NICOBAR MEGAPODE.  The Nicobar megapode or Nicobar scrubfowl (Megapodius nicobariensis) is a megapode found in some of the Nicobar Islands (India). Like other megapodes relatives, it builds a large mound nest with soil and vegetation, with the eggs hatched by the heat produced by decomposition. Newly hatched chicks climb out of the loose soil of the mound and being fully feathered are capable of flight. The Nicobar Islands are on the edge of the distribution of megapodes, well separated from the nearest ranges of other megapode species. Being restricted to small islands and threatened by hunting, the species is vulnerable to extinction.  Read more about Nicobar megapode HERE.  


NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos) is the only mockingbird commonly found in North America. This bird is mainly a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south during harsh weather. This species has rarely been observed in Europe. The northern mockingbird is renowned for its mimicking ability, as reflected by the meaning of its scientific name, 'many-tongued mimic.' The northern mockingbird has gray to brown upper feathers and a paler belly. Its wings have white patches which are visible in flight. Read more about northern mockingbird HERE. Listen to mockingbird calls HERE.


COMMON HILL MYNA (Gracula religiosa), sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as hill myna, is the myna most commonly seen in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names. It is a member of the starling family (Sturnidae), resident in hill regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Sri Lanka hill myna, a former subspecies of G. religiosa, is now generally accepted as a separate species G. ptilogenys. The Enggano hill myna (G. enganensis) and Nias hill myna (G. robusta) are also widely accepted as specifically distinct, and many authors favor treating the Southern hill myna (G. indica) from the Nilgiris and elsewhere in the Western Ghats of India as a separate species.  Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.



VELVET-FRONTED NUTHATCH (Sitta frontalis) is a small passerine bird found in southern Asia from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka east to south China and Indonesia. It is a member of the nuthatcgh family Sittidae.


MAROON ORIOLE(Oriolus traillii) is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is found in Southeast Asia. it was originally described in the genus Pastor. Along with the blackblack-and-crimson and silver orioles, it belongs to a clade of red and black orioles. Read more HERE. Listen to rose-ringed parakeet HERE.




INDIAN SCOPS OWL (
Otus bakkamoena) is a resident species of owl found in the southern regions of Asia. It is a small (23–25 cm) owl, although it is one of the largest of the scops owls. Like other scops owls, it has small head tufts, or ears. The upperparts are grey or brown, depending on the morph, with faint buffspotting. The underparts are buff with fine darker streaking. The facial disc is whitish or buff, and the eyes are orange or brown. There is a buff neckband. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating. Read more about indian scops owl HERE. Listen to Indian scops owl calls HERE.




URAL OWL  (Strix uralensis) is a medium-sized nocturnal owl of the genus Strix, with up to 15 subspecies found in Europe and northern Asia. It is smaller than the great grey owl, and much larger than the tawny owl, which it superficially resembles. Read more about Ural owl HERE. Listen to Ural owl calls HERE.




TUI PARAKEET.  is a fairly small green parrot with slightly darker wings, and a medium to short, rather wedge-shaped tail. It has a yellow forehead-spot, a relatively dark reddish-dusky bill, a complete white eye ring, and dull yellowish or whitish irises. Read more about tui parakeet HERE. Listen to tui parakeet calls HERE.


ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET (Psittacula krameri), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, is a gregarious tropical Afro-Asian parakeet species that has an extremely large range. One of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats, it has withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonised a number of cities around the world. Read more HERE. Listen to rose-ringed parakeet HERE.



BAHAMA PARROT  is a subspecies of the Cuban Amazon par rot. The Bahama Parrot's sci en tifi c name literally means "white head ed Am a zon parrot from The Bahamas." Its white head and mostly green body make the Bahama par rot easily recognized. It has patch es of red feath ers on its cheek, throat and some times its ab do men. Its fl ight feathers, usually hidden from sight when it is perched in a tree, are a beautiful cobalt blue. Viewers are often struck by this un ex pect ed fl ash of colour. The Bahama parrot's short rounded bill is char ac ter is tic of all true par rots. The bill is a powerful multi-purpose tool used for eat ing, climb ing, de fend ing, preen ing (groom ing) and playing. The Bahama parrot has two toes facing forwards and two facing backwards - a confi guration known as zygodactylus. The Bahama parrot is 12-13 inches in length. Read more HERE.




KEA PARROT (Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot of the family Strigopidae found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak. The kea is the world's only alpine parrot. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion, but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. Read more HERE. Listen to kea parrot calls HERE


ORNATE LORIKKET. (Trichoglossus ornatus) is a monotypic species of parrot in the Psittaculidae family. It is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby smaller islands in Indonesia. It is found in forest, woodland, mangrove and plantations, and is locally common. Read more about ornate lorikeet HERE. Listen to ornate lorikeet calls HERE.


RAINBOW LORIKEET.  (Trichoglossus moluccanus) is a species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia and Tasmania. Its habitat i rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. Several taxa traditionally listed as subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet are now treated as separate species. 



RED-CROWNED PARROT is a highly social, endangered amazon parrot native to northeastern Mexico. The current native wild population of between 1,000 and 2,000 is decreasing. The main threats to the native bird's survival are the illegal export of trapped birds from Mexico to the United States for the pet trade and the destruction of their natural habitat, the lowland forests of northeastern Mexico.  Read more HERE. Listen to red-crowned parrot calls HERE.




PERUVIAN PELICAN. These birds are dark in colour with a white stripe from the top of the bill up to the crown and down the sides of the neck. They have long tufted feathers on the top of their heads. It used to be considered a subspecies of the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). The Peruvian birds are nearly twice the bulk of the brown pelican, averaging 15.4 lb (7 kg) in weight; they are also longer, measuring about 5 ft (1.5 m) overall. Read more about Peruvia pelican HERE. Listen top Peruvian pelican calls HERE.



HIMALAYAN BLOOD PHEASANT.  (Ithaginis cruentus) is the only species in genus Ithaginis of the pheasant family. This relatively small, short-tailed pheasant is widespread and fairly common in eastern Himalayas, ranging across India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. Read more about Himalayan blood pheasant HERE.



KHALIJ PHEASANT. It is  a pheasant found in forests and thickets, especially in the Himalayan foothills, from Pakistan to western Thailand. Males are rather variable depending on the subspecies involved, but all have an at least partially glossy bluish-black plumage, while females are overall brownish. Both sexes have a bare red face and greyish legs.




MALAYAN PEACOCK-PHEASANT (Polyplectron malacense) also known as crested peacock-pheasant or Malaysian peacock-pheasant, is a medium-sized pheasant of the galliform family Phasianidae. The closely related Bornean peacock-pheasant (P. schleiermacheri) was formerly included here as a subspecies, but as understood today, P. malacense is monotypic. Read more HERE. Listen to Malayan Peacock-Pheasant calls HERE.




BLUE PITTA (Hydrornis cyaneus) is a species of bird in the family Pittidae  found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The species is closely related to the Indian Pitta and Mangrove Pitta, and ranges across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.


MANGROVE PITTA (Pitta megarhyncha) is a species of passerine bird in the Pittidae  family native to the eastern Indian Subcontinent and western Southeast Asia. It is part of a superspecies  where it is placed with the Indian pitta, the fairy pitta and the blue-winged pitta but has no recognized subspecies. A colourful bird, it has a black head with brown crown, white throat, greenish upper parts, buff underparts and reddish vent area. Its range extends from India to Malaysia and Indonesia. It is found in mangrove and nipa palm forests where it feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and insects. Its call, sometimes rendered as wieuw-wieuw, is sung from a high perch on a mangrove tree. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.


LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill. The legs are flesh-coloured and the toes are all webbed. Read more about little ringed plover HERE. Listen to little rInged plover calls HERE.




COMMON MOORHEN.  The moorhen is a distinctive species, with dark plumage apart from the white undertail, yellow legs and a red frontal shield.  The young are browner and lack the red shield.  The frontal shield of the adult has a rounded top and fairly parallel sides; the tailward margin of the red unfearhered area is a smooth waving line.  Read more about common moorhen HERE.  Listen to common moorhen calls HERE


PURPLE SWAMPHEN.  The purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a "swamp hen" in the rail family Rallidae. Also known locally as the pūkeko, African purple swamphen, purple moorhen, purple gallinule or purple coot. From its French name talève sultane, it is also known as the sultana bird. This chicken-sized bird, with its large feet, bright plumage and red bill and frontal shield is easily recognisable in its native range.  Read more about purple swamphen HERE.  Listen to purple swamphen calls HERE.


TAKAHE.  It is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand and belonging to the rail family. It was thought to be extinct after the last four known specimens were atken in 1898. However, after a carefully planned search effort the bird was rediscovered by Geoffrey Orbell near Lake Te Anau in the Murchison Mountains, South island, on 20 November 1948. Read more about takahe HERE.  Listen to takahe calls HERE.

WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly. They are somewhat bolder than most other rails and are often seen stepping slowly with their tail cocked upright in open marshes or even drains near busy roads. They are largely crepuscular in activity and during the breeding season, just after the first rains, make loud and repetitive croaking calls. Read more HERE. Listen to its call HERE.


RAINBOW PITTA. The rainbow pitta (Pitta iris) is a bird with a velvet black head and underparts, green upperparts, pale blue shoulder and olive green tail. It has a black bill, pink legs, brown eye and reddish brown streak along each side of its crown. Both sexes are similar, with the female being slightly smaller and duller than the male. Read more about rainbow pitta HERE.  Listen to rainbow pitta calls HERE.



RAZORBILL.  In the early 20th century. razorbills were harvested for eggs, meat  and feathers.  This greatly decreased the global population.  In 1917, they were finally protected by the "Migratory Bird Treaty Act" which reduced hunting.  Other threatening interactions include oil pollution which can damage breeding sites.  Any damage to breeding sites can reduce possible nest sites and affects reproduction of the species.  Commercial fishing affects populations because razorbills can become tangled in nets.  Overfishing also decreases the abundance of razorblll prey and thus affects their survival.  Read more about razorbill HERE.  Listen to razorbill calls HERE.




DARWIN'S RHEA.  (Rhea pennata), also known as the lesser rhea, is a large flightless bird, but the smaller of the two extant species of rheas. It is found in the Altiplano and Patagonia in South America. Read more about Darwin's rhea HERE.





RUFUOS SIBIA (Heterophasia capistrata) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It feeds on berries and insects.
It is found in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, ranging across India, Nepal and Bhutan. Its natural habitat is the temperate forests of the Lower to Middle Himalayas. The species has an unmistakable appearance with its rufous-dominated colouration and black head, and is often seen with its crest raised. It is a vigorous, melodious singer. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.




ARCTIC SKUA.  This species breeds in the north of Eurasia and North America, with significant populations as far south as northern Scotland. It nests on dry tundra, higher fells and islands, laying up to four olive-brown eggs. It is usually silent except for mewing and wailing notes while on the breeding grounds. Read more about arctic skua HERE.  Listen to arctic skua calls HERE


GREAT SNIPE (Gallinago media) is a small stocky wader in the genus Gallinago. This bird's breeding habitat is marshes and wet meadows with short vegetation in north-eastern Europe, including north-western Russia. Great snipes are migratory, wintering in Africa. The European breeding population is in steep decline. Read more about great snipe HERE. Listen to great snipe calls HERE.



SPOTTED CATBIRD. The spotted catbird (Ailuroedus melanotis) is a species of bowerbird (Ptilonorhyncidae) which can be found in north Queensland, Australia and the island of New Guinea, including its surrounding islands. They are named after their cat-like wails and black ear spot. It is also known as the Black-eared catbird which is desribed in its latin name: ailur-cat, oidos-singing, melas-black and otus-ear. Read more about spotted catbird HERE. Listen to spotted catbird calls HERE.



ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING (Aplonis panayensis) is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. Read more about Asian glossy starling HERE. Listen to Asian glossy starling HERE.



GROSBEAK STARLING (Scissirostrum dubium), also known as the grosbeak myna, finch-billed myna, or scissor-billed starling, is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family. It is monotypic in the genus Scissirostrum. 

It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Its natural habitat is tropical lowland, and sometimes subtropical montane, lightly wooded forest areas and wetlands. Read more about gosbeak starling HERE. Listen to gosbeak starling HERE.



BLACK STORK.  (Ciconia nigra) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but uncommon, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe (predominantly in central and eastern regions), across temperate Asia and Southern Africa. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related white stork. It is seen in pairs or small flocks— in marshy areas, rivers or inland waters. The black stork feeds on amphibians and insects.  Read more about black stork HERE.  Listen to black stork calls HERE.


JABIRU STORKThe jabiru is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It is most common in the Pantanal region of Brazil and the Eastern Chaco region of Paraguay. It is the only member of the genus Jabiru. The name comes from a Tupi–Guaraní language and means "swollen neck". Read more about jabiru stork HERE.


YELLOW-BILLED STORK. (Mycteria ibis), sometimes also called the wood stork or wood ibis, is a large African wading stork species in the Ciconiidae family.It is widespread in regions south of the Sahara and also occurs in Madagascar.


BROWN-THROATED SUNBIRD (Anthreptes malacensis), also known as the plain-throated sunbird, is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in south-east Asia, ranging from Myanmarto the Lesser Sundas and west Philippines. Read more about brown-throated sunbird HERE. Listen to brown-throated calls HERE.


CRIMSON SUNBIRD (Aethopyga siparaja) is a species  of bird in the sunbird  family which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding the young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time.
The Crimson sunbird is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India, through Bangladesh and Myanmar to Indonesia. Two or three eggs  are laid in a suspended nest  in a tree. This species occurs in forest and cultivated areas.
Crimson sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.
The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.
In most of the range, males have a long green-blue tail, but A.s. nicobarica of the Nicobar Islands  and the former subspecies A. vigorsii (Western crimson sunbird) of the Western Ghats of India lack the long central tail feathers. Their call  is chee-cheewee.
The crimson sunbird has become the unofficial national bird of Singapore.  Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.


FIRE-TAILED SUNBIRD  (Aethopyga ignicauda) is a species of sunbird in the Nectariniidae family.
It is found in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the Himalayas, and also in some adjoining regions in Southeast Asia. The species occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, nepal, Thailand and Tibet. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Males reach a length of 15 cm. including their long tail; females are about two-thirds that length. They live in conifer forests at altitudes up to 4,000 meters, descending into the valleys during the cold season. They eat insects, and also nectar. Both parents take part in feeding the young. Read more HERE. Listen to its call HERE.


LONG-BILLED SUNBIRD  The Loten's sunbirdlong-billed sunbird or maroon-breasted sunbird, (Cinnyris lotenius) is a sunbird endemic to peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Its long bill distinguishes it from the similar purple sunbird that is found in the same areas and also tends to hover at flowers. Like other sunbirds, it feeds on small insects and builds characteristic hanging nests. Read more HERE. Listen to long-tailed sunbird calls HERE.

ORANGE-BREASTED SUNBIRD. (Antobaphes violacea) is the only member of the bird genus Anthobaphes; however, it is sometimes placed in the genus Nectarinia. This sunbird is endemic to the fynbos habitat of southwestern South Africa.



BARN SWALLOW. (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Read more about barn swallow HERE. Listen to barn swallow HERE.



BLACK SWAN.  The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic conditions. Black swans are large birds with mostly black plumage and red bills. They are monogamous breeders that share incubation duties and cygnet rearing between the sexes.  Read more about black swan HERE. Listen to black swan calls HERE.







LITTLE TERN (Sternula albifrons) is a small tern, 21–25 cm long with a 41–47 cm wingspan. It is not likely to be confused with other species, apart from fairy tern and Saunders's tern, because of its size and white forehead in breeding plumage. Its thin sharp bill is yellow with a black tip and its legs are also yellow. In winter, the forehead is more extensively white, the bill is black and the legs duller. The call is a loud and distinctive creaking noise. Read more HERE. Listen to little tern calls HERE.

EURASIAN BLUE TIT. It is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The bird is easily recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage, but various authorities dispute their scientific classification.  Eurasian blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, are widespread and a common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in decidous or mixed woodlands with a high proportion of oak.  They usually nest in tree holes, although they easily adapt to nest boxes where necessary.  Their main rival for nests and in search for food is the larger great tit.  Read more about eurasian blue tit HERE.  Listen to eurasian blue tit call  HERE.





WARD'S TROGON. (Harpactes wardi) is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. Its range includes the northeastern parts of the Indian subcontinent stretching eastwards to Southeast Asia. It is found in Bhutan, India, Tibet, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Its common name and Latin binomial commemorate the English botanists and explorer Francis Kingdon-Ward.


SONG TRUSH. This is a monogamous territorial species, and in areas where it is fully migratory, the male re-establishes its breeding territory and starts singing as soon as he returns.  In the milder areas where some birds stay year round, the resident male remains in his breeding territory, singing intermittently, but the female may establish a separate individual wintering range until pair formation begins in the early spring.  Read more about song trush HERE.  Listen to song trush call HERE.




EGYPTIAN VULTURE. It is also called the white scavenger or pharaoh's chicken and is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus Neophron.  It is widely distributed; the Egyptian vulture is found from southwestern Europe and nothern Africa to India.  Read more about egyptian vulture HERE.  Listen to egyptian vulture call HERE.


GRIFFON VULTURE.

TURKEY VULTURE.  The turkey vulture received its common name from the resemblance of the adult's bald red head and its dark plumage to that of the male wild turkey, while the name "vulture" is derived from the Latin word vulturus, meaning "tearer," and is a reference to its feeding habits.  Read more about turkey vulture HERE.  Listen to turkey vulture call HERE.


FIRE-TAILED MYZORNIS (Myzornis pyrrhoura) is a bird species formerly placed in the Old World babbler family (Timaliidae). Its genus Myzornis is monotypic, and has recently been placed in the (much reduced) Old World warbler family Sylviidae.The species is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a common species in the upper ridges of the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas; mostly between 9,000 ft to 13,000 according to climatic conditions and seasonal variation. It prefers bamboo thickets, Rhododendron shrubs, birches, and junipers. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.


REED WARBLER, or Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more about reed warbler HERE. Listen to reed warbler calls HERE.


Yellow warblers are easily recognized. They are the most extensively yellow of warblers, with golden yellow plumage and rusty streaks on the breast. Yellow warbler males and females are similar with golden yellow upper parts tinged with olive, yellow under parts, and thin pointed beaks. Males are generally brighter, especially during the breeding season. Yellow warblers reach an average size of 10 to 18 cm in length
Yellow warblers are easily recognized. They are the most extensively yellow of warblers, with golden yellow plumage and rusty streaks on the breast. Yellow warbler males and females are similar with golden yellow upper parts tinged with olive, yellow under parts, and thin pointed beaks. Males are generally brighter, especially during the breeding season. Yellow warblers reach an average size of 10 to 18 cm in length
BARBADOS YELLOW WARBLER are easily recognized. They are the most extensively yellow of warblers, with golden yellow plumage and rusty streaks on the breast. Yellow warbler males and females are similar with golden yellow upper parts tinged with olive, yellow under parts, and thin pointed breaks. Male are generally brighter, especially during the breeding season. Yellow warblers reach an average size of 10 to 18 cm in length. Read more about Barbados yellow warbler HERE. Listen to Barbados Yellow Warbler HERE.





BORNEAN WHISTLER (Pachycephala hypoxantha) is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is endemic to the island of Borneo.


WHISKERED YUHINA (Yuhina flavicollis) is a bird species in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. Its range extends across the Himalayan forests in northern India to northeast Indian states, NepalBhutanBangladesh and in the east to Indochina including LaosMyanmarThailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The whiskered yuhina is sometimes found in mixed hunting parties with other yuhina and fulvetta species, but it has also been reported to not associate with mixed hunting parties in some areas. It is described as one of the commonest yuhinas in the Himalayas, although it is relatively uncommon to rare at low elevations. It prefers relatively undisturbed closed canopy cover. It is one among several other birds hunted by livestock herders in Northeast India. Read more HERE. Listen to its calls HERE.







CRIMSON-CRESTED WOODPECKER
(Campephilus melanoleucos) is a very large woodpecker which is a resident breeding bird from Panama south to northern border regions of Argentina, and on Trinidad. Read more about crImson-crested woodpecker HERE. Listen to crimson-crested woodpecker HERE.


LESSER YELLOWNAPE (Picus chlorolophus) is a type of woodpecker which is a widespread and often common breeder in tropical and sub-tropical Asia, primarily the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It ranges from India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka eastwards to Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Much of the scientific knowledge gathered about this species is sourced from formal studies in various parts of India.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.  The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a small or medium-sized woodpecker from temperate North America. Their breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the eastern-central United States.  Read more about red-headed woodpecker HERE.  Listen to red-headed woodpecker calls HERE.


WREN . Most wrens are small and rather inconspicuous, except for their loud and often complex songs. Notable exceptions are the relatively large members of the genus Campylorhynchus, which can be quite bold in their behavior. Wrens have short wings that are barred in most species, and they often hold their tails upright. As far as known, wrens are primarily insectivorous, eating insects, spiders, and other small arthropods, but many species also eat vegetable matter and some will take small frogs and lizards.  Read more about wren HERE. Listen to wren calls HERE.


YELLOW-BELLIED FANTAIL (Chelidorhynx hypoxantha), also known as the yellow-bellied fairy-fantail, is found in the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, and portions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. It is about 8 cm in size. It is yellow below and has a black eye-stripe, white wing-bar and broad black tail tipped white. Read more HERE. Listen to its call HERE.


YELLOWHAMMER.  Populations have declined in recent decades in western Europe, including the British Isles, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Italy. The yellowhammer is a red-list (severely declining) species in Ireland and the UK. In eastern Europe, numbers appear to be stable, although the trend in Russia is unknown. Changes to agricultural practices are thought to be responsible for reduced breeding densities. The introduced population in New Zealand has been very successful, with breeding densities much higher than in the UK.  Read more about yellowhammer HERE.  Listen to yellowhammer calls HERE.

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