Kākāpō

The kākāpō (/ˈkɑːkəpoʊ/ KAH-kə-poh;[3] Māori: [kaːkaːpɔː];[4] from
the Māori: kākāpō, lit. 'night parrot'), also known as owl parrot (Strigops
habroptilus), is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot of
the super-family Strigopoidea, endemic to New Zealand.[5]
It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, a large grey
beak, short legs, large feet, and relatively short wings and tail. A combination of
traits make it unique among parrots: it is the world's only flightless parrot, the
world's heaviest parrot, nocturnal, herbivorous, visibly sexually dimorphic in body
size, has a low basal metabolic rate, and no male parental care, and is the only
parrot to have a polygynous lek breeding system. It is also possibly one of the
world's longest-living birds, with a reported lifespan of up to 100 years.[6]
Its anatomy typifies the tendency of bird evolution on oceanic islands with few
predators and abundant food to exhibit island syndrome: a generally robust
physique at the expense of flight abilities, resulting in reduced wing muscles and
a diminished keel on the sternum. Like many other New Zealand bird species,
the kākāpō was historically important to Māori, the indigenous people of New
Zealand, appearing in many of their traditional legends and folklore; however it
was also heavily hunted and used as a resource by Māori, both for its meat as a
food source and for its feathers, which were used to make highly valued pieces
of clothing. Kākāpō were also occasionally kept as pets.
Crested ibis

by Unknown Author is licensed under

The crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), also known as the Japanese crested
ibis, Asian crested ibis or toki, is a large (up to 78.5 cm (30.9 in) long),
white-plumaged ibis of pine forests, native to eastern Asia. Its head is
partially bare, showing red skin, and it has a dense crest of white plumes
on the nape. It is the only member of the genus Nipponia. They make
their nests at the tops of trees on hills usually overlooking their habitat.
Crested ibises usually eat frogs, small fish, and small animals. At one time,
the crested ibis nested in the Russian Far East, Japan, and Mainland
China, and was a non-breeding visitor to the Korean
Peninsula and Taiwan. It has now disappeared from most of its former
range, and the only natural (non-reintroduced) population occurs
in Shaanxi, China.[1] The last wild crested ibis in Japan died in October
2003, with the remaining wild population found only in Shaanxi Province of
China, until the reintroduction of captive bred birds back into Japan in 2008.
They were previously thought to be extinct in China as well, until their
rediscovery in 1981. On September 25, 2008, the Sado Japanese Crested
Ibis Preservation Center released 10 of the birds as part of its crested ibis
restoration program, which aims to introduce 60 ibises into the wild by
2015. This marks the first time the bird has returned to the Japanese wild
since 1981.
Palila

The palila (Loxioides bailleui) is a critically endangered finch-billed species

of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It has a golden-yellow head and breast, with a
light belly, gray back, and greenish wings and tail. The bird has a
close ecological relationship with the māmane tree (Sophora chrysophylla),
and became endangered due to destruction of the trees and
accompanying dry forests. The first specimen of the palila was collected in
1876 at the Greenwell Ranch on the Big Island by Pierre Étienne Théodore
Ballieu (1828–1885), who was French consul in Hawai‘i from 1869 to 1878.
The type specimen (No. 1876-645) is housed at the Muséum national
d'histoire naturelle in Paris. The palila has a yellow head and breast, with
white to light gray plumage ventrally, medium gray plumage dorsally,
and olive-green wings and tail. The bird also has a heavy dark bill with
swollen sides, a brown iris, and dark feet with yellowish soles. The palila is
one of the largest living Hawaiian honeycreepers, measuring around 6–7.5
inches (15–19 cm). With a body mass of 38.1 g (1.34 oz) on average in
males and 37.6 g (1.33 oz), it appears to be the heaviest Hawaiian
honeycreeper.[4]
There is some sexual dimorphism. Males tend to have brighter colors
overall, as well as clear-cut black lores. The corresponding area contrasts
less with the dirty-yellow heads in the marginally smaller females.
The bird's song is inconspicuous, containing whistling, warbling
and trilling notes.
Spix’s macaw

Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), also known as the little blue macaw, is

a macaw species that was endemic to Brazil. It is a member of tribe Arini in the
subfamily Arinae (Neotropical parrots), part of the family Psittacidae (the true
parrots). It was first described by German naturalist Georg Marcgrave, when he
was working in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil in 1638 and it is named for
German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, who collected a specimen in 1819 on
the bank of the Rio São Francisco in northeast Bahia in Brazil. This bird has
been completely extirpated from its natural range, and following a several-year
survey, the IUCN officially declared it extinct in the wild in 2019.
The bird is a medium-size parrot weighing about 300 grams (11 oz), smaller than
most of the large macaws. Its appearance is various shades of blue, with a grey-
blue head, light blue underparts, and vivid blue upperparts. Males and females
are almost identical in appearance, however the females are slightly smaller.
The species inhabited riparian Caraibeira (Tabebuia aurea) woodland galleries in
the drainage basin of the Rio São Francisco within the Caatinga dry forest
climate of interior northeastern Brazil. It had a very restricted natural habitat due
to its dependence on the tree for nesting, feeding and roosting. It feeds primarily
on seeds and nuts of Caraiba and various Euphorbiaceae (spurge) shrubs, the
dominant vegetation of the Caatinga. Due to deforestation in its limited range and
specialized habitat, the bird was rare in the wild throughout the twentieth century.
It has always been very rare in captivity, partly due to the remoteness of its
natural range.
Golden pheasent

It is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China, but feral

populations have been established in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United
States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland
Islands, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Australia and New
Zealand.[3] In England they may be found in East Anglia in the dense forest
landscape of the Breckland as well as Tresco on the Isles of Scilly.
The adult male is 90–105 cm (35–41 in) in length, its tail accounting for two-thirds
of the total length. It is unmistakable with its golden crest and rump and bright red
body. The deep orange "cape" can be spread in display, appearing as an
alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except its bright
yellow eye with a pinpoint black pupil.
Males have a golden-yellow crest with a hint of red at the tip. The face, throat,
chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The wattles and orbital skin are both
yellow in colour, and the ruff or cape is light orange. The upper back is green and
the rest of the back and rump is golden-yellow. The tertiaries are blue whereas
the scapulars are dark red. Other characteristics of the male plumage are the
central tail feathers, black spotted with cinnamon, as well as the tip of the tail
being a cinnamon buff. The upper tail coverts are the same colour as the central
tail feathers. The male also has a scarlet breast, and scarlet and light chestnut
flanks and underparts. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow.
Hoopoe

Hoopoes (/ˈhuːpuː/) are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for
their distinctive "crown" of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognized,
though for many years all of the extant species were lumped as a single species—Upupa
epops. In fact, some taxonomists still consider all three species conspecific. Some
authorities also keep the African and Eurasian hoopoe together but split the Madagascar
hoopoe. The Eurasian Hoopoe is common in its range and has a large population, so it is
evaluated as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, their
numbers are declining in Western Europe.[1] Conversely, the Hoopoe has been increasing in
numbers at the tip of the South Sinai, Sharm el Sheikh. There are dozens of nesting pairs
that remain resident all year round. The genus Upapa was introduced in 1758 by the
Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.[2] The type
species is the Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops).[3] Upupa and ἔποψ (epops) are respectively
the Latin and Ancient Greek names for the hoopoe; both, like the English name,
are onomatopoeic forms which imitate the cry of the bird. Formerly considered a single
species, the hoopoe has been split into three separate species: the Eurasian
hoopoe, Madagascar hoopoe and the resident African hoopoe. One accepted separate
species, the Saint Helena hoopoe, lived on the island of St Helena but became extinct in the
16th century, presumably due to introduced species.[10] The diet of the hoopoe is mostly
composed of insects, although small reptiles, frogs and plant matter such as seeds and
berries are sometimes taken as well. Hoopoes are monogamous, although the pair bond
apparently only lasts for a single season. They are also territorial. Hoopoes are widespread
in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.[13] Most European
and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter.
Flamingo

Flamingos or flamingoes[2] /fləˈmɪŋɡoʊz/ are a type of wading bird in

the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the
order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout
the Americas (including the Caribbean), and two species native to Africa, Asia, and
Europe.
A group of flamingoes is called a "flamboyance.
The name "flamingo" comes from Portuguese or Spanish flamengo ("flame-
colored"), which in turn comes from Provençal flamenc - a combination
of flama ("flame") and a Germanic-like suffix -ing. The word may also have been
influenced by the Spanish ethnonym flamenco ("Fleming" or "Flemish").Flamingos
usually stand on one leg with the other tucked beneath the body. The reason for this
behaviour is not fully understood. One theory is that standing on one leg allows the
birds to conserve more body heat, given that they spend a significant amount of time
wading in cold water.[23] However, the behaviour also takes place in warm water and
is also observed in birds that do not typically stand in water. An alternative theory is
that standing on one leg reduces the energy expenditure for producing muscular
effort to stand and balance on one leg. A study on cadavers showed that the one-
legged pose could be held without any muscle activity, while living flamingos
demonstrate substantially less body sway in a one-legged posture.[24] As well as
standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up
food from the bottom.[25]
Quetzal

Quetzals (/kɛtˈsɑːl, ˈkɛtsəl/) are strikingly colored birds in the trogon family. They are

found in forests, especially in humid highlands, with the five species from the
genus Pharomachrus being exclusively Neotropical, while a single species,
the eared quetzal, Euptilotis neoxenus, is found in Mexico and very locally in the
southernmost United States.[1] Quetzals are fairly large (all over 32 cm or 13 inches
long), slightly bigger than other trogon species.[2][3] The resplendent quetzal is
the national bird of Guatemala because of its vibrant colour.
Quetzals have iridescent green or golden-green wing coverts, back, chest and head,
with a red belly. They are strongly sexually dimorphic, and parts of the
females' plumage are brown or grey. These largely solitary birds feed on fruits,
berries, insects and small vertebrates (such as frogs).[2][3] Even with their famous
bright plumage, they can be hard to see in their natural wooded habitats.
None of the many quetzal species are under immediate threat in the wild, although
the eared and resplendent quetzal are at the Near Threatened status.
[4]
 Pharomachrus mocinno is dependent on standing dead and mature trees for
breeding holes, which are only formed in primary cloud forest; the species' breeding
behavior is linked to the long term existence of these forests such as the few
remaining in highland Guatemala.[5] The remaining are not considered threatened by
the IUCN and all are locally common.[2][3] The name quetzal is
from Nahuatl quetzalli [keˈt͡salːi], "large brilliant tail feather" (American Audubon
Dictionary) or "tail coverts of the quetzal" (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary),
from the Nahuatl root quetz = "stand up" used to refer to an upstanding plume of
feathers. The word entered English through Spanish.
Atlantic Puffin

The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica), also known as the common puffin, is

a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean;
two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin, are found in the
northeastern Pacific. The Atlantic puffin breeds
in Québec, Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and
the Faroe Islands, and as far south as Maine in the west and France in the east. It is
most commonly found on the Westman Islands, Iceland. Although it has a large
population and a wide range, the species has declined rapidly, at least in parts of its
range, resulting in it being rated as vulnerable by the IUCN. On land, it has the typical
upright stance of an auk. At sea, it swims on the surface and feeds mainly on small fish,
which it catches by diving under water, using its wings for propulsion.
This puffin has a black crown and back, pale grey cheek patches, and white underparts.
Its broad, boldly marked red-and-black beak and orange legs contrast with its plumage.
It moults while at sea in the winter, and some of the brightly coloured facial
characteristics are lost, with colour returning again during the spring. The external
appearances of the adult male and female are identical, though the male is usually
slightly larger. The juvenile has similar plumage, but its cheek patches are dark grey.
The juvenile does not have brightly coloured head ornamentation, its bill is narrower and
is dark-grey with a yellowish-brown tip, and its legs and feet are also dark. Puffins from
northern populations are typically larger than in the south and these populations are
generally considered a different subspecies.
Spending the autumn and winter in the open ocean of the cold northern seas, the
Atlantic puffin returns to coastal areas at the start of the breeding season in late spring.
It nests in clifftop colonies, digging a burrow in which a single white egg is laid. Chicks
mostly feed on whole fish and grow rapidly. After about 6 weeks, they are
fully fledged and make their way at night to the sea. They swim away from the shore
and do not return to land for several years.
Victoria crowned
pigeon

The Victoria crowned pigeon is a deep blue-grey colour with a small, black mask. Its feather
crest (the signature feature of crowned pigeons other than their size) is conspicuously
white-tipped. On the wing coverts is a row of feathers that are a paler blue-gray with maroon
tips. These form a distinct wing bar. The chest is a deep purple-maroon color. As in all
crowned pigeons, melanism has been observed. The other two crowned pigeons are
somewhat superficially similar, but only the western crowned pigeon overlaps in range with
the Victoria species. The Scheepmaker's crowned pigeon does not. In the western species,
the crown is more scraggly and hair-like, the chest is a uniform blue-gray and not maroon,
and a less distinct wing-bar is present. Both sexes are similar.[4]
This species is typically 73 to 75 cm (29 to 30 in) long. Some specimens may exceed a
length of 80 cm (31 in) and a weight of 3.5 kg (7.7 lb).[5] It is marginally larger than the two
other crowned pigeons on average, at an mean of 2.39 kg (5.3 lb) in adult body mass, thus
is considered the largest surviving species of pigeon of Earth. The standard measurements
among pigeons on mainland New Guinea are: the wing chord is 36–39 cm (14–15 in
Like other crowned pigeons, this species makes a loud clapping sound when it takes flight.
The mating calls of this species are also similar to the other two species of crowned
pigeons, consisting of a deep hoota-hoota-hoota-hoota-hoota sound. When defending their
territories, these birds make a resounding whup-up, whup-up, whup-up call. Their contact
call is a deep, muffled, and rather human-like ummm or hmmm.