Birds

Cloud Cisticola (Cisticola textrix)

The Cloud Cisticola or tink-tink cisticola is near-endemic to southern Africa and occurs in South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Lesotho, and sparsely in Swaziland. However, a widely separated relict population...

Magnificent Riflebird – A Visual Symphony of Elegance and Grace

Family: The magnificent riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) belongs to the Paradisaeidae family of birds. This beautiful bird of paradise is...

Ferocactus cylindraceus (Engelmann) Orcutt 1926

Description: George Engelmann named the barrel-cactus variation Ferocactus cylindraceus in 1853. This unusual cactus poses a threat to...

Cauliflower is the Sweetest, Mildest Tasting Vegetable

Cauliflower Cauliflower is a flower; the big, lumpy white ‘head’ that we eat is a cluster of flower buds...

Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)

Behavior and habitats: The Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus), a long-tailed bird that lives mostly on the ground, builds...

Williamson’s Sapsucker: Beauty in the Bark

The Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) is one of the four sapsucker species occurring in North America. Unlike other sapsuckers, the male and female plumages...

White-quilled rock pigeon (Petrophassa albipennis)

Family: The white-quilled rock pigeon (Petrophassa albipennis) is a member of the family Columbidae in the genus Petrophassa. Identification: Both adult sexes are similar. The...

Torresian Crow Call and Facts

Torresian Crow call is nasal, high-pitched cawing uk-uk-uk-uk-uk-uk or ok-ok-ok-ok-ok-ok-ok. In contact and advertisement, the notes are short and clipped from perch or in-flight;...

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)

Family: The Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor) is a fascinating bird species of the family Meliphagidae that is native to Australia's arid zone. As a...

Black-billed Cuckoo: A Bird That Lives Like a Ghost

Habitat: Black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrophthalmus) is vagrant (Western Europe, Azores). In natural range, forest edges, woodland, and riverside thickets. The black-billed cuckoo is a...

The Yellow-crowned Amazon

The yellow-crowned parrot, or Yellow-crowned Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala) is a species of parrot native to South America, the Amazon basin, and Guianas, Panama, and...

Spinifex Pigeon (Gould 1842): The Breathtaking Feathered Jewel

Family: The Spinifex pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) belongs to the Columbidae family and is one of three endemic Australian bird species in the Geophaps genus. Habitat:...

The Jungle Bush-Quail

Jungle Bush-Quail (Perdicula Asiatica) female differs from the male in the absence of the black barring on the underparts. In her case, the underparts...

Chestnut-quilled rock pigeon (Petrophassa rufipennis)

Family: The chestnut-quilled rock pigeon (Petrophassa rufipennis) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. Habitats: The escarpment of the Western Arnhem land rises...

The Wedge-tailed Eagle: Australia’s Largest Bird of Prey

FAMILY: The Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) is not only the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New...