Birds

The Unbelievable Chinchorro Mummification Culture

The Chinchorro Mummification Culture: A long-buried corpse (about 5020 BC), preserved in the Atacama Desert of Chile, one of the driest places on Earth, with centuries-old skin, hair, and...

The Cruciferae (Brassicaceae)

Most of the urban flowers illustrated here have obvious similarities. The flowers of honesty, wallflower, and shepherd's-purse are,...

Band-tailed Barbthroat: A Tiny Hummingbird Like No Other

IDENTIFICATION: The Band-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes ruckeri) takes its name from its striking black-and-white tail pattern and the dusky, bristly...

Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo zeachii)

The closest relative of the Laughing Kookaburra, the Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo zeachii) lives in the northern and northeastern...

Special Herbs for the Brain

Special Herbs for the Brain There are a few other herbs and nutrients that deserve special mention. It is...

Long-eared Owl Sound

LONG-EARED OWL SOUND / CALL  The males (boomers) make a deep hooting noise. Females (Kleeers) make a trilling, multi-note call. The young (kee-kees) make a...

Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)

The Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae) is a bold and persistent hunter, flying directly in pursuit of prey. A sudden attack at a speed that...

Origma or Rockwarbler (Origma solitaria)

Family: Origma or Rockwarbler (Origma solitaria) belongs to the family Acanthizidae in the order Passeriformes. Habitat: The Origma is unique among Australian warblers in constructing...

The Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)

Family: The Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) belongs to the crow family Corvidae. Range: The bird is native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining parts...

Black-winged Monarch (Monarcha frater)

Family: The black-winged monarch (Monarcha frater) belongs to the family Monarchidae. Range: Australia and New Guinea are home to this species. It is found there in the...

Pilotbird: The Jewel of Wet Sclerophyll and Temperate Rainforests

Family: The pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus) belongs to the family Acanthizidae in the order Passeriformes. This species is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a...

Rufous Bristlebird: Beautiful Hidden Symphony of Nature

Family: The Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti) belongs to the family Dasyornithidae to the order Passeriformes. Habitat: Subject to fires and the clearing of its coastal...

Oriental dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)

Family: Known for its distinctive pale blue or white spots on its wings, the Oriental dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) is a member of the roller...

Thick-billed Grasswren: Embracing the Majesty Whispers of the Wild

Habitat: The thick-billed grasswren (Amytornis modestus) is the only grasswren to inhabit the shrub steppes of saltbush and bluebush Chenopodiaceae in inland Australia. Yet...

Dusky Grasswren: The Magical Echoes of Wilderness

Family: Dusky grasswren (Amytornis purnelli) belongs to the family Maluridae. Habitat: Rock-strewn hills and gorges clad with spinifex are the habitat of the dusky grasswren...