Murre (Common)

female

An abundant, penguin-like bird of the cooler northern oceans, the Common Murre nests along rocky cliffs and spends its winter at sea.
 
They are more manoeuvrable underwater, typically diving to depths of 100–200 ft, and depths of up to 600 ft have been recorded.

 
Some individuals in the North Atlantic, known as "bridled guillemots", have a white ring around the eye extending back as a white line. This is not a distinct subspecies, but a polymorphism which becomes more common the farther north the birds breed. The Murre here is in non-breeding colours as to the Murre in the background is in breeding colours.

Photographed at Sea World Aviary, Orlando, FL

Myna (Common)

The Common Myna or Indian Myna also sometimes spelled Mynah, is a member of the starlings family native to Asia.

 
This is an open woodland bird with a very strong territorial instinct. The Myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments and has been introduced to many other parts of the world. It is a serious threat to the eco-systems of Australia.

 
The Common Myna is an important motif in Indian culture and appears both in Sanskrit and Prakrit literature.
 
Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Yellow-rumped Warbler male

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of the most common warblers in North America. Other warblers have dark-streaked, blue-grey upper parts and bright yellow rump. Head is black with yellow crown, white eye-rings, and faint eye stripes. Wings are dark with yellow shoulder patches and two white bars. Tail is dark with white corners. Juvenile resembles female but lacks yellow crown, shoulder patches, and tail markings. (Naples, FL)

Warbler (Yellow-Rumped)

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of the most common warblers in North America. Other warblers have dark-streaked, blue-grey upper parts and bright yellow rump. Head is black with yellow crown, white eye-rings, and faint eye stripes. Wings are dark with yellow shoulder patches and two white bars. Tail is dark with white corners. Juvenile resembles female but lacks yellow crown, shoulder patches, and tail markings.

This is the only warbler able to digest the waxes found in bayberries and wax myrtles. Its ability to use these fruits allows it to winter farther north than other warblers, sometimes as far north as Newfoundland.






Photographed in the wild, Naples, FL

Cardinal (Red Capped)

This South American bird’s breeding takes place from June to September. The nest is a shallow cup, about 9-10 cm wide and 7 cm high and is built in a tree. It is built of thin twigs, and ferns. 2-3 eggs are laid.

The distinguishing features of the Red-capped Cardinal are the black bib below the red cap, the generally black bill with a pale base of the mandible, a partial white collar and a black smudge around the eye. Often mistaken for a Red crested Cardinal

Photo taken at Discovery Cove Aviary, Orlando FL.

Tanager (Turquoise)

The Turquoise Tanager is a medium-sized passerine bird that occurs in northern and northeastern South America. It is a resident of the Amazon Basin as well as adjacent rivers. It is a social bird and is often found in small flocks.

The Turquoise Tanager feeds primarily on fruit but will also eat insects, flowers, leaves, and seeds.

The female Turquoise Tanager lays 2 to 3 brown-blotched, gray-green eggs per clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 12 - 14 days. Pairs break off from the flock to reproduce. After hatching, pairs rejoin the flock but return to feed the young.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Magpie (Black-billed)

A common and very conspicuous bird This Magpie is a bird in the crow family that inhabits the western half of North America. The Black-billed Magpie is found in urban as well as rural areas. Its bold black-and-white pattern and long tail make it easy to identify

The adult magpie pairs stay together year-round and usually for life unless one dies, in which case the remaining magpie finds another mate. The Magpie makes a very large nest that can take up to 40 days to construct.

The female lays up to thirteen eggs, but the usual clutch size is six or seven. The eggs are greenish grey, marked with browns, and 1.3 inch long. Only the female incubates, for 16–21 days. The male feeds the female throughout incubation.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Turaco (Great Blue)

The largest member of the Turaco family They live in sub-Saharan Africa, the part of the continent below the Sahara Desert.


This African bird is often found in the tops of tall forest trees. It is strictly Arboreal, which means tree-dwelling. The bird is a very poor flier but an extremely fine climber. It will hang upside down on tree limbs to reach its food at the end of the branches.

Generally, the Great Blue Turaco is 28-30in long with a mass of 2-3 lbs. In the Congo, the Great Blue Turaco is actively hunted for meat and feathers. The blue and yellow tail feathers are prized for making good luck talismans.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Pigeon (Pied Imperial)

The Pied Imperial-pigeon is found in Southeast Asia. It is mainly found on small islands and in coastal regions.
 
The Pied Imperial-pigeon is a large plump pigeon 14-17 inches in length, with an 18in wingspan. It is entirely white apart from its black flight and tail feathers. The head can be brown, and is normally soiled from eating fruit.

 
Its flight is fast and direct, with regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings, which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Males that try to give a display will fly up steeply, pause, and tip forward and then glide downwards.
 
1, 2 Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL
3 Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Falls, ON

Pigeon (Green Imperial)

The Green Imperial Pigeon is a widespread resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from India east to Indonesia.

This is a forest species; it builds a stick nest in a tree and lays a single white egg. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Green Imperial Pigeon is a large plump pigeon, 45 cm in length. Its back, wings and tail are metallic green. The head and under parts are white, apart from maroon under tail coverts. Sexes are similar.

This is an arboreal dove, feeding on plant material in the tree canopy. They are not very outgoing, but will form small flocks. The bird's call is deep and echoing, and is often the first indication of the presence of this treetop species.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Dove (Jambu Fruit)

The Jambu Fruit Dove inhabits mangrove swamps and lowland rain forests in Asia. This Dove is a shy and inconspicuous bird, camouflaged against the forest canopy by its green plumage.

The adult male has a crimson face with a black chin, unmarked green upperparts and white under parts, with a pink patch on the breast and a chocolate brown under tail. The female differs from the male in that she has a dull purple face with a dark chin

The male holds a breeding territory, advertised by raising its wings, bobbing its body and cooing. It will defend its territory with a quick peck if the territorial display fails. The female builds a flimsy nest of twigs, roots and grasses, which are collected by her mate, in a tree and lays one or sometimes two white eggs which are incubated for about 20 days to hatching, with a further 12 or more days to fledging.

photographed at Discovery Cove Aviary in Orlando FL

 

Ibis (White face)

The White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs.

This Ibis has glittering bronze feathers all over and has a thin band of white feathers around its bare red face during breeding season.

They feed on invertebrates, frogs, and fish. They tend to fly in a straight line formation with alternating shallow rapid wing beats and short glides. 
 
Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Hawk (Red Shoulder)

A common forest-dwelling hawk of the East and California, the Red-shouldered Hawk favors woodlands near water. It is perhaps the most vocal American hawk.

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium to large hawk measuring 15 to 19 inches in length and a wingspan of 3 to 3 ½ feet. Adults have a brown head and a red tinted chest. Their belly is pale in color with reddish bars.

Unlike most hawks, the Red-shouldered Hawk hunts from a low-lying perch. They sit quietly, waiting and watching, until prey wanders into their line of sight. Once spotted, the prey doesn't have a prayer. The Red-shouldered Hawk swoops down and grabs his dinner. It is a very fast and efficient bird of prey.

Photographed in the wild, Kissimmee, FL

Weaver (Taveta Golden)

Endemic to the border region of southern Kenya and NE Tanzania



Unlike many other ploceus weavers it shows no seasonal variation in plumage which makes the adults easy to distinguish at all times of the year. In colouring it is similar to the Golden Palm Weaver when in its sub-adult plumage but the adult male pluamge (yellow-olive back, wings and tail, rufous crescent on head and rufous breast patch) is very distinctive. In any case the Golden Palm Weaver and Taveta Golden Weaver do not overlap in range. Males have the rufuss colouring and the female does not.

They make the nests over water using fresh, green grass to build its spherical shape and build the entrance on the bottom. Weavers get their name from the elaborate woven nests they make.



Photographed at Animal Kingdom, Orlando, FL

Stork (Hamerkop)

Hamerkop lives in Africa, south of Sahara and is a water bird. It is unmistakable with all-brown plumage, large “hammer-shaped” head, with heavy bill. Legs are blackish, with toes partially webbed. It has large wings and relatively short tail. Its plumage shows light and dark glossy, purplish streaks on wings and body. Both sexes are similar.

Hamerkop often stands still, hunched, or actively feeding, running near water, making jabbing movements. It often perches on the back of hippopotamuses, searching for frogs. Hamerkop stalks its preys by wading in shallow water, and striking forward with the bill. Then, it deposes the prey on the ground before to eat. It also probes into the mud, searching for invertebrates. Birds are active at dusk, and rest during the day.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Starling (Purple Glossy)

This common bird is typically found in open woodland and cultivated areas in tropical Africa. These starlings are truly sociable and very noisy, with typical starling squeaks and chattering.

The Purple Starling builds a nest in hole. The normal clutch is two eggs.

The adults of these stocky 22–23 cm long birds have a metallic purple head and body, and glossy green wings. They have a short tail and a yellow eye. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are much duller, with grey under parts and a brown iris.

Like most starlings, the Purple Glossy Starling eats many types of different foods, including, fruit and insects.
 
Photographed at Animal Kingdom, Orlando, FL

Stork (Abdim's)

The name commemorates the Turkish Governor of Wadi Halfa in Sudan Bey El-Arnaut Abdim (1780–1827).The Abdim's Stork, also known as White-bellied Stork, is a black stork with grey legs, red knees and feet, grey bill and white under parts. It has red facial skin in front of eye and blue skin near the bill in breeding season. It is the smallest species of stork, at 29 in and a weight of just over 2.2 lbs. The female lays two to three eggs and is slightly smaller than male.

The Abdim's Stork is distributed to open habitats throughout Eastern Africa, from Ethiopia south to South Africa. Its diet consists mainly of locusts, caterpillars and other large insects.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Starling (Black Collard)

Found in Asia near India, Myanmar, Lao, Cambodia, and the South of China.

The Black-collared Starling is about 28 cm long. Head is white, skin around eyes yellow, bill black, under parts and rump white, legs yellow. Juvenile lacks black collar. It gives a loud piping cry.

The Black-collared Starling starts breeding during April to June. It builds a large nest as a dome on the tall tree supporting with the grass leaves. It lays 3 to 5 eggs each time.

Often feeds in small flocks on berries, insects and earthworms etc.

Photographed at Animal Kingdom, Orlando, FL

Ibis (Hadeda)

The Hadeda Ibis is a large bird with short legs and Native to South Africa. They are greyish-brown bird with blackish wing and tail feathers, but in certain lighting it has a metallic purple-green colour on its wings.

The long, blackish down-curved bill has a red line on top of the upper bill. The legs and feet are grey, with a line of red scales running down the front of the legs and the tops of the toes.

They nest in isolation, unlike other ibis species, mainly in late winter and early summer. The male usually gathers nest materials, which it ritually offers to its mate. The nest is a platform of sticks, lined with grass and lichens; many eggs and young fall from the flimsily constructed nest. Both sexes incubate the 2-6 eggs and feed the young. The nesting cycle lasts 2-3 months.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Heron (Boat-billed)

Like night-herons but unlike most other heron species, Boat-billed Herons have short, thick necks, very large eyes, massive but relatively short beaks, and they are nocturnal (thus the oversize eyes). Boat-bills are even more strictly nocturnal than night herons.

The Boat-billed Heron communications is different from regular herons by its vocal and mechanical sounds such as bill-pops that sound like handclaps. This is different from the visual gesturing that other herons do. Also, it mainly eats alone by flying from the common roost to individual feeding areas. Once in a while, it will feed in groups.

Photographed at Reid Zoo, Tucson, AZ

Flamingo (Caribbean)

Caribbean Flamingos are the only flamingo to naturally inhabit North America. They stand between 4-4.6 ft in height, they have a wingspan of approximately 4.9 ft and they weigh between 5 - 6.2 lbs.

They are deep pink/red/orange in colour and they have the brightest plumage of all flamingo species. They have long, pink legs with their knees being a slightly darker pink.

Their large bill is downward curving and it is pink in colour with a black tip. Caribbean’s have a loud, deep honking call similar to a goose. They call loudly during courtship but they have a quieter call while they are feeding.

photographed at Discovery Cove Aviary, Orlando, FL

Bittern (Sun)

The Sun Bittern builds a bulky nest in trees and lays two or three rusty to brownish eggs that are incubated by both sexes. Because the Sun Bittern is exceptionally good at catching flies and spiders, Sun Bittern chicks are sometimes taken from their nests and raised as pets. The birds are also hunted occasionally.The Sun Bittern is water-edge bird from Guatemala to southern Brazil/Paraguay. It has strikingly patterned wings, which the male spreads in courtship and threat displays. The sun bittern is about 43 cm (17 inches) long, with full wings and a long tail beautifully marked in browns, yellows, black, and white. It lives on the ground along forest streams and feeds on insects and crustaceans caught using its bill.  

The Sun Bittern builds a bulky nest in trees and lays two or three rusty to brownish eggs that are incubated by both sexes.

Because the Sun Bittern is exceptionally good at catching flies and spiders, Sun Bittern chicks are sometimes taken from their nests and raised as pets. The birds are also hunted occasionally. (Discovery Cove, FL)

Sandpiper (Sanderling)

The Sanderling is a small, light-coloured sandpiper with a straight, black bill and black legs.

Both the male and female look very similar in appearance. In breeding plumage, it has a rufous head and neck and a rufous wash that extends onto its back. In non-breeding plumage, the adult is white underneath and very pale gray above while the juveniles are white underneath with a dark and light mottled top.

Late-molters, Sanderlings don't reach their breeding plumage until late May. This is the only sandpiper that lacks a hind toe, which allows it to be a strong runner. 

Photographed in the wild, Daytona, FL

Tern (Inca)

This uniquely-plumaged bird breeds on the coasts of Peru and Chile. It can be identified by its dark grey body, white moustache on the both sides of its head, and red-orange beak and feet.

In a simplecourtship ritual, the male Inca Tern engages in skillful aerial display to impress the female. He also pursues her in the air with gifts of fish until shefinally accepts him.

The Inca Tern pair chooses a nest site unlike most terns, whichtend to be on open ground. Instead, Inca Terns select sheltered nest sites.The birds often return to the same nest site years in a row.

The female lays one to three eggs, which the male and female incubate for three to four weeks. Youngchicks are then able to fly after 7 weeks.


Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL