Toucan (Ivory-billed Aracari)

This is one of the smallest members of the Aracaris and considered a medium sized toucan with an average weight of 5.3 ounces and closely related to the Green Aracari. The Ivory-billed Aracari ranges over western Amazonia, they forages alone, in pairs, or in small groups of up to five, and takes a variety of fruits, especially figs and catkins, but also catches flying insects. 

Aracaris generally roost socially throughout the year. Up to five adults and their fledged offspring sleep in the same hole with their long tails folded over their backs.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL 

Roller (Blue-bellied)

Blue-bellied rollers are social birds that typically gather in small groups of 3 to 7, sometimes more. They exhibit many social behaviors, including calling to each other, chasing each other, flying together, and defending territory together. They have an interesting hunting style: they sit high in trees – about 30 feet up – and dive-bomb prey on the ground. They plummet toward the ground to snatch up prey, then return to the treetops. They also flock to the scene of forest and brush fires and feed on insects fleeing flames.

Rollers are named for their acrobatic flight while snatching flying insects out of the air.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Robin-Chat (White-crowned)

The largest of the 14 species of robin-chat with a total body length of nearly 11 inches, it has a black head with a conspicuous white crown, black back, wings and tail and an orange belly. The sexes are similar.

The female lays two somewhat glossy grey-green eggs with violet spots in a cup shaped stick nest.

Robin chats were once classified in the thrush family but are now considered members of the Old World flycatchers. Despite the fact that white-crowned robin chats are common and widespread, they have been little studied and not much information about them has been published.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Pheasant (Lady Amherst)

The name commemorates Sarah Countess Amherst, wife of William Pitt Amherst, Governor General of Bengal, who was responsible for sending the first specimen of the bird to London in 1828.

The Lady Amherst's are native to south western China and Tibet, but have also established a self-supporting, but now declining, feral population in England. This species is closely related to the Golden Pheasant. Next to the Golden Pheasant, the Lady Amherst is said to be the easiest pheasant to breed. This pheasant is one of the most vibrant colored pheasant species. Their ritualistic dance, display and dazzling beauty makes them a very popular species. They can also be easily hand-tamed.

SEE: Golden Pheasant, another variety with similar colour patterns.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Mousebird (Speckled)

True to its name however, its uppers are a mousy brown. Buffy underparts provide the only splash of colour. The under wing is brownish with grey tips to the flight feathers.

They range just about all of sub-Saharan Africa south of a line from Nigeria across to Ethiopia.   Though most species of bird allow little or no touching, individuals may huddle together during the day or while roosting. More unusually, they hang belly to belly for warmth when sleeping. They may also sleep clustered tightly into a ball.

In the air, speckled mousebirds are not very graceful. They create quite the sight since they beat their wings rapidly while appearing off balance. And they finish off by crash landing into bushes or trees.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL 

Curassow (Great)

The great curassow is a 36-inch tall, hearty bird from southern Mexico to western Ecuador. All great curassows have a peak of forward-curling feathers on their heads, and long tails. The base of the great curassow's bill is yellow with a round bulge. The coloring of the females varies; they can be black or chestnut-colored with black or white bars and their heads and crest may be striped with black and white. The males are a lustrous blue or black, and have white bellies. They have long lifespans (up to 24 years!) and a low rate of reproduction.

The male curassow leads his family and whistles when there are signs of danger. Females lay two eggs at a time. Curassows are monogamous and travel in pairs or in small groups. The group can communicate by grunting. Like chickens, they tend to run rather than fly.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL 

Coua (Crested)

This species is endemic to Madagascar where it is common in forests, savanna and bushland areas; from sea-level to altitude of 3,000 feet. Crested Couas build their own nests out of twigs, and incubate and raise their own clutch of two white-colored eggs. The nests are usually well hidden in trees or bushes. 

Couas are medium-sized about 17 inches in length. The plumage is mostly greenish-grey with a grey crest. Like all couas, they have blue bare skin patches around the eyes. The chest is rufous-colored, the abdomen is white, and the long purplish-blue tail feathers have white tips. The eyes are brown. The bill and legs are black.

Their diet consists mainly of various insects, fruits, berries, seeds, small reptiles, snails and chameleons

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL 2016

Barbet (Black-spotted)

These barbets are usually found in pairs or small flocks. It has a range in a contiguous region that is centered on the Guiana Highlands and the northeast Amazon in South America. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. They are closely related to the toucans. 

The American barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. Most species are brightly colored. Most American barbet species inhabit lowland forest. Their diet is similar to African barbets: fruit and insects. Fruit is eaten whole and indigestible material such as seed pits regurgitated later. These birds do not migrate. They nest in tree holes dug by breeding pairs.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL  2016

Weaver (Reichenow's)

Baglafecht Weaver is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa; the subspecies, known as Reichenow’s Weaver, is found in the highlands of Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Weavers get their name from the elaborate woven nests they make.

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.



Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Turaco (White Checked)

Green with deep greenish-blue tail and wings, (crimson under wings). Patch of white in front of eye and side of neck. Red beak and eye ring. Blue-green crest. They grow to 17in from beak to tip of tail. Baby turacos have tiny claws on the ends of their wings that allow them to cling to twigs near the nest.

Watch as these beautiful birds hop and glide from branch to branch. It's only then that you can get a glimpse of the vivid red underside of their wings. Turacos are the only large family of birds totally restricted to the African continent.

This species feeds on a variety of fruits, including berries that are poisonous to humans.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Turaco (Lady Ross)

This is a medium-sized bird, with a long tail and broad, round wings. They have three toes on each foot that point forward, while the fourth toe can be rotated forward or backwards. Males and females differ in that females may have a greenish beak.

Both the male and female share time incubating their clutch and also feed the downy chicks by regurgitation. They keep the nest clean by eating the eggshells and the chick's droppings. The chicks will not develop the full adult coloration until about one year.

They are so abundant in Africa that they are considered a pest. Their feeding habits are very destructive, which annoys most gardeners. However, they aid in seed dispersal by messily eating fruit. They also eat berries that are considered highly poisonous to humans.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Turaco (Knysna)

The Knysna Turaco is found in South Africa and is a large resident breeder in the mature evergreen forests of south-eastern South Africa. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Green Turaco of West Africa.It feeds on fruit, insects and earthworms.


This is an unmistakable bird witha small thick orange-red bill and a white line under the eye. The Knysna Turaco is mainly green plumage with a tall green crest, which is tipped with white. The eye is brown with deep red eye-ring. Sexes are similar, but juvenile birds have a shorter crest without the white tips.

This species lays two eggs in a shallow platform nest made from sticks and placed in high in a tree or clump of creepers. When in flight, this Turaco shows conspicuous crimson primary flight feathers.



Photographed at Discovery Cove Aviary, Orlando, FL

Roller (Racquet-tailed)

The Racket-tailed roller is widespread in Africa, occupying an area from Tanzania to Angola, south to Zimbabwe Botswana and Mozambique.

It prefers mature undisturbed deciduous woodland. Its diet is little known, but it is thought to feed mainly on insects, hunting from low perches, swooping to catch prey once spotted.

It is probably a cooperative breeder, nesting in tree cavities about 6-7 m above ground, either natural or excavated by large woodpeckers. There is little more information about its breeding habits, as there have been no large studies done on this species.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Honey Creeper (Purple)

The Purple Honeycreeper is a small bird in the tanager family. It is found in the tropical New World from Colombia and south to Trinidad.

Though it is most frequently seen in the lowlands up to 3,300 ft or so, it has been encountered as high as 7,500 ft. 

Purple Honeycreeper is gregarious and lives in small groups, but it can be seen in mixed flocks with other honeycreepers.

It feeds on fruits, often hanging upside down in order to reach the seeds inside the open ripe fruits.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Go-Away-Bird (White-bellied)

This species averages 20 inches in length. Its long, pointed grey and black tail with a white median band is distinctive. A white wing patch is conspicuous in flight. The bill is black in male, pea-green in the female.

Their voice consists of one or two syllable barks with some longer wailing notes. Their call consists of a loud and nasal "gwaa." When they are calling, it is almost as if they are saying "go-wayeer" hence the name of the Go-Away bird.

Go-Away birds  are often seen single, or in pairs. When spotted they are usually perched on a tree branch noisily telling others to "go away." Their call is very helpful to prey animals because they will start calling loudly when a predator such as a leopard enters it's territory.
 
Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Parakeet (Sun Conure)

The Sun Parakeet occurs only in a relatively small region of north-eastern South America. The term conure readily identifies the bird as one of the species of small to medium sized parakeet or parrot with a long tail.

 

The Sun Parakeet is noted for its very loud squawking compared to its relatively small size. It is capable of mimicking humans, but not as well as some larger parrots. Sun conures are approximately 12 inches in length. They live as long as 15 years and are hardy and reliable breeders

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Parakeet (Rosella)

Rosella parakeets originate from all areas of Australia and are part of eight different species. They are hardy, elegant birds and have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years or more in captivity.

They are active and vocal parakeets, although they are not great talkers. When it comes to other birds of their own species or different types of parakeets, rosellas possess the natural instinct to react quite aggressive.

Rosella parakeets feed on green food, bugs, and berries in the wild.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Parakeet (Bourke's)

Wild type (natural coloured) Bourke's Parakeet displays a pink abdomen, pinkish breast & a blue rump. The legs are dark-brown and the bill is yellowish-brown. The adult male has a blue forehead while the adult female has a little or no blue on the forehead.

The Bourke's Parrot has a clutch of 3 to 6 eggs, which are incubated by the female for 18–19 days, with the chicks fledging at about 4 weeks of age. The female also feeds and tends to the chicks by herself. While the female is incubating the eggs, and feeding the chicks in the nest, she is fed by the male

The Bourke's Parakeets are endangered in their own homeland of Southwestern and Central Australia, but are popular in aviculture. The Bourke's parrot has recently been removed from the Neophema genus and placed in a genus of its own.

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL

Parrot (Grey Cockatiel)

The Grey Cockatiel is the most common kind of cockatiel. Grey is the natural color of cockatiels in the wild, though there are occasionally some naturally occurring color mutations. These cockatiels are sometimes referred to as the 'Normal Grey' Cockatiel or the Wild-Type" Cockatiel.

Cockatiels are probably the most popular of the parrot family with their main competition being the Budgerigar (referred to as the Parakeet in the United States). They make wonderful pet birds because they are are hardy, easily handle changes in their home, and are easy to breed. On top of that, keeping a cockatiel as a pet is easy because they are not noisy parrots and they are comfortable when left alone for long periods of time.

photographed at Discovery Cove Aviary, Orlando, FL

Honeyeater (blue faced)

Found in open woodland, parks, and gardens, the Blue-faced Honeyeater is common in northern and eastern Australia and southern New Guinea.

This Honeyeater is a large black, white and golden olive-green honeyeater with a two-toned blue facial patch, with the lower half a brilliant cobalt blue. Juveniles, similar to adults have yellow-green facial skin.

This honeyeater is noisy and outgoing, and is usually seen in pairs or small flocks. It is known as the Banana-bird in tropical areas, for its habit of feeding on banana fruit and flowers.

Its diet is mostly composed of invertebrates, supplemented with nectar and fruit. They often take over and renovate old Babbler nests, in which the female lays and incubates two or rarely three eggs.

 
Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL