221 Exotic Birds Encyclopedia

The Pygoscelis papua (scientific name) or gentoo penguin is found only in the Antarctic Peninsula, and the islands surrounding the Antarctic. 30 inches in height, the gentoo penguin has an orange bills, black colouring on the back and white colouring in the front. A unique identifying feature is the white strip, which resembles a bonnet, […]

The Microhierax fringillarius (scientific name) or black-legged falconet is found in the forested areas of South-East Asia, specifically Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. 5.0-5.6 inches in length, it resembles a sparrow. The upperparts are darker blackish plumage, while the forehead is streaked white and the throat and underparts are a light buff

The Mellisuga Helenae (scientific name) or bee hummingbird is found only in the forests which are on the main island of Cuba. Only 2.0-2.4 inches in length, this bird is the smallest living bird in the world. The male bee hummingbird has very colourful plumage. The head and throat have red-pink feathers, which are elongated

The Loxia curvirostra (scientific name) or red/common crossbill is usually found across the Northern Hemisphere, in areas like the Scottish Highlands, North Norfolk coast, forest of Dean, new forest, Breckland and even Northern Asia, which have conifer trees. 5.0-6.6 inches in length, the male is usually reddish-brown with black colouring while the female is green

The Lybius dubius (scientific name) or bearded barbet is commonly found in the tropical parts of West Africa. 10 inches in length, this bird has a short neck, large head and plump body. The head, back, upper chest and wing are all glossy black. The area below the eyes, chin, throat and belly are all

The Crax globulosa (scientific name) or wattled curassow is found only in the rainforest regions of Western Amazon basin, South America. 32-35 inches in length, this bird has overall black plumage, except for the area between the tail and legs, which is white (buff coloured in case of females). The feathers on its head are

The Pelecanus erythrorhynchos (scientific name) or American white pelican is a migratory aquatic bird, which breeds in North America, but migrates South to Central and South America in winters. 50-70 inches in length, this bird has pure silver-white plumage overall, excepting the lower wing feathers, which are grey-black and visible in flight. The beak, bare

The Sula Leucogaster (scientific name) or brown booby is a sea bird which spends winters at sea and breeds on the islands and coasts in the area of the Atlantic and Pacific Islands. 30 inches in length, this bird has blackish-brown plumage on the head, neck, throat, chest, wings and tail. The belly and underparts

The Ensifera ensifera (scientific name) or sword-billed hummingbird is found in areas which are 2500 metre above the sea level, in South America, specifically Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. While its average body-length is 5.5 inches, its bill is generally longer than its body. The head and wings are black-grey, while the upperparts are

The Rynchops niger (scientific name) or black skimmer is endemic to the Americas, breeding in North and South America. 16-20 inches in length, this bird has a black crown, nape and upper body. The forehead and lower parts are white. The wings are black with white tips and the tail and rump are grey. The

The Ramphastos toco (scientific name) or toco toucan is found in open areas throughout Central and eastern South America.6-9 inches in length, this bird is extremely popular in zoos. The overall plumage including the head, upper and under parts is all black, excepting a white bib-like shape below the beak till the throat and white

The Coua cristata (scientific name) or crested coua is found only in the forests, savannahs and brushlands of Madagascar. 17 inches in length, the crested coua has a white belly and underparts, with a rufous-coloured breast. The head, neck and throat are grey-blue in colour, while the upper body plumage and wings are darker blue-grey

The Branta canadensis (scientific name) or Canada goose is endemic to the arctic and temperate areas of North America. Migratory in nature, it has been known to migrate to Northern Europe. 30-43 inches in length, this bird has a black head and neck, and a black long slender neck, which are separated by a white

The Buceros rhinoceros (scientific name) or rhinoceros hornbill is found in the rainforests of Indonesia and Southern Thailand. 36-48 inches in length, this bird’s overall plumage is dark soot-black, with the exception of the tail feathers which are white, with black barring. The bill is thick and mostly white in colour. However, what makes it

The Mutant ‘feather-duster’ budgie is a common pet parakeet which has a cosmopolitan distribution. The mutant budgie is not a species but a mutation of the budgerigar. First seen in 1966, there have been many more reports of such mutations. The mutant budgie is characterized with feathers that begin to curl since they never stop