Birds of the World

Common white and black ibis. Adult has bare black head, while juvenile has feathered head. Originally associated with wetlands and marshes (fresh and salt), it is now often seen in urban areas and has developed a reputation as the "Bin Chicken" due to its habit of scavenging food.

Identification
63–76 cm; 1400–2500 g, female lighter; wingspan 110–125 cm. Male generally larger, with longer bill, as in most ibises. Narrow pinkish transversal nuchal tracts . Bill thinner and legs less intensely black than congeners; in breeding plumage easily separated from T. aethiopicus by extensive feathering up neck , with ornamental plumes on foreneck; black tips to primaries only . Non breeding adult has tertials dull grey, less lacy, and lacks neck plumes; bare skin of underwing pink instead of red. Immature totally feathered on head and neck , variably dark; tertials greyish brown, not lacy. Race pygmaeus significantly smaller.

Habitat
Inland wetlands , especially shallow swamps with abundant vegetation , and floodplains; sheltered marine habitats, especially tidal mudflats, mangrove swamps, salt pans and coastal lagoons; also grasslands, cultivation, open areas and recently burnt land, often far from wetlands.

Movement
Most adults sedentary, although throughout range some irregular, nomadic movements occur, sometimes over long distances, and usually related to availability of water. Population of SW Australia partially migratory, apparently moving N in winter, returning S in summer. Young birds disperse widely.

Breeding
Season very variable according to prevailing water conditions. Usually forms colonies of up to 20,000 pairs, sometimes with other Ciconiiformes; occasionally in single pairs. Nest is compact cup of sticks and twigs, lined with leaves and other soft materials; where breeds in swamps, nest built of reeds. 1–4 eggs , with clutches of 5–6 eggs recorded, but possibly laid by 2 females; incubation 20–23 days; chicks have blackish brown down on head and neck, white on body; leave nest at 30–48 days. Success varies annually: in study of 2025 breeding attempts, 51% failed; 1·73 young fledged per successful nest.

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/ausibi1/cur/introduction

Australian Magpie (Western Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis

Distribution
SW Western Australia (E almost to Eucla, S of Great Victoria Desert).

Identification
37–43 cm; c. 210–360 g (races combined), 212–325 g (terraereginae), 265–360 g (dorsalis), c. 300 g (nominate). Large black-and-white cracticid with long, heavy bill slightly hooked at tip, tail relatively short and square-ended, thighs feathered, long legs with large strong feet; wings long, broad at base, with pointed tip.

Habitat
Open habitats with low ground cover such as grasses. Originally inhabited open eucalypt (Eucalyptus) woodlands, now found also in farmland and urban areas that provide open areas of grassland with mature trees nearby. Occurs in remnant vegetation patches, homestead trees, shelter-belts and windbreaks, along roads and rivers, also on edges of forest or woodland adjacent to farmland; in urban areas common in large parks, vegetation reserves and older suburbs with large gardens, lawns and well-grown trees.

Movement
Primarily sedentary. Non-breeding flocks formed by some races are more mobile within local areas, roosting several kilometres from feeding locations. Occasional long-distance movements of ringed individuals recorded, but no indication that such movement is frequent.

Diet and Foraging
Invertebrates , especially terrestrial insects; also small vertebrates, including frogs, lizards, small birds and small mammals. Will eat carrion if available, or take insects present on a carcass. Forages in groups, members of which spread out over quite a large area, rather than feeding close together. Feeds mainly on ground

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/ausmag2/cur/introduction?login
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_magpie

Small upright duck. Male is gray with a brown head, while the female is more heavily marked with pale marks on face. Nests in tree-hollows and can be quite noisy when perched up in the branches. Often abundant in urban parklands and grassy areas.

Identification
44–56 cm; male 700–955 g (1), female 662–984 g; wingspan 78–80 cm. Structure reminiscent of small Chloephaga, with plump body, relatively long legs, stubby bill and conspicuous black-and-white-spotted breast. Male has warm brown head and neck, with black, mane-like crest that can be expanded in display, largely grey body that is vermiculated on flanks, and charcoal black back to tail, as well as belly and vent; bill dark grey, legs and feet grey-brown, and eyes dark brown. Female is less obviously patterned, having paler head , but obvious white supercilium and stripe below eye, spotted breast and brown-barred underparts, white white belly to undertail-coverts; in flight both sexes show grey forewing with broad white patch on innerwing and dark green speculum. Juvenile resembles female, but paler and has breast distinctly streaked, rather than spotted.

Habitat
Favours freshwater marshes, waste stabilization ponds (2) and farm dams with abundant grazing, often surrounded by open deciduous forest and swampy open woods; generally inland , moving up rivers; also on saline wetlands early in their drying cycle (3). Particularly common in croplands and stock-grazed areas, but commonly seen at ponds in urban areas (1)

Movement
Mostly sedentary, perhaps occupying same waterbody throughout life but also somewhat dispersive, with concentrations mainly found in far SW Australia and throughout wetter parts of E Australia (1); can be found almost anywhere with suitable habitat in Australia and Tasmania, but is largely absent from arid zone running from NW of continent to Australian Bight (1).

Breeding
Starts mainly Jul (1)/Aug, but season variable and can occur year-round, depending on rainfall. Monogamous with long-term pair-bonds (1). In single pairs, which prospect for suitable site together (1); nests in tree hollows or nestboxes, adding much pale grey down (1). Clutch 8–11 creamy white or cream-coloured eggs, up to 18 recorded, probably due to dump laying, with eggs laid at 1–2-day intervals, size 53–62 mm × 40–45 mm, mass (in captivity) 45–62 g (1); incubation c. 28–34 days by female alone guarded by male (1); chicks have grey-brown to dark brown down above , whitish buff below, with two dark stripes on face and weigh c. 38 g on hatching (in captivity) (1); capable of grazing at 2–3 days old (1), fledging 57 days, being cared for by both parents until this time in brood-rearing territory (often within 400 m of nest-site) (8), thereafter gathering into larger flocks (1).

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/manduc1/cur/introduction?login

Ghostly pale and strictly nocturnal, Barn Owls are silent predators of the night world. Lanky, with a whitish face, chest, and belly, and buffy upperparts, this owl roosts in hidden, quiet places during the day. By night, they hunt on buoyant wingbeats in open fields and meadows. You can find them by listening for their eerie, raspy calls, quite unlike the hoots of other owls. Despite a worldwide distribution, Barn Owls are declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss.

Size & Shape: These medium-sized owls have long, rounded wings and short tails, which combine with a buoyant, loping flight to give them a distinctive flight style. The legs are long and the head is smoothly rounded, without ear tufts.

Color Pattern: Barn Owls are pale overall with dark eyes. They have a mix of buff and gray on the head, back, and upperwings, and are white on the face, body, and underwings. When seen at night they can appear all white.

Behavior: Barn Owls nest and roost in cavities, abandoned barns and other buildings, and dense trees. At night, Barn Owls hunt by flying low, back and forth over open habitats, searching for small rodents primarily by sound.

Habitat; Barn Owls require large areas of open land over which to hunt. This can either be marsh, grasslands, or mixed agricultural fields. For nesting and roosting, they prefer quiet cavities, either in trees or man-made structures such as barns or silos.

Cool Facts

• Barn Owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. About twice a day, they cough up pellets instead of passing all that material through their digestive tracts. The pellets make a great record of what the owls have eaten, and scientists study them to learn more about the owls and the ecosystems they live in.
• Up to 46 different races of the Barn Owl have been described worldwide. The North American form is the largest, weighing more than twice as much as the smallest race from the Galapagos Islands.
• Barn Owl females are somewhat showier than males. She has a more reddish and more heavily spotted chest. The spots may indicate the quality of the female. Heavily spotted females get fewer parasitic flies and may be more resistant to parasites and diseases. The spots may also stimulate the male to help more at the nest. In an experiment where some females’ spots were removed, their mates fed their nestlings less often than for females whose spots were left alone.
• The Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by sight. But its ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested. It can catch mice in complete darkness in the lab, or hidden by vegetation or snow out in the real world.
• The oldest known North American Barn Owl lived in Ohio and was at least 15 years, 5 months old.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl/id

Colorful rosella with blue cheek patches and highly variable plumage, occuring in crimson, yellow, and orange forms. Note diagnostic blue cheek regardless of form (the Green Rosella of Tasmania also has blue cheeks but the two species’ ranges do not normally overlap). Juvenile much greener than adult, attaining a blotched mixed plumage as they transition to adult. Found in a wide range of habitats in southeastern Australia. In many locations it is accustomed to humans and can be quite tame. Contact call is a familiar two-toned whistle.

Identification
30–37 cm; 99–170 g (nominate), 75–140 g (flaveolus), 107–160 g (adelaidae); wingspan 44–53 cm (1). Plumage predominantly red; bill whitish; dark red frontal band through eye, with broad grey-blue lower cheek; feathers of mantle , back and scapulars black edged red, giving scaled effect; lesser wing-coverts black , median and outer secondary coverts and outer secondaries pale grey-blue, flight-feathers blackish; tail above deep blue, lateral feathers tipped white, below pale grey-blue.

Habitat
Coastal and adjacent mountain forests and clearings from sea-level to alpine woodlands at 1900 m (but is mainly found at 600–1500 m in N of range) (5), also penetrating outer suburbs of cities ; most numerous in wet forests and wet woodlands, where annual rainfall exceeds 500 mm.

Movement
Nomadic movements reported in winter at edges of range, but generally sedentary (of 1741 ringed, 146 recoveries, of which only six were away from ringing site) (1). However, some movements observed, with presence or changes in numbers in some areas appear seasonal, though movements may only be local.

Breeding
Season Aug–Feb or later (Aug–Jan in race flaveolus, Sept–Dec in race adelaidae). Monogamous and territorial, with pair-bonds surviving several years and possibly life-long (1). Nest in hollow limb or trunk of tree (site selected and prepared by female), usually a live or dead eucalypt (also Acmena smithii), lined with dead wood chips (5) and up to 23 m above ground (sometimes < 1 m from it), with minimum spacing between nests of c. 30–40 m

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/criros2/cur/introduction?login
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimson_rosella

Dark waterhen with white edges to the under tail. Bill and forehead shield are primarily red with a yellow tip. Juvenile and non-breeding adult may be confused with other species due to their less colorful bills, which may appear primarily dark. Occurs in a wide variety of wetland habitats and is a common sight in urban parks. Typically fairly vocal, produces a wide array of shrieking sounds.

Identification
35–40 cm (New Guinea birds 25–32 cm); nominate 336–720 (525) g, neumanni 290–370 (333) g; wingspan 55–65 cm. Darker and more uniform in plumage than Eurasian G. c. chloropus, but differs from marginally sympatric G. c. orientalis only in absence of prominent white line along top of flanks, only infrequently showing narrow or broken line; orange to red legs and feet with dark soles and joints. Separated from other sympatric congeners by dark plumage , white outer rectrices and lateral undertail-coverts, and bare part colours. Sexes similar.

Habitat
Inhabits permanent or ephemeral wetlands, usually freshwater but sometimes brackish or saline: swamps, creeks, rivers, lagoons and estuaries. Also occupies artificial wetlands such as reservoirs, farm dams, and ornamental ponds and lakes in parks and gardens. Requires open water, which usually has fringing cover such as reeds, rushes and grass, and often has floating , emergent or aquatic vegetation; however, waters choked with water hyacinth (Eichhornia) are avoided.

Movement
In Australia sedentary, nomadic or dispersive, possibly partly migratory. Apparently occurs seasonally in some areas, and also shows seasonal fluctuations in numbers, but atlas reporting rates do not suggest large-scale seasonal pattern of movement. Appears at intermittent inland waters and isolated wetlands, and immatures disperse either in autumn or after wintering in flocks.

Breeding
Sulawesi, possibly Apr, downy young Mar; Seram, juvenile, May; New Guinea, small young May–Jun; Australia, Aug–Mar. Territorial when breeding. Simultaneously promiscuous, forming breeding groups of 2–7 apparently unrelated birds; individuals sometimes switch groups between seasons. Within group, all males copulate with all females. All group members defend territory, build nests , incubate , and care for young ; older siblings sometimes help to care for young. Nest usually built up to 180 cm above water (occasionally on ground) in grass tussocks, reeds (especially Typha, Phragmites), rushes, bushes or trees; also on water-lilies, floating in clear water, and in stumps or hollow logs; recorded building inside metal drum and wire netting.

Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Turdidae

Adult male distinctive: glossy black overall with bright yellow bill and eyering. Female dark brown overall; slightly paler throat and breast often have faint darker spots and streaks. Juvenile in summer brown overall with pale spots on back, spotted breast; first-year male duller black than adult, with duller yellowish bill. Can be found in wooded habitats, parks, gardens, and farmland with hedges; often feeds in fields and on lawns. Rich caroling song often heard in urban and suburban neighborhoods with trees and hedges. A native of Eurasia and North Africa, introduced to southeastern Australia, New Zealand, and a few surrounding islands.

Field Identification
24–27 cm; mainly 85–105 g. Male nominate race is entirely black, with yellow or orange-yellow bill and eyering, blackish legs. Female is dull dark (slightly rufous) brown , paler and vaguely brown-mottled below, with buff-brown submoustachial stripe and throat divided by indistinct malar; bill brownish with some dull yellow basally. Juvenile is dark brown with extensive buff streaking above , double buff-spotted wingbars , buff with extensive dark mottling and streaking below ; first-summer male differs from adult in dusky bill and eyering, browner wings. Races differ mainly in size and in tone of plumage, especially of female: azorensis is smallest, short-winged, female blackish-brown with dark-streaked greyish throat, yellow bill; cabrerae is small, female blackish-brown with limited grey throat, yellow bill; mauritanicus is small, male glossier, female darker with yellow bill; aterrimus is slightly smaller and smaller-billed, male dull black, female paler above and greyer below; syriacusphoto male is more slaty-toned, female greyer; intermedius is large, with largest bill, male sooty black, female blackish-brown.

Habitat
Very broad range, from remote mountainous areas to busy city centres. Main and original habitat relatively open broadleaf, coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests (forest presumed original habitat, although high densities in suburban gardens strongly suggest that species adapted to woodland-edge areas, where greatest abundance of berries and variety of terrestrial foraging micro-habitats exist); also tree plantations, orchards including guava, mango, citrus and olive groves, oases, farmland, gardens and parks, commonly in open grassy areas so long as vegetation cover within short distance.

Movement
Sedentary, partially migratory and fully migratory, depending mainly on latitude. In N Europe , nominate race partly migratory, leaving breeding grounds late Sept, main passage Oct and early Nov (similar dates for birds on same latitudes in Russia), estimated minimum migrant fractions 16% (Denmark), 61% (Norway), 76% (Sweden) and 89% (Finland), with respectively 47%, 75%, 40% and 25% of migrants from these countries moving to Britain and Ireland (others in more S direction to Netherlands, Belgium, NW France); most such migrants female, and probably many young.

Diet and Foraging
Invertebrates, mainly earthworms and insects and their larvae , also fruits and seeds and, occasionally, small vertebrates; highly flexible and adaptive, but cannot survive exclusively on fruit for very long.

Breeding
Mid-Mar to early Sept in Europe, usually from end Apr in both Finland and former Czechoslovakia; Mar–Jun in Canary Is, Mar–Jul in most of N Africa, but Apr–Sept in Tunisia; end Feb to end Jul in Israel; Apr–Jul in Afghanistan; Aug–Feb in Australia (introduced); up to three broods per year. Monogamous pair-bond, but divorce rate in one study 19% between seasons and 5% within season; divorce observed in 32% of 183 cases where birds survived from previous season, and most frequent in low-quality nesting habitat. Solitary, but nests sometimes as close as 10 m where population density very high; territorial.

Conservation Status (Least Concern)
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally common to abundant.

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/eurbla/cur/introduction?login

The Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), also known as coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia and parts of Africa. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian coot

The coot breeds across much of the Old World on freshwater lakes and ponds. It occurs and breeds in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The species has recently expanded its range into New Zealand. It is resident in the milder parts of its range, but migrates further south and west from much of Asia in winter as the waters freeze

The Eurasian coot is 32–42 cm (13–17 in) long and weighs 585–1,100 g (1.290–2.425 lb), and is largely black except for the white frontal shield (which gave rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot", which the Oxford English Dictionary cites in use as early as 1430).[3] As a swimming species, the coot has partial webbing on its long strong toes.

The juvenile is paler than the adult, has a whitish breast, and lacks the facial shield; the adult black plumage develops when about 3–4 months old, but the white shield is only fully developed at about one year old.

This is a noisy bird with a wide repertoire of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, often given at night.

The Eurasian coot is much less secretive than most of the rail family, and can be seen swimming on open water or walking across waterside grasslands. It is an aggressive species, and strongly territorial during the breeding season, and both parents are involved in territorial defence.[4] During the non-breeding season they may form large flocks, possibly related to predator avoidance.[5]

It is reluctant to fly and when taking off runs across the water surface with much splashing. They do the same, but without actually flying, when travelling a short distance at speed in territorial disputes. As with many rails, its weak flight does not inspire confidence, but on migration, usually at night, it can cover surprisingly large distances. It bobs its head as it swims, and makes short dives from a little jump.

The coot is an omnivore, and will take a variety of small live prey including the eggs of other water birds, as well as algae, vegetation, seeds and fruit.[7] It shows considerable variation in its feeding techniques, grazing on land or in the water. In the water it may upend in the fashion of a mallard or dive in search of food.

Sourced:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_coot

Medium-sized ambush-hunter with a long gray bill with a dark, hooked tip. Black head and face with a white nape and throat. Upperparts dark gray, with white rump, mostly black wings (limited white), and black tail with narrow white tip. Rollicking, chuckling song.

Identification
27–30 cm; 68–99 g, 112 g (male cinereus). Medium-sized butcherbird having strong bill with sharp terminal hook. Male nominate race has top and sides of head black, sharply separated from bright white chin and throat, broad white half-collar on each side from throat towards middle of hindneck (the two sides not meeting), conspicuous white spot on lores; upperparts dark grey with some streaking and mottling, narrow white band across rump (prominent in flight); uppertail black with narrow white tip (usually abraded); upperwing mostly black, narrow white stripe through innermost secondaries, white patch in secondary-coverts (visible in flight); underparts off-white, grey shading over breast, flanks and belly; underwing whitish, merging into brown on flight-feathers, undertail black or silver-grey with broader white tip; iris dark brown; bill pale blue-grey at base, sharp transition to black distal third to half; legs dark grey.

Habitat
Range of open habitats, mainly eucalypt (Eucalyptus) open forests and woodlands, including mallee woodlands and Acacia shrublands and woodlands, preferring open ground layer of grass or scattered shrubs; also on farms, in rural towns and in parts of larger cities with well-grown trees in parks and gardens.

Movement
Sedentary. Many anecdotal reports of seasonal movements probably refer to post-breeding dispersal of immatures, but no detailed studies.

Breeding
Laying generally from early Aug to Jan (mostly Sept–Oct), but breeding recorded in all months, probably in response to rain in arid and semi-arid areas. Nests usually in simple pairs, sometimes with a helper, usually immature from previous year. Territorial; present in territory all year. Nest built by both sexes (reportedly lined only by female), a shallow, open untidy bowl c. 20 cm in diameter, external depth c. 10 cm, constructed mostly with thin twigs, neat internal cup c. 5 cm deep and lined with grass, rootlets, hair and other fine pliable materials, usually placed 2–12 m (mostly c. 5–6 m) above ground in horizontal or vertical fork in tree, usually living, most in eucalypt, some in Acacia, Banksia, cypress-pine (Callitris) or other native or introduced tree, often sapling used.

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/grybut1/cur/introduction

The guinea fowl is a large wild bird that is natively found inhabiting a variety of habitats across the African continent. Today, the guinea fowl has been introduced to various countries around the world as it is farmed by humans.

The guinea fowl is a ground-nesting bird and spends much of its time scratching around on the ground in search for something to eat. The guinea fowl often has long, dark coloured feathers and a bald neck and head which makes the guinea fowl a very distinctive bird.

The guinea fowl is a fairly resilient and highly adaptable bird and the guinea fowl is therefore found naturally in range of habitats. Wild guinea fowl can be found inhabiting jungles, forests, shrublands, grasslands and even areas of desert, depending on the abundance of food.

In their native Africa, guinea fowl have been used as domestic animals for hundreds of years as the large size of the guinea fowl means that just one bird can provide a great deal of food. Today, guinea fowl are farmed around the world for their meat, eggs and feathers.

The guinea fowl is an omnivorous bird and therefore has a diet that consists of both plants and other animals. Guinea fowl primarily feed on worms and insects on the ground, along with seeds, berries and small mammals and reptiles.

The guinea fowl has numerous predators wherever it happens to be. Mammals including wildcats, dogs, wolves and humans and large reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles. are the most common predators of the guinea fowl.

The female guinea fowl builds a nest out of twigs and leaves on the ground, often somewhere where it is more sheltered. The female guinea fowl lays between 8 and 15 small eggs which hatch after an incubation period of around a month. The guinea fowl chicks, known as keets, remain with their mother until they are big enough to fend for themselves.

http://a-z-animals.com/animals/guinea-fowl/
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?m=2&id=308

Small snow-white heron with slender dark bill, blackish legs, and yellowish feet ("golden slippers"). Breeding adult has 2 long wispy head plumes and a spray of white plumes ("aigrettes") on the lower back. Inhabits a wide variety of wetlands: lakes, rivers, marshes, estuaries—almost anywhere with small fish. Occurs as singles or small loose groups; nests and roosts communally. Distinctive within its range, but compare with larger Great and Intermediate Egrets, stockier Cattle Egret, and white morph reef herons.

Classification
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Egretta
Species: E. garzetta

Description
The adult little egret is 55–65 cm (22–26 in) long with an 88–106 cm (35–42 in) wingspan, and weighs 350–550 g (12–19 oz). Its plumage is normally entirely white, although there are dark forms with largely bluish-grey plumage.[8] In the breeding season, the adult has two long plumes on the nape that form a crest. These plumes are about 150 mm (6 in) and are pointed and very narrow. There are similar feathers on the breast, but the barbs are more widely spread. There are also several elongated scapular feathers that have long loose barbs and may be 200 mm (8 in) long. During the winter the plumage is similar but the scapulars are shorter and more normal in appearance. The bill is long and slender and it and the lores are black. There is an area of greenish-grey bare skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye which has a yellow iris. The legs are black and the feet yellow. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet,[9] and may have a certain proportion of greyish or brownish feathers. The subspecies nigripes differs in having yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet. During the height of courtship, the lores turn red and the feet of the yellow-footed races turn red.

Behaviour
Little egrets are sociable birds and are often seen in small flocks. Nevertheless, individual birds do not tolerate others coming too close to their chosen feeding site, though this depends on the abundance of prey.

Food & Feeding
They use a variety of methods to procure their food; they stalk their prey in shallow water, often running with raised wings or shuffling their feet to disturb small fish, or may stand still and wait to ambush prey. They make use of opportunities provided by cormorants disturbing fish or humans attracting fish by throwing bread into water. On land they walk or run while chasing their prey, feed on creatures disturbed by grazing livestock and ticks on the livestock, and even scavenge. Their diet is mainly fish, but amphibians, small reptiles, mammals and birds are also eaten, as well as crustaceans, molluscs, insects, spiders and worms.[8]

https://ebird.org/species/litegr
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_egret

If someone at a park is feeding bread to ducks, chances are there are Mallards in the fray. Perhaps the most familiar of all ducks, Mallards occur throughout North America and Eurasia in ponds and parks as well as wilder wetlands and estuaries. The male’s gleaming green head, gray flanks, and black tail-curl arguably make it the most easily identified duck. Mallards have long been hunted for the table, and almost all domestic ducks come from this species.

Size & Shape
Mallards are large ducks with hefty bodies, rounded heads, and wide, flat bills. Like many “dabbling ducks” the body is long and the tail rides high out of the water, giving a blunt shape. In flight their wings are broad and set back toward the rear.
Color Pattern
Male Mallards have a dark, iridescent-green head and bright yellow bill. The gray body is sandwiched between a brown breast and black rear. Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange-and-brown bills. Both sexes have a white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch in the wing.
Behavior
Mallards are “dabbling ducks”—they feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. They almost never dive. They can be very tame ducks especially in city ponds, and often group together with other Mallards and other species of dabbling ducks.
Habitat
Mallards can live in almost any wetland habitat, natural or artificial. Look for them on lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, and coastal habitats, as well as city and suburban parks and residential backyards

Cool Facts

• The Mallard is the ancestor of nearly all domestic duck breeds (everything except the Muscovy Duck). Domestic ducks can be common in city ponds and can be confusing to identify—they may lack the white neck ring, show white on the chest, be all dark, or show oddly shaped crests on the head.
• The widespread Mallard has given rise to a number of populations around the world that have changed enough that they could be considered separate species. The "Mexican Duck" of central Mexico and the extreme southwestern United States and the Hawaiian Duck both are closely related to the Mallard, and in both forms the male is dull like the female. The Mexican Duck currently is considered a subspecies of the Mallard, while the Hawaiian Duck is still given full species status.
• Mallard pairs are generally monogamous, but paired males pursue females other than their mates. So-called “extra-pair copulations” are common among birds and in many species are consensual, but male Mallards often force these copulations, with several males chasing a single female and then mating with her.
• Mallard pairs form long before the spring breeding season. Pairing takes place in the fall, but courtship can be seen all winter. Only the female incubates the eggs and takes care of the ducklings.
• Ducks are strong fliers; migrating flocks of Mallards have been estimated traveling at 55 miles per hour.
• The standard duck’s quack is the sound of a female Mallard. Males don’t quack; they make a quieter, rasping sound.
• Mallards, like other ducks, shed all their flight feathers at the end of the breeding season and are flightless for 3–4 weeks. They are secretive during this vulnerable time, and their body feathers molt into a concealing “eclipse” plumage that can make them hard to identify.
• Many species of waterfowl form hybrids, and Mallards are particularly known for this, hybridizing with American Black Duck, Mottled Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal, and Canvasback, as well as Hawaiian Ducks, the Grey Duck of New Zealand, and the Pacific Black Duck of Australia.
• The oldest known Mallard lived to be at least 27 years 7 months old.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mallard/id

Noisy lapwing with a large yellow wattle across forehead and hanging over the bill. Two subspecies: southern “Black-shouldered” subspecies has a black shoulder band (not meeting in middle as on Banded Lapwing) and a larger black cap. Northern subspecies lacks black shoulder band and has a larger yellow wattle. Only “Black-shouldered” subspecies occurs in New Zealand. Abundant in most open country, being a common feature of urban parks, sporting fields, paddocks, riverbeds, wetlands, and coastal habitats.

Identification
30–37 cm; 296–412 g; wingspan 75–85 cm. Large lapwing. Crown and nape black continuing over central hindneck to join narrow black collar extending around lower hindneck and onto sides of breast; rest of feathered parts of head and neck white. Mantle , back , scapulars, tertials, inner wing-coverts and alula pale grey-brown, with silver-grey wingbar on greater wing-coverts; outerwing and secondaries black. Rump , longest uppertail-coverts and base of tail white, rest of tail mostly black with thin white tip. Underparts mostly white. Bill yellow, paler at tip (sometimes greenish); wattles bright yellow, covering only forehead and reaching only to eye; iris yellow with bright yellow orbital ring; legs and feet dull red, grey on front of tarsi in some; and wing-spur long and sharp, yellow, with blackish tip. Sexes alike (though male averages larger) and no seasonal variation.

Habitat
Wide range of natural and modified open habitats, usually near water, including short-grass areas especially around shallow, fresh or saline terrestrial wetlands, permanent or temporary swamps, marshes, billabongs, lakes, reservoirs, farm dams, saltmarshes, billabongs, lagoons, waterlogged fields and occasionally riverbeds, or even open woodland at high altitudes. Also sheltered coastal areas. Recorded to at least 1800 m.

Migration Overview
Resident and dispersive, responding to new food sources in recently constructed and temporary wetlands, leaving as soon as they dry out. An altitudinal migrant in some regions, e.g. Snow Mts of SE New South Wales, where visits alpine and subalpine regions (above 1500 m) only in summer.

Diet and Foraging
Diet includes molluscs, worms , millepedes, centipedes, insects, crustaceans, and occasionally seeds, leaves and frogs. Walk or run, then lunge and stab at prey; also employs foot-trembling; foraging rate higher in adults than young, with juveniles reliant on earthworms brought to surface by rainfall. Usually forages in short grass , sometimes in gravel and mud. Possibly also feeds at night.

A native of northern and central Eurasia, the Mute Swan was introduced into North America to grace the ponds of parks and estates. Escaped individuals have established breeding populations in several areas, where their aggressive behavior threatens native waterfowl.

Size & Shape
Mute Swans are very large waterfowl. They have heavy bodies, short legs, and a long, slender neck habitually held in a graceful S. The large, flat bill has a bulging knob at the base.
Color Pattern
Mute Swans are entirely white with a bill that is orange with a black base. Young swans (cygnets) may be dusky brown-gray all over, with a gray-black bill.
Behavior
Mute Swans spend most of their time floating on the water. They feed by grazing on underwater vegetation in shallow water, tipping up their bodies if necessary. These aggressive birds often hold their wings half-raised in a display as they swim toward an intruder.
Habitat
Look for Mute Swans in city-park ponds, as well as rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

Cool Facts

• All of the Mute Swans in North America descended from swans imported from Europe from the mid 1800s through early 1900s to adorn large estates, city parks, and zoos. Escapees established breeding populations and are now established in the Northeast, Midatlantic, Great Lakes, and Pacific Northwest of the U.S.
• Mute Swans form long-lasting pair bonds. Their reputation for monogamy along with their elegant white plumage has helped establish them as a symbol of love in many cultures.
• The Mute Swan is reported to mate for life. However, changing of mates does occur infrequently, and swans will remate if their partner dies. If a male loses his mate and pairs with a young female, she joins him on his territory. If he mates with an older female, they go to hers. If a female loses her mate, she remates quickly and usually chooses a younger male.
• The black knob at the base of the male Mute Swan's bill swells during the breeding season and becomes noticeably larger than the female's. The rest of the year the difference between the sexes is not obvious.
• Downy young Mute Swans (called cygnets) come in two color morphs: a gray form and a white form. The gray (or "Royal") chicks start off with gray down and grow in gray-brown and white feathers, giving them a mottled look. White (or "Polish") chicks have all white down and juvenal feathers. Adults of the white morph may have pink or gray legs and feet instead of black, but otherwise the adults look alike.
• Mute Swans have enormous appetites. A Maryland study found they ate up to 8 pounds a day of submerged aquatic vegetation, removing food and habitat for other species faster than the grasses could recover.
• Give plenty of space to nesting Mute Swans. They can be extremely aggressive and frequently attack canoeists, kayakers, and pedestrians who wander too close to a nest or chicks.
• Hans Christian Andersen’s fairly tale The Ugly Duckling chronicles the woes and triumphs of a young, Mute Swan that hatches in a clutch of duck eggs but goes on to become a beautiful swan. Some speculate that the book was based on Andersen’s own less-than-handsome looks as a youngster.
• Mute Swans can adapt to degraded habitat and actually benefit from the spread of the invasive common reed Phragmites australis, which flourishes in disturbed sites. As the reeds spread into lakes and ponds, the swans can build nests farther offshore in the reed beds, where they’re safer from egg predators.
• Based on banding records, the oldest known Mute Swan in North America was a male and at least 26 years, 9 months old when he was found in Rhode Island, the same state where he had been banded.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mute_Swan/id

Familiar, large lorikeet. Very colorful, with a bright red breast, blue/black belly and head, as well as a red bill. Very conspicuous, often observed calling loudly while flying overhead or feeding. Note the much longer tail than Scaly-breasted Lorikeet. No range overlap with Red-collared Lorikeet, which has an orange breast and neck. Found in a wide range of habitats, including urban areas. In the evening and early morning can be seen roosting in very large, noisy flocks.

Identification
25–30 cm; 70–169 g; wingspan 46 cm (1). Bill orange to red; head blue to deep brown lightly flecked pale violet; nuchal collar yellow ; rest of upperparts and tail green, latter dusky yellow below; nominate has breast barring variable from slight to non-existent; belly dark green; thighs and undertail-coverts yellow barred dark green; underwing-coverts orange with broad yellow underwing bar. Sexes alike. Immature duller, bill brownish. Superficially resembles T. rubritorquis , but lacks orange-red hindcollar .

Habitat
Most types of lowland and lower montane wooded country, including primary rain forest, secondary growth, scrubby monsoon forest, savanna, riparian woodland, mallee, coconut and other plantations, gardens and suburban areas; tends to favour edges and disturbed vegetation rather than interior of closed-canopy formations.

Movement
Considered to be nomadic, presence or absence, or at least quantities, being governed by flowering events; this is particularly pronounced in S of range. Daily movements to offshore islands to and from feeding/roosting areas occur.

Breeding
Season Aug–Jan in SE Australia, may be almost year-round in Queensland. Monogamous. Nest in deep unlined hole in limb or trunk of large tree, e.g. Melaleuca and Angophora, and in suburban Perth, in cotton palm (Washingtonia fillfera) and date palm (Phoenix canariensis); once in a building, typically 3–30 m above ground, lined with wood chips and occasionally dry grasses (1). Eggs 1–3 (usually two in wild), white, size 25·4–31·8 mm × 21·3–24·1 mm; incubation lasts c. 22–25 days, by female alone, commences with first egg in captivity; nestling period 49–52 days (captivity) or 57–54 days (wild) and young become independent 7–16 days (captivity) or 14–21 days later. Success unknown. Natural predators include Powerful Owls (Ninox strenua) (8).

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/railor5/cur/introduction

The intriguing Common Raven has accompanied people around the Northern Hemisphere for centuries, following their wagons, sleds, sleighs, and hunting parties in hopes of a quick meal. Ravens are among the smartest of all birds, gaining a reputation for solving ever more complicated problems invented by ever more creative scientists. These big, sooty birds thrive among humans and in the back of beyond, stretching across the sky on easy, flowing wingbeats and filling the empty spaces with an echoing croak.

Size & Shape
Not just large but massive, with a thick neck, shaggy throat feathers, and a Bowie knife of a beak. In flight, ravens have long, wedge-shaped tails. They're more slender than crows, with longer, narrower wings, and longer, thinner “fingers” at the wingtips.
Color Pattern
Common Ravens are entirely black, right down to the legs, eyes, and beak.
Behavior
Common Ravens aren’t as social as crows; you tend to see them alone or in pairs except at food sources like landfills. Ravens are confident, inquisitive birds that strut around or occasionally bound forward with light, two-footed hops. In flight they are buoyant and graceful, interspersing soaring, gliding, and slow flaps.
Habitat
Common Ravens live in open and forest habitats across western and northern North America. This includes deciduous and evergreen forests up to treeline, as well as high desert, sea coast, sagebrush, tundra, and grasslands. They do well around people, particularly rural settlements but also some towns and cities.

Cool Facts

• The Common Raven is an acrobatic flier, often doing rolls and somersaults in the air. One bird was seen flying upside down for more than a half-mile. Young birds are fond of playing games with sticks, repeatedly dropping them, then diving to catch them in midair.
• Breeding pairs of Common Ravens hold territories and try to exclude all other ravens throughout the year. In winter, young ravens finding a carcass will call other ravens to the prize. They apparently do this to overwhelm the local territory owners by force of numbers to gain access to the food.
• Common Ravens are smart, which makes them dangerous predators. They sometimes work in pairs to raid seabird colonies, with one bird distracting an incubating adult and the other waiting to grab an egg or chick as soon as it’s uncovered. They’ve been seen waiting in trees as ewes give birth, then attacking the newborn lambs.
• They also use their intellect to put together cause and effect. A study in Wyoming discovered that during hunting season, the sound of a gunshot draws ravens in to investigate a presumed carcass, whereas the birds ignore sounds that are just as loud but harmless, such as an airhorn or a car door slamming.
• People the world over sense a certain kind of personality in ravens. Edgar Allan Poe clearly found them a little creepy. The captive ravens at the Tower of London are beloved and perhaps a little feared: legend has it that if they ever leave the tower, the British Empire will crumble. Native people of the Pacific Northwest regard the raven as an incurable trickster, bringing fire to people by stealing it from the sun, and stealing salmon only to drop them in rivers all over the world.
• Increasing raven populations threaten some vulnerable species including desert tortoises, Marbled Murrelets, and Least Terns. Ravens can cause trouble for people too. They’ve been implicated in causing power outages by contaminating insulators on power lines, fouling satellite dishes at the Goldstone Deep Space Site, peeling radar absorbent material off buildings at the Chinal Lake Naval Weapons center, pecking holes in airplane wings, stealing golf balls, opening campers’ tents, and raiding cars left open at parks.
• Common Ravens can mimic the calls of other bird species. When raised in captivity, they can even imitate human words; one Common Raven raised from birth was taught to mimic the word “nevermore.”
• The oldest known wild Common Raven was at least 22 years, 7 months old. It was banded and found in Nova Scotia.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id

The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats.

There are two subspecies. The East African B. r. gibbericeps (Crested Crane) occurs from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda, of which it is the national bird, and Kenya to eastern South Africa. It has a larger area of bare red facial skin above the white patch than the smaller Balearica regulorum regulorum (South African Crowned Crane) which breeds from Angola south to South Africa.

This species and the closely related Black Crowned Crane are the only cranes that can roost in trees, because of a long hind toe that can grasp branches. This habit, amongst other things, is a reason why the relatively small Balearica cranes are believed to closely resemble the ancestral members of the Gruidae

The Grey Crowned Crane has a breeding display involving dancing, bowing, and jumping. It has a booming call which involves inflation of the red gular sac. It also makes a honking sound quite different from the trumpeting of other crane species.

The nest is a platform of grass and other plants in tall wetland vegetation. The Grey Crowned Crane lays a clutch of 2-5 eggs. Incubation is performed by both sexes and lasts 28-31 days. Chicks fledge at 56-100 days.

Description

• About 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and weighs 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs)
• Body plumageis mainly grey
• Wings are also predominantly white, but contain feathers with a range of colours
• Head has a crown of stiff golden feathers
• Sides of the face are white, and there is a bright red inflatable throat pouch
• Bill is relatively short and grey, and the legs are black
• Sexes are similar, although males tend to be slightly larger
• Young birds are grayer than adults, with a feathered buff face
• Like all cranes, it feeds on insects, reptiles and small mammals.

Although the Grey Crowned Crane remains common over much of its range, it faces threats to its habitat due to drainage, overgrazing, and pesticide pollution.

The Grey Crowned Crane eats grass seeds and insects, along with other invertebrates.

The Grey Crowned Crane is the national bird of Uganda and features in the country's flag and coat of arms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Crowned_Crane

The sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, and New Guinea and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests. A highly intelligent bird, they are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets.

Identification
45–55 cm; 815–975 g. White cockatoo with yellow ear-coverts and 14 cm long, erectile bright yellow crest ; underside of wings and tail washed yellow; bill black; feet dark grey; periophthalmic skin white; eye dark brown in male, red-brown in female. Juvenile like adult but eye pale brown. Race fitzroyi has little yellow on ear-coverts and periophthalmic skin is pale blue; triton smaller than fitzroyi, with broader crest feathers; eleonora similar to triton, but bill smaller.

Habitat
In New Guinea, occurs in lowland forest, up to 1400 m. In Australia, inhabits forest , woodland and cultivated cropland.

Movement
Strong flier, often foraging several kilometres from traditional roost or nest.

Diet and Foraging
Wide range of seeds , fruits and buds gathered from the ground and in trees . Species considered a pest of cultivated crops, digging up recently sown seeds, eating ripening heads and grain fed to stock; long-renowned for flocks of foraging birds responding to alarm given by a sentinel individual (see Family Text ); also damages stored hay and grain, opening sacks and plastic-covered bales, and will sometimes also chew the wooden window frames of houses. Nominate race often feeds in large flocks of several hundred birds; the other races seldom seen in groups of more than 20.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Commonest call, both in flight and when perched, is a very harsh grating note with a slightly upslurred (somewhat variable) terminus, “rreh-ah”. When perched, vocabulary more diverse, with most notes having similar tonal quality to flight call, combined with nasal squeals and squawks.

Breeding
Season Aug–Jan in S Australia, May–Sept in N Australia; few records from New Guinea. Nest is bed of woodchips in a tree-hollow. Pairs tend to be territorial during breeding season and to nest far apart. Clutch 2–3 eggs, size (in captivity) 43·2 mm × 31·1 mm (race fitzroyi) (1); incubation 25–27 days, by both adults; chick has sparse yellow down; nestlings remain in hollow for 9–12 weeks, where they are fed by both parents. Fledglings remain with parents for several months, foraging together in a locally nomadic flock.

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/succoc/cur/introduction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulphur-crested_cockatoo