c


 


c

 (g
 

¬ also called   
 
 is a medium-sized
thrush. This species is 16±18 cm in length and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern
characteristic of g
  thrushes. Swainson's Thrush was named after William Swainson an
English ornithologist.

The breeding habitat of Swainson's Thrush is coniferous woods with dense undergrowth across
Canada Alaska and the northern United States also deciduous wooded areas on the Pacific coast
of North America.

These birds migrate to southern Mexico and as far south as Argentina. The coastal subspecies
migrate down the Pacific coast of North America and winter from Mexico to Costa Rica
whereas the continental birds migrate eastwards within North America (a substantial detour¬ and
then travel southwards via Florida to winter from Panama to Bolivia. Swainson's Thrush is a
very rare vagrant to western Europe. It has also occurred as a vagrant in northeast Asia.[1]

This species may be displaced by the Hermit Thrush where their ranges overlap. Possibly the
latter species adapts more readily to human encroachment upon its habitat. At least in the winter
quarters Swainson's Thrush tends to keep away from areas of human construction and other
activity.

-


Adults are brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white with brown on the flanks; the
breast is lighter brown with darker spots. They have pink legs and a light brown eye ring. Birds
in the east are more olive-brown on the upperparts; western birds are more reddish-brown. This
bird's song is a hurried series of flute-like tones spiralling upwards.

- 

They forage on the forest floor also in trees. Swainson's Thrushes mainly eat insects fruits and
berries[2]. They make a cup nest on a horizontal tree branch.

?



 


The 
 or 


 (½  
¬ is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the
northern areas of Europe Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of
its breeding range to the equator. Unusually for a bird with such a large range it has no
geographical subspecies if the possibly conspecific Eaton's Pintail is considered to be a separate
species.

This is a fairly large duck with a long pointed tail that gives rise to the species' English and
scientific names. The male has a very distinctive brown grey and white appearance whereas the
female has mainly light brown plumage and a shorter tail. The male's call is a mellow whistle
whereas the female quacks like a Mallard.

The Northern Pintail is a bird of open wetlands which nests on the ground often some distance
from water. It feeds by dabbling for plant food and adds small invertebrates to its diet during the
nesting season. It is highly gregarious when not breeding forming large mixed flocks with other
species of duck.

This duck's population is affected by predators parasites and avian diseases. Human activities
such as agriculture hunting and fishing have also had a significant impact on numbers.
Nevertheless this species' huge range and large population mean that it is not threatened
globally.

-


The Northern Pintail is a fairly large duck with a wingspan of 23.6±28.2 centimetres (9.3±
11.1 in¬. The male is 59±76 centimetres (23±30 in¬ in length and weighs 450±1360 grammes (1±
3 lb¬ and therefore is considerably larger than the female which is 51±64 centimetres (20±25 in¬
long and weighs 454±1135 grammes (1±2.5 lb¬.[9] The male in breeding plumage has a
chocolate-brown head and white breast with a white stripe extending up the side of the neck. Its
upperparts and sides are grey but elongated grey feathers with black central stripes are draped
across the back from the shoulder area. The vent area is yellow contrasting with the black
underside of the tail [8] which has the central feathers elongated to as much as 10 centimetres
(4 in¬. The bill is bluish and the legs are blue-grey.[10]
The adult female is mainly scalloped and mottled in light brown with a more uniformly grey-
brown head and its pointed tail is shorter than the male¶s; it is still easily identified by its shape
long neck and long grey bill.

^

?

The Pintail feeds by dabbling and upending in shallow water for plant food mainly in the evening
or at night and therefore spends much of the day resting.[8] Its long neck enables it to take food
items from the bottom of water bodies up to 30 centimetres (1 ft¬ deep which are beyond the
reach of other dabbling ducks like the Mallard.[10]

The winter diet is mainly plant material including seeds and rhizomes of aquatic plants but the
Pintail sometimes feeds on roots grain and other seeds in fields though less frequently than
other ½  ducks.[10] During the nesting season this bird eats mainly invertebrate animals
including aquatic insects molluscs and crustaceans.[9]

è  

Pintail nests and chicks are vulnerable to predation by mammals such as foxes and badgers and
birds like gulls crows and magpies. The adults can take flight to escape terrestrial predators but
nesting females in particular may be surprised by large carnivores such as bobcats.[9] Large birds
of prey such as Northern Goshawks will take ducks from the ground and some falcons
including the Gyrfalcon have the speed and power to catch flying birds.[17]

It is susceptible to a range of parasites including g


   tapeworms blood
parasites and external feather lice [18][19][20][21] and is also affected by other avian diseases. It is
often the dominant species in major mortality events from avian botulism and avian cholera [22]
and can also contract avian influenza the H5N1 strain of which is highly pathogenic and
occasionally infects humans.[23]

The Northern Pintail is a popular species for game shooting because of its speed agility and
excellent eating qualities and is hunted across its range.[24][25] Although one of the world's most
numerous ducks [15] the combination of hunting with other factors has led to population declines
and local restrictions on hunting have been introduced at times to help conserve numbers.[26]

This species' preferred habitat of shallow water is naturally susceptible to problems such as
drought or the encroachment of vegetation but this duck¶s habitat might be increasingly
threatened by climate change.[15] Populations are also affected by the conversion of wetlands and
grassland to arable crops depriving the duck of feeding and nesting areas. Spring planting means
that many nests of this early breeding duck are destroyed by farming activities [27] and a
Canadian study showed that more than half of the surveyed nests were destroyed by agricultural
work such as ploughing and harrowing.[28]


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-


The Bar-tailed Godwit is a relatively short-legged species of godwit. The bill-to-tail length is 37±
41 cm with a wingspan of 70±80 cm. Males average smaller than females but with much
overlap; males weigh 190±400 g while females weigh 260±630 g; there is also some regional
variation in size (see subspecies below¬. The adult has blue-grey legs and a very long dark bill
with a slight upward curve and pink at the tip. The neck breast and belly are unbroken brick red
in breeding plumage off white in winter. The back is mottled grey.[2][4]

It is distinguished from the Black-tailed Godwit by its barred rather than wholly black tail and a
lack of white wing bars. The most similar species is the Asiatic Dowitcher.

- 

It forages by probing in mudflats or marshes. It may find insects by sight in short vegetation. It
eats mainly insects and crustaceans but also parts of aquatic plants.




½



The ½

 (c
 
   ¬ is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a
circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe Asia
and North America (as far south as Brittany and Massachusetts¬. The species is strongly
migratory seeing two summers each year as it migrates from its northern breeding grounds along
a winding route to the oceans around Antarctica and back a round trip of about 70 900 km (c.
44 300 miles¬ each year.[3] This is by far the longest regular migration by any known animal. The
Arctic Tern flies as well as glides through the air performing almost all of its tasks in the air. It
nests once every one to three years (depending on its mating cycle¬; once it has finished nesting
it takes to the sky for another long southern migration.

Arctic Terns are medium-sized birds. They have a length of 33±39 cm (13±15 in¬ and a
wingspan of 76±85 cm (26±30 in¬. They are mainly grey and white plumaged with a red beak
(as long as the head straight with pronounced gonys¬ and feet white forehead a black nape and
crown (streaked white¬ and white cheeks. The grey mantle is 305 mm and the scapulars are
fringed brown some tipped white. The upper wing is grey with a white leading edge and the
collar is completely white as is the rump. The deeply forked tail is whitish with grey outer
webs. The hindcrown to the ear-coverts is black.

Arctic Terns are long-lived birds with many reaching thirty years of age. They eat mainly fish
and small marine invertebrates. The species is abundant with an estimated one million
individuals. While the trend in the number of individuals in the species as a whole is not known
exploitation in the past has reduced this bird's numbers in the southern reaches of its range.

G 


Breeding begins around the third or fourth year.[13] Arctic Terns mate for life and in most cases
return to the same colony each year.[14] Courtship is elaborate especially in birds nesting for the
first time.[15] Courtship begins with a so-called "high flight" where a female will chase the male
to a high altitude and then slowly descend. This display is followed by "fish flights" where the
male will offer fish to the female. Courtship on the ground involves strutting with a raised tail
and lowered wings. After this both birds will usually fly and circle each other.[15]

Both sexes agree on a site for a nest and both will defend the site. During this time the male
continues to feed the female. Mating occurs shortly after this.[15] Breeding takes place in colonies
on coasts islands and occasionally inland on tundra near water. It often forms mixed flocks with
the Common Tern. It lays from one to three eggs per clutch most often two.[8]

It is one of the most aggressive terns fiercely defensive of its nest and young. It will attack
humans and large predators usually striking the top or back of the head. Although it is too small
to cause serious injury it is still capable of drawing blood.[5] Other birds can benefit from nesting
in an area defended by Arctic Terns.

The nest is usually a depression in the ground which may or may not be lined with bits of grass
or similar materials. The eggs are mottled and camouflaged.[8] Both sexes share incubation
duties. The young hatch after 22±27 days and fledge after 21±24 days.[8] If the parents are
disturbed and flush from the nest frequently the incubation period could be extended to as long
as 34 days.


 



The 
 
( ¬ is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family
Accipitridae.

The Griffin Vulture is 93±110 cm (37±43 in¬ long with a 230±269 cm (91±106 in¬ wingspan and
it weighs between 6 and 13 kg (13.2 and 29 lb¬. Hatched naked it is a typical Old World vulture
in appearance with a very white bald head very broad wings and short tail feathers. It has a
white neck ruff and yellow bill. The buff body and wing coverts contrast with the dark flight
feathers.
Like other vultures it is a scavenger feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals which it
finds by soaring over open areas often moving in flocks. It grunts and hisses at roosts or when
feeding on carrion.

It breeds on crags in mountains in southern Europe north Africa and Asia laying one egg.
Griffon Vultures may form loose colonies. The population is mostly resident.

c
 
?

ΠIn Italy the species survived only in Sardinia but was re-introduced in a few other areas of the
peninsula. As a result several specimens been spotted again in August 2006 on the Gran Sasso
massif (central Italy¬.
ΠIn Croatia a colony of Griffon Vultures can be found near the town of Beli on the island of
Cres[1] . There they breed at lower elevations with some nests just 10 m above sea level.
Therefore contact with people is common. The population makes frequent incursions in the
Slovenian territory especially in the mountain Stol above Kobarid.
ΠIn Cyprus there is a colony at Episkopi in the south of the island.
ΠColonies of Griffon Vultures can be found in northern Israel especially in the Golan Heights
where a large colony breeds at Gamla and in the Carmel Mountains and the Negev desert where
reintroduction projects are being carried out at breeding centers in the Carmel and Negev.
ΠIn Greece there are nearly 1000 birds. On Crete they can be found in most mountainous areas
sometimes in groups of up to 20.
ΠGriffon Vultures have been re-introduced successfully into the Massif Central in France; about
500 are now found there.







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-


The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is 7±9 cm long with an 8±11 cm wingspan and weighs about 3
g. Adults are metallic green above and greyish white below with near-black wings. Their bill is
long straight and very slender.

The adult male shown in the photo has a ruby red throat patch which may appear black in some
lighting and a dark forked tail. The female has a dark rounded tail with white tips and generally
no throat patch though she may sometimes have a light or whitish throat patch.

The male is smaller than the female and has a slightly shorter beak. A molt of feathers occurs
once per annum and begins during the autumn migration.

- 

Nectar from flowers and flowering trees as well as small insects and spiders are its main food. It
may also occasionally include tree sap taken from sapsucker wells. Hummingbirds show a slight
preference for red tubular flowers as a nectar source. The birds feed from flowers using a long
extendendable tongue and catch insects on the wing or gleen them from flowers leaves bark
and even from spider's webs.

Young birds are fed insects for protein since nectar is an insufficient source of protein for the
growing birds.[3]


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-


Cedar waxwings are approximately 6±7 in (15±18 cm¬ in length and weigh roughly 30 grams.
They are smaller and more brown than their close relative the Bohemian Waxwing (which
breeds farther to the north and west¬.

These birds' most prominent feature is a small cluster of bright red feathers on the wings a
feature they share with the Bohemian Waxwing (but not the Japanese Waxwing¬. The tail is
typically yellow or orange depending on diet. Birds that have fed on berries of introduced
Eurasian honeysuckles while growing tail feathers will have darker orange-tipped tail-feathers.
Adults have a pale yellow belly. Immature birds are streaked on the throat and flanks and often
do not have the black mask of the adults.

During courtship the male and female will sit together and pass small objects back and forth
such as flower petals or an insect. Mating pairs will sometimes rub their beaks together
affectionately.

- 

The Cedar Waxwing eats berries and sugary fruit year-round with insects becoming an
important part of the diet in the breeding season. Its fondness for the small cones of the Eastern
Redcedar (a kind of juniper¬ gave this bird its common name.

When the end of a twig holds a supply of berries that only one bird at a time can reach members
of a flock may line up along the twig and pass berries beak to beak down the line so that each
bird gets a chance to eat.





-


This is a medium-sized kingfisher 20-23 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back wing
panel and tail. Its head neck and underparts are white and its shoulders are black. The flight of
the Woodland Kingfisher is rapid and direct. The large bill has a red upper mandible and black
lower mandible. The legs are bright red. Some birds may have greyish heads causing confusion
with Mangrove Kingfisher.

However the lores are dark creating a dark stripe through the eye (the stripe does not extend
through the eye in Mangrove Kingfisher¬ and the underwing primaries and secondaries are
black with white underwing coverts (there is a black carpal patch on the white coverts in
Manrgove Kingfisher¬. The inner webs of the base of the flight feathers are white creating an
indistinct white wingbar (white completely absent from wings in Mangrove Kingfisher¬. The
breast is white (tends to be much greyer in Mangrove Kingfisher¬. The sexes are similar but
juveniles are duller than adults and have a brown bill.

^

It hunts from an exposed perch often on a dead branch of a tree or perches quietly in semi-shade
while seeking food. The prey is mainly a wide variety of large insects but also other arthropods
snakes fish and frogs.

?
G
 u 



The G
 u 

 


 is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family
 
 . It is the only species of  
 found in Australia.

-


Rainbow bee-eaters are brilliantly colored birds that grow to be 7 to 8 inches in length including
the elongated tail feathers. The upper back and wings are green in color and the lower back and
under-tail coverts are bright blue. The undersides of the wings and primary flight feathers are red
and tipped with black and the tail is black to deep violet. The rainbow bee-eater's two central tail
feathers are longer than the other tail feathers and are longer in the female rainbow bee-eaters
than in the males. The crown of the head the stomach and breast and the throat are pale
yellowish in color and the rainbow bee-eater has a black bib and a black stripe through its red
eye.

- 

Rainbow bee-eaters mostly eat flying insects but as their name implies they have a real taste
for bees. Rainbow bee-eaters are always watching for flying insects and can spot a potential
meal up to 150 feet away. Once it spots an insect a bee-eater will swoop down from its perch and
catch it in its long slender black bill and fly back to its perch. Bee-eaters will then knock their
prey against their perch to subdue it. Even though rainbow bee-eaters are actually immune to the
stings of bees and wasps upon capturing a bee they will rub the insect's stinger against their
perch to remove it closing their eyes to avoid being squirted with poison from the ruptured
poison sac. Bee-eaters can eat several hundred bees a day so they are obviously resented by
beekeepers but their damage is generally balanced by their role in keeping pest insects such as
locusts hornets and wasps under control.