Bird Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ birds — with size, habitat, diet, voice, behavior, and the field marks that tell them apart.
Golden Eagle
A massive, powerful eagle of open western landscapes, dark brown overall with golden feathering on the back of the head and neck.
raptor
Gentoo Penguin
The fastest-swimming penguin species, recognized by its bright orange-red bill and a white patch stretching above each eye.
seabird
Fieldfare
A striking grey-headed thrush that arrives in large, noisy flocks each winter to strip hedgerows and orchards of berries.
songbird
Black-crowned Night-Heron
A stocky, thick-necked heron active mainly at dusk and night, with a glossy black crown and back, pale grey wings, and striking red eyes.
wading-bird
Bullock's Oriole
The common western oriole, with males showing brilliant orange plumage, a bold black eyeline, and a large white wing patch.
songbird
Bell's Vireo
A small, drab, hyperactive vireo of dense willow and mesquite thickets, known for its fast, chattering, question-and-answer song.
songbird
Brown Booby
A widespread tropical seabird with dark chocolate-brown upperparts sharply set off from a clean white belly and underwings.
seabird
Curlew Sandpiper
A graceful sandpiper with a long, evenly curved bill and, in breeding plumage, a rich brick-red body unlike any other small sandpiper.
shorebird
Bean Goose
A large, dark-headed grey goose of northern Eurasia named for its habit of feeding in fields of beans and grain during migration.
waterfowl
Black-billed Magpie
A striking black-and-white corvid with an extremely long tail and iridescent wings, common across open western rangeland.
songbird
Bull-headed Shrike
A compact, big-headed predatory songbird with a rufous crown, black mask, and hooked bill, known for impaling prey on thorns.
songbird
Chinese Pond-Heron
A small East Asian heron that transforms from a plain streaky brown bird into a maroon-and-slate breeding beauty each spring.
wading-bird
Cassin's Auklet
A small, plain sooty-gray auklet of the North Pacific that nests in burrows and forages mainly on krill and other tiny crustaceans.
seabird
Arctic Loon
The Eurasian counterpart of the Pacific Loon, with a pale grey head, black throat, and a bold white flank patch visible while swimming.
seabird
Cape Sugarbird
A fynbos-endemic South African songbird with an extremely long tail and curved bill, closely tied to Protea flowers for nectar.
songbird
Common Linnet
A small, sociable finch of farmland and heathland, with breeding males showing a rosy-crimson flush on the forehead and breast.
songbird
Black Crowned-Crane
A striking West and Central African crane with a golden crown of bristle feathers, a black neck, and bold red and white facial patches.
wading-bird
Bushtit
A tiny, plain gray-brown songbird that travels in noisy, tumbling flocks and builds an elaborate hanging sock-like nest.
songbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
A common, noisy desert thrasher with a long downcurved bill and orange-red eyes, often seen atop cactus in the Southwest.
songbird
Brown Shrike
A migratory rufous-brown shrike with a black mask, commonly seen perched on low bushes and wires during the non-breeding season.
songbird
Caique
A small, stocky Amazonian parrot with a bold black-or-orange cap, white underparts, and an energetic, acrobatic personality.
parrot
Cuban Amazon
A vividly colored Caribbean amazon parrot with a white forehead and rosy throat patch, found only in Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands.
parrot
Alpine Swift
A large swift of mountain cliffs with a white belly and throat separated by a brown breast band, among the fastest fliers in level flight.
other
American Bittern
A master of camouflage among North American marshes, best known for its odd pumping call and its habit of freezing bill-up in the reeds.
wading-bird