Bird Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ birds — with size, habitat, diet, voice, behavior, and the field marks that tell them apart.
Purple Martin
North America's largest swallow, a glossy blue-black aerial insectivore whose eastern population now nests almost entirely in birdhouses provided by people.
songbird
Sand Martin
A small brown-and-white swallow relative that nests colonially in burrows dug into sandy banks and cliffs.
songbird
House Martin
A glossy blue-black swallow relative with a clean white rump and underparts, famous for building mud-cup nests under building eaves.
songbird
Purple Heron
A slender, reddish-necked relative of the Grey Heron that hides among reedbeds across Africa, Europe, and Asia.
wading-bird
Purple Sunbird
A tiny, hyperactive sunbird whose breeding male glitters iridescent purple-black in the sun.
songbird
Purple Gallinule
A vividly colored marsh bird with iridescent purple-blue plumage, a pale blue frontal shield, and oversized bright yellow feet.
wading-bird
Purple Finch
A stocky finch with a raspberry-red wash over the head, back, and breast in males, often confused with the House Finch.
songbird
Purple Swamphen
A large, chicken-sized marsh bird cloaked in deep blue-purple plumage with a massive red bill and frontal shield.
wading-bird
Purple Honeycreeper
A small tanager relative whose male plumage is a deep, velvety purple set off by black wings and bright yellow legs.
songbird
Purple-rumped Sunbird
A dazzling small sunbird of southern India and Sri Lanka with a maroon back and iridescent purple rump.
songbird
American Purple Gallinule
The traditional American name for the Purple Gallinule, a jewel-toned marsh bird with purple-blue plumage and huge yellow feet.
wading-bird
Purple-crested Turaco
A glossy green forest bird of southeastern Africa with a rounded purple crest and crimson flight feathers that flash brilliantly in flight.
other
Purple-backed Fairywren
A close relative of the Variegated Fairywren adapted to Australia's arid interior, with breeding males showing purplish-blue tones and a small chestnut shoulder patch.
songbird
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
A social, all-black cotinga whose males flash a glossy magenta-purple throat patch, usually seen moving through the forest canopy in small groups.
songbird
Bank Swallow
The smallest North American swallow, brown above and white below with a crisp brown breast band, nesting colonially in burrows dug into sandy banks.
songbird
Martial Eagle
Africa's largest and most powerful eagle, the Martial Eagle is a formidable savanna predator capable of taking prey as large as small antelope.
raptor
Australasian Swamphen
A large, vividly deep-blue-and-purple waterbird with a red bill and frontal shield, often seen flicking its white tail as it walks.
wading-bird
Pukeko
A large, deep blue-purple swamphen with a bright red bill and frontal shield, a common and conspicuous sight striding through New Zealand wetlands and roadside paddocks.
wading-bird
Superb Fruit Dove
A small, jewel-colored fruit dove; the male combines a purple crown, orange nape, grey chest band, and green back into a dazzling patchwork of color.
other
Common Grackle
A large, iridescent blackbird with a long keel-shaped tail and pale yellow eyes, common across eastern and central North America.
songbird
Lucifer Hummingbird
A rare desert hummingbird with a distinctly curved bill and, in males, an elongated glittering purple gorget.
hummingbirdEclectus Parrot
A large rainforest parrot famous for extreme sexual dimorphism, with males bright green and females vivid red and purple.
parrot
Black-chinned Hummingbird
A widespread western hummingbird whose males show a velvety black throat edged with a thin band of iridescent purple.
hummingbird
Plum-headed Parakeet
A slender green parakeet whose male sports a striking plum-purple head bordered with a thin black-and-blue neck ring.
parrot