Day: January 26, 2014

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Golden-breasted Starling (Lamprotornis regius)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Golden-breasted Starling (Lamprotornis regius), also known as Royal Starling, is a medium-sized, up to 35 cm long, passerine in the starling family. The adult has a metallic green head and upperback, bright golden yellow breast and belly, dark bill and legs, white iris and metallic violet blue on wings, back, neck and its long tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The young is duller than adult. Distributed to the grassland, savanna and shrubland of East Africa, from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and northern Tanzania. Wikipedia –

Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is the largest grouse in North America. Its range is sagebrush country in the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. It was known as simply the Sage Grouseuntil the Gunnison Sage-Grouse was recognized as a separate species in 2000.[2] The Mono Basin population of Sage Grouse may also be distinct.

Adults have a long, pointed tail and legs with feathers to the toes. Adult males have a yellow patch over the eye, are grayish on top with a white breast, a dark brown throat and a black belly; two yellowish sacs on the neck are inflated during courtship display. Adult females are mottled gray-brown with a light brown throat and dark belly.

Golden-Headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Golden-Headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps) is a colorful bird native to highlands forests in South America. Males and females are approximately the same size, having a total length of ca. 35 cm and a weight of 160 g. as adults. Adult males are iridescent green with a golden cast to their heads, black wings, bright red bellies, and a yellow bill. The female is duller with a greyer head and lower chest and a dusky bill. Both sexes have an entirely blackish undertail unlike the Crested Quetzal. Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-headed_Quetzal

Crested Coua (Coua cristata)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Crested Coua (Coua cristata) is a medium-sized, approximately 44 cm long, greenish-grey coua with grey crest, blue bare orbital skin, rufous breast, brown iris, black bill and legs, white belly and long white-tipped purplish-blue tail feathers. They are very attractive birds. The Crested Coua is distributed and endemic to forests, savanna and brushland of Madagascar. It is found from sea-level to altitude of 900 metres. The diet consists mainly of various insects, fruits, berries, seeds, snails and chameleons. The female usually lays two white eggs in nest made from twigs. Widespread and a common species throughout its large habitat range, the Crested Coua is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_Coua

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is a large icterid which is found in large numbers through much of North America. Adult Common Grackles measure from 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13 in) in length, span 36–46 cm (14–18 in) across the wings and weigh 74–142 g (2.6–5.0 oz).[2] Common Grackles are less sexually dimorphic than larger grackle species but the differences between the sexes can still be noticeable. The male, which averages 122 g (4.3 oz), is larger than the female, at an average of 94 g (3.3 oz).[3] Adults have a long, dark bill, pale yellowish eyes and a long tail; its feathers appear black with purple, green or blue iridescence on the head, and primarily bronze sheen in the body plumage. The adult female, beyond being smaller, is usually less iridescent; her tail in particular is shorter, and unlike the males, does not keel in flight and is brown with no purple or blue gloss. The juvenile is brown with dark brown eyes. Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_grackle

Variable Sunbird (or Yellow-bellied Sunbird), Cinnyris venustus (formerly Nectarinia venusta)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Variable Sunbird (or Yellow-bellied Sunbird), Cinnyris venustus (formerly Nectarinia venusta), is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. The Variable Sunbird is a fairly common resident breeder in equatorial Africa. Two eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species is found in open woodland and cultivation. Variable Sunbirds are small, only 10 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. The adult male has a glossy green head, throat and nape with maroon breast band and a yellowish belly. The female has grey-brown upperparts and yellowish underparts, and an obvious pale supercilium. The eclipse male is like the female, but shows some green, especially on the throat. The call is a clear tew-tew-tew-tew-tew . Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), also known as the Yellow-bellied Sunbird, is a species of sunbird found from Southern Asia to Australia. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering, but usually perch to feed most of the time. The Olive-backed Sunbird is common across southern China to the Philippines and Malaysia down to northeast Australia. They are small songbirds, at most 12 cm long. In most subspecies, the underparts of both male and female are bright yellow, the backs are a dull brown color. Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive-backed_Sunbird

Banded Broadbill (Eurylaimus javanicus)

by birdinfo • January 26, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Banded Broadbill (Eurylaimus javanicus) is a species of bird in the Eurylaimidae family. It is found in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Reference - http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=4031