The bee-eaters are a group of non-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and twenty-seven species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All have long down-turned bills and medium to long wings, which may be pointed or round. Male and female plumages are usually similar.
Hoopoes are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "crown" of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many years all of the extant species were lumped as a single species—Upupa epops. In fact, some taxonomists still consider all three species conspecific. Some authorities also keep the African and Eurasian hoopoe together but split the Madagascar hoopoe. The Eurasian Hoopoe is common in its range and has a large population, so it is evaluated as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, their numbers are declining in Western Europe. Conversely, the Hoopoe has been increasing in numbers at the tip of the South Sinai, Sharm el Sheikh. There are dozens of nesting pairs that remain resident all year round.
The rockjumpers are medium-sized insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Chaetops, which constitutes the entire family Chaetopidae. The two species, the Cape rockjumper, Chaetops frenatus, and the Drakensberg rockjumper, Chaetops aurantius, are endemic residents of southern Africa. The Cape rockjumper is a resident of the West Cape and south-west East Cape, and the orange-breasted rockjumper is distributed in the Lesotho Highlands and areas surrounding them in South Africa. The two rockjumpers have been treated as separate species but differ in size and plumage. The ranges do not overlap, but come close to doing so.
The wood hoopoes or scimitarbills are a small African family, Phoeniculidae, of near passerine birds. They live south of the Sahara Desert and are not migratory. While the family is now restricted to Sub-Saharan Africa, fossil evidence shows that it once had a larger distribution. Fossils attributed to this family have been found in Miocene rocks in Germany.
The ioras are a small family, Aegithinidae, of four passerine bird species found in south and southeast Asia. The family is composed of a single genus, Aegithina. They were formerly grouped with the leafbirds and fairy-bluebirds, in the family Irenidae.
The grey crowned crane, also known as the African crowned crane, golden crested crane, golden-crowned crane, East African crane, East African crowned crane, African Crane, Eastern crowned crane, Kavirondo Crane,South African crane, Crested crane, is a bird in the crane family, Gruidae. It is found in eastern and southern Africa, and is the national bird of Uganda.
The Trinidad piping guan locally known as the pawi, is a bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae, endemic to the island of Trinidad. It is a large bird, somewhat resembling a turkey in appearance, and research has shown that its nearest living relative is the blue-throated piping guan from South America. It is a mainly arboreal species feeding mostly on fruit, but also on flowers and leaves. At one time abundant, it has declined in numbers and been extirpated from much of its natural range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the bird as "critically endangered".
The red-capped plover, also known as the red-capped dotterel, is a small species of plover.
The pitta-like ground roller is a species of bird in the ground roller family Brachypteraciidae. The species is monotypic, having no subspecies. It is endemic to Madagascar.
The white-headed wood hoopoe is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae.
The white-mantled kingfisher or New Britain kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to New Britain off Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.
Grasswrens (Amytornis) are a genus of birds in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae.
The melampittas are a family, Melampittidae, of New Guinean birds containing two enigmatic species. The two species are found in two genera, the greater melampitta in the genus Megalampitta and the lesser melampitta in the genus Melampitta. They are little studied and before being established as a family in 2014 their taxonomic relationships with other birds were uncertain, being considered at one time related variously to the pittas, Old World babblers and birds-of-paradise.
The Cuban warblers are a genus, Teretistris, and family, Teretistridae, of birds endemic to Cuba and its surrounding cays. Until 2002 they were thought to be New World warblers, but DNA studies have shown that they are not closely related to that family. The family consists of two species, the yellow-headed warbler and the Oriente warbler. Both species are found in forest and scrub, with the yellow-headed warbler ranging in the west of the island and the Oriente warbler in the east. The Cuban warblers are 13 cm (5.1 in) long and have similar yellow and grey plumage.
Lafresnaye's vanga is a species of bird in the vanga family Vangidae. The species is monotypic and one of three species in the genus Xenopirostris. It is endemic to the south and south west of Madagascar. It inhabits sub-arid thorn scrub, in the Madagascar spiny forests ecoregion, particularly areas with large amounts of dead wood, from sea level to 100 m (330 ft). The species has a small range and is not common within that range, but is not thought to be endangered and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
The Chatham shag, also known as the Chatham Island shag, is a species of bird in the cormorant and shag family, Phalacrocoracidae. It is endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. For a long time the species was placed in the genus Phalacrocorax; today it is mostly placed with the other blue-eyed shags of New Zealand and Antarctica in the genus Leucocarbo. Its closest relative is the Otago shag of South Island.
Lynx Edicions is a Spanish publishing company specializing in ornithology and natural history.
The Himalayan owl, also known as the Himalayan wood owl, is an owl of the forests of the Asia, from the Himalayas to Korea and Taiwan. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the tawny owl, but is separated from that species due to its distinctive call, darker plumage and shorter, barred tail.
The African hoopoe is a species of hoopoe in the family Upupidae. Previously considered as a subspecies of the hoopoe, due to its vocalisations and small differences in plumage, it is otherwise similar to that species.
The Eurasian hoopoe is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa, native to Europe, Asia and the northern half of Africa. Some taxonomists still consider all three species conspecific. Some authorities also keep the African and Eurasian hoopoe together, but split the Madagascar hoopoe.
