Index of Bird Species - E through G

African Sea Eagles or African Fish Eagles

Eagles are large birds of prey mostly found in the Old World, with more than 60 species being found in Eurasia and Africa.

Only only two species - the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle - are endemic in North America and nine more are Central and South American natives. The White-bellied Sea Eagle and Wedge-tailed Eagle occur naturally in Australia and the Philippine Eagle in the Philippine Archipelago.

Eagles are sometimes used in falconry.

Australian King Parrots aka Eastern Kings, Queensland Kings

Adults of both sexes are very majestic birds, typically averaging 42 - 43 cm (16 - 17.2 inches) in length, including their long tail.

The adult (>4 years) males are very striking in appearance with a red head, breast, and lower undersides, with a blue lower back, and green wings and tail. They have a reddish-orange upper beak with a black tip and a black lower beak, and yellow eye ring.

These parrots are sexually dimorphic.

Females are similar in appearance except for a green head and breast, a black upper beak, and paler yellow eye ring. Please refer to the below photos.

Juveniles of both sexes resemble the females.

There is one subspecies, A.s. minor, which is found at the northern limit of its range, and is typically about 5 cm (2 inches) shorter than the nominate species but otherwise is similar in appearance.

Eastern Rosellas aka Common Rosellas

This colorful rosella has a red head, upper breast and under tail-coverts. The cheeks are white. The lower breast is yellow becoming yellowish-green on the abdomen. The feathers of the lower breast and abdomen have a fine dark edging. The nape, back and shoulder feathers are black with yellowish-green edging. The inner median wing-coverts are black. The bend of the wing and outer median wing-coverts are blue. The secondary-coverts are pale blue, and the secondaries (shorter, upper "arm" feathers), outer webs at base of primaries (= longest wing feathers) and under wing-coverts are blue. The lower back and upper tail-coverts are pale green with a fine dark edging. The upperside of the middle tail-feathers are dark green with a narrow dark blue edging. The outer tail-feathers are pale blue with a dark blue base and pale tips. The tail underside is pale bluish. The bill is light grey-horn color. They have narrow grey to dark grey eye rings. The irises are dark brown and the feet are grey.

Echo or Mauritius Parakeets

They average 16.5 inches (42 cm) in length. The plumage is mostly green. The back of the head to the side of cheek area is suffused with blue. There is a broad cheek-stripe to the side of nape and a narrow line from the cere to eye. The collar to the side of the nape is pink. The abdomen and under wing-coverts are a slightly brighter green. The upperside of the tail-feathers are green and the underside dirty yellow. The upper beak is red and the lower lower is black. The irises are yellowish and the feet grey.

Females have a dark green stripe to cheek and they don't have the pink band to the nape. They have a yellow-green collar and lack the blue tinge to back of head. The middle tail-feathers are washed with blue. Their black beak distinguishes them easily from the male that have a red beak.

Immatures look like females, but have shorter tail-feathers.

Echo or Mauritius Parakeets

They average 16.5 inches (42 cm) in length. The plumage is mostly green. The back of the head to the side of cheek area is suffused with blue. There is a broad cheek-stripe to the side of nape and a narrow line from the cere to eye. The collar to the side of the nape is pink. The abdomen and under wing-coverts are a slightly brighter green. The upperside of the tail-feathers are green and the underside dirty yellow. The upper beak is red and the lower lower is black. The irises are yellowish and the feet grey.

Females have a dark green stripe to cheek and they don't have the pink band to the nape. They have a yellow-green collar and lack the blue tinge to back of head. The middle tail-feathers are washed with blue. Their black beak distinguishes them easily from the male that have a red beak.

Immatures look like females, but have shorter tail-feathers.

Egret

Most egrets have a white or buff-colored plumages.

Several of the white species develop the distinctive, fine plumes during the breeding season, and the name "egret" was, in fact, derived from the French word "aigrette" - meaning "silver heron" or "brush".

This term is now, however, also applied to those members of the Heron family that are now also included in the Egret family, but don't have the characteristic white plumage and won't develop these fancy plumes in the breeding season.

Egrets are long-legged, long-necked and generally long-billed birds. Their tails are so short, that they, in fact, appear to be "tail-less."

They often hold their long necks in an 'S' shape with the head pulled between the shoulders - even in flight. This unique trait distinguishes them from the otherwise similar Storks and Cranes, which fly with their necks extended straight out.

Elf Owls (Micrathene whitneyi)

The Elf Owls (Micrathene whitneyi) are nocturnal birds with bat-like flight that occur naturally in southwestern and south-central United States and Mexico. Some populations are migratory, others sedentary.

At an average length of 6 inches (15.24 cm) - about the size of large sparrow - the Elf Owl is the smallest owl in North America and the world's second smallest (the first being the Pygmy Owl). At a weight of about 1.4 oz (40 grams), this is the world's lightest owl.

As is typical of owls, Elf Owls are nocturnal - with most of their activities occurring at dusk and before dawn. Pairs are often observed playing with each other by jumping from tree to tree emitting their well-known high-pitched, whinny calls. They move around by walking and hopping on the ground or by climbing, like parrots. They fly in U-shaped arcs between perches, or glide and hover.

Emerald-collared Parakeet / Layard's Parakeet

The plumage is mostly green. It averages 12 inches (29 to 30 cm) in length, with a tail up to 13cm.

The adult has a bluish-grey head and back, separated by a green collar. There is a broad black chin stripe and the tail is blue tipped yellow. The upper part of the male's bill is red, and the lower beak is brown.

The female is similar, but has a black upper beak, and a dark green stripe to the cheek. They lack the pink band to the nape and yellow-green collar. They don't have the blue tinge to back of head that can be seen in the males. The middle tail-feathers are washed with blue.

Immatures as female, but with shorter tail-feathers, with a mainly green plumage and a dark red bill.

Emus

The Emu (pronounced /ˈiːmjuː/), Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is also the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height.

Euphonias

Most euphonias are dark metallic blue above and bright yellow below. Many have contrasting pale forehead and white undertails. Some have light blue patches on the head and/or orangish underparts.

The Yellow-throated Euphonia or Violaceous Euphonia have a yellowish underside and lack the dark throat of the other Euphonias.

Fairy-bluebirds (Irenidae)

The two fairy-bluebirds (Irenidae) are small birds found in forests and plantations in tropical southern Asia and the Philippines. They are related to the ioras and leafbirds.

The members of this group are sexually dimorphic, with the males being dark blue in plumage, and the females duller green.

They mostly feed on fruit, especially figs, and maybe some insects.

They lay two to three eggs in a tree nest.

The call of the Asian Fairy-bluebird is described as a liquid two note Glue-It.

Maluridae: Fairy Wrens, Emy-wrens & Grasswrens

The Maluridae are a family of small, insectivouous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens of the Northern Hemisphere. The family includes 14 species of fairy-wren, 3 emu-wrens, and 10 grasswrens.

As with many other Australian creatures, and perhaps more than most, the species making up this family were comprehensively misunderstood by early researchers. They were variously classified as Old World flycatchers, Old World warblers, and Old World babblers. In the late 1960s morphological studies began to suggest that the Australo-Papuan fairy-wrens, the grasswrens, emu-wrens and two monotypic (one single species) wren-like genera from New Guinea were related and, following Charles Sibley's pioneering work on egg-white proteins in the mid-1970s, Australian researchers introduced the family name Maluridae in 1975. With further morphological work and the great strides made in DNA analysis towards the end of the 20th century, their position became clear: the Maluridae are one of the many families to have emerged from the great corvid radiation in Australasia. Their closest relatives are the Meliphagidae (honeyeaters), the Pardalotidae, and the Petroicidae (Australian robins). Their obvious similarity to the wrens of Europe and America is not genetic, but simply the consequence of convergent evolution between more-or-less unrelated species that share the same ecological niche.

Falcon Species

• The Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) - the largest of the falcon species. Breeds on Arctic coasts and the islands of North America, Europe and Asia.
• The Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans) - also called the Snake Hawk - is a medium-sized bird of prey found from both coastal slopes of Mexico through Central and South America south to Amazonian Peru and Bolivia, in Brazil, and northern Argentina and Paraguay

Fig Parrots

Fig-parrots are distributed throughout various regions of New Guinea and Australia, where they can be found primarily in fruit-bearing trees, especially fig tree. Fig-Parrots are small, predominately green, and leaf shaped. Until about two years of age, male and female fig parrots look the same, then the males begin to color out on the head and the bib.

Fig-parrots are small - most of them are smaller even than budgies. They were named after their favorite food: figs. Their natural diet also includes other fruits, nectar, flowers, bugs and insect larva. Fig Parrots are usually found around figs in tropical rainforest in three very distinctly separated populations along the east coast of Australia, as well as New Guinea. They will also visit figs and other fruiting trees in adjacent woodlands and even urban areas. Fig parrots are difficult to observe in their habitat because of their small size, camouflaging color and rapid movement in forest or near-forest situations. They tend to be high up in the canopy well hidden in the foliage. When engrossed in feeding, observers may hear a variety of soft, chattering noises.

Finches: Breeding or as Pets

Finches: Breeding or as Pets Index of Finch Species ... Photos of the Different Finch Species for Identification ... Common Health Problems of Finches ... Finch / Canary Diet / Nutrition ... Finch Data: Range, Length, Clutch-size and Incubation Periods for each Finch SpeciesJust like canaries, finches are great for people who enjoy watching birds rather than having a demanding pet that requires a lot of personal attention.Housing and Breeding Finches:I hate to see them in small cages. Since these are birds that will ALWAYS be in a cage in most households, I would hope that people give them a roomy flight cage, preferably with some plants in it for the finches to enjoy.They should be able to fly. Make it a "project" to prepare an attractive flight cage for them, with lots of toys and natural branches, maybe some plants.I would always at least get two finches -- there is nothing sorrier than one lone finch or canary in a cage. They are social beings -- and you will enjoy watching them interact.If you haven't owned any finches yet, I would recommend starting with the Zebra Finch or Society Finches. They also get along fine in an aviary setting. They are truly easy to take care of, hardy and charming. They are also VERY inexpensive. I remember I bought several mutations for less than $10 each from local breeders for a zebra finch. Societies were a little more expensive. You might pay more in pet shops. But they are still very affordable. Some of those finches (depending on the species) do make a lot of babies ... and babies ... and babies. I remember that within a year I had a hundred of them! :-) ... This is why their price is so low for the more prolific finch species. Breeders are always overstocked with them and they may be difficult to sell.

Finfoots (Heliornithidae)

The Finfoots are medium-sized, mostly aquatic birds that occur naturally in the tropical regions of Central and South America; Western, Central and Southern Africa; and Asia. They mostly inhabit thickly vegetated margins of rivers, lakes and swamps. Although they do not migrate, they do disperse in order to form new colonies in preferred habitats.

All members of this group have brightly colored, lobed toes for which this group has been named.

Birds Flamingos

Flamingos or flamingoes are wading birds that are most common in the Eastern Hemisphere, but also occur in the Western Hemisphere.

The name "Flamingo" was derioved from the latin word for flame, in reference to this species's flame-colored plumage. The flamingo's characteristic pink / salmon-colored plumage is a result of their beta carotene-rich diet.

Environmental changes to their water habitat, such as toxic bacteria and environmental pollution, have caused the death of thousands of these birds and efforts are ongoing to protect them from further declines.

Flickers

Most have brown or green backs, wings with black barring, and colorful markings on the head. The underside ranges from beige to yellowish, with black spotting or barring.

The most famous member of this genus is the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) - known in parts of the American south as the 'Yellowhammer'. It is the state bird of Alabama and the state's nickname is the 'Yellowhammer State'.

Flowerpeckers

Flowerpeckers are very small birds - averaging 10 to 18 cm in length including their short tails.

They are often brightly colored birds with short thick curved beaks and tubular tongues that are adapted for nectar feeding.  Males have brighter, more beautiful plumage details, while the females are mostly olive green.

The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europa, Asia, and Africa).

A group of flycatchers is often referred to as "outfield", "swatting", "zapper" or "zipper" of flycatchers.

These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.

The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

The nest of most is a well-constructed cup in a tree or hedge.

Fodies

Fodies are small weaver birds - so named for their nest-building technique that involves weaving elaborate dome-shaped nests out of grasses and other plant material.

Guineafowl

The guineafowl (sometimes called guineahen) are a family of birds in the same order as the pheasants, turkeys and other game birds. They are also widely known as guineahens, (a term formerly applied to the turkey). The American Ornithologists' Union includes guineafowl (Numididae) as a subfamily of Phasianidae.

Frigatebirds

The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them. They have long wings, tails and bills and the males have a red gular pouch that is inflated during the breeding season to attract a mate.

Frigatebirds are pelagic piscivores which obtain most of their food on the wing. A small amount of their diet is obtained by robbing other seabirds, a behavior that has given the family its name, and by snatching seabird chicks. Frigatebirds are seasonally monogamous, and nest colonially. A rough nest is constructed in low trees or on the ground on remote islands. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.

Frogmouths: Podargidae

They are named for their large flattened hooked bills and huge frog-like gape, which they use to take insects. Their flight is weak.

They rest horizontally on branches during the day, camouflaged by their cryptic plumage.

They are known to take larger prey such as small vertebrates (frogs, mice, etc.), which are sometimes beaten against a stone before swallowing.

The ten Batrachostomus frogmouths are found in tropical Asia. They have smaller, more rounded bills and are predominantly insectivorous.

Fulmars

Both recent species breed on cliffs, laying a single white egg. Unlike many small to medium birds in the Procellariiformes, they are neither nocturnal breeders, nor do they use burrows; their eggs are laid on the bare rock or in shallow depressions lined with plant material. Northern Fulmars historically bred on St. Kilda, and spread into northern Scotland in the 19th century, and to the rest of the United Kingdom by 1930. For example, establishment of colonies at the Fowlsheugh Reserve in Scotland was one of the first areas to be developed for new permanent Fulmar breeding areas.

Galah or Rose-breasted Cockatoos / Roseate

The Galah Cockatoo is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos. It occupies open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia. Galahs are found in all Australian states, and are absent only from the driest areas and the far north of Cape York Peninsula. They appear to have been self-introduced to Tasmania.

They are common in some metropolitan areas, for example Perth and Melbourne, and common to abundant in open habitats which offer at least some scattered trees for shelter. The changes wrought by European settlement, a disaster for many species, have been highly beneficial for the Galah because of the clearing of forests in fertile areas and the provision of stock watering points in arid zones.

Gallinule

Gallinule is a common name that refers the following rails, amongst others:

Gannets

Gannets are large black and white seabirds, with long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up to 2 metres. The other two species occur in the temperate seas around southern Africa and southern Australia and New Zealand.

Gannets

Gannets are large black and white seabirds, with long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up to 2 metres. The other two species occur in the temperate seas around southern Africa and southern Australia and New Zealand.

True Geese

True Geese are medium to large water birds with a nearly global distribution. However, the highest concentration is found in the Northern Hemisphere. True geese are medium to large birds.

The male is referred to as "gander," the female as "goose," and the chicks are called goslings.

A flock of geese on the ground is known as gaggleeese flying in the typical v-formation are referred to as "wedge" or skein."

Geoffroyus: Red-cheeked or Long-winged Parrots

Class: Aves ... Order: Psittaciformes ... Family: Psittacidae ... Subfamily: Psittacinae

Genus: Scientific: Geoffroyus ... English: Long-winged Parrots ... Dutch: Langvleugelpapegaaien ... German: Buntkopfpapageien ... French: Perroquet Geoffrey

CITES II: Endangered Species

Gnatcatchers

The gnatcatcher family can be found in North and South America. Most of the16 species of this mainly tropical and sub-tropical group are resident, but the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers of the USA and southern Canada migrate south in winter.

Their preferred habitat is the open woodland or scrub.

Go-away Birds or Louries

The Go-away-birds, Corythaixoides, are a genus of bird in the turaco family (Musophagidae). In Southern Africa these birds are known as louries.

The go-away bird gets its name from its well-known call: a harsh "kay-waaay," which warns other birds of danger.

Unlike many of the brighter forest-dwelling turacos, these are birds of African open country and have drab grey and white plumage.

In the wild, the bird spends most of its time perched in small groups.

Nightjars or Nighthawks aka Goatsuckers

They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers, as they were often seen in fields together with goats and sheep, and the myth was born that they were there to suck milk from the teats of goats (the Latin word for goat-sucker or goat-milker is Caprimulgus). However, instead they fed on the insects that were attracted to livestock. In the past, night-flying birds - such as the nightjars - were suspected of witchery.

The nightjar, as suggested by the name, is strictly nocturnal. Throughout the day, it typically rest quietly in densely vegetated hiding places. At night, they become active as they hunt flying insects in more open landscapes, such as forest clearings, wetlands and along rivers.

Godwits

Godwits are shore birds (family Scolopacidae), large sandpipers with long legs and bills. Their long, subtly upcurved bills allow them to probe deeply in the sand for aquatic worms and mollusks.

The winter plumages are fairly drab, but three species have reddish underparts when breeding.

The females are appreciably larger than the males.

They can be distinguished from the curlews by their straight or slightly upturned bills, and from the dowitchers by their longer legs.

Golden-mantled Racket-tailed Parrots

These parrots average 11 in (28 cm) in length.

The plumage is generally green. The throat, breast and abdomen are yellowish-gree and they have a rose-red patch to back of crown bordered by dull greyish-blue area. The back is bluish-grey, interspersed with green in some birds. They have a variable orange-yellow band across upper back. The wing-coverts are dull grey and the inner webs of the secondaries (shorter, upper "arm" feathers) have a pale yellow edging. The underside of the wings and tail are greenish-blue. They have two elongated middle tail-feathers with blackish-green spatule-shaped ends. The outer tail-feathers are green with black and blue tips. Their narrow periophthalmic ring is pale grey and the bill sports a pale bluish-horn colour with blackish tip. The irises are dark brown and the feet pale grey.

Female completely green and with shorter tail.

Immatures look like the females, but without the spatule-formed ends to tail-feathers. They attain their adult plumage after about 2 years.

Golden-mantled Rosella

Golden Mantle Rosellas average 12 inches (30 cm) in length.

In the normal form of the Golden Mantle red covers the nape of the neck and extends to the upper breast. The cheek patches are white. Black feathers edged with golden yellow cover the back producing a pearling effect while the wing converts and tail are a bright blue. A green suffusion can be seen on the rump, abdomen and tail.

Hens are often slightly duller in color. In mature Golden Mantle hens of the normal form you can see a white striping under the wing feathers but this is not so when dealing with all the Golden Mantle mutations.

Sexing young birds can prove difficult and DNA sexing may be the only way to know for sure at a young age. However, it may be possible to sex birds that are at least 9 months as the molt into adult plumage. .However birds at least 9 months old can be visualy sexed.

Young birds attain the adult coloration after their second molt - when they are about 12 to 16 months old. At that time they also become sexually mature.

Golden-shouldered or Hooded Parrots aka,Golden-tinged Parakeets

The range of the Golden-shouldered Parrot, Psephotus chrysopterygius, is limited to the southern Cape York Peninsula in Australia; while its sub-species, the Hooded Parrot, occupies the very north-eastern region of the Northern Territory.

These two races are nearly identical - except the male hooded parrot has black below the eye, while the male golden-shouldered parrot only has black above the eye.

These parrots are about as long as the mulga and blue-bonnet parrots, but they have a slimmer build

This attractive little parrot is related to the more common Red-rumped Parrot. It is considered to be the nominate species of the Hooded Parrot (as mentioned above) and the apparently extinct Paradise Parrot of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia.

Golden-shouldered or Hooded Parrots aka,Golden-tinged Parakeets

His forehead and lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head) are lemon-yellow, turning yellowish-green-blue on the upper cheeks. The lower cheeks, throat, breast, sides of body, rump and upper tail-coverts are turquoise. The crown and nape are black. The hindneck are brownish-black with blue edging. The chin has a greyish tinge. The back, lower back and lesser wing-coverts are greyish-brown. The abdomen, under tail-coverts and thighs are orange-red with a white base and edging. The bend of the wing, primary wing feathers, outer webs of primaries (= longest wing feathers), outermost secondaries (shorter, upper "arm" feathers) and under wing-coverts are blue. The inner secondaries are greyish-brown with blue tinge to outer webs. The median wing-coverts are yellow. The upperside of the middle tail-feathers are bronze-green with blue-black tips. The outer tail-feathers are greenish-blue with whitish-blue tips. The tail underside is white-bluish. The bill is grey-horn colored. They have narrow grey periophthalmic rings and brown irises. The feet are greyish-brown.

Lineolated Parakeets or Catherine Parakeets

The Lineolated Parakeets are small - averaging 1.6 up to 2 ounces (47 to 55 grams) in weight and ~ 6 to 7 inches (~16 to 17 cm) in length. They are slightly larger than budgies.

The natural / wild color is green with each feather being edged in greenish-black. The wing-coverts are bluish-green. The upperside of the tail is dark green with broad black tips. The tail underside is dirty-green. There are black dots on the underside of the body. The beak is horn-colored; the irises are dark grey and the feet are flesh colored to light grey.

Golden-winged Parakeets

Personality: They are playful and fairly quiet. Some owners report that they can be rather shy. They are sociable, active and love to climb around the branches,

Calls / Vocalizations:

Calls made in flight sound like harsh and scratchy notes repeated quickly up to six times; high pitched notes; and softer, babbling sounds.

Their voice can be loud, although they are not known for extended periods of screeching. They have the ability to learn human speech.

GosHawks aka Northern Goshawks

It is a widespread species that inhabits the temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. In North America, it is called the Northern Goshawk. It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions of north Asia and Canada migrate south for the winter.

The name "Goshawk" is derived from "goose hawk" and may refer to this bird's barred plumage as well as its ability to take large prey.

Grackles

The genus Quiscalus contains six of the ten species of grackle that are native to North and South America. They are known for being capable of imitating human speech, even better than parrots.

Grass Parakeets / Parrots

The Bourke's parrot has recently been removed from the Neophema genus and placed in a genus of its own.

Sometimes the broad-tailed parrots are considered a subfamily. In this case, Neophema and Bourke's parrot are united in the tribe Neophemini. mtDNA sequence data (Miyaki et al. 1998) suggests that the former may be correct, but the latter almost certainly isn't. It appears more likely that the group would need to include more closely related forms, such as the budgerigar and the ground-parrots (Pezoporus). 

Grass Parakeets / Parrots

The Bourke's parrot has recently been removed from the Neophema genus and placed in a genus of its own.

Sometimes the broad-tailed parrots are considered a subfamily. In this case, Neophema and Bourke's parrot are united in the tribe Neophemini. mtDNA sequence data (Miyaki et al. 1998) suggests that the former may be correct, but the latter almost certainly isn't. It appears more likely that the group would need to include more closely related forms, such as the budgerigar and the ground-parrots (Pezoporus). 

Grassquits

Grassquits are small, tropical birds that are common in the West Indies and in Central and South American countries around the Caribbean Sea.

Great-billed Parrots, aka Moluccan Parrots or Island Parrots

This is a medium-sized, 16 to 16.4 (38 - 41 cm) long, green parrot with massive red bill, yellow iris, olive green back and a pale blue rump.

The underparts are yellowish green. The edge of the wing, lesser wing-coverts and shoulder feathers are black. The median wing-coverts are black - each feather has a broad yellow edging. The secondary-coverts are green with yellowish-green edging. The flight feathers are blue with a narrow green edging to the outer webs. The primary wing feathers are blue and the under wing-coverts and sides of breast are yellow. Young birds generally have a duller plumage. The shoulder feathers and wing-coverts are green with a little black. The median wing-coverts have only a narrow pale yellow edging. The irises are dark.

Grebes

Grebes are members of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter. This order contains only a single family, the Podicipedidae, containing some 20 species in 6 extant genera.

Podicipediformes are small to medium-large in size, have lobed toes, and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. They leave the water only to nest, walking very short distances upright like penguins. They can run for a short distance, but often fall over.

Grebes have narrow wings, and some species are reluctant to fly; indeed, two South American species are completely flightless. They respond to danger by diving rather than flying, and are in any case much less wary than ducks.

Superb Parrots aka Barraband Parakeets or Parrots

The medium-sized Superb Parrot, Polytelis swainsonii, averages 15.5 to 16 inches (~40 - 45 cm) in length and is predominantly green with long tail feathers. It is yellow-green below.

John Dengate, director of public affairs at New South Wales National Park Services shares the following interesting fact:

Both male and female adults have orange-yellow irises, grey feet, reddish-pink bills, and grey periopthalmic (eye) rings.

The adult male has a bright red band across the upper chest, a bright yellow face and throat, and a slight blue tinge to their napes (lower back of the neck). His primary flight feathers have a blue outer webbing, and the long, pointed tail has a blackish underside. His upper tail is yellow.

The female has an overall duller plumage and lacks the male's red and yellow markings. She has a pale blue-green face, greyish-green throat, a variable tinged russet-pink fore-throat, and orange-yellow thighs. Her under-tail feathers are pink tipped.

Immature birds look like females, but have brown irises. The young male obtains his adult plumage when he is about one year old.

If it is important to identify the gender in juveniles, surgical or DNA sexing is required prior to sexually maturity (about 2 years).

Australian King Parrots aka Eastern Kings, Queensland Kings

Adults of both sexes are very majestic birds, typically averaging 42 - 43 cm (16 - 17.2 inches) in length, including their long tail.

The adult (>4 years) males are very striking in appearance with a red head, breast, and lower undersides, with a blue lower back, and green wings and tail. They have a reddish-orange upper beak with a black tip and a black lower beak, and yellow eye ring.

These parrots are sexually dimorphic.

Females are similar in appearance except for a green head and breast, a black upper beak, and paler yellow eye ring. Please refer to the below photos.

Juveniles of both sexes resemble the females.

There is one subspecies, A.s. minor, which is found at the northern limit of its range, and is typically about 5 cm (2 inches) shorter than the nominate species but otherwise is similar in appearance.

Green Rosellas known as Tasmanian Rosellas, Mountain or Green Parrots

The Green Rosella is Australia's largest rosella at an average length of 14.4 - 14.5 ins. or 36 - 37 cm (including tail), although it is only considered medium-sized when compared to the other parrot species.

The upperparts are dark, mottled green and black - in contrast with the yellow head, neck and underbody. When flying the bright yellow body is very obvious. There are distinct blue cheek patches, a red band across the forehead, and blue shoulder patches. It has a broad tail.

Females are smaller and slightly duller.

Sexing young birds can prove difficult and DNA sexing may be the only way to know for sure at a young age. However, it may be possible to sex birds that are at least 9 months as the molt into adult plumage.

Green-winged King Parrots or Papuan King Parrots

Adults of both sexes are very majestic birds, typically 36 cm (14 inches) in length, including the long tail.

The adult males (older than 4 years) are very striking in appearance. Their plumage is mostly red. They have a variable blue band on the nape and upper back. The back and shoulder feathers are greenish-black. They have a pale yellowish-green band on the wing-coverts (not yellow as occasionally wrongly described - this band is a darker - a medium green in the subspecies). The remainder of the wing is dark green. The lower back, the upper tail-coverts and the rump is blue. The under tail-coverts are scarlet with a dark blue base. The upperside of the tail is black strongly tinged with blue. The tail underside is greyish-black.

They have a reddish-orange upper beak with a black tip and a black lower beak. The irises are orange and the feet are grey.

These parrots are sexually dimorphic.

African Grey Parrot aka Grey Parrots: The Smartest Parrots of all?

These popular avian pets have the reputation for being amongst the most intelligent of all birds. They are in demand because of their human-like ability to mimic speech and generally gentle nature.

The most famous African Grey parrot was called Alex. In 1977, Dr. Irene Pepperberg purchased him from a pet store hoping to disprove that Parrots were just mimics. In the more than 30 years that she worked with him, Alex has shown amazing cognitive abilities, being able to name more than 100 objects, actions and colors. Alex was able to identify certain objects by their particular material. Sadly, Alex died in 2007.

Grey-cheeked Parakeets also known as Grey Cheek Parakeets

Grey-cheeks average 8 inches or 20 cm in length (including tail) and weigh 54-60 grams, which means that they are a little larger than lovebirds in size.

Grey-cheeked Parakeets are named after their distinctive grey cheeks, chin and forehead. The plumage is generally green; however,they have a dusky blue crown and bright orange feathers on the underwing coverts.

The throat, upperbreast, abdomen, thighs and under tail-coverts are yellowish-green. The under wing-coverts orange-red; lesser and median wing-coverts are tinged witholive-brown. The primary coverts are dark-blue. The primaries (longest wing feathers) are green tinged with blue. The secondary wing feathersare green.

The bill is horn-colored. The irises are dark brown. The feet are flesh-colored.

Young birds look like adults, but they generally have a slightlyduller plumage. Until they are approximately 6 months old, grey cheeks have black or spotty, black beaks. As they mature, their beaks turn horn-colored.

Grey cheeks are not sexually dimorphic (meaning, both sexes look alike) and need DNA testing to determine their sex.

Grey-cheeks vocalize quite loudly and their calls are described as quick, sharp screeches and may involve many monotone screeches in succession.

Grosbeaks

Grosbeaks are medium-large, distantly related songbirds with very thick, seed-cracking bills. They are mostly found in conifer and deciduous forests in North America. They belong in the finch and cardinal families.

Their diet consist of seeds and fruits, and particularly during the winters, they will be frequent visitors to bird feeders.

Grosbeaks are amongst the most colorful North American birds. Depending on the species, their plumage varies from reddish-purple to bright red, banana-yellow to gold, and bluish-black to a navy blue. They are highly sexually dimorphic (the male plumage looks very different from the female's).

Ground Rollers

The Ground Rollers (Brachypteraciidae) combines a small family of non-migratory birds that are only found on the island of Madagascar located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa .

Its members are related to the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers; and some consider the Ground Rollers to be a subfamily of the true rollers.

Grouse

Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are often considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae.

Bolbopsittacus: Guaiabero Parrots

The bird genus Bolbopsittacus - includes a group of parrots that are more commonly known as Guaiabero Parrots.

They occur naturally on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

Guam Rail

The Guam Rail, Gallirallus owstoni, is a flightless bird, endemic to Guam. The Guam Rail disappeared from southern Guam in the early 1970s and was extirpated from the entire island by the late 1980s. This species is now being bred in captivity by the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources on Guam and at some mainland U.S. zoos. Since 1995, more than 100 rails have been introduced on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in an attempt to establish a wild breeding colony. Although at least one chick resulted from these efforts, predation (largely by feral cats) and accidental deaths have been extremely high. A small number of birds potentially persists. The National Zoo in D.C. has Guam Rails that are overpopulating, because of the fact that they lay too many eggs.

Guillemots

The Guillemots comprise two genera of auks: Uria and Cepphus. The former are relatives of the Razorbill, Dovekie and the extinct Great Auk and together make up the tribe Alcini, while the latter form a tribe of their own, the Cepphini.

U. brodkorbi is interesting insofar as it is the only known occurrence of the Alcini tribe outside the Atlantic. It suggests that the murres, which are the sister taxon to all other Alcini but like them are usually believed to have evolved in the Atlantic, actually evolved in the Caribbean or at any rate close to the Isthmus of Panama.

Guineafowl

The guineafowl (sometimes called guineahen) are a family of birds in the same order as the pheasants, turkeys and other game birds. They are also widely known as guineahens, (a term formerly applied to the turkey). The American Ornithologists' Union includes guineafowl (Numididae) as a subfamily of Phasianidae.

Gulls

In common usage, members of various gull species are often called sea gulls or seagulls.

They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae), auks and skimmers, and more distantly to the waders. Most gulls belong to the large genus Larus.

Apart from the kittiwakes, gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea.