Birds, FIN-JAC

Hummingbirds, chickens, flamingos, pheasants: birds may come in all different shapes and sizes, but they all possess feathers, which is the easiest way to distinguish them from all other animals. Although not all species of bird can fly (sorry about that, ostriches), many birds do enjoy the power of flight, and this has permitted an almost unlimited diversification of birds, so that birds are now found virtually everywhere on Earth.
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Birds Encyclopedia Articles By Title

finch
finch, any of several hundred species of small conical-billed seed-eating songbirds (order Passeriformes). Well-known......
finfoot
finfoot, (family Heliornithidae), any of three species of medium-sized lobe-footed, semiaquatic birds found in......
Fiordland penguin
Fiordland penguin, (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), species of crested penguin (genus Eudyptes, order Sphenisciformes)......
fire finch
fire finch, any of several red-and-brown or red-and-black birds of Africa that usually have fine white dots on......
firecrest
firecrest, European species of kinglet...
fish owl
fish owl, any of several species of owls of the genera Ketupa and Scotopelia in the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes).......
flagbird
flagbird, any of the six-plumed birds-of-paradise. See...
flamingo
flamingo, (order Phoenicopteriformes), any of six species of tall, pink wading birds with thick downturned bills.......
flatbill
flatbill, any of six species of Central and South American birds belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae......
flicker
flicker, any of several New World woodpeckers of the genus Colaptes, family Picidae (q.v.), that are noted for......
flightless bird
flightless bird, any of several birds that have, through evolution, lost the ability to fly as they adapted to......
flowerpecker
flowerpecker, any of 44 species belonging to the songbird family Dicaeidae (sometimes placed with the sunbirds......
flycatcher
flycatcher, any of a number of perching birds (order Passeriformes) that dart out to capture insects on the wing,......
forktail
forktail, any of seven species of birds of the Asian, chiefly Himalayan, genus Enicurus. Forktails usually are......
francolin
francolin, any of several species of popular game birds classified as partridges. See...
freckled duck
freckled duck, (Stictonetta naevosa), rare Australian waterfowl, characterized by dark dots scattered over its......
frigate bird
frigate bird, any member of five species of large seabirds constituting the family Fregatidae (order Pelecaniformes......
Fringillidae
Fringillidae, songbird family, order Passeriformes, sometimes collectively termed true finches. The group, whose......
frogmouth
frogmouth, (family Podargidae), any of numerous birds, comprising the family Podargidae in the order Caprimulgiformes,......
fulmar
fulmar, any of several species of gull-like oceanic birds of the family Procellariidae (order Procellariiformes),......
Furnariidae
Furnariidae, bird family, order Passeriformes, containing about 240 species in nearly 60 genera, limited in distribution......
gadfly petrel
gadfly petrel, any of several species of petrels distinguished from others by their fluttering type of flight.......
gadwall
gadwall, (Anas strepera), small, drably coloured duck of the family Anatidae, a popular game bird. Almost circumpolar......
Galapagos finch
Galapagos finch, distinctive group of birds whose radiation into several ecological niches in the competition-free......
Galapagos penguin
Galapagos penguin, (Spheniscus mendiculus), species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) characterized by the presence......
galliform
galliform, (order Galliformes), any of the gallinaceous (that is, fowl-like or chickenlike) birds. The order includes......
gallinule
gallinule, any of several species of marsh birds belonging to the rail family, Rallidae, in the order Gruiformes.......
gannet
gannet, any of three oceanic bird species within the family Sulidae (order Pelecaniformes or Suliformes). Closely......
gentoo penguin
gentoo penguin, (Pygoscelis papua), species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) characterized by a band of white......
gnatcatcher
gnatcatcher, (genus Polioptila), any of about 15 species of small insect-eating New World birds in the family Polioptilidae......
gnateater
gnateater, any of eight species of bird of the genus Conopophaga in the family Conopophagidae, formerly classified......
godwit
godwit, any of four species of large, long-billed shorebirds of the genus Limosa, family Scolopacidae, named for......
goldcrest
goldcrest, European species of kinglet...
golden eagle
golden eagle, (Aquila chrysaetos), dark brown eagle of the family Accipitridae, characterized by golden lanceolate......
golden whistler
golden whistler, songbird, a species of thickhead...
goldeneye
goldeneye, either of two species of small, yellow-eyed diving ducks (family Anatidae), which produce a characteristic......
goldfinch
goldfinch, any of several species of the genus Carduelis (some formerly in Spinus) of the songbird family Fringillidae;......
goose
goose, any of various large heavy-bodied waterfowl intermediate in size and build between large ducks and swans,......
goshawk
goshawk, any of the more powerful accipiters, or true hawks (i.e., belonging to the genus Accipiter), primarily......
grackle
grackle, any of several species of birds belonging to the family Icteridae (order Passeriformes) that have iridescent......
Grallinidae
Grallinidae, bird family (order Passeriformes) that includes the mudlark, apostle bird, and white-winged chough.......
grass finch
grass finch, any of several small finchlike birds of Australasia that constitute the tribe Erythrurini of the songbird......
grass owl
grass owl, any of certain grassland owl species, belonging to the family Tytonidae, which also includes the barn......
graybird
graybird, any of numerous cuckoo-shrikes of the genus Coracina. See...
great auk
great auk, (Pinguinus impennis), flightless seabird extinct since 1844. Great auks belonged to the family Alcidae......
great blue heron
great blue heron, (Ardea herodias), well-known species of large North American herons, classified in the bird family......
great horned owl
great horned owl, (Bubo virginianus), horned owl species that ranges from Arctic tree limits south to the Strait......
great Indian bustard
great Indian bustard, (Ardeotis nigriceps), large bird of the bustard family (Otididae), one of the heaviest flying......
grebe
grebe, (order Podicipediformes), any member of an order of foot-propelled diving birds containing a single family,......
greenfinch
greenfinch, any of several small greenish birds, with yellow in the wings and tail, of the genus Carduelis (some......
greenlet
greenlet, any of several tropical birds of the vireo family, Vireonidae. See...
greenshank
greenshank, (species Tringa nebularia), Old World shorebird of the family Scolopacidae (order Charadriiformes).......
greylag
greylag, (Anser anser), most common Eurasian representative of the so-called gray goose and ancestor of all Occidental......
grosbeak
grosbeak, any of several conical-billed birds belonging to the families Cardinalidae and Fringillidae. Their name......
ground cuckoo
ground cuckoo, any of about 15 species of birds constituting the subfamily Neomorphinae of the cuckoo family (Cuculidae),......
ground roller
ground roller, any of five species of pigeon-sized birds that comprise the family Brachypteracidae (order Coraciiformes)......
ground thrush
ground thrush, any of about 37 species of thrushes of the genus Zoothera (family Turdidae), including birds sometimes......
grouse
grouse, any of a number of game birds in the family Tetraonidae (order Galliformes). In addition to species called......
gruiform
gruiform, (order Gruiformes), any member of a rather loose assemblage of 12 families of birds that are generally......
guan
guan, any of several small birds of the curassow family. See...
guillemot
guillemot, any of three species of black and white seabirds of the genus Cepphus, in the auk family, Alcidae. The......
guinea fowl
guinea fowl, any of a family, Numididae (order Galliformes), of African birds that are alternatively placed by......
guira
guira, (Guira guira), bird of eastern tropical South America in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is 40 cm (16 inches)......
gull
gull, any of more than 40 species of heavily built web-footed seabirds of the gull and tern family Laridae (order......
gyrfalcon
gyrfalcon, (Falco rusticolus), Arctic bird of prey of the family Falconidae that is the world’s largest falcon.......
hammerhead
hammerhead, (Scopus umbretta), African wading bird, the sole species of the family Scopidae (order Ciconiiformes......
harrier
harrier, any of about 11 species of hawks of the subfamily Circinae (family Accipitridae). They are plain-looking,......
Hawaiian honeycreeper
Hawaiian honeycreeper, any member of a group of related birds, many of them nectar-eating, that evolved in the......
hawk
hawk, any of various small to medium-sized accipitriform birds, particularly those in the genus Accipiter, known......
hawk owl
hawk owl, any of numerous birds of prey of the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes). The northern hawk owl (Surnia......
helmet-shrike
helmet-shrike, (family Prionopidae), any of nine species of African songbirds (order Passeriformes) characterized......
hemipode
hemipode, (Greek: “half foot”), generally any bird of the suborder Turnices (order Gruiformes), which includes......
hermit
hermit, any of several hummingbird species of the genus Phaethornis. See...
heron
heron, any of about 60 species of long-legged wading birds, classified in the family Ardeidae (order Ciconiiformes)......
herring gull
herring gull, Most common of the Atlantic gulls in the Northern Hemisphere. The herring gull (Larus argentatus)......
Hesperornis
Hesperornis, (genus Hesperornis), extinct birds found as fossils in Late Cretaceous Period deposits dating from......
Hirundinidae
Hirundinidae, songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of swallows and martins, approximately 90 species......
hoatzin
hoatzin, (Opisthocomus hoazin), primitive chicken-sized bird of South American swamps, principally in the Amazon......
hobby
hobby, any of certain birds of prey of the genus Falco (primarily F. subbuteo) that are intermediate in size and......
honey guide
honey guide, any of about 17 species of birds constituting the family Indicitoridae (order Piciformes). The honey......
honeycreeper
honeycreeper, any of four species of tropical Western Hemisphere birds of the family Thraupidae, order Passeriformes.......
honeyeater
honeyeater, any of the more than 180 species in the songbird family Meliphagidae (order Passeriformes) that make......
hoopoe
hoopoe, (Upupa epops), strikingly crested bird found from southern Europe and Africa to southeastern Asia, the......
hornbill
hornbill, (family Bucerotidae), any of approximately 60 species of Old World tropical birds constituting the family......
horned owl
horned owl, (genus Bubo), any of 17 species of owls with hornlike tufts of feathers on the head. The name refers......
house sparrow
house sparrow, (Passer domesticus), one of the world’s best-known and most abundant small birds, sometimes classified......
Humboldt penguin
Humboldt penguin, (Spheniscus humboldti), species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) characterized by the presence......
hummingbird
hummingbird, any of about 320 species of small, often brightly coloured birds of the family Trochilidae, usually......
hypocoly
hypocoly, (Hypocolius ampelinus), Middle Eastern songbird believed by some authorities to be related to the waxwing......
ibis
ibis, any of about 26 species of medium-sized wading birds constituting the subfamily Threskiornithinae of the......
ibisbill
ibisbill, (Ibidorhyncha struthersii), Asian bird named for its long, red, down-curved bill (similar to that of......
Icadyptes
Icadyptes, genus of extinct giant penguin that lived about 37 million to 35 million years ago, during the second......
Ichthyornis
Ichthyornis, (order Ichthyornithiformes), extinct seabird of the Late Cretaceous Period (99.6 million to 66 million......
Icteridae
Icteridae, songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of about 100 species of great diversity in size, habits,......
iiwi
iiwi, (species Vestiaria coccinea), Hawaiian songbird, one of the commoner members of the Hawaiian honeycreeper......
iora
iora, smallest of the fairy bluebird species. See fairy...
Irenidae
Irenidae, songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of the leafbirds, ioras, and fairy bluebirds, about......
ivory-billed woodpecker
ivory-billed woodpecker, (Campephilus principalis), 45-cm (18-inch) black-and-white bird with a flaring crest (red......
jabiru
jabiru, (species Jabiru mycteria), a typical stork of the New World, ranging from Mexico to Argentina. The jabiru......
jacamar
jacamar, any of 18 species of tropical American birds that constitute the family Galbulidae (order Piciformes).......

Birds Encyclopedia Articles By Title