The American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a species of wading bird in the heron family. It has a Nearctic distribution, breeding in Canada and the northern and central parts of the United States, and wintering in the U.S. Gulf Coast states, all of Florida into the Everglades, the Caribbean islands and parts of Central America. Adult American bitterns are large, somewhat stocky birds with yellow eyes, rich brown upperparts, and a white throat that is offset by black streaks. Dark flight feathers are conspicuous on the wing tips when the birds are in flight. The sexes are similar in appearance. American Bitterns stand still at the edge of the water, sometimes walking slowly. Like most herons, they capture prey with sudden thrusts of their bills. They are most active at dawn and dusk. American Bitterns breed mainly in freshwater marshes with tall vegetation. You can find them in wetlands of many sizes and kinds, typically less densely vegetated and shallower than wetlands used by the Least Bittern. In winter they move to areas where water bodies don't freeze, especially near the coast, where they occasionally use brackish marshes. Managed wetlands such as wildlife refuges seem to be important for wintering American Bitterns. Wintering birds may also forage in dry grasslands and other terrestrial habitats. American Bitterns eat insects, crustaceans, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals. Their most common insect prey include water striders, giant water bugs, water beetles, water scorpions, grasshoppers, and especially dragonflies, which the birds sometimes manage to capture in midair. Frequently consumed fish include eels, catfish, pickerel, sunfish, suckers, perch, killifish, and sticklebacks. Rayfish, crabs, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, garter snakes, water snakes, and meadow voles round out the diet. American Bitterns usually forage in dim light, at shorelines and the fringes of vegetated areas. A foraging bird may sway its neck, perhaps to see past glare from the surface of shallow water, or to warm up its muscles for a quick strike. A characteristic strategy is to stand stock-still with bill held horizontal, gradually aiming the bill downward with nearly imperceptible movements—until, with a sudden darting motion, the bittern seizes the prey in its bill, bites or shakes it to death, and swallows it head first. Indigestible parts of prey animals are regurgitated as pellets. Little is known about the predators of American bitterns. Raccoons probably feed on their eggs and chicks on occasion. Adults may be preyed on by peregrine falcons and great horned owls. To communicate with each other through dense vegetation American Bitterns use low-frequency calls, which carry farther than higher-pitched sounds. During breeding season the males make a bizarre, resonant three-syllable pump-er-lunk call with a liquid quality; females may respond with a similar but quieter sound. The male’s call is preceded by clacking and gulping. To accomplish the pump-er-lunk sound, the male inflates his esophagus by way of almost violent body contortions—opening and closing his bill as if lunging for flying insects—and then uses the stored air to unleash his call. Repeated up to 10 times in succession, the call probably serves as both a territorial signal and an advertisement for mates. When flushed, American Bitterns often emit a hoarse kok-kok-kok or nasal haink. Males may give a continual chu-peep call during mating. Bitterns clack the mandibles of their bills together to make sounds preceding their territorial call. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes. Red-necked Grebes are boldly plumaged waterbirds with pale cheeks and a daggerlike yellow bill that contrasts with a sharp black crown often likened to a toreador's cap (sometimes raised into a short crest). In breeding plumage, the neck is a rich brick red. Red-necked Grebes feed by diving, then swimming beneath the water to capture prey with the bill. While resting, they often preen their plumage, sometimes swallowing the small feathers from their flanks. Red-necked Grebes form monogamous pairs, usually during stopovers on spring migration (possibly earlier), as they begin to molt into breeding plumage and commence courtship. Most arrive at breeding lakes already mated and continue their ritualized displays, called “ceremonies,” which maintain the pair bond. As with other grebes, each ceremony involves a series of stereotyped postures and movements, executed in a specific sequence. These are called the discovery ceremony, weed ceremony, and greeting ceremony. More than other grebes in the genus Podiceps, Red-necked pairs are highly vocal, giving a “whinny-braying” call during courtship and also when driving away other grebes or waterbirds from their territories. In some locations, however, pairs nest very close to one another, probably in areas where food is abundant. Aggressive behavior includes chases in which opponents patter and flap across the water, thrusting the bill forward and hunching over; and a spread-wing display in which opponents rear up on the water, facing one another. Male and female select their nest site together, and both build the nest, incubate the eggs, and care for the young. Pairs usually separate after the young are fully fledged, at about four weeks of age. Migration occurs both during the day (at least over water, as on the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay) and at night, sometimes in loose aggregations, as with loons. Wintering birds are usually solitary but sometimes congregate where food is plentiful or in preparation for migration. In North America, Red-necked Grebes breed chiefly in Canada and Alaska, mostly on shallow freshwater lakes in lowland areas, especially sheltered areas that have some marsh vegetation around the edges and little disturbance or human activity. Some pairs nest in small lakes, bogs, and ponds or even in large ditches or borrow pits, and some nest in wetlands of montane valleys at higher elevations. Migrants may show up on almost any body of water inland in spring or fall, though most appear on larger lakes. Wintering birds frequent mostly cold, shallow waters along ocean coastlines. Along coasts, they tend to forage more actively during higher tides. On several occasions during very cold winters, when the Great Lakes have frozen over completely, large numbers of Red-necked Grebes have appeared across eastern North America in interior locations where they’re not normally observed. Red-necked Grebes feed mostly on fish and crustaceans, along with some insects. They hunt visually in relatively clear water, from the top of the water to the bottom, if they can reach it. Sometimes, like loons, they submerge their heads partially while floating, scanning for prey, which they capture by diving and then grasping rapidly with the bill. They swallow small fish whole, headfirst, usually while still underwater. When they catch larger fish or crustaceans, Red-necked Grebes normally return to the water’s surface and prepare for swallowing the prey item by shaking and biting it. During winter, they eat fish and occasionally shrimp. When nesting, they consume almost any sort of aquatic animal or insect available, including smaller fish, salamanders, frogs (including tadpoles), amphipods, leeches, crayfish, small clams, damselflies, dragonflies, spiders, and many sorts of aquatic beetles and flies. Predators such as American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), common ravens (Corvus corax), gulls, bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), American coots (Fulica americana), raccoons (Procyon lotor), minks (Neovison and Mustela), and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are known to feed on red-necked grebes eggs and chicks. When small and young are not upon their parent’s back, they may be in danger of being eaten by large fish such as northern pikes (Esox lucius) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) and mink often attack adult birds while they are incubating their eggs. Parasites and roundworms can also infect this species. Some breeding pairs may also display aggressive behavior towards the young of other birds, occasionally killing another pair's chicks. In response to predators, red-necked grebes are known to jab towards them with their bills or give a hissing call. They may also cover their eggs with nesting material before leaving their nests. Males and females give a rapid, whinnying trill that sometimes becomes a louder braying or honking (during courtship or conflict), mostly on the breeding grounds. Mated pairs sometimes purr softly, and birds warning or attacking other waterbirds occasionally hiss. Wintering birds are seldom vocal, but they may call occasionally on calm days in late winter and early spring, as the breeding season approaches. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is an Australian passerine songbird, one of two species from the family Menuridae, with the other being the much rarer Albert's lyrebird. It is one of the world's largest songbirds, and is renowned for its elaborate tail and courtship displays, and its excellent mimicry. The Superb Lyrebird size can range from 80-100 cm tall including the tail. Both male and female are similar in colour with brown feathers on the upper part of the body, and lighter brown and red throat markings. The tail feathers are dark brown above and silver grey below. Their beak, legs and feet are black. Superb lyrebirds exhibit polygyny, with a single male mating with several females. A male's territory can overlap with up to six female territories. Within his territory, the male will construct several circular mounds of bare dirt on the forest floor, for the purpose of conducting courtship displays. The Superb Lyrebird's preferred habitat is moist forests and woodlands. They generally roost in trees at night and forage on the ground during the day. Lyrebirds rarely move long distances, tending to stay within a 10 km radius of their preferred habitat. The Superb Lyrebird feeds on seeds, insects, spiders, worms, frogs, and smaller invertebrates. They find food by scratching with their long and sharp claws under leaf litter. They tend to forage alone unless with young. Superb lyrebirds are vulnerable to native predatory birds such as the collared sparrowhawk, gray goshawk, and currawongs. Nests are particularly vulnerable to predation, but adults are also vulnerable due to their loud calls. The Superb Lyrebird is an expert mimic. Able to copy both natural and mechanical sounds, the Suberp. Lyrebird composes these sounds into an inspiring song. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is a penguin species in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely related to the Adélie penguin and the chinstrap penguin. The earliest scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a type locality in the Falkland Islands. Gentoo penguins have orange-red bills and feet that set them apart from their close relatives, the Adélies and chinstraps. Gentoos also have a white "cap" extending from eye to eye over the top of their heads. 61 to 76 cm (24 to 30 in.) 5.5 to 6.4 kg (12 to 14 lbs.) Gentoo penguins are diurnal and social birds, breeding in colonies and remaining together for the rest of the year. They typically live and breed in the same areas. Gentoos are very shy and do not tend to defend their territories. When encountering a predator, they will simply retreat. Gentoo penguins are native to sub-Antarctic islands where chilly temperatures allow for ideal breeding, foraging and nesting conditions. Despite living in cold climates, gentoo penguins typically live in ice-free areas like flat, rocky beaches and low-lying cliffs where large colonies of individuals can gather. Gentoo penguins are opportunistic hunters. Their diet is quite diverse and varies with season and location. They usually eat a mix of crustaceans, small fishes and squid. Predators of gentoo penguins include other birds and sea animals. In the sea, leopard seals, sea lions and killer whales are all predators of the gentoo. On land, no predators of full-grown, healthy gentoo penguins exist. Skuas and giant petrels regularly kill many chicks and steal eggs; petrels kill injured and sick adult gentoos. Gentoo penguins communicate with each other through a squawking vocalization. These calls typically are higher pitched and louder in males. Here is a link so you can hear this penguin too.

Pesquet's parrot, (Psittrichas fulgidus) also known as the Dracula parrot or as the vulturine parrot, is a member of the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. It is the only member of the genus Psittrichas. It is endemic to hill and montane rainforests in New Guinea. The Dracula parrot is a medium-sized bird that weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. They have black plumage with a velvety texture and crimson feathers on their undersides. Their beak is hooked, and their eyes are a striking shade of yellow. This bird is only found in the rainforests of the hills and mountains of New Guinea, usually at elevations of between 1968 and 3937 feet, though they’ve been found as low as 98 feet and as high as 6562 feet. They roost high up in tall trees and prefer to hop from one limb to another instead of flying. Unfortunately, this makes them easier for predators to catch. Pesquet's parrot is a highly specialised frugivore, feeding almost exclusively on a few species of figs. Flowers and nectar have also been reported. In parts of its range, it is seasonally nomadic in response to the availability of fruits. Though not much is written about the parrot’s natural predators, like other parrots it is probably subject to predation by birds of prey, snakes, and bats, especially when it’s young. Fortunately, it is spared predation by monkeys as New Guinea does not have monkeys. But the Dracula parrot’s most dangerous predator is the human, which hunts it for its feathers and destroys its habitat through logging. Pesquet's Parrot utters harsh, screeching calls, like cockatoos, but softer and more high-pitched. It also gives disyllabic nasal squeak. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. This compact, dashing falcon has a relatively square-cut tail and rather broad-based pointed wings, shorter than those of other falcons. Its wingbeat tends to be rapid with occasional glides, wings held close to the body. The Merlin is second only to the peregrine falcon, cruising at speeds in excess of 70 kilometres per hour. Merlins breed in open and semiopen areas across northern North America. The boreal subspecies usually nests near forested openings, in fragmented woodlots, near rivers, lakes, or bogs, and on lake islands. The Pacific Northwest subspecies seems to nest mostly in coastal areas and along rivers. The prairie subspecies nests in shrubs and trees along rivers and in small groves of deciduous trees planted as wind breaks. Merlins are increasingly breeding in towns and cities, where they often take over crow nests in conifers planted in residential areas, schoolyards, parks, and cemeteries. During migration Merlins stop in grasslands, open forests, and coastal areas. They winter in similar habitat across the western United States and southern United States, along the Pacific coast to Alaska, and along the Atlantic coast to southern New England. Their wintering range extends south through Latin America as far as Ecuador. Merlins eat mostly birds, typically catching them in midair during high-speed attacks. They often specialize on hunting a couple of the most abundant species around; prey are generally small to medium-sized birds in the 1–2 ounce range. Common prey include Horned Lark, House Sparrow, Bohemian Waxwing, Dickcissel, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, and other shorebirds. They don’t stoop on birds the way Peregrine Falcons do; instead they attack at high speed, horizontally or even from below, chasing the prey upwards until they tire. Other prey include large insects such as dragonflies, bats caught at cave openings, nestling birds, and small mammals. Merlin pairs have been seen teaming up to hunt large flocks of waxwings: one Merlin flushes the flock by attacking from below; the other comes in moments later to take advantage of the confusion. Adult merlins may be preyed on by larger raptors, especially peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus), eagle-owls (e.g., great horned owl, Bubo virginianus), and larger Accipiter hawks (e.g., northern goshawk, A. gentilis). In general however, carnivorous birds avoid merlins due to their aggressiveness and agility. During the breeding season they are highly territorial around the nest, chasing away other Merlins and potential predators. Merlins are monogamous during a breeding season, but 80 percent find new mates from year to year. When courting, Merlins (particularly males) perform spectacular flight displays, including bursts of strong, level flight while rocking side to side in the air; deep U-shaped dives; and slow, fluttering flights in a circle or figure-eight near to a perched mate. Both sexes claim their territory by soaring high in the air near their nest. Males also make a slow landing next to their mate, keeping their legs outstretched, bowing the head, and fanning the tail; he may bring food for the female. Outside of the breeding season, Merlins are usually solitary. However, they sometimes migrate in loose groups, roost communally, or spend the winter in pairs. Adults may be preyed on by Peregrine Falcons, Great Horned Owls, Cooper’s Hawks, and Red-tailed Hawks. Both sexes give a shrill, chattering call that can last 4 seconds. It’s used in courtship as well as aggressive situations. Merlins also have a short chip note used as a contact call and in courtship displays. The male’s is higher pitched than the female’s. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common species of wren that is a resident in the eastern half of the United States of America, the extreme south of Mexico, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Ontario. The Carolina Wren is a small but chunky bird with a round body and a long tail that it often cocks upward. The head is large with very little neck, and the distinctive bill marks it as a wren: long, slender, and downcurved. At 12.5 to 14 cm (4.9 to 5.5 in) long, with a 29 cm (11 in) wingspan and a weight of about 18 to 23 g (0.63 to 0.81 oz), the Carolina wren is a fairly large wren; the second largest in the United States species after the cactus wren. Their preferred habitat is in dense cover in forest, farm edges, and suburban areas. This wren is the state bird of South Carolina. Seven recognized subspecies occur across the range of these wrens and they differ slightly in song and appearance. Carolina wrens are mainly insectivores that eat near or on the ground. They eat spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, stick bugs, snails, ants and bees. They will also visit backyard bird feeders, including platform and suet feeders. Owls, small hawks, foxes and house cats take adult wrens. Raccoons, opossums, mink, weasels, mice, squirrels, woodpeckers and snakes raid wrens' nests. Only male Carolina Wrens sing—a series of several quick, whistled notes, repeated a few times. The entire song usually lasts less than 2 seconds and the notes are usually described as three-parted, as in a repeated teakettle or germany. Each male has a repertoire of up to several dozen different song variations. He'll sing one of these about 15 times before changing his tune. Carolina Wrens have a large repertoire of calls, including loud repeated rasping, chattering, and a rising and falling cheer. When they hear an intruder encroaching on their territory, male Carolina Wrens sometimes fly in short bursts, slamming hard into surfaces with an audible whirring of their wings. Wrens in Florida "drum" palmettos in this way, apparently in an attempt to get intruders to show themselves. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The double-crested cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes and in coastal areas and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. Double-crested Cormorants are large waterbirds with small heads on long, kinked necks. They have thin, strongly hooked bills, roughly the length of the head. Their heavy bodies sit low in the water. has a body length of between 70 and 90 cm (28 and 35 in) long, with a wingspan of between 114 and 123 cm (45 and 48 in). Double-crested cormorants weigh between 1.2 and 2.5 kg (2.6 and 5.5 lb). Double-crested cormorants are gregarious birds that are almost always near water. Their main two activities are fishing and resting, with more than half their day spent on the latter. When at rest, a cormorant will choose an exposed spot on a bare branch or a windblown rock, and often spread its wings out, which is thought to be a means of drying their feathers after fishing. (Cormorants have less preen oil than other birds, so their feathers can get soaked rather than shedding water like a duck’s. Though this sounds like a liability, this is thought to be an adaptation that helps cormorants hunt underwater more effectively.) When swimming atop the water, cormorants ride very low, and often only their long necks are evident. Before a cormorant takes off in flight, it tends to stretch its neck in the direction it intends to fly. When it comes in for a landing, a cormorant will puff out the orange skin on its neck and, after touchdown, give a ritual little hop. If one cormorant encroaches on the space of another, such as in competition over a nest site, the cormorants will face off, stretch their necks, and open their mouths wide open to show off the blue color inside while shaking their heads and hissing at each other. To attract a mate for the season, a male cormorant will choose a nest site and then stand with his breast down and bill and tail up, showing off the crests on his head and bright colors of his neck and his eyes, grunting and slightly waving his outstretched wings. When a female arrives, she is greeted by the male opening his mouth into a gape, showing off the blue inside. Double-crested Cormorants are colonial waterbirds that seek aquatic bodies big enough to support their mostly fish diet. However, they may roost and form breeding colonies on smaller lagoons or ponds, and then fly up to 40 miles to a feeding area. In addition to fishing waters, cormorants need perching areas for the considerable amount of time they spend resting each day. A cormorant’s diet is almost all fish, with just a few insects, crustaceans, or amphibians. They eat a wide variety of fish (more than 250 species have been reported), and they have impressive fishing technique: diving and chasing fish underwater with powerful propulsion from webbed feet. The tip of a cormorant’s upper bill is shaped like a hook, which is helpful for catching prey. When cormorants happen to catch a crustacean like a crayfish, they exhibit a little flair in eating it—hammering the prey on the water to shake its legs off, then flipping it in the air and catching it headfirst for easy swallowing. Gulls, crows, blue jays, raccoons, red foxes and coyotes prey on cormorant eggs and chicks. The Double-crested Cormorant makes deep, guttural grunts that sound a bit like an oinking pig. They grunt when taking off or landing, or during mating or aggressive displays, but otherwise are generally silent. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The elegant trogon, (Trogon elegans) previously known as the coppery-tailed trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family native to Central America. The etymology of the word trogon comes from the Greek word trōgein, meaning "to gnaw", which describes how this species prepares its nests in trees. Elegant Trogons are medium-sized stocky, potbellied birds. They are larger than a robin, with a large, round head, a thick neck, large eyes, and a short, stout bill. Trogons perch upright with their long square-tipped tails pointing straight down. Elegant Trogons are mostly found in forested mountain canyons, particularly among sycamores, pines, and oaks. They can also be found in juniper habitats and where cottonwood-oak, Douglas-fir, and mesquite cover is limited. Throughout its range, the Elegant Trogon lives in the widest variety of habitats of any trogon, ranging from sea level to about 6,200 feet in Guatemala. Trogons are found in four mountain ranges in Arizona, the Atascosas, the Santa Ritas, the Huachuchas, and the Chiricahuas. Within those mountains, trogons select canyons with sycamore trees in the riparian area, and pines and oaks in the watersheds. Nests of trogons are mainly found in sycamores, but can also occur in oaks. Elegant Trogons are omnivorous, eating mainly insects and fruit. They eat a wide variety of insects, in particular grasshoppers and caterpillars, particularly in the breeding season. Other foods include cherries, grapes, figs, chokecherry, and buckthorn. Compared to the diet of birds that frequent the upper canopy, the Elegant Trogon's diet contains a large proportion of animal matter. Trogons, especially males, forage in oak trees and fruit-bearing plants as well as dead or dying trees. Both parents deliver insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, butterflies, leafhoppers, dragonflies, bees, and wasps to their young. Elegant Trogons forage in the lower forest canopy (around 25 feet off the ground), where they sit motionless and scan neighboring branches, leaves, and trunks with almost imperceptible movements of their heads. When they spot something on a limb or in the air, they burst into flight to catch it by surprise. Song is a hoarse series of downslurred notes sometimes increasing in loudness. The notes are repeated 5–10 times with a pause before the next set. The song rate of males is generally much greater than females. Calls are generally a long drawn out note or a short series of quick harsh notes. Here so you can listen to this bird too.

The wood stork is a large American wading bird in the family Ciconiidae, the only member of the family to breed in North America. It was formerly called the "wood ibis", although it is not an ibis. It is found in subtropical and tropical habitats in the Americas, including the Caribbean. Wood Storks are hefty wading birds with football-shaped bodies perched atop long legs. They have a long neck and a long, thick bill that is curved at the tip. They fly with their neck and legs outstretched but tend to perch with the neck drawn in, giving them a humpbacked appearance. It is 40-44 inches in length with a wingspan of five feet. When flying to foraging areas, the wood stork averages a speed of about 24.5 kilometres per hour (15.2 mph). In flapping flight it does 34.5 kilometres per Hour. Wood Storks breed in fresh and brackish forested wetlands. They forage in wetlands, swamps, ponds, and marshes with water depths of around 4–12 inches. They tend to use open wetlands more frequently for foraging than closed canopy wetlands. Wood storks feed on a variety of prey items including fish, frogs, crayfish, large insects, and occasionally small alligators and mice. However, fish make up the bulk of their diet, especially fish ranging in size from 1-6 inches. Predators of the wood stork include raccoons (which predate on chicks), crested caracaras, which prey on eggs, and other birds of prey, which feed on eggs and chicks. Hunting and egg-collecting by humans has been implicated as a factor in the decline of South American wood storks. Wood Storks are usually silent, but nestlings make a ruckus at the breeding colonies. Nestlings make a loud nasal sound, a bit like a braying donkey. Wood Storks make a clattering sound by snapping their bills together during courtship. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a New World vulture and the largest North American land bird. It became extinct in the wild in 1987 when all remaining wild individuals were captured, but has since been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon area and Zion National Park), the coastal mountains of California, and northern Baja California in Mexico. It is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps, although four extinct members of the genus are also known. The species is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as Critically Endangered, and similarly considered Critically Imperiled by NatureServe. California Condors are the largest wild birds in North America. The wings are exceptionally long and broad, with impressive wingspans of 9.5 feet and weights of around 20 pounds, and with long primary feathers giving a fingered look to the wingtips. In flight the body is noticeably bulky, the head appears small, and the tail is short and broad. The exact lifespan of a California condor is unknown, but they are estimated to live over 60 years. Condors roost on large trees or snags, or on rocky outcrops and cliffs. Nests are located in caves and ledges of steep rocky terrain or in cavities and broken tops of old growth conifers created by fire or wind. Foraging habitat includes open grasslands, oak savanna foothills, and beaches adjacent to coastal mountains. Condors do not kill for food; they are carrion eaters and feed on the carcasses of mammals including deer, marine mammals such as whales and seals, and cattle. A condor may eat up to 3 to 4 pounds of carrion at a time and may not need to feed again for several days. Although adult condors have no predators (other than humans), eggs and chicks may be attacked in the nest by ravens or golden eagles. Condors are usually silent, but can issue a variety of hisses and snorts particularly when defending nest sites. Newborn chicks hiss, wheeze, and grunt at adults. Wing movements by these giant birds can generate sounds heard over a half-mile away. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) or common flicker is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. The northern flicker is a large brown woodpecker. It has a white tail with black bars and a black tip, a light brown to off-white breast with black to brown spots. it has a black "bib" on its upper chest. Males have a black or red "mustache" that runs from its bill down to its cheek. Larger than a robin, it measures 12 to 14 inches. Its wingspan can reach 18 to 21 inches. The flickers feet are short with two toes in front and two toes behind. Northern Flickers don't act like typical woodpeckers. They mainly forage on the ground, sometimes among sparrows and blackbirds. When flushed, flickers often perch erect on thin horizontal branches rather than hitching up or around a tree trunk. Look for Northern Flickers in woodlands, forest edges, and open fields with scattered trees, as well as city parks and suburbs. In the western mountains they occur in most forest types, including burned forests, all the way up to treeline. Northern Flickers eat mainly insects, especially ants and beetles that they gather from the ground. They also eat fruits and seeds, especially in winter. Flickers often go after ants underground (where the nutritious larvae live), hammering at the soil the way other woodpeckers drill into wood. Young in the nest are vulnerable to nest predators such as raccoons, squirrels, and snakes. Once they reach adulthood, northern flickers are preyed upon by several birds of prey that specialize on hunting birds. In eastern North America this includes Cooper's hawks and sharp-shinned hawks. Northern Flickers make a loud, rolling rattle with a piercing tone that rises and falls in volume several times. The song lasts 7 or 8 seconds and is quite similar to the call of the Pileated Woodpecker. You’ll hear it in the spring and early summer, while pairs are forming and birds are establishing their territories. Flickers make a loud single-note call, often sounding like kyeer, about a half-second long. When birds are close together and displaying they may make a quiet, rhythmic wick-a, wick-a call. Male and female Northern Flickers make a loud, evenly spaced, rapid drumming sound by hammering against trees or metal objects. You can often see a drumming bird pause, move its head just an inch or so away, and then begin drumming again with a very different quality of sound. Flicker drumming lasts about a second, during which the bird strikes the tree around 25 times. Drumming in woodpeckers takes the place of singing in songbirds. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), also called the Manchurian crane or Japanese crane (simplified Chinese: 丹顶鹤; pinyin: dāndǐng hè , the Chinese character '丹' means 'red', 顶 means 'crown' and 鹤 means 'crane'), is a large East Asian crane among the rarest cranes in the world. In some parts of its range, it is known as a symbol of luck, longevity, and fidelity.

Adult red-crowned cranes are named for a patch of red bare skin on the crown, which becomes brighter during the mating season. Overall, they are snow white in color with black on the wing secondaries, which can appear almost like a black tail when the birds are standing, but the real tail feathers are actually white. Males are black on the cheeks, throat, and neck, while females are pearly gray in these spots. The bill is olive green to a greenish horn, the legs are slate to grayish black, and the iris is dark brown.

Juveniles are a combination of white, partly tawny, cinnamon brown, and rusty or grayish. The neck collar is grayish to coffee brown, the secondaries are dull black and brown, and the crown and forehead are covered with gray and tawny feathers. The primaries are white, tipped with black, as are the upper primary coverts. The legs and bill are similar to those of adults but lighter in color. This species is among the largest and heaviest cranes, typically measuring about 150 to 158 cm (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 2 in) tall and 101.2–150 cm (3 ft 4 in – 4 ft 11 in) in length (from bill to tail tip). Across the large wingspan, the red-crowned crane measures 220–250 cm (7 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in).Typical body weight can range from 4.8 to 10.5 kg (11 to 23 lb), with males being slightly larger and heavier than females and weight ranging higher just prior to migration. On average, it is the heaviest crane species, although both the sarus and wattled crane can grow taller and exceed this species in linear measurements.

On average, adult males from Hokkaidō weighed around 8.2 kg (18 lb) and adult females there averaged around 7.3 kg (16 lb), while a Russian study found males averaged 10 kg (22 lb) and females averaged 8.6 kg (19 lb); in some cases, females could outweigh their mates despite the males' slightly larger average body weight. Another study found the average weight of the species to be 8.9 kg (20 lb). The maximum known weight of the red-crowned crane is 15 kg (33 lb). Among standard measurements, the wing chord measures 50.2–74 cm (19.8–29.1 in), the exposed culmen measures 13.5–17.7 cm (5.3–7.0 in), tail length is 21.5–30 cm (8.5–11.8 in), and the tarsus measures 23.7–31.9 cm (9.3–12.6 in).

In the spring and summer, the migratory populations of the red-crowned crane breed in Siberia (far eastern Russia), Northeast China and occasionally in north-eastern Mongolia (i.e., Mongol Daguur Strictly Protected Area). The breeding range centers in Lake Khanka, on the border of China and Russia. Later, in the fall, they migrate in flocks to the Korean Peninsula and east-central China to spend the winter. Vagrants have also been recorded in Taiwan Province. In addition to the migratory populations, a resident population is found in eastern Hokkaidō, Japan. This species nests in wetlands, marshes and rivers. In the wintering range, their habitat consists mainly of paddy fields, grassy tidal flats, and mudflats. In the flats, the birds feed on aquatic invertebrates, and, in cold, snowy conditions, the birds switch to mainly living on rice gleanings from the paddy fields.

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The pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) or desert cardinal is a medium-sized North American songbird found in the American southwest and northern Mexico. This distinctive species with a short, stout bill and red crest and wings, and closely resembles the northern cardinal and the vermilion cardinal, which are in the same genus. They're closely related to Northern Cardinals, but they are a crisp gray and red, with a longer, elegant crest and a stubby, parrotlike yellow bill. Pyrrhuloxias are habitat specialists, so look for them in desert scrub of the Southwest. The Pyrrhuloxia is an opportunistic and omnivorous bird that forages on the ground and in the shrubbery, eating seeds, fruits, and large insects. It gleans seeds from thistle grass, doveweed, sandbur, panicum, sorghum, pigweed, yellow foxtail, joint grass, crabgrass, wiregrass, and spurge. The fruits in its diet include cactus fruits, nightshade fruits, and elderberries, though it eats much less fruit than the Northern Cardinal does. The Pyrrhuloxia also feeds on blooming saguaro cacti, likely eating the flowers’ nectar and pollen. It catches grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, stinkbugs, cicadas, weevils, and cotton cutworms. Predators of Pyrrhuloxias and their nests include feral and domestic cats, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, and Greater Roadrunners. The Pyrrhuloxia’s clear, whistled songs are very similar to those of the Northern Cardinal (one familiar example being the repeated what-cheer song) though slightly softer and more reedy. Males have around a dozen songs, each 2–3 seconds long, which they sing frequently to establish and maintain territories. Two neighbors may sing in unison or alternately across a territory boundary. Females occasionally sing while defending nests. Pyrrhuloxias make a sharp, metallic cheek or chip note, similar to that of the Northern Cardinal but lower in pitch. Other calls include a chattering contact call, a series of soft chipping notes during foraging, and a tseep call used by begging fledglings. Pyrrhuloxias often call while in flight. Males make fluttering sounds with their wings while flying after females during courtship. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The white-tipped quetzal (Pharomachrus fulgidus) is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae found in Venezuela, Colombia, and Guyana. Two subspecies have been described. Elegant large trogon with a black tail tipped with white below, and lacking a crest. Has golden-tinged green upperparts and breast and bright red belly; bill is yellow. Female has a gray bill, gray-brown lower breast, and white barred undertail with white tips. The White-tipped Quetzal occurs in the Santa Marta mountains of northern Colombia and in the mountain ranges of northern Venezuela. Ranging form 900 to 2500 meters, it occurs in a wide variety of habitats from sub-tropical to temperate forests, cloud forests, secondary growth and forest edge. They feed on fruits and berries which it plucks while sallying from a perch though it been seen eating a large lizard on at least one occasion. Predators of the White-tipped quetzal have not been recorded, however Trogons have reportedly been preyed upon by predatory mammals and hawks. Perches at medium to high levels in the forest. Song is a loud and melancholic series of “WHOOOou hoo hoou”; call is similar to that of Barred Forest-Falcon. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The American bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) or simply bushtit is a social songbird belonging to the genus Psaltriparus. It is one of the smallest passerines in North America and it is the only species in the family Aegithalidae that is found in United States; the other seven species are found in Eurasia. Tiny, kinglet-sized birds. They are plump and large-headed, with a long tail and a short, stubby bill. Plain brown and gray overall, but plumage color varies geographically. Bushtits usually inhabits mixed open woodlands, which contains oaks and a scrubby chaparral understory. It can also be found residing in gardens and parks. Bushtits eat mostly small insects, and can be hard to attract to feeders. You can help make your yard inviting to them by planting native shrubs and small trees. The main predators that the Bushtit has to worry about are the sharp-shinned hawk and other birds. Bushtits are active birds that use lots of contact calls, but they don’t really have a song. Occasionally, several individuals gathered together make a long, drawn-out series of quiet twitters and chips. Bushtits make several kinds of short, high, wispy contact calls or chip notes. These help group members know where flockmates are. They can intensify to indicate nesting activities or when mobbing predators or confronting opponents. Individuals that get separated from a group make a rapid series of high-pitched chip notes that carries well. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird as well

The great spotted kiwi (Apteryx haastii), great grey kiwi or roroa is a species of kiwi endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. The great spotted kiwi, as a member of the ratites, is flightless. It is the largest of the kiwi. It is a large pale kiwi with brownish-grey finely mottled feathers or banded horizontally with white, a long pale bill, and short dark legs and toes often with dark or dark streaked claws. Great spotted kiwi live in forested mountains from sea level to 1,500 metres but mainly in the subalpine zone of 700-1,100 metres. They use a wide variety of habitats, including tussock grasslands, beech forests, podocarp/hardwood forests, and scrub. Great spotted kiwi eat mostly small invertebrates, especially earthworms and larvae of beetles and cicadas; they also eat centipedes, spiders, beetles, weta, snails and freshwater crayfish. Some small fallen fruit and leaves are eaten. Because adult great spotted kiwis are large and powerful, they are able to fend off most predators that attack them, such as stoats, ferrets, weasels, pigs, brush possums and cats, all of which are invasive species in New Zealand. However, dogs are able to kill even adults. Male gives a high-pitched ascending whistle repeated 10-20 times, female gives a slower and lower pitched ascending trill repeated 10-15 times. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The golden-headed quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps) or corequenque is a strikingly coloured bird in the genus Pharomachrus. It is found in moist mid-elevation forests from eastern Panama to northern Bolivia. The golden-headed quetzal is known for its iridescent green colour, which it shares with other quetzals, and its distinctive golden head. Golden-headed quetzals inhabit areas of Central and South America. P. a. auriceps is found in eastern Panama (Cerro Pirre mountain) as well as in the Andes spanning from southern Colombia to eastern Peru and northern Bolivia. The golden-headed quetzal's diet consists mainly of fruit, and occasionally insects. It is generally a solitary and quiet bird unless it is breeding season, when the male and female become a monogamous pair and create a cavity nest in an old tree. Listen for mournful song, a repeated “go home, go home, go home.” Here is a link if you want to listen to this bird.

The vampire ground finch (Geospiza difficilis septentrionalis) is a small bird native to the Galápagos Islands. It was considered a very distinct subspecies of the sharp-beaked ground finch endemic to Wolf and Darwin Islands. The vampire finch is sexually dimorphic as typical for its genus, with the males being primarily black and the females grey with brown streaks. It has a lilting song on Wolf, a buzzing song on Darwin, and whistling calls on both islands; only on Wolf, a drawn-out, buzzing call is also uttered. The vampire finches are found only on Wolf and Darwin, the two northernmost islands of the archipelago and remote even by Galápagos standards. Both islands are tiny, each less than a square mile, and are separated from the larger islands by 100 miles of open ocean. This bird earns its common name from its unusual diet. It occasionally drinks the blood of Nazca or blue-footed boobies. The sharp-beaked ground finch normally feeds on seeds and insects, but such things can often be in short supply on Darwin and Wolf. They have no specific predators, except for the larger local birds, and a few introduced species of mammals. This bird has a lilting song on Wolf, a buzzing song on Darwin, and whistling calls on both islands; only on Wolf, a drawn-out, buzzing call is also uttered. Here so you can hear this bird too.

The Galápagos penguin is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands and Ecuador. It is the only penguin found north of the equator. Most inhabit Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island. The cool waters of the Humboldt and Cromwell Currents allow it to survive despite the tropical latitude. Galapagos penguins have a thin white band that runs under their chin and a black upside down horseshoe shape around their belly. The Galapagos penguin may look like the magellanic penguin but they are smaller and their black markings on their belly are thinner. They are found mainly on Isabela and Fernandina islands but they can also be seen on Floreana, Santiago and Bartolome. People often swim with them around Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome. Their diet consists primarily of cold water-schooling fish, such as anchovies, sardines and mullet, which are able to live in the Galapagos Marine Reserve thanks to the cold waters of the Humboldt Current. On land, snakes, owls and hawks are potential predators, but predation by them is generally minimal. Introduced cats and rats frequently attack both adults and eggs. In the sea, penguins may be hunted by sharks, fur seals or sea lions, and they are sometimes caught as bycatch in fishing nets. The Galapagos Penguin's call is a distinctive honking bray, given mainly on the breeding grounds. This vocalization helps individuals to identify both their mates and their chicks. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The northern hawk-owl (Surnia ulula) is a medium-sized true owl of the northern latitudes. It is non-migratory and usually stays within its breeding range, though it sometimes irrupts southward. It is one of the few owls that is neither nocturnal nor crepuscular, being active only during the day. A bird of boreal forests, the Northern Hawk Owl behaves like a hawk but looks like an owl. Its oval body, yellow eyes, and round face enclosed by dark parentheses are distinctly owl. Its long tail and habit of perching atop solitary trees and hunting by daylight, though, are reminiscent of a hawk. Northern Hawk Owls reside in open coniferous or mixed forests bordering open areas or marshes dotted with trees that provide good perches. Burned areas of the boreal forest also provide good nest sites and foraging areas. Northern hawk owls eat voles, shrews, lemmings, snowshoe hare, squirrels, weasels, grouse, ptarmigan, and various small birds. Northern hawk owls must remain wary of natural predators such as the northern goshawk, great horned owl, golden eagle, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, and lynx. In addition, marten and weasel are known to prey on eggs and nestlings. Males sing a rolling whistled ulululululul, that lasts around 14 seconds during display flights to attract a mate. Females have a similar, but shorter and hoarser song. Their alarm call is a harsh screech followed by a faster and repeated raspy kip. Fledglings give a high-pitched scream. Here is a link so you can hear this bird too.

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin, like the American flamingo. Roseate Spoonbills are pale pink birds with brighter pink shoulders and rump. They have a white neck and a partially feathered, yellowish green head from which their red eyes shine. Juveniles are paler pink and have a completely feathered head for 3 years until they attain adult breeding plumage. The roseate spoonbill is a resident breeder in South America, generally east of the Andes, and coastal areas of Central America, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico (Dumas 2000). Mangrove islands and occasionally dredge-spoil islands are the preferred nesting habitat for the species. Using its spoon-like bill to scoop prey up from shallow water, the roseate spoonbill's diet typically includes minnows, small crustaceans, insects and bits of plants. They feed in the early morning and evening hours in both fresh and saltwater wetlands. Alligators and coyotes have been known to prey on this bird. Roseate Spoonbills are usually silent except at the breeding colonies. There, they make low grunting sounds when they are startled, while greeting their mates, and while feeding their young. Courting birds softly click their bills together to make a faint rattling sound. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.

The Puerto Rican tody (Todus mexicanus) is a bird endemic to Puerto Rico. It is locally known in Spanish as "San Pedrito" ("little Saint Peter") and "medio peso" ("half-dollar bird"). Adults are almost entirely bright green above with a red chin and throat patch, white malar stripes, yellow flanks, and a long bill. The Puerto Rican Tody is a common and widespread endemic to Puerto Rico from the coast to the Mountains. Its' habitat are forested areas, including damp forests of hills and mountains, shade coffee plantations and dense thickets in the arid lowlands of the south coast. The Puerto Rican tody is primarily insectivorous (85.9% of its diet). Todies eats katydids, grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs, dragonflies, flies, beetles, spiders (8.2%), and occasionally small lizards (3.5%) and frogs. During the past, the Puerto Rican tody suffered from human predation as it was captured as food. Currently it suffers from nest predation by introduced Indian mongooses. Puerto Rico Tody makes loud, nasal “beep”. It also utters raspy calls “neeet” or “prrrrrreeet”. This bird produces rattling sounds with the wings when it performs short flights. Here is a link so you can listen to this pretty little bird.

The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of 89–114 centimetres (2 ft 11 in – 3 ft 9 in) and wingspan of 2.17–2.44 m (7 ft 1 in – 8 ft 0 in) it is the largest species of frigatebird. The magnificent frigatebird has a long gray bill with a hooked tip. It has a deeply forked, scissor-like tail and sharply pointed wings. In the breeding season, male magnificent frigatebirds have a bright red throat pouch that they puff out to attract a mate. Females have white throats and bellies. Magnificent Frigatebirds range along coasts and islands in tropical and subtropical waters. They nest and roost in mangrove cays on coral reefs and in low trees and shrubs on islands. Magnificent Frigatebirds forage over warm oceans far out to sea, along the coast, and in shallow lagoons. Magnificent Frigatebirds range along coasts and islands in tropical and subtropical waters. They nest and roost in mangrove cays on coral reefs and in low trees and shrubs on islands. Magnificent Frigatebirds forage over warm oceans far out to sea, along the coast, and in shallow lagoons. Magnificent Frigatebirds eat primarily flying fish, tuna, herring, and squid, which they grab from the surface of the water without getting wet. They also eat plankton, crabs, jellyfish, and other items on the surface of the water including discarded fish from fishing boats. Magnificent Frigatebirds are usually silent at sea, but sometimes give a grating call when coming in for a landing or while fighting with each other above the colony. Males make guttural drumming sounds during courtship. Juveniles beg for food with harsh screams. During breeding and courtship males and females make clicking noises with their bills. Males also use their bill to tap on the inflated gular sac, making drumming sounds. Here is a link to listen to this bird if you are so inclined.

The white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) is a wading bird in the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. This species breeds colonially in marshes, usually nesting in bushes or low trees. The white-faced ibis frequents marshes, swamps, ponds and rivers. It nests in isolated colonies from Oregon to Kansas, but its center of greatest abundance seems to be in Utah, Texas and Louisiana. In Texas, they breed and winter along the Gulf Coast and may occur as migrants in the Panhandle and West Texas. White-faced Ibises eat mostly invertebrates such as earthworms, crayfish, and insects. They are both visual and tactile feeders, foraging by lowering their bills into the water or mud to feel for prey, or by swinging the bill side to side through water. They also pick at prey near the water’s surface or on vegetation. They forage mostly in moist soil or wetlands, though they have been observed probing gopher mounds in dry fields. The bulk of their diet consists of earthworms, crustaceans (particularly crayfish), spiders, snails, clams, leeches, and various insects and their larvae—dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, midges, beetle, flies, and bugs. They take vertebrate prey such as fish, frogs, and even small rodents as well, sometimes rinsing larger prey items in water before consuming them. Unlike the Glossy Ibis, which eats large quantities of rice, White-faced seems not to regularly eat seeds or plant material. White-faced Ibises sometimes utter a soft oink call when feeding, flying, or interacting at the nest. Alarmed birds or those in conflict make a drawn-out gheeeeee that is similar to the repeated geeeeeek of a male returning to the nest. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too.