In 1782, the turkey narrowly missed out on the bald eagle for being named the national bird of the United States. However, as a symbol of family gatherings and gratitude, the appeal of the turkey ...

Most geese are generally gregarious birds who form flocks during migration and outside of the breeding season. If you've seen a flock of geese, you may already know that they can be rather noisy, but ...

Love them or hate them, Pigeons are among the most abundant and successful bird families on the planet, with about 350 species distributed on six continents. They can be particularly common in urban ...

As a short winter's day ends and the light fades from the sky, a dense, pulsating, and humming mass materializes against the amber, blues, and violets of dusk. A flock of Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), ...

Flamingos are a type of wading bird best known for their striking pink plumage, long slender legs, S-shaped necks, and their thick downward pointing bills. They are part of the family Phoenicopteridae ...

Those familiar with the fairytale “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Andersen may remember how the ‘ugly duckling’ in the story was actually a baby swan and not a duckling at all! In real life, ...

A group of ravens is called an unkindness — but why? Discover the origins of this and other raven collective nouns, plus the truth about raven behaviour and intelligence. A group of ravens is ...

Herons are large, striking birds from the Ardeidae family that contains some 64 species. Herons, bitterns and egrets belong to the same family and are all wading birds with long legs, necks and bills.

Magpies are a key member of the intelligent Corvidae family, and there are some 17 species distributed across much of the world. The commonest magpies are the Eurasian magpie and Black-billed magpies, ...

Basics of Bird Mating: Birds mate briefly, often in seconds, despite elaborate mating displays. The act of mating, typically known as a "cloacal kiss," involves the cloaca, a single opening serving ...

Flamingos are an iconic breed of bird, recognised by most people the world over, but actually seen in the flesh by far fewer, due to the locations of their habitats. There are in fact six species of ...

Roadrunners more than make up for their smaller stature and lack of coloration with their lightning-fast speed; you might be surprised to learn these lanky birds are actually fierce predators.