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Discover the Fastest Animals in Illinois
When people think of Illinois, they think of Chicago, where you can see sleek skyscrapers and catch a Cubs game.…
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Animals
Anhinga
It dives without waterproof feathers, hunts snakes underwater, and nests beside birds of entirely different species. The snakebird breaks nearly…
Animals
Eider
The eider (Somateria) is a genus of large sea ducks in the cold northern hemisphere, inhabiting the Arctic tundra and…
Animals
Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher
Barely larger than a hummingbird and blazing with colors that seem almost too vivid to be real, this secretive forest…
Animals
King Eider
The king eider (Somateria spectabilis) is a large sea duck inhabiting Arctic tundra habitats over three continents. These ducks are…
Animals
Kea
The kea (Nestor notabilis) is a large parrot endemic to New Zealand’s South Island, where they inhabit steep mountains. Nicknamed…
Animals
Orchard Oriole
The orchard oriole (Icterus spurius) is a small passerine bird native to North and South America, inhabiting orchards and woodland…
Animals
Purple Gallinule
This vivid marsh bird walks on water, dives to escape predators, and occasionally shows up on the wrong side of…
Animals
Elephant Bird
Summary Elephant birds are an extinct family of flightless birds. They were believed to have existed on the islands of…
Animals
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small bird of prey native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. They inhabit coniferous…
Animals
Emperor Goose
The emperor goose (Anser canagicus) is native to the coastal tundra of western Alaska and eastern Russia, living near coastal…
Animals
Nightjar
By day, this nocturnal hunter vanishes completely against tree bark, yet by night it transforms into an agile aerial predator…
Animals
Oxpecker
This small African bird hitches rides on rhinos and hippos, eating parasites off their skin, but scientists discovered something unsettling…
Animals
Tawny Frogmouth
By day it vanishes into a tree branch. By night it ambushes prey with lethal precision. Australia's most photographed bird…
Animals
Great Kiskadee
The Great Kiskadee is a bright and colorful bird recognized by its yellow belly, reddish-brown back, and black and white…
Animals
Fulvous Whistling Duck
A duck that builds ramps to water, nests on four continents, and kicks predators without hesitation sounds like fiction, yet…
Animals
Eastern Kingbird
This unassuming black-and-white bird hides a fiery secret beneath its feathers and will fearlessly attack birds many times its size…
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The 5 Best Apps for Birdwatching and Bird Identification
Being on your phone while birding seems counterintuitive as you’re supposed to be observing your surroundings. There are certain apps,…
Animals
Bee-Eater
Eating nature's most venomous insects for every meal sounds like a death wish, yet one remarkable bird family has turned…
Animals
Swallow
Masters of aerial hunting found on every continent but one, swallows hide a few dark secrets beneath those glossy wings,…
Animals
European Goldfinch
The European goldfinch is a popular caged bird and is often illegally trafficked internationally. The European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) is…
Animals
Rough-Legged Hawk
The rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus), also known as the rough-legged buzzard, lives on three continents across 50 countries. It inhabits…
Animals
Ocellated Turkey
The ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) is endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula and parts of Belize and Guatemala. These birds are…
Animals
Ovenbird
This little warbler wears an orange mohawk, builds a domed oven on the forest floor, and inspired a Robert Frost…
Animals
Merganser
With serrated sawbills, iridescent heads, and a ruthless appetite for fish, these elegant freshwater hunters lead a surprisingly complex social…
Animals
Lesser Jacana
The lesser jacana is a small wader from Sub-Saharan Africa, where it inhabits freshwater wetlands with abundant vegetation. This species…
Animals
Common Green Magpie
The common green magpie is a medium-sized member of the crow family native to the lower Himalayas and Southeast Asia.…
Animals
Comb-crested Jacana
The comb-crested jacana is a sizable tropical wader from Asia and Australia. It inhabits permanent wetlands year-round with an abundance…
Animals
Nuthatch
You may have seen a nuthatch foraging for food along the trunk of a tree. They look like some tiny…
Animals
Conure
The conure is a loosely defined group of small to large parrots and parakeets classified in the family Psittacidae, native…
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House Wren vs. Carolina Wren
Wrens are small birds that sing beautifully and with purpose. Their name comes from their song, which sounds like someone…
Animals
Bronze-winged Jacana
The bronze-winged jacana is a large wader from Southeast Asia. They inhabit lowland wetlands, where they spend their time foraging…
Animals
Ayam Cemani
The Ayam Cemani is an exceptionally rare chicken species native to Java, Indonesia, where they are highly regarded and used…
Animals
Tufted Coquette
“They are often confused with bees because of their tiny size.” Summary The tufted coquette is a brightly-colored tiny hummingbird…
Animals
Blue Tanager (Blue-Grey Tanager)
A squeaky, restless songbird from the tropics is quietly pulling off one of the most surprising success stories in the…
Animals
Madagascar Jacana
The Madagascar jacana (Actophilornis albinucha) is a tropical wader endemic to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Southern…
Animals
Eastern Meadowlark
The Eastern Meadowlark’s bright yellow underbelly makes it easy to spot, especially in places like the United States, México, Venezuela,…
Animals
Northern Jacana
The northern jacana (Jacana spinosa) is a medium-sized wader. It inhabits marshes and swamps near coastal areas, where it spends…
Animals
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a large wader from Southeast Asia. They inhabit wetlands and large lakes where they…
Animals
Belgian Canary
The Belgian canary (Serinus canaria) is one of the most popular and influential canaries that helped develop some of the…
Animals
White-Crowned Sparrow
The white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is a medium-sized New World sparrow native to North America. It inhabits alpine meadows and…
Animals
Wattled Jacana
The wattled jacana (Jacana jacana) is a medium-sized wader native to most of South America. Freshwater wetlands are their preferred…
Animals
Elf Owl
The elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi) lives in North America in the Southwestern United States and throughout most of Mexico. It…
Animals
Xeme (Sabine’s Gull)
Sabine's gull breeds on the frozen Arctic tundra, steals fish from other seabirds, and trails behind whales to scavenge their…
Animals
Herring Gull
The herring gull, also known as the American herring gull (Larus smithsonianus), is native to North America, Europe, and Asia.…
Animals
Cedar Waxwing
Few backyard birds pass fruit to each other like old friends, yet the cedar waxwing turns this into a daily…
Animals
Jabiru
Once hunted to the brink of collapse, this towering stork now wades through South American wetlands with its mouth agape,…
Animals
Yellowhammer
This streaky yellow bunting speaks in regional dialects, interbreeds with a near-identical species, and hides its nest from a long…
Animals
Amazonian Royal Flycatcher
The Amazonian royal flycatcher is a medium-sized passerine bird native to the Amazon basin in South America. It inhabits humid…
Animals
Common Grackle
Loud, glossy, and flocking by the millions, this bold blackbird rules backyards and farmlands alike yet quietly teeters on the…