Why the Mourning Dove is called that, what American folk beliefs said about its call (rain, love, luck and death), its names in Cherokee, Navajo and Nahuatl, the doves of the Bible, and what modern ...

A Goldcrest's song is a very high, thin run of notes rocking between a higher and a lower pitch, ending in a short flourish; the calls are thin and high. Listen to recordings from Britain, see them as ...

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, ...

Lovebirds are small, brightly coloured Old World parrots, native to Africa, with a reputation for being fiercely loyal, loving companions once they have found their “soulmate”. They are commonly kept ...

Crows have a reputation as being not only highly intelligent birds, but also very social ones. The loud, intense cawing of a crow is an unmistakable sound, and is used as a form of communication ...

Most birds are harmless creatures that pose no danger to humans. Geese have a notorious reputation for terrorizing unsuspecting people, however. But why are geese aggressive? Do they deserve their ...

Lively and active members of the parrot family, cockatoos have a long tradition of being kept as pets. But the idea that they may outlive their owner is in fact a very real possibility. So, how long ...

The Rainbow Lorikeet is a vibrant, small parrot with striking multicoloured plumage. Its head is deep blue, contrasting with a bright green back, wings, and tail. The chest is bold orange-red, while ...

Penguins are easily one of the most popular animals on the planet! There are 18 species of penguins that live solely in the Southern Hemisphere, stretching from Antarctica north to the Galapagos ...

Adult cassowaries have a very distinctive appearance; their large bodies are covered with long, lustrous black feathers, with bright blue skin on their featherless necks, and a dense, bony casque on ...

One of the world’s most widespread birds and has been valued and cherished by humans for at least five millennia. Domesticated and trained for sport and transporting messages, these birds originated ...

There are many different species of eagles, many of which are mainly solitary. Still, many types of eagles are also quite sociable and will hang out in groups generally outside of the breeding season.