Nilgiri Flycatchers are a sought-after sighting in the higher altitude shola forests in the W Ghats and the Nilgiris (India). (Vidjit Vijaysanker)
Sword-billed hummingbirds are the sole member of the genus Ensifera and are found in the higher elevations of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. (Frank Thierfelder)“Warm heart” Fire-tailed myzornis prefer subtropical or tropical moist montane forests in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. (Soumyajit Nandy)Sarus cranes are non-migratory in the wetlands and uncultivated lands of the Indian Subcontinent, SE Asia and Australia. (Shreya Singha Ray)“Special blue” Mountain bluebirds prefer the open, mountainous country across W North America as far N as Alaska, and is the “state bird” of Idaho and Nevada. (John Carlson)“Landing gear” Sharp-tailed grouses are found throughout the remaining American prairies in the USA and Canada. (John Carlson)“Blue flash” Malachite kingfishers are small kingfishers that sit low to the water and feed on small fish, frogs and tadpoles throughout in Africa S of the Sahara. (Trevor Kleyn)“Forest flames” Flame bowerbirds are little-known and considered endemic to rainforests of New Guinea. (Markus Lilje / www.rockjumperbirding.com)“Run baby run!” Ostriches are distributed throughout Africa up to the Sahel and have gone extinct in Arabia. (Chad Wright)“Underground owl” Burrowing owls are considered Endangered in Canada, threatened in Mexico, and a “species of special concern” in Florida and most of the W USA. (Salah Baazizi)“Newest owl” Serendib scops owls were formally described as a new species in 2004 after being observed for the first-time on 23 January 2001 in Sinharaja (Sri Lanka). (Sabu Kinattukara)“Spike fan” Greater sage-grouse or “sage grouse” prefer the sagebrush habitat of W United States and S Alberta and Saskatchewan (Canada). (John Carlson}“Purple hovering” Violet sabrewings prefer the the understory and edges of mountain forests near permanent streams of S Mexico and Central America all the way S to Costa Rica and W Panama. (Jenny Alvarado)“Wattled runner” Yellow-wattled lapwings are endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, preferring the dry, sandy plains of the peninsula. (Hemant Kumar)“Snail cracker” Asian openbills prefer inland wetlands and are widespread and abundant in India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. (Hemant Kumar)“Ascending angel” Elegant tern are named for their delicate beauty and breed on the Pacific coasts of the S USA and Mexico, wintering S to Peru, Ecuador and Chile. (Salah Baazizi)“Dark rose” Dark-breasted rosefinches prefer the boreal forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. (Dibyendu Ash)“Metalworker” Coppersmith barbets prefer gardens, sparse woodland, and forest patches with sufficient dead wood for excavation throughout S Asia. (Deepansh Mishra)“Yellow flash” American yellow warbler are common throughout the United States and N South America, but are declining throughout their dustributional range due to habitat loss and pesticides. (Agniva Das )“Look-a-like” Common hawk-cuckoo are the same size and have a strong resemblence to the Shikra, both found on the Indian Subcontinent. Known as the “brain-fever bird” because of its repetitive call during summer. (Akshay Jadhav)“Smart percher” Ultramarine flycatchers are a small arboreal Old World flycatcher that breeds in the foothills of the Himalayas and winter in S India. (Akshay Jadhav)“Shy myna?” Asian pied starlings prefer the open plains and low foothills of the Indian subcontinent and SE Asia, moving around in small groups that forage together. (Arindam Saha)“National parrot” Cape parrots are endemic to South Africa’s yellowwood forest along mountain ranges with south-facing slopes in S and E South Africa. There are less than 1,000 remaining in the wild. (Rodnick Clifton Biljon)“Wing rider” A black crow riding the wing of an Endangered Cape vulture, which is considered endemic to S Africa. (Burkhard Schlosser)“Little beauty” Chinspot batis can be found in wooded habitat throughout S, central and E Africa in found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. (Chad Wright)
