2022 Bonanza Bird #1

Kicking Off the 14th Annual Birdorable Bonanza with the White-tailed Eagle

Birdorable White-tailed Eagle

Today marks the exciting start of our 14th annual Birdorable Bonanza, where we introduce 10 new birds to our collection. The celebration begins today and will continue through December 14th. Kicking off this year's bonanza is the majestic White-tailed Eagle, an impressive addition as our 766th species and the 51st bird of prey in our lineup.

The White-tailed Eagle is a magnificent bird of prey, distinguished by its brown body plumage, which varies from light brown on the upper parts to darker brown on the underparts. True to its name, this bird is easily recognized by its striking white tail, which contrasts beautifully with its overall darker plumage. Adding to its imposing presence are its large yellow beak and powerful feet, features that underscore its status as a formidable predator in the wild.

Birdorable White-tailed Eagle merchandise like this unisex sweatshirt is available on Amazon.

Tomorrow we'll add an Old World species of waterfowl named for its color. They are found across much of Asia and have isolated populations in Europe and Africa. Can you guess what our new Birdorable bird will be?

Cute White-tailed Eagle Gifts

2020 Bonanza Bird #25

The Majestic Javan Hawk-Eagle: A Symbol of Indonesia's Endangered Raptors

Birdorable Javan Hawk-Eagle

Today’s new Birdorable is a bird of prey endemic to Indonesia. The Javan Hawk-Eagle can only be found on the island of Java.

Adult Javan Hawk-Eagles can be recognized by their very tall dark head crests and dark brown upperparts. They also have heavily barred underparts. Young birds have little to no barring and are lighter, more rufous in color.

Javan Hawk-Eagles are endangered, primarily due to habitat loss. The population trend is decreasing, and there is currently no plan in place to help the species recover. It is thought the Javan Hawk-Eagle may face extinction in as few as 5 years if a conservation plan is not implemented in time.

Tomorrow we’ll add an endemic hornbill of the Philippines named in part for the color of its body. There are 10 hornbill species found in the Philippines – can you narrow it down to our bird?

Cute Javan Hawk-Eagle Gifts

2020 Bonanza Bird #20

Verreaux's Eagle: The Powerful Black Eagle of Africa and the Middle East

Birdorable Verreaux's Eagle

Today’s new species is a large type of eagle found across parts of Africa and the Middle East. Verreaux’s Eagle joins Birdorable today!

The species, also known as the Black Eagle, was named for a French naturalist who collected the specimen used to first describe the bird for western science. Jules Verreaux visited Africa in the early 1800s on a expedition for the French Academy of Sciences.

An adult Verreaux’s Eagle can be recognized by its mostly black body plumage, white back, and very large size, all of which makes them virtually unmistakable across their range.

Verreaux’s Eagles have extremely specialized prey; they feed mostly on small mammals called hyraxes. The preferred habitat of the eagle corresponds to this prey preference; they can be found in dry and rocky environments where hyraxes thrive.

Rock Hyrax
Rock Hyrax by by Berndard DUPONT (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Tomorrow’s new Birdorable has ‘robin’ in its name but it is neither a thrush nor a flycatcher. Can you guess this Australian species named for the color of its breast?

Verreaux's Eagle Gifts

Cute Birdorable Black-and-chestnut Eagle

Today's new bird is an endangered raptor from South America: the Black-and-chestnut Eagle!

The Black-and-chestnut Eagle is a large species of eagle found in mountain habitat across a small range in South America, from Argentina to Venezuela. They are named for their striking black and chestnut plumage, which is complemented by white under the wings and a white stripe on the tail. These birds also have a head crest which is typically in the raised position, even while in flight. The crest may be lowered if the bird is experiencing stress or fear.

Black-and-chestnut Eagles are considered to be Endangered, mainly due to habitat loss. As they are known to eat large birds, including domestic fowl, they also face persecution from farmers.

Tomorrow's new bird will be a small sparrow with a widespread distribution over much of North America. Can you guess the species?

Cute Black-and-chestnut Eagle Gifts

Birdorable Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle

As 2017 winds down, it's time for us to reveal some new birds as part of our annual Birdorable Bonanza! This time we'll introduce 12 birds, from November 24th through December 5th.

Today's new bird joins the Birdorable raptor family.

The Black-and-white Hawk Eagle is a large species of raptor found in forested habitats across parts of South and Central America. They hunt a variety of prey items, usually while soaring at fairly high altitude.

Black-and-white Hawk-Eagles are named for their contrasting plumage. The head and chest are white while the back, wings, and markings around the eye are black.

Spizaetus melanoleucas
Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle by Dick Culbert

Tomorrow our Bonanza will continue with a new bird in the corvid family, named for one of its favorite foods. Can you guess the species?

Cute Hawk-Eagle Gifts

Birdorable Steller's Sea Eagle

Our special 10th anniversary 2016 Birdorable Bonanza continues today with the third bird in the series: the Steller's Sea Eagle, a very large raptor that lives in coastal habitats in northeast Asia. These powerful, heavy birds are among the world's largest eagles, along with the Philippine Eagle of the Philippines and the Harpy Eagle of South America.

Steller's Sea Eagles feed mainly on fish hunted in relatively shallow freshwater. They also take other items as prey, including seabirds like gulls, ducks, and herons.

The Steller's Sea Eagle is considered to be vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), and its population is in decline. It faces threats including loss of habitat due to human development and water pollution from industry and agriculture.


Photo by Alastair Rae (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Tomorrow's new bird is known for its special plumage. Its greens are truly green, and its reds are truly red. Can you guess what the species is?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition rolls on today with a large species of eagle: the White-bellied Sea Eagle!

Birdorable White-bellied Sea Eagle

White-bellied Sea Eagles are large birds of prey found across parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Indian Subcontinent. It is found in both coastal and inland habitats.

The White-bellied Sea Eagle is also known as White-breasted Sea Eagle. Like many birds of prey, this species is an opportunistic carnivore. The diet is extremely varied and includes aquatic animals like fish and turtles. They take other prey items, including land animals like opossum, as well as birds. White-bellied Sea Eagles also readily consume carrion and will even steal food items from other predatory birds.

The White-bellied Sea Eagle is considered to be culturally significant across several communities within their geographic range. Some indigenous tribes in Australia thought the bird to be a guardian animal. Traditional tales from groups on the Andaman Islands and in some Malaysian communities include the White-bellied Sea Eagle in their mythology.

Photo point- white bellied sea eagle
White-bellied Sea Eagle by shankar s. (CC BY 2.0)
white bellied sea eagle 6Photo by Jim Bendon (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The White-bellied Sea Eagle joins Birdorable today as our 634th cute cartoon bird. Tomorrow's bird is from the same family as one of the birds we featured earlier this month, but this one has a helmet on. Can you guess what it will be?

Today our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues with the largest bird of prey found in Australia, the Wedge-tailed Eagle!

Birdorable Wedge-tailed Eagle

Wedge-tailed Eagles are named for the unique shape of their tails. Across their range, which includes all of mainland Australia as well as Tasmania and southern New Guinea, they are fairly common. In fact, they are the most common of the world's large eagle species.

Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
Wedge-tailed Eagle by Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0)

Wedge-tailed Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle by James Niland (CC BY 2.0)

Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
Wedge-tailed Eagle by Patrick_K59 (CC BY 2.0)

Wedge-tailed Eagles are non-migratory and established mated pairs will defend their territory throughout the year, even outside of breeding season. Earlier this year a territorial Wedge-tailed Eagle was captured on video taking down a drone.

 

 

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is our 622nd Birdorable bird and our 44th cute Birdorable bird of prey. Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with an unusual Asian forest species with fire in its name. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Cute Wedge-tailed Eagle Gifts

Happy Saturday! Today's Bonanza bird is the African Fish-Eagle.

African Fish-Eagle

African Fish-Eagles are large birds of prey that live in sub-Saharan parts of Africa. They eat a lot of fish (hence the name), but they will also steal prey from other birds or take a variety of other prey items including small turtles, other birds, or even monkeys.

Khalahi
African Fish-Eagle by Jason Wharam (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The African Fish-Eagle has a stable wild population in its rather large natural range. It is the national bird of three African nations: Zimbabwe, South Sudan, and Zambia.

african fish eagle

Tomorrow we'll add a stocky finch species with a very, very big beak. This bird is found across parts of Europe and Asia.

bonanza-2013-preview-25

2013 Bonanza Bird #10

The Long-Crested Eagle: A Striking Bird from Sub-Saharan Africa

As we continue our exciting journey towards our 500th Birdorable species, we're delighted to introduce a new bird each day. Today, we're proud to feature the Long-crested Eagle, a majestic bird of prey that adds a touch of wild elegance to our growing collection.

The Long-crested Eagle is a striking bird found in various parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Its preferred habitats include forested areas and the edges of forests, where it can take advantage of both open spaces and wooded cover. These eagles have also adapted to living in cultivated lands, demonstrating their versatility and ability to coexist in modified landscapes.

One of the most notable characteristics of the Long-crested Eagle is its vocal nature. These birds are not shy about making their presence known. They are known to be very vocal, emitting calls both in flight and while perched. Their calls become even more frequent and intense during the breeding season, serving as a means of communication between mates and a way to establish and defend their territory.

Long-crested eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
Long-crested eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) by Lip Kee (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Long-crested Eagle is easily identifiable by its prominent crest, from which it gets its name. This crest, along with their striking plumage and formidable presence, makes them a fascinating species for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers.

Tomorrow's bird is a New World warbler named for what it eats, sort of.

bonanza-2013-preview-11

Cute Long-crested Eagle Gifts