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?
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition rolls on today with a large species of eagle: the 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.
White-bellied Sea Eagle by shankar s. (CC BY 2.0)
Photo 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?
