Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition rolls on today with an unusual species of grouse from South America: the Helmeted Curassow!

Helmeted Curassows are large grouse found in the Venezuelan and Colombian Andes Mountains. They can be found in subtropical cloud forest habitat. Their diet primarily consists of seeds and fruits. They will also feed insects and small animals.

The Helmeted Curassow is recognized by the large blue-grey casque, or "helmet", on its forehead. This unsual feature gives the species its name. Both males and females have the casque and look alike. A rare color morph can be found in some females where the plumage is rufous with barring.

Helmeted Curassows are considered to be Endangered by the IUCN. Their current range is heavily segmented along the eastern Andes mountains in Venezuela and Colombia and the species faces major threats from habitat loss and hunting.

Photo by Jason Wesley Upton (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Helmeted Curassow by Jean (CC BY 2.0)

The Helmeted Curassow joins Birdorable today as our 635th cute cartoon bird. Be sure to check out our selection of apparel and gifts featuring our Birdorable Helmeted Curassow.

Tomorrow our Bonanza will reveal a spotted species of sparrow. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

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?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues today with a beautiful and colorful sea duck: the Harlequin Duck!

Harlequin Ducks are very beautiful sea ducks found along coastal waters across North America and eastern Asia. The species prefers fast-moving water and will frequently breed near fast-flowing streams.

The male Harlequin Duck has a striking plumage for which the species is named. Harlequin was a colorful masked character from an Italian style of improvisational comedy theater called "commedia dell'arte". Harlequin was a relatively late addition to the art form, and was popularized when the theater movement gained success in France.

The Harlequin Duck's colorful plumage gives it a lot of interesting alternative local names, including Painted Duck, Totem Pole Duck, White-eyed Diver, and Blue Streak. They have also earned the nicknames Sea Mouse and Squeaker from one of their more un-ducklike high-pitched vocalizations.

Harlequin Ducks feed by diving or by dabbling. They will take marine invertebrates, fish, and aquatic insects as prey. Algae and seeds may also be consumed.

Harlequin Duck by peggycadigan (CC BY 2.0)

Harlequin Duck by Matt Tillett (CC BY 2.0)

The Harlequin Duck is our 633rd Birdorable bird. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable Harlequin Duck!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with the largest bird of prey of Australia. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues today with a widespread species of songbird: the American Pipit!

American Pipits are small- to medium-sized songbirds found on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Outside of North America the species is known as the Buff-bellied Pipit.

The American Pipit is a migratory species. In North America, the pipits breed in tundra and alpine habitat across Canada and Alaska. They winter as far south as Central America. Birds on the other side of the ocean, in Asia, also breed in alpine or tundra habitat, as far north as Sibera. These birds winter in southern parts of Asia, including on the Indian subcontinent.

American Pipits spend a lot of time on the ground. Nesting occurs in a shallow cup made of dried vegetation built directly on the ground. Feeding also frequently takes place on the ground, where they glean prey items from low-hanging vegetation or ground cover.

American Pipit by Francesco Veronesi (CC BY-SA 2.0)

American Pipit by Nick Varvel (CC BY 2.0)

The American Pipit is our 632nd Birdorable bird. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable American Pipit!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a wild and crazy duck. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues today with a parrot that lives Down Under: the Superb Parrot!

The Superb Parrot is a medium-sized species of parrot endemic to Australia, where it is found in the southeastern states of New South Wales and Victoria. They consume a diet primarily made up of plant material, including seeds, fruits, flowers, pollen, and nectar.

Superb Parrots have a mostly green body plumage. Male birds have yellow across the forehead, face, and neck, which is outlined by red at the top of the breast. They have pretty orange or yellow-orange eyes.

Superb Parrots are found in aviculture, or the pet bird trade, where they are known to live up to 30 years. They are known by other names in aviculture, including Barraband's Parrot, Barraband's Parakeet, and Green Leek Parrot.

Superb Parrot by Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0)

The Superb Parrot is our 631st Birdorable bird. Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a songbird found on both sides of the Pacific Ocean that goes by two common names. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues today with a bird named for its remarkable bill: the Rhinoceros Hornbill!

The Rhinoceros Hornbill is a large species of hornbill that lives in parts of southeast Asia, including Malaysia, where it is the national bird. They live in forest habitat and are non-migratory, though birds may move outside of breeding season if availability of food dictates.

Like all of the birds in their family, Rhinoceros Hornbills have very large bills with a large casque, or protrusion to the upper beak. The bill is horn-colored with red or orange coloration which varies in intensity from bird to bird. The sexes are similar in appearance, though male birds have larger beaks and casques and females lake the black outline between the two. They also have different colored eyes: males have red or orange eyes, while females have light, whitish eyes.

Rhinoceros Hornbills are considered to be Near Threatened by the IUCN. They face loss of habitat due to logging and agricultural land use, as well as direct threats from hunting and collecting.

Rhinoceros hornbill by Antoine Hubert (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Rhinoceros hornbill by Tambako The Jaguar (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Rhinoceros hornbill by Jim Bowen (CC BY 2.0)

The Rhinoceros Hornbill is our 630th Birdorable bird.

Tomorrow's bird is a parrot with a superb name. Can you guess what it will be?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues today with a pretty black-and-white flycatcher from the Old World: the Collared Flycatcher!

The Collared Flycatcher is a pretty black-and-white species of songbird found in the Old World. These flycatchers are migratory; they breed across parts of Europe and winter in southeastern parts of Africa.

As one would expect, Collared Flycatchers feed on flying insects. They also eat other insects like ants and spiders, as well as snaile. They may also feed on seeds and berries found in their preferred forested habitat.

Collared Flycatchers nest in cavities, using tree holes or nest boxes. An open nest is constructed inside the cavity for incubation and brooding. During the nesting and fledgling stages, young Collared Flycatchers or unhatched eggs may fall prey to Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Via scientific bird ringing or banding, it is known that the longest-lived wild Collared Flycatcher reached nearly 8 years of age.

Photo by Andrej Chudý (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Photo by Stefan Berndtsson (CC BY 2.0)

The Collared Flycatcher is our 629th Birdorable bird. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable Collared Flycatcher!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a bird named for its very large beak. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues today with a gull found on two continents: the Gray-hooded Gull!

The Gray-hooded Gull, also known as the Grey-headed Gull, is a small species of gull found across parts of South America and sub-Saharan Africa. These birds breed in both coastal areas as well as around inland freshwater bodies.

Gray-hooded Gulls take two to three years to reach full maturity and adult plumage. Breeding adult birds are grey around the face with a faint darker outline. Wings appear grey with black primary feathers, while the underparts and neck are white.

In 2011 a vagrant Gray-hooded Gull was found by birders on Coney Island in New York. That bird may be the northernmost recorded bird of its species. You can read about this interesting sighting on Amar Ayyash's North American Birding article The Coney Island Gray-hooded Gull.

Grey-headed gull by Bob Adams (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Grey-headed gull by Ian White (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The Gray-hooded Gull is our 628th Birdorable bird. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable Gray-hooded Gull!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with an Old World pied flycatcher. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition is rolling along! Today's new bird is a South American species of flycatcher: the Many-colored Rush Tyrant!

Many-colored Rush Tyrants are songbirds in the flycatcher family. They are found across much of southern South America. This colorful little bird comes from a family of rather dull-colored flycatcher species, making its multicolored plumage even more remarkable.

The Many-coloured (or -coloured) Rush Tyrant is found around wetlands and lakes, and in reeded marsh habitat. They feed by gleaning insects from reeds or stems. Prey is also captured on the wing or while the bird hunts by hopping or running across the ground.

Papa-piri / Many-colored Rush-tyrant by Joao Quental (CC BY 2.0)

The Many-colored Rush Tyrant is our 627th Birdorable bird. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable Many-colored Rush Tyrant!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a small gull found in both South America and sub-Saharan Africa. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Today our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues with a New World woodpecker: the Northern Flicker!

The Northern Flicker is a fairly common and widespread species across its range and can be found across North America. There are two living subspecies: the yellow-shafted and the red-shafted.

Yellow-shafted flickers show yellow under the tail and wings; these are found in the eastern part of the range. Red-shafted flickers are found in the west and show red under the tail and wings.

In the past, these subspecies have been considered completely separate full species. The closely related Gilded Flicker was formerly also considered to be the same species as the Northern Flicker.

Unusual among woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker can often be found feeding on the ground. They like to eat ants and other insects which they forage by probing the earth with their beaks.

Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) by wplynn (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) by Nick Varvel (CC BY 2.0)

Red-shafted Northern Flicker by Dominic Sherony (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Northern Flicker is our 626th Birdorable bird. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable Northern Flicker!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a small and very colorful flycatcher of South America. Can you guess tomorrow's species?