Today our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues with an unusual heron-like bird endemic to New Caledonia: the Kagu.

The Kagu is a flightless bird with a pearly-grey plumage and bright orange legs and bill. The eyes are dark red. Kagus have a long head crest that may be used in territorial displays against other Kagu or as a threat to potential predators. And though they are flightless, the wings of the Kagu are far from useless. Adult birds will use a "broken wing" display to distract predators from their nest or chicks. When outstretched, the Kagu's wings have bold black and white stripes that also may serve to distract predators.

Kagu by Pierre Fidenci (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Another unique feature that Kagus have is their nasal corns. These are small corn-shaped flaps that rest over their nostrils. These flaps are though to protect the bird's airways when it forages by probing its beak in the earth.

Close-up of nasal corns

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Kagu is endangered. The current wild population consists of an estimated 250 to 1000 adult birds. They face threats including those from introduced predators, including dogs, deer, and feral pigs. The Kagu is our 618th Birdorable bird. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable Kagu!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a tropical grouse-like bird with a great "hair-do." Can you guess tomorrow's species?

The first bird in our seventh annual Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition is the darling little Cuban Tody!

The Cuban Tody is one of five species of tody in the world. All birds in the family are found in the Caribbean. Todies are related to kingfishers, rollers, and bee-eaters. Todies superficially resemble kingfishers in their general shape and colorful plumage.

True to its name, the Cuban Tody is found around much of Cuba. The species is widespread and fairly common across the island nation. Like the other todies, the Cuban Tody is a colorful little bird with a flat bill. The plumage is dominated by green and highlighted by red at the flanks and chin.

Cuban Tody by Francesco Veronesi (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Cuban Tody by Shawn McCready (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The Cuban Tody is our 617th Birdorable bird and our first bird in the tody family. Be sure to check out our collection of apparel and gifts featuring the Birdorable Cuban Tody!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a crested, bluish-grey bird that is endemic to the mountain forests of New Caledonia.

The Saker Falcon is one of our newest additions to Birdorable. The falcon, which is almost as large as the Gyrfalcon, breeds across parts of eastern Europe and much of central Asia. They prefer open plains and desert-type habitats and hunt by horizontal pursuit unlike the Peregrine Falcon that hovers and stoops down from great heights.

Saker Falcons are beautiful birds, with brown upperparts and contrasting grey flight feathers. The head and underparts are paler brown, with streaking from the breast down. The birds are excellent hunters and often take on prey that is larger than itself. Because they are so swift and powerful they are a popular falconry bird and have been used by humans in hunting for thousands of years.

In the Arabian Peninsula falconry is an integral part of desert life and Saker Falcons are the favorite bird of many Arab falconers. The birds are trapped in Arab countries on their migration to the Middle East or caught throughout Asia and sold to the Middle Eastern falcon market. Unfortunately this is one of the reasons the bird has been put on the endangered species list. Thousands of falcons are caught every year and sold illegally on the black market. In addition the species is facing pressure from habitat loss and destruction.

In contrast, the bird is strongly protected in Hungary, where it is the national bird. Even though Saker Falcons are relatively abundant in Hungary, numbers are still low; the estimated total European population  in 2010 was just 450 pairs, with 40% of these in Hungary and Slovakia. The Middle East Falcon Research Group has a nice table with estimated breeding populations in each country.

Check out these websites for more information about the Saker Falcon:

• Russian Raptor Research and Conservation Network
• Conservation of Falco Cherrug in NE Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia
• RSPB Project: Saving the Saker Falcon in Bulgaria
• Saker Falcon at Birdlife.org
• Arkive Saker Falcon Profile

Sakervalk by Tim Strater

Halcón Sacre by Ferran Pestaña

Today we've added our 600th Birdorable bird: the Tawny Owl!

The Tawny Owl is the most widespread species of owl across Europe. Tawny Owls are also found in western parts of Asia and northern Africa.

Tawny Owls are recognized by their tawny brown striped body plumage, large round heads which lack ear-tufts, and oversized brown eyes.

The Tawny Owl is primarily nocturnal, hunting prey items like small mammals and large insects. They prefer wooded habitat. They have adapted well to human development and will also inhabit parks and gardens.

The Tawny Owl joins Birdorable today as our 600th species! With the Tawny Owl, we now have 127 species found in Europe and 12 total species of owl in the Birdorable family.

The final new bird species in our 2014 Bonanza is a small, colorful species found in parts of Southeast Asia, the Black-and-yellow Broadbill!

The Black-and-yellow Broadbill is one of 15 species of broadbill in the world. Broadbills are found in sub-Saharan Africa and across Asia. The Black-and-yellow Broadbill is a resident species across parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Thailand.

Black-and-yellow Broadbill - Krung Ching - Thailand by Francesco Veronesi (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Black-and-yellow Broadbills make large pear-shaped purse-like nests that hang from tree limbs. The nests may be made from moss and leaf skeletons and be lined with roots and leaves. The clutch size is usually three eggs. The Black-and-yellow Broadbill joins Birdorable today as our 565th species, and our first broadbill. If you like this striking bird as much as we do, be sure to check out our selection of cute Birdorable Black-and-yellow Broadbill t-shirts and gifts. That wraps up our 2014 Birdorable Bonanza! Thanks for following our blog and stay tuned for more new birds to be added in the future!

The 6th bird in our 2014 Bonanza is a familiar species of gull. It's the Ring-billed Gull!

The Ring-billed Gull is a "white-headed" medium-sized species of gull found across much of North America. In fact, it may be North America's most common gull. They nest near bodies of fresh or marine water in colonial groups.

Ring-billed Gull by Amy Evenstad

Ring-billed Gulls are known for their skilled flying ability. They can be fast, graceful and agile on the wing. Ring-billed Gulls are even known to steal food from other birds -- in flight! They will practice this skill by playing with an object while in the air, dropping the object, and then swooping down to pick it up again. In non-breeding season, Ring-billed Gulls may roost and forage together in very large flocks, sometimes with other gulls. Ring-billeds seem to like their personal space: they will often stand evenly spaced, keeping at least 1 to 2 meters between each bird. The Ring-billed Gull joins Birdorable today, bringing our total number of bird species to 564. Our Bonanza concludes tomorrow with a striking bird of southeast Asia that also has "bill" in its name. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

The 5th bird in our 2014 Bonanza is an Australian songbird, the Black-throated Finch!

Black-throated Finches are granivorous, meaning they eat seeds and grains. They are endemic to Australia, where they are found in the northeast of the country, in Queensland. Historically they were also found along the eastern coast down in New South Wales, but their numbers have been declining. The species overall has a conservation status of Least Concern, but the southern population is considered to be Vulnerable by Australian authorities. Black-throated Finches are relatively sedentary (non-migratory), though they may change location in response to food availability during times of drought. The population faces threats from several factors, including loss of habitat from human development and predation by non-native mammals.

Black-throated Finch by Tim Lenz (CC BY 2.0; modified)

To learn more about this species, visit the Black-throated Finch Recovery Team website. The Black-throated Finch joins Birdorable today, becoming our 563rd species. We now have 24 species of finch. If you can't get enough of this darling Australian finch, be sure to check out our collection of cute Birdorable Black-throated Finch t-shirts & gifts!. Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a New World species that likes to live by water and is named for a feature on its beak. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

The fourth bird in our 2014 Bonanza is a North American wader with a curved bill.
It's the White-faced Ibis!

The White-faced Ibis is one of three ibis species found regularly in the United States. The White Ibis and Glossy Ibis are both restricted in range to the east and southeast of the U.S., plus northern parts of South America. The White-faced Ibis ranges in the central and western parts of North and Central America, ranging all the way to the Pacific Coast. There is a separate resident population in southeastern South America as well.

White-Faced Ibis - Explore #136 5-06-09 by Linda Tanner (CC BY 2.0)

White-faced Ibises breed and feed around marshy habitats. They forage by probing their curved bills into soft marshy substrate. They eat invertebrates like insects, snails, and worms. White-faced Ibises will also take prey items like frogs, crayfish, and small fish. The White-faced Ibis joins Birdorable today, bringing our total number of bird species to 562. We now have 21 wading birds and a total of six ibises. If you love ibises as much as we do, be sure to check out our cute Birdorable ibis t-shirts & gifts!. Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a small bird from Down Under named for its dark bib. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

The third bird in our 2014 Bonanza is a unique species of parrot, the Cape Parrot!

The Cape Parrot is endemic to South Africa. It is typically found in high altitude forest habitat, though it may also visit lowland coastal areas for feeding. Its diet consists of primarily fruits, seeds, and nuts. The Cape Parrot is Critically Endangered, due to habitat loss, persecution, and other factors. The species is particularly susceptible to certain disease outbreaks which takes a toll on the population as well. We can't talk about the Cape Parrot without talking about the closely related Uncape Parrot. The taxonomy of these species and subspecies has been in dispute and the Cape Parrot has only recently been recognized as a separate species. The Uncape Parrot is comprised of two main subspecies, known by the common names Brown-necked Parrot and Grey-headed Parrot. These are not considered threatened or endangered at this time.

Brown-necked Parrot by Alan Manson (CC BY-SA 2.0; modified)

The Cape Parrot and the Uncape Parrot both join Birdorable today, bringing our total number of bird species to 561. Our total number of parrots now stands at a whopping 90 species! Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a wading bird named for the color of its mug. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

The second bird in our 2014 Bonanza is a North American sparrow: the Song Sparrow!

In our clue yesterday, we indicated that the Song Sparrow is an LBJ with a lot of range. What did we mean? "LBJ" stands for "Little Brown Job", a phrase sometimes used to describe dull-colored small songbirds that may be difficult to identify. Song Sparrows are brown and streaky. They may be identified by the dark spot in the center of the breast, among other traits. When talking about range, we were referring to a few different things. Song Sparrows are found all over North America, so they have a large natural regional range. Song Sparrows are named for their song repertoire. In their voice they have a lot of range. Song Sparrows have over 20 recognized subspecies; up to 50 subspecies may exist. These differ in physical characteristics; the appearance of Song Sparrows has a lot of range.

Song Sparrow by Amy Evenstad

Song Sparrow joins Birdorable today as our 559th species, and our 10th species of sparrow. If you like Song Sparrows as much as we do, be sure to check out our selection of cute Birdorable Song Sparrow t-shirts and gifts. Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a species that comes with its own opposite! Can you guess tomorrow's species?