We recently added the Northern Bald Ibis to Birdorable. This bird is a non-wading species of Ibis with a feather-free head. Along with the Southern Bald Ibis, these birds prefer arid landscape over wetlands, and will breed on cliffs rather than in trees. These traits, along with their bald heads, separates these two species of ibis from all others. Unfortunately, the Northern Bald Ibis is a critically endangered species. Originally native to the Middle East, north Africa and south Europe, the species is no longer found in Europe and is declining in its remaining range. A group of 500 wild birds in Morocco make up the bulk of the population today. There are approximately 1100 Northern Bald Ibises living in captivity. The guidelines for conservation and reintroduction of the species were established at an International Advisory Group for Northern Bald Ibis (IAGNBI) conference in 2003. The release of captive birds into the wild has not been successful so far, but several different groups are hard at work on discovering a successful method of release to increase the wild population. Interestingly, the Northern Bald Ibis became one of the world's first protected species by decree of the Archbishop Leonhard of Salzburg in 1504. Despite this status the species still died out in Austria, along with the rest of Europe. And its struggles continue today. If you'd like to learn more about the Northern Bald Ibis and the work being done to save this critically endangered species, visit the IAGNBI website.

Northern Bald Ibis by Luke Robinson, on Flickr

The Hooded Pitta is a passerine that lives in eastern and southeastern Asia. Their habitat is typically forest and woodland or cultivated land (farms and plantations) adjacent to forest. They eat insects, larvae, worms, snails and berries. Both parents contribute to caring for eggs and raising hatchlings. They are widespread in their natural range and have a conservation status of 'least threatened.' Like most of our Birdorable birds, the Hooded Pitta was added to our collection of bird illustrations after a customer request. From exotic and rare beauties to your favorite backyard birds, we always love to hear customer suggestions. We can't always add a requested bird immediately, but we'll be sure to let you know when your request is added to products. I hope you like our new Birdorable Hooded Pitta!

A new bird recently added to Birdorable is the African Penguin. The African Penguin lives on the southwest coast of Africa. The species is also called Black-footed Penguin and is the only species of penguin to breed in Africa. African Penguins have pink glands around their eyes which become darker or lighter depending on how hot the bird is feeling. Dark glands indicate the bird is hot; more blood is being routed there to be cooled. It's like a built-in air-conditioner/temperature gauge!

One particular African Penguin became very famous in the late 2000's when he suffered feather loss. Pierre the penguin was living at the California Academy of Sciences at the time of his 2004 molt, which seemed might be his last. The loss of feathers threatened Pierre's life, not to mention his social standing among his fellow penguins. To help Pierre, scientists and wetsuit manufacturers devised a penguin-sized neoprene wetsuit for the bird. The wetsuit saved Pierre and eventually the lost feathers grew back. Here's a short video that chronicles Pierre's situation.

You can pick up unique Birdorable African Penguin swag in our shop. Here's a sampling of what's available.

The Great Blue Turaco is a real showstopper. As the largest bird in the turaco family, it’s hard to miss with its vivid colors and impressive size. One of the most striking features of the Great Blue Turaco is its head crest. Thick and dark, the crest stands out prominently, making this bird look even more majestic. But that's not all. The Great Blue Turaco's bill is another standout feature, a striking combination of red and yellow, adding a splash of color to its already beautiful appearance.

This bird is native to central Africa and can be found in countries like Cameroon, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Unlike some of its relatives, the Great Blue Turaco is not currently threatened, which is great news for bird lovers. It thrives in a variety of habitats, including tropical forests, savannas, and even human-altered landscapes like gardens and plantations.

The diet of the Great Blue Turaco is quite diverse. These birds love to feast on fruit, but they don't stop there. They also eat leaves and flowers, making them important players in their ecosystem. By consuming and dispersing seeds, they help maintain the health and diversity of their habitats.

While the Great Blue Turaco is relatively safe in the wild, it does face some threats. In some areas, they are hunted for their meat and feathers. Their feathers are particularly prized for their beauty and are often used in traditional ceremonies and decorations.

Despite their popularity among bird watchers and enthusiasts, Great Blue Turacos are rarely found in captivity. However, there are a few exceptions. The San Diego Zoo, which boasts the largest collection of bird species in the United States, has a Great Blue Turaco in their collection. This gives visitors a rare opportunity to see this magnificent bird up close. Similarly, the zoo in Antwerp has a pair of these beautiful birds, offering another chance for people to admire them.

For those who can't make it to these zoos, here's a short video from the San Diego Zoo showcasing their Great Blue Turacos:

Like all of our cute Birdorable birds, our Great Blue Turaco illustration is available on a wide variety of apparel options and novelty gift items. Pictured here are two t-shirt styles; visit the Great Blue Turaco product page in our shop for more gift ideas.

We are so pleased to introduce our newest Birdorable bird: the Indian Peafowl! The Peacock has been one of the most suggested birds here at Birdorable. This gorgeous species is the national bird of India, and we've added a Peafowl of India design to the shop, as well as products featuring the Peacock by itself - including cute custom shoes pictured below.

Peafowl appear countless times in Indian mythology and popular culture. During our travels in India, we often came across Peacock imagery, like at the City Palace of Jaipur:

We also saw several of them during our visits to natural parks, and once were even so lucky to find a male in full breeding splendor!

Peacocks appear not only in Indian art and nature, but in advertisements too:

Peacock Brand by Meanest Indian

Peacocks are indeed striking when in full breeding plumage. They sport about 150 long display feathers, which are not tail feathers but elongated upper tail coverts. These are shed each year during their annual molt and often collected afterward due to the prized decorative value of the feathers. Here are some more photos of this gorgeous species.

Nice peacock! by Tambako the Jaguar

Peacock dancing in the wild by Tarique Sani

A peacock #02 by *higetiger

Our latest Birdorable parrot is the Bourke's Parrot or "Bourkie", a colorful grass parrot from Southwestern and Central Australia, where they are endangered due to overstocking and rabbit plagues. In some parts of Western Australia populations have recently increased after grazing was scaled down, allowing vegetation to return. If you like our Birdorable Bourkie don't forget to check out our 50+ other parrots and parakeets.

The Northern Fulmar is a petrel that lives in the northern oceans, across the Atlantic and Pacific. It is abundant in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, but few people ever see them there as they tend to breed in remote places. In contrast, around Iceland, the Faroe Islands and British Isles they have undergone a spectacular increase in their population in the last two centuries and they are commonly seen as a result. They are one of the longest-lived birds, with an average life span of about 32 years. In Scotland, birds that were banded in 1951 were still found breeding in 1990 at ages likely greater than 50 years!

Photo by diddý (source: Flickr)

It is similar in appearance to a gull, but stockier with a thick neck and more rounded wings. They have a short, thick bill, with a little tube on top. Fulmars come in many different colors, referred to as light morph, intermediate morph and dark morph, but also in every gradation in between. There is no generally accepted explanation for this variety.

Here is a picture of a dark morph Northern Fulmar:

Photo by Glen Tepke (source: Flickr)

If you like our cute Northern Fulmar, check out our other 233 Birdorable birds.

The Great Blue Heron is our 227th cute Birdorable and the answer to yesterday's Spot the Birdorable. If you live in North America you've probably seen these around near water as they are quite common. It has several nicknames, including Big Cranky, Blue Crane, Long John and Poor Joe. Did you know that all Herons have two or more patches of powder-down feathers on their breasts? The feathers break up into a fine power when crushed. The birds apply this powder to areas of blood, mud or slime to absorb the mess. Once it has clumped up they can just scrape it off with their feet. They also sprinkle the powder on fish that they just caught to more easily clean off the slime and oil before eating it.

Photo by Gary Woodburn (via Flickr)

If you like this bird see our other egrets and waders. We've also added the grey equivalent of this bird: the Grey Heron, which can be found across temperate Europe, Asia and parts of Africa.

Have you ever seen a Heermann's Gull? These birds live on the west coast of the United States and Mexico. There are about 150,000 pairs of them and 95% of these nest on the island of Isla Rasa off Baja California. Audubon calls it one of North America's most beautiful gulls. Among other gulls in this area, Heermann's Gulls are easy to identify: breeding adults are dark gray above and light gray below, they have a white head and bright red bill with black tip. They are about the same size as a Ring-billed Gull. Isla Rasa is included in the Islas del Golfo California Biosphere Reserve. Because so many of these birds nest in one place, the entire species is vulnerable to disturbances there, which include harvesting of eggs by fishermen, industrial development and predation by introduced mammals.

Photo by Mike Baird (via Flickr)

Photo by Mary Angelini (via Flickr)

If you like this cute gull, check out our other Birdorable terns and gulls.

Today we've added the Sacred Ibis, a bird that lives in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Europe, where it was introduced. The Sacred Ibis is famous for its role in ancient Egyptian mythology, where it was often mummified as a symbol of the god Thoth, God of wisdom. In art, Thoth was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon. Its name means "He who is like the ibis".

The bird may have been sacred in Egypt, but in Europe it is having a negative impact. An increasing population of Sacred Ibises in France and southern Europe are devastating breeding colonies of terns and herons. They also compete successfully for nest sites with Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets. In the late 1970s, just twenty Sacred Ibis were originally imported from Kenya to the Branféré Zoological Gardens in southern Brittany, France. A breeding colony was established and spread to neighboring wetlands. A census in 2005 revealed circa 3,000 of the birds.

Photo by Ruslou (via Flickr)

If you like this bird please check out our other Birdorable ibises.