We're thrilled to continue our journey towards our 500th Birdorable species by introducing a new bird each day. Today, we're excited to showcase the Bearded Barbet, a remarkable and visually striking bird native to the western regions of Africa.

Known for their stocky build, these birds boast a bold and vibrant plumage. The combination of deep red and black feathers, complemented by a distinctive yellow eye patch, makes the Bearded Barbet an extraordinarily beautiful and eye-catching bird.

One of the most striking features of the Bearded Barbet, as its name suggests, is the pronounced bristles around its face. These bristles, or barbs, are a characteristic trait of the barbet family, which consists of 84 species spread across South America, Africa, and Asia. The word 'barbet' is believed to be derived from the word 'barb', possibly referring to these distinctive bristles that resemble 'feather shaft branches' or 'plant hairs'. Among all its relatives, the Bearded Barbet has the most pronounced bristles, making its name a fitting description of its appearance.

Bearded Barbet (Lybius dubius) by Leszek.Leszczynski

Bearded Barbets are known to have a relatively long lifespan, living up to 15 years. They are also known to breed well in captivity and are a common sight in zoos and aviaries around the world. This adaptability to captive environments has made them a favorite among bird enthusiasts and conservationists.

Tomorrow's new species is a bird of prey that belongs in the falcon family but sometimes acts more like a vulture! Check out the blog tomorrow to see what our newest bird is.

Happy Friday! Today's new Birdorable Bonanza bird is the Rufous-bellied Kookaburra.

The Rufous-bellied Kookaburra is one of four species of kookaburra in the world. Kookaburras are large "tree" kingfishers. A few traits set the Rufous-bellied Kookaburra apart from the other kookaburras.

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra by John Gerrard Keulemans (public domain)

These birds like to live in thick rainforest habitat, unlike the other kookaburras, who generally prefer an open habitat. Rufous-bellied Kookaburras are often found alone or in pairs; other species of kookaburra tend to live in larger cooperative family groups. Their light-colored bills are unique among the kookaburras. The Rufous-bellied is also the smallest of the four kookaburra species.

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with an African species that sports a "beard"!

Happy Independence Day to all our American readers! As we continue with our exciting 2013 Bonanza, we're thrilled to be adding new birds daily throughout July. Today, we celebrate by introducing the American Wigeon, a special species as we approach our 500th Birdorable bird.

The American Wigeon is a striking species, particularly noted for its stunning male breeding plumage. One of the most distinctive features of the male American Wigeon is the shiny, thick green eyestripe that graces the cheeks, coupled with a prominent white stripe that extends from the top of the bill to the crown of the head. This unique pattern gives the bird a distinguished "bald" look, which was the inspiration behind its former name, the Baldpate, with 'pate' being an old term for 'head'.

These beautiful ducks belong to the category of dabbling ducks, a group known for their unique feeding technique. Unlike diving ducks that submerge completely, dabbling ducks feed by tipping forward in the water to graze on vegetation at the bottom of shallow waters. The American Wigeon, in particular, has a diet that is almost entirely vegetarian. This preference for plant matter sets them apart from many other duck species and is a fascinating aspect of their natural history.

American Wigeon by Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0)

Our next new Birdorable species is an over-sized kingfisher! Come back tomorrow to find out what it is!

Today, as part of our Birdorable Bonanza 2013, we are excited to introduce a delightful small European species to our collection. Our third Bonanza bird, known for its distinctive appearance, is the Crested Tit.

The Crested Tit, a member of the tit family, is a charming little songbird that shares a close relationship with chickadees, titmice, and other types of tits. It's particularly known for its striking crest, which adds a touch of elegance to its petite frame. This small bird can be found in various forested habitats throughout Europe, where it's often referred to as the European Crested Tit.

In terms of diet, Crested Tits are quite versatile. They primarily feed on insects, which they skillfully forage from the bark and leaves of trees, and also consume a variety of seeds. During times of food abundance, these intelligent birds exhibit the remarkable behavior of caching food. This means they store away food such as seeds and nuts in various hidden spots, which they can return to during scarcer times.

Kuifmees (Crested Tit) by Maarten Visser (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Crested Tits are also known to frequent feeding stations, where they can often be spotted alongside other small birds. Their playful and curious nature, combined with their distinctive appearance, makes them a favorite among birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.

Tomorrow, as we celebrate Independence Day in the United States, we will introduce a bird with "American" in the name!

We're excited to continue our journey towards our 500th Birdorable species by introducing a new bird each day. Today, we're delighted to showcase the Least Tern, a remarkable and delicate bird that is part of our Birdorable Bonanza.

The Least Tern is the smallest of the American terns and is easily recognized by its size, white forehead, black cap, and yellow bill. One of the most fascinating aspects of Least Tern behavior is their unique courtship ritual, which involves gift-giving. During the mating season, male terns engage in what is known as a "Fish Flight Display." In this display, a male tern carries a small fish in his bill, calls out while flying, and then performs a graceful gliding maneuver as he lands. This ritual often culminates in the male presenting the fish to a prospective female mate, a gesture that plays a crucial role in pair formation.

In the United States, the Least Tern is considered a species of concern in many states. This status is primarily due to habitat loss and disturbance at their traditional nesting sites. Least Terns typically nest on sandy beaches, but with the increasing loss of these natural habitats, they have adapted to use alternative nesting sites such as gravel-surfaced rooftops or man-made nesting platforms. Conservationists have been actively involved in providing these additional nesting habitats to help preserve the species. These efforts include creating safe and suitable environments for Least Terns to breed and raise their young, thus aiding in the conservation of this charming species.

Least Tern courtship by Kenneth Cole Schneider (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Tomorrow our 2013 Bonanza continues with the addition of a small European songbird with a big personality.

Our 2013 Birdorable Bonanza is off to an exciting start with the introduction of the Southern Ground Hornbill. These striking birds are native to parts of southern Africa, where they have carved out a unique niche in the avian world.

Southern Ground Hornbills are known for their complex social structure. They live in groups consisting of a breeding pair and several helper birds. These helpers are typically related to the breeding pair and play a crucial role in raising offspring. Unlike many bird species where only the parents care for the young, Southern Ground Hornbills have a cooperative breeding system. This means that young hornbills, often from previous years' broods, assist in rearing the chicks.

One distinctive feature of Southern Ground Hornbills is their bare facial skin, which stands out in stark contrast to their dark feathers. This exposed skin serves a practical purpose. During the dry spells in the African savannah, dust can be a significant issue. To combat this, Southern Ground Hornbills have evolved specially adapted feathers around their eyes that function like long eyelashes. These "eyelash feathers" help keep dust and debris away from their sensitive eyes, ensuring clear vision even in dusty conditions.

Southern Ground Hornbills are large and impressive birds, known for their deep, booming calls that resonate across the savannah. Their unique appearance and fascinating behavior make them a captivating addition to the Birdorable family.

Southern Ground-Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) by Lip Kee (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Stay tuned for more exciting bird additions as our 2013 Birdorable Bonanza continues throughout the month of July!

Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a small beach-nesting species. Tune in tomorrow to see what it is!

All cute bird fans grab your crayons, because we've just added three new Birdorable coloring pages! Go to Coloring Pages to download the PDFs. You can visit the meet pages for each bird to check the colors: Cockatiel, Eurasian Jay and Canada Goose.

Check here for more coloring pages. Subscribe to the Birdorable Blog by RSS feed or by email to get notified when new downloads like this are added. Have you used our coloring pages at home, in your classroom, or at an event? We’d love to hear about it! Send us photos of the pages in action, or the final result – we may showcase them on our blog!

Contributing to citizen Science projects helps our collective knowledge, but it also helps us as individuals learn. We'd like to highlight some citizen science projects in which families can participate. If you know of a project that we could highlight on our blog, please YardMap is a citizen science mapping project that can help you learn more about the birds that visit your yard, and how to attract more. Participating in the project also helps scientists as they study how birds adapt to disturbed habitats.

YardMap is a project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participants identify their yard and then map it out, indicating types of habitat found. Using colors and shapes, items like lawn, grass, trees, and more can be marked. Bird baths, brush piles, and other objects can also be placed, to give a very clear picture of the type of habitat found in the yard. Finally, participant bird sightings are linked in via eBird. The YardMap site is full of information on how different suburban habitats impact bird populations, and how participants can help birds by making changes or additions to their yards. YardMap is social, too, with a community forum for sharing pictures and stories.

This is a fun and educational year-round family-friendly project that has the added benefit of helping scientists better understand bird habits in your neighborhood! Visit the YardMap site to learn more and get started!

May is Warbler Neck Awareness Month. Warbler Neck (WN) Awareness is promoted with a cerulean blue awareness ribbon, one side of which is transformed into a feather, shown here at left. Gorgeous little warblers in bright breeding plumage migrate through parts of the United States during the months of April and May. In order to see these colorful winged beauties, birdwatchers often must look high up into the trees, up in the canopy where the hungry birds are most active. Tracking a little moving bird as it forages for insects between the leaves requires patience. And it means looking up, way up, for an extended period of time. All this sky-high searching may result in a big pain in the neck: Warbler Neck.

Birdwatchers by Sugar Pond

The day after your next birding excursion, if you feel aches in your neck, shoulders, or upper back, you can blame the warblers. You’ve got Warbler Neck. You can help spread awareness about Warbler Neck among your birding pals with original WN Awareness gear from Birdorable. To learn more about Warbler Neck, check out the following articles: What is Warbler Neck? | Triggers for Warbler Neck and side-effects | Who is most likely to suffer from Warbler Neck?

The ARA Project is a conservation group working to conserve two macaw species in Costa Rica: the Scarlet Macaw and the endangered Great Green Macaw. The group has been successfully breeding macaws for almost 30 years.

In 2011 they became the first group in the world to reintroduce Great Green Macaws back into the wild. With a population of fewer than 4000 individuals and a declining population trend, the successful work by The ARA Project is desperately needed to help the continued survival of the Great Green Macaw. Unfortunately, The ARA Project recently received an eviction notice on their main breeding facility. The group has secured a new site but desperately needs funding to build a new breeding facility and other infrastructure to keep the organization running. If you would like to help, you can donate to their Indiegogo campaign 180 Endangered Macaws are Being Made Homeless or directly on The ARA Project website using Paypal.