Animals & Zones

Multi-coloured with a long tail ending in two racquets, this dashing crow-sized bird can be found across a broad swathe of lowland forests.

Black-faced spoonbills are the rarest spoonbills and the only species of spoonbill to be classed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

The black-winged mynas' melodious song, along with their lively temperament and striking plumage make them highly-prized in the cage bird trade. Formerly widespread throughout the island of Java, there are now fewer than fifty mature individuals left in the wild. The last few appear restricted to mangrove areas, where they are presumably harder to trap as compared to the cultivated fields and pastures they formerly flocked to.

These birds forage in flocks of 40 or more, looking through leaf litter on the ground, or flitting from one leafy branch to another in bushes and trees, gleaning for insects.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.

This bizarre bird inhabits the evergreen lowland rainforests of South America where it forages for fruits and large insects in the canopy.

These birds have found the perfect way to enjoy their nuts without too much beak gnashing. They search through pasture land, looking for palm nuts that have been eaten by cattle and passed out with the tough outer shells removed. Make no mistake – macaws are very smart!

Living in small flocks in the Amazon rainforest, this parakeet is often seen foraging for fruits and flowers. Deforestation for cattle ranching and soy production poses a threat.

This shy bird not easily observed among the forest foliage except when small groups gather and call in chorus, sometimes for several minutes. The chorus begins with plaintive cries followed by a series of short kok-kok notes and dies down with deeper vibrating calls.

The largest and heaviest leafbird, this bird has a powerful, hooked bill that it uses to pierce mid-sized fruits with a tough covering. The flesh is then dislodged and squeezed out with the bill. Small fruits and pieces of large fruit are eaten directly. On occasion when this bird visits flowers like the tubular ones of climbing vines, it punctures them at the bottom for nectar.

To ensure germination, many seeds and unripe fruits contain toxins to keep animals at bay, What’s a seed- and fruit-eating macaw to do? Well, it could eat some dirt! Rich sediment is carried down the Andes by the Amazon river and deposited on its banks.

This species is threatened by habitat destruction, especially the felling of old-growth trees required for nesting. Because of its size, distinctive calls, and predictable visits to the same feeding sites, it is an easy target for local hunters.

This parrot loves company. Hundreds of them gather to roost communally in a few trees, socialising in animated chatters before spending the night together.

The Humboldt penguin is a medium-sized black-and-white penguin. All of its upperparts, nape, forehead, throat and face are black, except for a white border stretching from its eye to around the ear-coverts, finally joining on its throat. The base of its bill is fleshy-pink. A black horseshoe shaped breast-band extends down its flanks to the thigh and the white belly is speckled with black spots.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.

Being seedeaters, cockatoos have large beaks with which seeds can be dehusked efficiently. The action of the bill and tongue has been likened to the chewing action of ruminants.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.

Hornbills usually pair for life but for both Stumpy and her current partner, it is love at second sight. Stumpy was one of a pair previously released to the wild. The pair were often seen flying together but one day the male disappeared.

With its one-metre height, the Philippine eagle is the tallest of eagles. It tips the scales at a maximum of eight kilogrammes, which makes it one of the largest eagles in the world.

This cotinga showcases sexual dimorphism where the sexes take on different looks. The male has handsome burgundy feathers coloured by carotenoid pigments while the female is ashy grey.

The rainbow lorikeet is distributed across its range in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, northern and eastern Australia and the western Pacific Islands.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.

Hailing from South America, this cardinal forages on the ground for seeds, fruits, and insects. It is kept as a pet on account of its good looks and melodious song.

The only family of birds that is entirely endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, the turacos are known for their punk ‘hairdos’. The feathers around their head do not have barbules, which gives a glossy appearance to their raised crest.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.

A relative of toucans and aracaris, the smallish saffron toucanet occupies the Atlantic Forests of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Cockatoos have distinctive head crests which are normally kept folded back on the top of the head when relaxed. These are raised as a sign of agitation or curiosity, and to signal threat or romantic intentions.

This bird is observed to perch on low branches and roost in trees. It comes to the ground to forage for food and this is when it is most vulnerable to the introduced rats, cats, dogs and pigs that are found in much of its range.

A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.

The sun parakeet is green on the wings, scarlet on the breast and golden orange on the head and neck. This brilliant mix of colours is characteristic of their genus Aratinga, a group of “mini-macaws” found predominantly in northeastern Brazil.

The superb starling (Lamprotornis superbus) is a member of the starling family of birds. It was formerly known as Spreo superbus.