Tag beak

What is the difference between the Asian Golden Eagle, the Eastern Imperial Eagle, and the Steppe Eagle?

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What is the difference between the Asian Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos daphanea), the Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), and the Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)?

The Asian Golden Eagle, the Eastern Imperial Eagle, and the Steppe Eagle are all large birds of prey, raptors, and accipiters from the Northern Hemisphere.

The Asian Golden Eagle, the Eastern Imperial Eagle, and the Steppe Eagle all have a dark-grey or black-tipped sharply down-turned beak with a yellow cere (the hard substance at the top of the beak).

The difference between them is mainly due to size, colour, and flight.

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Andean Condor

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The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a large South American bird in the Vulture family. It is a raptor and bird of prey.

The Andean Condor is black with a white ruff (collar) around its neck. Its face and neck are pinkish-red and nearly bald. Females have a bald blackish-red head and neck. It has a flattened head. Males have a dark carbuncle or comb on their head. It has white feathers on its wings. Its pale cream beak is strong with a slightly downward-curved hook, and its eyes are orange-brown. It has long sharp talons on its feet to grip its prey.

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Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill

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The Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis) is a large African bird with a huge beak.

The Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill has iridescent black feathers with a silvery-grey head, and silvery spots on its cheeks. It has a white rump, white lower back, and white tips on its tail feathers. It has a large cream-coloured casque (bony growth) on its beak. It has dark eyes, and females have red skin around their eyes.

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African Grey Hornbill, Red-Billed Hornbill and Von Der Decken’s Hornbill: what’s the difference?

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What is the difference between the African hornbills: Grey Hornbill, Red-Billed Hornbill, and Von der Decken’s Hornbill?

The Grey Hornbill (Tockus nasutus), the Red-Billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus), and the Von der Decken’s Hornbill (Tockus deckeni) are all large African birds with a large downward curved beak.

The Grey Hornbill and the Red-Billed Hornbill are grey-brown, with black regions, whereas the Von der Decken’s Hornbill is black and white.

The male Grey Hornbill has a black beak with a cream patch on its maxilla (upper beak), and narrow pale lines on its mandible (bottom beak). The female Grey Hornbill has a large black beak with a dark red beak tip, with half of the maxilla (upper beak) a cream-yellow colour.

The Red-Billed Hornbill has an all-red beak. The male Von der Decken’s Hornbill has a large downward curved two-toned red and ivory-cream beak with a black tip. The female Von der Decken’s Hornbill has a large all-black beak.

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Von Der Decken’s Hornbill

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The Von der Decken’s Hornbill (Tockus deckeni) is a large big-beaked African bird.

The Von der Decken’s Hornbill has a black and white body. Its wings and upper tail feathers are black, and it nape, chest, belly, and under tail feathers are white. It has a black patch around its eyes. It has small red cheek patches. The male has a large downward curved two-toned red and ivory-cream beak with a black tip. The female has a large all-black beak.

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African Grey Hornbill

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The African Grey Hornbill (Tockus nasutus) is a large big-beaked African bird.

The African Grey Hornbill has a grey-brown body with a long white stripe from its eye to the back of its neck (nape), and another white stripe down the centre of its back. It has brown wings edged in white. Its throat and chest are pale grey-brown, and its belly is white.

The male has a large downward curved black beak with a cream patch on its maxilla (upper beak), and narrow pale lines on its mandible (bottom beak). The female has a large black beak with a dark red beak tip, and half of the maxilla (upper beak) is a cream-yellow colour.

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Spot-Billed Pelican

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The Spot-Billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a large freshwater waterbird. It is also called the Grey Pelican.

The Spot-Billed Pelican is mainly white, with a grey crest and grey back of neck. It has a brownish tail. The feathers on the back of its neck are curly. Its pouch is pinkish-purple with large pale spots. It is also spotted on the sides of its upper mandible (jaw). It has a yellow-orange tip on its beak. It looks similar to the Dalmatian Pelican.

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CREATURE FEATURE: Razorfish

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The Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus) is a small reef marine (saltwater) fish. It always swims in a vertical (head down) position.

The Razorfish is a long, thin fish, with reduced, transparent fins. The ridge on its back is covered with protective bony plates, which also cover its tail, ending with a sharp spine. Its mouth is a sharp beak. It has a black-brown band, or stripe, along the length of its body, which also goes across its eyes. The colour of its body can vary, depending upon its habitat, changing colour to camouflage itself. However, mostly it is silver.

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Australian Pelican

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The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large, water bird, living in wetlands.

The Australian Pelican is mostly white, with black wings. It has a white panel on the upper wing and a white V-shape on its back. It has a very large pale-pink beak with a pale-pink pouch. Its eye-ring is pale-yellow. Its eye-ring turns yellow-orange, and the beak changes colour to blue, pink, or red, in the breeding season. Its beak has a small hook at the tip. Its eyes are brown and yellow and its feet are blue-grey, with four webbed toes.

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White-Throated Kingfisher

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The White-Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis fusca)is an Asian bird, specifically from west India and Sri Lanka. Other species are widespread in Asia, from Turkey to the Philippines.

The White-Throated Kingfisher has a bright blue back, wings, and tail. Its head, shoulders, sides, and lower belly are chestnut-coloured. Its throat and chest are white. It has a very large bright red beak and bright red legs. It has short, rounded wings.

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Pied Currawong

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The Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) is a medium-sized Australian bird. It looks like a crow, but it is only distantly related to crows and ravens.

The Pied Currawong is black with white bars on its wings and tail. It has booted feet (feathers on its legs). It has a hooked tip on its long, sharply-pointed beak. It has bright yellow eyes.

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Bateleur Eagle

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The Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a large African bird. It is a raptor and an accipiter (birds with powerful hooked beaks and powerful sharp talons).

The Bateleur Eagle is dark-black with a short, chestnut-coloured tail. It has extremely long, pointed wings that are white underneath. It has grey or brown shoulders, and a chestnut back. It has a yellow beak and a brilliant bare red face and base of bill (called the cere). It has an enormous head. Its legs are short and bright red.

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Australasian Swamphen and Western Swamphen: what’s the difference?

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What is the difference between the Australasian Swamphen and the Western Swamphen?

The Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) and the Western Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) are both small, chicken-sized, wetland birds. Swamphen is pronounced Swamp Hen.

The Australasian Swamphen and the Western Swamphen both have a red frontal shield above their thick red beak.

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