Tag bird

Asian Golden Eagle

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The Asian Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos daphanea) is a large bird of prey, and one of the most common. It is a raptor and an accipiter. It is also called the Himalayan Golden Eagle or the Berkut.

The Asian Golden Eagle is dark-brown with red-golden-brown feathers on the back of its neck. It is blackish on its back. It has white on its tail and some white markings on its long, strong wings. It has a grey beak with a dark, sharply down-turned tip. Its beak has a yellow cere. It has grey legs, and grey feet with long claws.

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Eastern Imperial Eagle

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The Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) is a large bird of prey. It is a raptor and an accipiter.

The Eastern Imperial Eagle is dark-brown with white shoulder patches and pale-cream feathers at the back of its neck. It has a grey base to its bi-coloured tail. It has grey legs with large claws, called talons. Its eyes are brown and its beak is sharply-hooked and grey with a yellow cere.

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Violet-Backed Starling

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The Violet-Backed Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster) is a small bird. It is also called the Plum-Coloured Starling or the Amethyst Starling.

The male and female Violet-Backed Starling have very different appearances. The male has an iridescent violet-coloured back with a white underbelly. The female is brown with flecks on her white underbelly. The male has a dark-violet-black face. Both have a dark-grey beak and dark-grey legs. Both have yellow eyes with dark pupils.

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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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Common Redstart

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The Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) is a small bird. Redstart means red tail.

The Common Redstart is grey with a white forehead and a black throat. Its wings and two central tail feathers are brown, whereas the other tail feathers are orange-red. It has orange on its sides and a white belly. Its beak and legs are black. It has a pale eye-ring.

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Layard’s Village Weaver

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The Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) is a common small African bird. The Layard’s Weaver, or Layard’s Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus nigriceps) is primarily native to eastern Africa.

The Layard’s Village Weaver has a black head with a chestnut edge. Its body is yellow with black feathers. Its belly is yellow. Its legs are pink. It has a thick grey-black beak and red 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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Red-Rumped Parrot

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The Red-Rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) is a medium-sized Australian bird, also known as the Grass Parrot.

The Red-Rumped Parrot is bright emerald-green with yellow underparts. It has a red rump and blue patches on its wings and upper back. Females are not as colourful as the males. Females have olive underparts, green wings and green back with blue-black wingtips.

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