The Flamingo is a large wading wetlands bird in the Phoenicopteridae family.
The four Flamingo species are found in countries in North America, South America, Africa, southern Europe and south-west Asia.
It is a social bird, living in colonies. A group is called a stand of Flamingos or a flamboyance of Flamingos.
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There are some disadvantages of long distance travel for migrating birds says a scientific study.
The New Scientist’s LIFE magazine (November 2022) reports on the high rate of break-ups – ‘divorce’ – in bird species with longer migration routes. But why would there be a high rate of bird divorce?
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The Firemouth Cichlid (Thorichthys meeki) is a tropical freshwater fish in the Cichlidae family of cichlids.
The Firemouth Cichlid has an oval, flattened body. Its head tapers towards its mouth. It is silvery with fiery red colouring under its chin and on its belly. There is a black, broken line on the side of its body. It has spiny fins with a bluish tint.
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The Mayan Cichlid (Mayaheros urophthalmus) is a tropical freshwater fish in the Cichlidae family of cichlids. It is also known as the Mexican Mojarra.
The Mayan Cichlid has an oval, flattened body. Its head tapers towards its mouth. It is yellowish-brown to grey-brown, which becomes redder during breeding. However, the colour varies depending on its location. There are six wide green-black vertical stripes on the sides of its body. There is also a large, black eye-spot circled with blue-green on the tail stem. It has spiny fins.
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The Tree-Crevice Skink (Egernia striolata) is a reptile in the Scincidae family of skink lizards. It is a squamate. It is also called the Tree Skink.
The Tree-Crevice Skink has a thick, flattened body with small eyes. It has 26-36 rows of scales. It is dark-black to grey-brown with a pale stripe of scales down its body from its head to its tail. Its underbelly is pale or cream-coloured. It eyes have vertical, narrow pupils.
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Research scientists think that albatrosses divorce and seek new partners when conditions are harsher than usual, reported Science News in November 2021. The research was documented in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B.
The albatross is a large seabird in the Diomedeidae family. The albatross is a monogamous bird, which means that it stays with the same partner for life. However, when ocean waters are warmer than average, more of the albatross birds break up and look for a new partner, says a recent study.
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The Kirk’s Dik-Dik (Madoqua kirkii) is a small mammal in the Bovidae family of antelopes. It is native to eastern Africa.
The Kirk’s Dik-Dik is one of the smallest antelopes in the world. It grows to 35-46 centimetres (14-18 inches) tall.
The Kirk’s Dik-Dik’s photographed are both males. Only the male has horns. The horns are backward slanting and short at 8 centimetres (3 inches) long.
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The Ochre-Marked Parakeet (Pyrrhura cruentata) is a medium-sized bird in the Psittacidae family of parrots. It is also known as the Blue-Throated Parakeet and Red-Eared Conure.
The Ochre-Marked Parakeet is predominantly green with red patches on its belly, back, and shoulder. The crown of its head is dark-brown to blackish, with mottling on the nape of the neck. It has a broad, bright-blue patch on its chest, extending thinly around the back of its neck to form a faint, thin collar. It has an olive-green tail with brownish-red below. It has a yellow-orange eye-ring and black eyes.
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The Tippler Pigeon (Columba livia) is a medium-sized game bird in the Columbidae family of doves and pigeons. It evolved from the Rock Pigeon.
The Tippler Pigeon has a variety of colours, with flecked markings and dark tail feathers and wing feathers. It is slender and not as plump as the Rock Pigeon. Its eyes are orange or red. Its beak is grey-black with a white cere. Its feet are pinkish-red.
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The Pennant Coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus) is a marine (saltwater) fish in the Chaetodontidae family of butterflyfish. It is also known as the Longfin Bannerfish, the Reef Bannerfish, or the Coachman.
The Pennant Coralfish is a laterally compressed black and white striped fish with a white elongated, trailing white filament. Its fins are yellow. Its head is white with black eyes. Its snout (nose) is spotted with black marks.
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The Song Thrush (Turdos philomelos) is a small bird in the Turdidae family of thrushes. It is closely related to the Mistle Thrush.
The Song Thrush has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts. Its underwing is yellowish. It has a rounded head with dark-brown eyes. Its legs and feet are brown.
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The Turkmenian Fox (Vulpes vulpes flavescens) is a vulpine mammal. It is a sub-species of the Red Fox.
The Turkmenian Fox has greyish fur with reddish-yellow tints. Its winter fur is dense, long, soft, and silky. It sides are lighter than its back and its chin, lower lips, throat and front of the chest are white. The tip of its fluffy tail is white. It has a long body, long narrow head, and short legs. Its front paws have five toes and its back paws have four toes. Each toe has a strong claw. It has orange-brown, oval-shaped pupils with excellent vision.
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The Golden Jackal (Canis aureus aureus) is a canid wolf-like mammal in the Canidae family. It is also called the Persian Jackal. It is related to the Coyote (Canis latrans) and the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus).
The Golden Jackal can vary in colour from pale-yellow to dark-beige. Its underbelly is pale brown to pale grey. It has large pointed ears and a pointed snout (nose). It has pale legs.
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The Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small bird. It is also known as the Wood Nuthatch.
The Eurasian Nuthatch is a dumpy bird with a full chest, short wings, and a short tail. It has blue-grey upperparts, whitish underparts, and a black eye-stripe. Its beak is dark-grey, long, and pointed. It has dark-brown eyes and pale brown legs.
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The Agile Gibbon (Hylobates agilis) is an arboreal primate mammal in the Gibbon family. It is also known as the Black-Handed Gibbon. It is not a monkey because it does not have a tail.
The Agile Gibbon ranges in colour from red-brown to black. It has a white brow. The male has white or light-grey cheeks. It has very long arms, which enable it to swing from branch to branch very quickly.
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The Gouldian Finch (Erythura gouldiaeor Chloebia goldiae) is a small passerine bird in the Estrildidae family. It is an estrildid. It is also known as the Gould Finch or the Rainbow Finch.
The Gouldian Finch is brightly coloured and varied, with mainly black, green, yellow, and red markings. The male has a purple chest and the female has a light mauve chest. Its head is red, black, or yellow. Its beak is light-coloured with a red tip. It has pale legs and feet.
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The Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) is a tropical marine (saltwater) fish in the Chaetodontidae family of butterflyfish. It is also known as the Crescent-Masked Butterflyfish, Halfmoon Butterflyfish, Raccoon Coralfish, and Redstriped Butterflyfish.
The Raccoon Butterflyfish has a flat, compressed, oval-shaped body. Its colour varies considerably. Usually, it has a pattern of oblique reddish-brown stripes on its sides. It has a raccoon mask over its eyes, with a white space between the dark crown and eye area. It has a black spot near its tail. Its snout (nose) is usually yellow.
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The White-Cheeked Turaco (Tauraco leucotis) is a medium-sized bird in the Musophagidae family. Turacin is the red pigment in its feathers.
The White-Cheeked Turaco has a green forehead, neck, throat, chest, and upperparts. Its rounded crest is glossy dark-blue. Its tail is deep greenish-blue. It has crimson-red underwing feathers. Its cheek is white and its beak is red. It has red eye-rings. Its fourth toe can rotate forward and backward.
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The Upland Goose (Chloephaga picta) is a large bird in the Anatidae sub-family of sheldgoose birds, that includes ducks, geese, and swans. It is also called the Magellan Goose.
The male has a white head and white chest, with a grey back and black wing feathers. The male has a great beak and grey legs. The female is brown with black striped wings and yellow feet. The male and female have webbed feet.
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The Madagascar Fody (Foudia madagascariensis) is a small bird in the Ploceidae family of weaver birds. It is also known as the Red Fody or the Red Cardinal Fody.
The male Madagascar Fody is bright red with black markings around each eye and on its wings. Its wings and tail are olive-brown. Its underbelly is red. The female is olive-brown with a greyish-brown underbelly. Both the male and female have a short black beak and pinkish legs.
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