Species

HBW Alive provides full accounts for every bird species known to science up to June 2013, including distribution maps and color illustrations. Check out these recently updated species or search the species you want.

Malay Bullfinch (Pyrrhula waterstradti)
1 week 2 days ago
Indian Grass-babbler (Graminicola bengalensis)
2 weeks 3 days ago
Socorro Parula (Setophaga graysoni)
4 weeks 1 day ago
Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala)
1 month 2 weeks ago
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Explore the following sample species accounts to better understand the monumental work that lies behind these pages.

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Asian Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon)

Taxonomy:

Ibis nippon

 Temminck, 1835, Japan.

Proposed race sinensis, described around end of 19th century, turned out to be the species’ breeding plumage. Monotypic.

Descriptive notes: 55–84 cm. Distinctive bushy-crested ibis with red facial skin and legs. Non-breeding adult white, with orangish-cinnamon tones in tail and flight feathers, whereas breeding adult has grey head, neck, mantle and...
figure, drawing, illustration of Asian Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon)

Malay Eared-nightjar (Lyncornis temminckii)

Taxonomy:

Lyncornis Temminckii

 Gould, 1838, Borneo.

Previously placed in genus Eurostopodus. Race jacobsoni of L. macrotis may belong in present species...

Descriptive notes: 25–28 cm. Sexes similar. Shows distinct "ears"; upperparts brown speckled buff, pale buff and cinnamon, crown boldly spotted with blackish-brown; thin buff nuchal ­collar; wing-coverts brown, speckled and spotted...
figure, drawing, illustration of Malay Eared-nightjar (Lyncornis temminckii)

Horned Curassow (Pauxi unicornis)

Taxonomy:

Pauxi unicornis

 J. Bond and Meyer de Schauensee, 1939, above Bolívar, near Palmar, Yungas de Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Has been considered a race of P. pauxi, and until very recently was treated as conspecific with P. koepckeae, but differs from latter in...

Descriptive notes: 85–95 cm; male c. 3850 g; female c. 3600 g. Large, virtually all-black cracid with white vent and tip to tail. Bright red bill and pale blue casque, which grows up to 6·3 cm. Legs normally pale red, but...
figure, drawing, illustration of Horned Curassow (Pauxi unicornis)

Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)

Taxonomy:

Falco rusticolus

 Linnaeus, 1758, Sweden.

Closest to F. cherrug; genetic data indicate that these two, along with F. biarmicus and F. jugger, form a group of closely...

Descriptive notes: 48–60 cm; male 769–1450 g, female 1130–2150 g; wingspan 105–135 cm. The largest Falco, with larger head, deeper chest, relatively short but broad outer wings and longer tail than other large falcons....
figure, drawing, illustration of Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)

Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus)

Taxonomy:

Buceros erythrorhynchus

 Temminck, 1823, Mora, Cameroon.

Closest to T. monteiri, but close also to T. flavirostris, T. leucomelas and T. deckeni (and presumably jacksoni...

Descriptive notes: 35 cm; male 124–185 g, female 90–151 g (nominate), male 182 g, female 148 g (race kempi), male 128 g, female 125 g (race ruahae). Small, black-and-white hornbill with spotted wing-coverts, white in outer tail, and long,...
figure, drawing, illustration of Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus)

Each bird species in HBW Alive has sections for Taxonomy, Subspecies, Distribution, Descriptive notes, Habitat, Food and Feeding, Breeding, Movements, Status and Conservation and Bibliography, as well as a distribution map and color illustrations.