Birds are among our favorite creatures and are frequently extremely symbolic to people of all different backgrounds and nationalities. They are also among the simplest animals to see in the outdoors. Seeing birds is an extremely popular pastime, in part due to its extreme simplicity!
We’re going to concentrate on 16 feathered companions from four main global locations today, whose names start with the letter A. Take a seat comfortably and grab your binoculars as you prepare to dive into the fascinating world of birds.
North America
Certainly one of the most popular pastimes in North America is birdwatching. An astounding number of over 45 million individuals engage in birdwatching annually, according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service! There are approximately a thousand different species of birds in this area.
American Avocet
These waders with stilt-legs may be seen foraging in shallow water on tidal flats or near lakes. In order to filter the water for tiny aquatic insects and crustaceans, their long, thin beaks are employed to stir up the dirt and silt under the surface.
When a predator is around, American Avocets often form flocks and gather in groups to put on a diversion show. This keeps the predator from focusing on the nesting sites, which are often built in open spaces and may range from a little dirt scrape to a large pile of trash.
Acorn Woodpecker
The Acorn Woodpecker, as its name suggests, is renowned for gathering acorns in the autumn and storing them in holes it burrows in dead wood. In the winter, when food supplies are limited, they feast on their acorn hoard. This type of woodpecker doesn’t look for insects; instead, it exclusively digs holes in trees to store food. Rather, they capture insects midair or seize the chance to do so when they see them creeping on tree surfaces.
Acorn Woodpeckers have an unusual social structure for a woodpecker species in which many mature adults take part in communal egg incubation and feeding of one another’s offspring.
American Black Duck
You may find this species of well-camouflaged duck in eastern North America. As the name implies, they have plumage that ranges from dark to light brown, not black. The American Black Duck belongs to a family of dabbling ducks that are well-known for upending themselves to reveal just their rumps sticking out of the water in order to forage in surface waters!
Because of their striking similarity to female mallard ducks, these ducks are often seen in mixed flocks, which may be confusing to birdwatchers. For this species, habitat loss is a continuous issue. Thankfully, hunting regulations have aided in mitigating the reduction in the American Black Duck population.
Anna’s hummingbirds
North America’s Pacific coast is home to this magnificent species. Fortunately, Anna’s hummingbirds are among the most frequent hummingbirds in the region and are simple to attract to your garden using sugar water feeders if you reside there.
While both sexes have glittering emerald green backs, males are the only ones with a striking magenta neck (gorget) and head. Males employ the pink patch of feathers, particularly in demonstrations of courting. Males will soar to a height of around 130 feet (almost 40 meters!) above the ground before making a squeaky sound with their tail feathers as they dive down to Earth.
Americas South
With more than 3400 bird species, South America is commonly referred to as the “Bird Continent”—the highest number of any continent! Nearly 2500 of these bird species are native to certain regions of South America.
Andean Condor
This magnificently large predator belongs to the New World vulture (or condor) family, so named because they are found in the Americas, the “New World,” as opposed to Europe, Asia, and Africa, the “Old World.” The majority of this species’ plumage is jet black, but males have conspicuous white patches on their upper wings, and both sexes have a white neck ring.
a large bird with a wingspan of ten feet (3 meters) and a weight of up to 33 pounds (15 kg). The Andean condor is widespread in the Andes, and from Columbia to Chile, Andean nations have associated it with great mythological and symbolic significance. The IUCN has classified it as Vulnerable because of a combination of secondary poisoning and habitat loss.
Azure Gallinule
The little Azure Gallinule resembles a chicken and has powdered blue upperparts that fade to white on the underside and light brown on the wings. It is located in freshwater marshes, where it climbs amid reeds and floating rafts of vegetation to access aquatic food sources using its long, yellow legs and absurdly large toes.
The IUCN has classified it as Least Concern despite the lack of comprehensive research on its distribution and population condition. It is found across central and northern South America.
Ashy-headed Goose
This magnificent goose has silky grey head and tail feathers and gorgeous bronze plumage with black and white striped wings. Southern South America is home to the Ashy-headed Goose, which is most often seen in lowland swamps in the winter and in mountainous regions in the mating season.
As herbivores, these geese prefer the wintertime stubble left over from crops like maize and wheat. They graze on grasses and plants. Ashy-headed Geese, in contrast to other geese, never swim and instead tend to sleep in big groups under the trees.
Andean Tinamou
The most prevalent species of Tinamou is the Andean Tinamou, which belongs to the Ratite group, which includes a diverse range of birds like ostriches, the majority of which are flightless. Though not very strong, the Andean Tinamou can fly.
This species has mottled brown plumage across most of its body, with a light white underside and a brown crest with spikes on top of its head. It often forages in wide-open grassland and farmland settings, and when startled, it will fly suddenly and violently while making a high-pitched cry.
Ahanta Francolin
Its short beak, long neck, and chicken-like shape identify this species as a member of the pheasant family. The western part of Nigeria and The Gambia are home to the Ahanta Superfowl, also known as the Ahanta Francolin.
Their legs and beak are reddish-orange in hue, while their plumage is a drab brown. This species is often quite secretive and difficult to locate until you chance to hear its harsh, piercing cry, which is frequently made by two birds at the same time.
Afep Pigeon
The Afep Pigeon, also known as the Gray Wood Pigeon or African Wood Pigeon, is a bird that is found in certain regions of Equatorial Forest in central Africa. The majority of the feathers are black to light grey, but the eye is a startling red color because a ring of brilliant red exposed skin, called an orbital ring, surrounds it!
Frequently, the most straightforward approach to see this species is to examine solitary, dead trees, where one individual frequently perches. In Bulu, the native tongue of the Bulu people, who are originally from Cameroon, the term for pigeon is “afep.” In the past, postal stamps featuring these pigeons have been used to highlight the pride the community has in this species.
Arabian Bustard
This tall, long-legged bustard is widespread across the Sahel region of Africa, in Morocco, and on the Arabian Peninsula. It prefers arid environments such as savannah, dry grasslands, and desert regions.
Typically, Arabian Bustards are found in families or couples. They create burrows in the earth that function as nests, and they only deposit one or two eggs, which they ferociously defend. When facing threats during the egg-incubation process, females have been reported to exhibit behaviors related to distraction or diversion.
The IUCN has classified this species as Near-Threatened because of habitat loss and hunting pressure, both of which have significantly reduced population sizes.
Asia Pacific
There are a staggering 3824 species in Asia and at least 930 species in Europe! It’s crucial to keep in mind that taxonomic discoveries and evaluations are ongoing, potentially changing the precise count of living species. It’s exciting to note that scientists are always learning new things from a variety of sources, including as the fossil record and contemporary genomics processing.
Azure Tit
A magnificent little bird, its feathers varying in color from royal blue for the tail and wings to a light powdered blue. The Azure Tit is found in much of central Asia, parts of central Europe, and Scandinavia. It may be quite shy, however, so sightings are not common.
It grows in forests from temperate to subarctic climates. Nests are built in cozy tree holes, and when a predator comes, the parents will defend the eggs ferociously by hissing and even biting.
Alpine Chough
The coal black plumage of the Alpine Chough contrasts sharply with its orange-yellow beak and legs. This species is often seen in European ski resorts and is opportunistically fed on food leftovers. It has gotten extremely docile in these environments.
From Spain to Nepal, this species is found in hilly regions. They really have some of the highest altitude nests of any bird species, and even their eggs have evolved to withstand the thin air. Compared to species that nest at lower elevations, alpine chough eggshells have fewer holes, which helps them retain more oxygen and avoid water loss, which is particularly helpful when your nest is located in a rocky fissure up to 21,300 feet (6500 meters) above sea level!
Altai Snowcock
The Altai Snowcock, a robust and sturdy species found in high regions of boreal forest, is mostly found in Mongolia and Russia across the border. This species has a characteristic yellow stripe running across its eyes, with a lighter grey head and neck and a darker brown-grey body.
In addition to foraging on berries, buds, young shoots, and roots, Altai Snowcocks have also been seen to go rodent hunting. These weak-winged birds, which resemble partridges, can only fly downward; when they have to fly up a hill, they prefer to walk.
Asian green Cuckoo
With striking iridescent green plumage on both the male and female birds, the Asian green Cuckoo really lives up to its name. This species’ males have an eye-catching crimson orbital ring around their eyes. Females often have faces mottled with white and brown, and iridescent, reddish orange crowns. It seems like both sexes are dressed in black and white striped pants!
Similar to several other cuckoo species, the Asian Emerald Cuckoo feeds parasitically on the nests of Sunbirds and Spiderhunters. It takes one egg from the host birds’ nest and replaces it with its own, which the host birds will nurture. really cunning!
