This small, endearing species found primarily in North Africa, is known for its distinctive appearance, featuring a rounded body covered in tiny spines. Unlike their larger European counterparts, these hedgehogs are small and have four toes on each foot instead of five, hence the name!

They are nocturnal and active at night, foraging for various small invertebrates such as insects, worms, and slugs. Their spines offer them protection from predators, especially when searching in underbrush for food. During the day, they are most likely sleeping in burrows.

Four-toed Hedgehogs keep insect populations in check – serving as natural pest control which benefits plants and wildlife, including birds. Many bird species, particularly ground-nesting birds, benefit from a natural reduction in the number of insects that can harm their nests or threaten their young.

The Golden Eagle, named for the golden feathers on its nape, is a resident of the New and Old Worlds, and occurs in a wide variety of open habitats, from desert areas to the edge of the tundra, and from sea-level to high alpine mountain levels. It is one of the largest birds in North America. It generally avoids forested areas, except in the winter, and nests on cliffs, isolated trees, or other structures. The Golden Eagle forages primarily on small to medium-sized mammals. Although not considered to be globally threatened, this species is frequently a victim of shootings and poisonings. Many are killed by collision with power lines and, in certain areas, wind turbines.

A small, understory specialist, the Golden White-eye is an Endangered bird restricted to the islands of Saipan and Aguijan in the Northern Mariana Islands. This species occurs in a wide variety of wooded and semi-wooded habitats, including suburban areas where it pursues a generalized diet of berries, seeds, nectar, and flower parts, as well as flying insects and other small invertebrates. Although still locally common, the introduction of the brown tree snake on Saipan has put this bird at extreme risk. The National Aviary is a partner with the Marianas Avifauna Conservation (MAC) Project, which is working to save this and other species in the region from extinction.

The Golden-breasted Starling is a beautifully colored bird, unmistakable and hard to miss! It inhabits the dry bush and savanna of the arid and semi-arid regions of northeastern Africa. This starling forages mainly on the ground for a variety of insects and some fruits, but termites are a favorite food. This species is a cooperative breeder, meaning multiple birds of the same species participate in the rearing of young. As many as nine helpers can assist at the nest of a pair of Golden-breasted Starlings. The nest itself is placed in a natural cavity in a tree, or in an abandoned barbet nest. The Golden-breasted Starling is not considered threatened at this time.

A native of lowland evergreen forest, deciduous and mixed woodland, open forest, and cleared areas with scattered tall trees of India and Indochina, the striking Golden-crested Myna forages for fruit and insects high in the canopy. A cavity nester, this species most frequently utilizes natural holes in trees. Although Golden-crested Mynas are often captured for the pet trade because of their ability to mimic human words and other sounds, this species is not currently considered threatened.

Native to East Africa, the Gray Crowned-Crane is featured on Uganda’s coat of arms and flag and is the country’s national bird; this bird also is a sacred symbol for Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa. The Gray Crowned-Crane is unique among the cranes in being one of only two species capable of perching in trees, owing to their having a long hind toe useful for grasping. Although this species has historically favored wetlands and open grassland or savannah, it is now found mostly in human-modified habitats, such as pastures, croplands, and ranches. Here the Gray Crowned-Crane feeds on seeds of sedges, fresh tips of grasses, crickets, locusts, and other insects and small animals. To hunt for food, the Gray Crowned-Crane stamps its feet on the ground to cause bugs to run out of the grass. This crane nests in or along the edges of their wetland homes, but young birds do not fledge for almost 100 days. The Gray Crowned-Crane has suffered a massive decline in population resulting from a plethora of impacts of human population growth and expansion of agriculture resulting in loss of wetlands, sedimentation, and contamination.

A fabulously majestic resident of tall, dry, primary, and secondary forests of the Indo-Malayan region, the Great Argus forages solitarily for fruit, seeds, flowers, and invertebrates on the forest floor. The bird’s taxonomic and common names both derive from Argus, the hundred-eyed giant, from Greek mythology (a reference to the many eye-like spots on the Argus’s wings and tail). Male Great Argus put on quite a courtship show on their “dancing grounds”: they carefully clear an area of all debris, then march in circles and stomp their feet loudly in front of the female. Then, he’ll show off his feathers in an incredible display, with wing feathers fanned out around his body and his two long tail feathers high up above him. The male’s call is a very loud and startling, “Kwow-wow!” Habitat loss from legal and illegal logging and hunting and trapping threaten the future of this remarkable pheasant.

The Green Singing Finch is native to the diverse landscapes of Africa (south of the Sahara Desert). These birds thrive in various habitats, from lowland open woodlands to savannas, gardens, and farmyards – showcasing their adaptability in wild and human-altered environments. Their diet is just as varied, primarily consisting of seeds, buds, flowers, and leaves. They also occasionally consume insects such as termites. 

A charming aspect of the Green Singing Finch is their intricate nesting behaviors. They construct a small, deep, compact cup of grasses, plant stems, and fibers nestled in the fork of a tree or shrub (providing safety for their young). They are also a vocal species – known to produce melodic chirps and songs within their habitats. 

Despite their popularity in the pet trade, these birds are not considered globally threatened. 

Green Woodhoopoes are very social and extremely curious about their environment – known to probe their long, curved, bright red bill into cracks and crevices in search of insects. They use their bill to pry apart bark and buds, gaining access to the food within. 

Woodhoopoes all have striking iridescent green, blue, and purple plumage, long curved bills, and long tailfeathers. When they fly, they have two or three bright white stripes on their wings. 

In total, there are four species of Woodpoes, and an additional four species of closely-related Scimtarbills, all in the “Phoeniculidae” family.

The Green-winged Dove, also called the Asian Emerald Dove or the Grey-capped Emerald Dove, is found in a wide range of forest types, including rainforests, mangroves, and bamboo forests, throughout Southeast Asia. It primarily eats seeds and fallen fruits on the forest floor, but occasionally eats insects including termites and snails, and can sometimes be found on farmyards feeding alongside pigs and domestic fowl. The Green-winged Dove is not globally threatened, but predation by rats and feral cats poses a danger.

The Green-winged Macaw (also called the Red-and-green Macaw) is a large parrot, second only to the Hyacinth Macaw in size. This species range is also large, spanning eastern Panama to Paraguay. The Green-winged Macaw’s band of green feathers on its wings and the presence of fine, tiny red feathers on its white face distinguish it from the similar Scarlet Macaw. It has an extremely powerful bill, which it uses to easily crack open hard-shelled nuts like Brazil nuts. Unlike many parrot species, Green-winged Macaws are not great imitators. Although not globally threatened, the Green-winged Macaw is generally uncommon, with pairs frequently solitary and dispersed. This species has a shrinking range, with population declines at the edges of its range.

The Grosbeak Starling, also known as the Finch-billed Myna, is endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia where it inhabits forest edge and open woodlands. It is also very common in modified habitats such as plantations. The Grosbeak Starling often forages in large groups with other Grosbeak Starlings high in the canopy where it consumes fruits, seeds, insects, and nectar. This species is highly gregarious and also nests colonially. The Grosbeak Starling population in Sulawesi is very seriously impacted by the removal of large remnant trees often used for nesting following logging or land clearing for cultivation. In addition to their attractiveness for the pet trade, some Grosbeak Starlings are killed because of a case of mistaken identity—they are mistaken for a local agricultural pest species, the Short-tailed Starling.