Our Birds
- Birds & Habitats
- Our Birds
FUN FACT
Ringed Teal have long, pointed claws that specialize in allowing the birds to sit on tree branches. These specialized toes are unique, as most waterfowl cannot easily remain perched on tree branches.
The Ringed Teal is a colorful dabbling duck of South American forests where it favors swampy tropical forests and marshy clearings in well-wooded lowlands. Although its diet is not well known, it probably includes mostly seeds, other vegetable matter, and aquatic insects. A cavity nester, the Ringed Teal forms very strong pair bonds that can last a lifetime.
Habitat
Swampy tropical forests and marshy clearings in well-wooded lowlands; also on secluded pools, small streams and rice paddies
Diet
Diet not well known, but probably includes mostly seeds and other vegetable matter; possibly also some aquatic insects. Forages mostly in shallow water, most frequently at twilight, by picking items from the water's surface or dipping its head underwater; regularly feeds in rice paddies.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Ringed Teals form very strong bonds. They nest in tree cavities, laying 6-12 eggs which are incubated by the female for 29 days. Following hatching, care of the young is increasingly assumed by the male, because the female often will lay a second set of eggs.
The Roseate Spoonbill’s pink color comes from what it eats – a naturally occurring carotenoid pigment in the shells of crustaceans they consume; flamingos get their iconic pink color the same way!
Roseate Spoonbills are distinctive birds with pink plumage with a uniquely shaped bill that gives them their name. Their long, flat bill is rounded at the end like a spoon, and they use it to scoop up small crustaceans as they slowly walk through shallow water. These small crustaceans are also the source of the Roseate Spoonbill’s coloring! Spoonbills are social birds and gather in groups when feeding, roosting, and nesting. Like other waterbirds, habitat loss and pollution are threats.
Conservation Story
During the late 1800s, this species was decimated by the feather trade for its highly prized plumes. The degradation and destruction of coastal foraging habitats in the United States are some of the most important conservation problems for this species.
Habitat
Breeds in variety of marine, brackish, and freshwater habitats along the coast in estuaries, mangroves, and marshes; inland, it uses marshes, forested swamps, rivers, lakes, and wet prairies. Forages in shallow water in variety of hypersaline, marine, brackish, and freshwater habitats.
Diet
Crustaceans, aquatic insects, small amphibians.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Spoonbills nest colonially, often with other species of wading birds such as egrets and herons. Their nests are bulky, loose platforms of large sticks. Clutch is 3-4 eggs; incubation by both parents lasts for 23 - 24 days. Chicks fledge at about 6 weeks, and they continue to be fed by parents for an additional few weeks.
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FUN FACT
While populations of this bird are relatively large, their very restricted range puts them at risk of extinction due to invasive species.
Like the Golden White-eye, the Saipan White-eye, also known as the Bridled White-eye, is a small, understory specialist. Restricted to the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, this species occurs in a wide variety of wooded and semi-wooded habitats, including native limestone forest, scrubby secondary growth of disturbed habitats, and even urban areas. The Saipan White-eye consumes a generalized diet of insects, including caterpillars, ants, and grasshoppers, as well as small snails, seeds, fruits, small berries, and nectar. 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. Although the population of this species still numbers in the hundreds of thousands, the introduction of the brown tree snake on Saipan puts this bird at extreme risk; consequently, it is considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Habitat
Found in a wide range of habitats from native limestone forest to scrubby secondary growth of disturbed habitats and even urban areas; less common in swordgrass savannah
Diet
Various insects, including caterpillars, ants, and grasshoppers; also small snails, seeds, fruits, small berries, and nectar
Status
Endangered
Breeding
This species builds a woven cup nest from fine grasses, roots, cobwebs, and wool in the fork of a branch as high as 13 feet above ground. Their clutch size is usually two eggs.
FUN FACT
Scaly-sided Mergansers rely on aquatic prey that can only live in clean water, which makes them a good bio-indicator (an organism that can indicate the health of an ecosystem) of water quality.
The Scaly-sided Merganser is a diving duck that breeds in Siberia, northern China, and Korea, and winters in southern China and in Russia. This species makes its home along clear, fast-flowing mountain rivers and forested streams in the taiga, a swampy coniferous forest between the tundra and the steppes. Scaly-sided Merganser females sometimes end up caring for two or even three times the number of their chicks through a process called “brood amalgamation,” where other females’ chicks get absorbed into a different brood. The species is endangered, and is harmed by logging, dam construction, gold mining, and recreational water use.
Habitat
Predominantly found along clear, fast-flowing mountain rivers and forested streams in the taiga; some birds use brackish and marine water during their molt-migration in fall
Diet
Small fish and aquatic invertebrates
Status
Endangered
Breeding
Scaly-sided Mergansers nest in tree hollows. Females incubate 10-11 eggs for 32 days. Hatchlings leave the nest after 48 hours, but females continue to care for them for up to eight weeks.
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The Scarlet Ibis is the national bird of the island of Trinidad and Tobago.
Scarlet Ibis are beautiful birds noted for the vibrancy of their namesake scarlet feathers. These bright birds are found in mangrove swamps and wetlands of northern South America, feeding on crustaceans as they wade through water. Like other ibis species, the Scarlet Ibis is very social, and sometimes even forages with other species like herons and spoonbills. They have also been known to follow behind foraging ducks, catching and eating insects disturbed by the ducks’ passage.
Habitat
Mangrove swamps, muddy estuaries, and tidal mudflats; also freshwater marshes, shallow lakes, sewage ponds, lagoons, flooded areas, fish ponds and rice fields.
Diet
Insects, mollusks, and other small crustaceans.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Nests colonially in very large colonies of hundreds or even thousands of pairs, often with other ibises and herons. Nest is small platform of sticks. Clutch is normally two eggs; incubation 21 - 23 days; chicks fledge in 35 - 42 days.
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FUN FACT
Scarlet Macaws eat at communal clay licks, which help to neutralize toxins present in many of the foods they eat.
Scarlet Macaws are a striking bird, known for their deep red coloring and white faces. In their tropical evergreen habitats, they can often be seen flying in pairs or in family groups. Their calls can be loud and harsh, and Scarlet Macaws in human care can sometimes mimic human speech. They have powerful beaks and strong feet built for grasping. While not globally threatened, habitat loss and trapping for the illegal wildlife trade are concerns for this species.
A symbolic Scarlet Macaw adoption makes a great gift, and helps us care for our flock!
Adopt Today!Habitat
Humid lowland evergreen forest and gallery woodland in savannas, often in vicinity of exposed river banks and clearings with big trees
Diet
Vegetarian, eating the fruit, seeds, flowers, nectar, and sap of a great many kinds of rainforest trees; they must also eat clay at communal clay licks in order to neutralize toxins present in many of the foods they eat.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Scarlet Macaws nest in natural or previously excavated cavities in trees, where the female will incubate a clutch of 1-4 (usually 2) eggs for an average of 28 days. After hatching, both parents feed the chicks 4 to 15 times a day, by regurgitating food for the hatchlings. Chicks fledge from the nest after 14 weeks. but remain with their parents for up to 1 year.
FUN FACT
Because they are very vocal and musical, numerous species in this family of birds, known as babblers and laughingthrushes, are prized as songsters. While their musical abilities make them quite popular, this trait also makes them susceptible to the illegal wildlife trade.
The striking Scarlet-faced Liocichla is found in the dense, hilly forests in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and China. These birds are typically furtive, spending much of their time foraging in the forest undergrowth. Scarlet-faced Liocichlas are known for being very vocal and musical like other members of the bird family that contains laughinghthrushes and babblers. As such, they are susceptible to illegal wildlife trafficking.
Habitat
Dense hill forest with thick undergrowth
Diet
Forages in undergrowth and on the ground for insects, fruits, and seeds
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
The Scarlet-faced Liocichla breeds in April-June. Its nest is a cup placed in sapling trees, thorn bushes, or bamboo clumps. They have a clutch of 3 pale blue eggs with red streaking, which are incubated for about 14 days.
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FUN FACT
Unlike many blackbird species, the male and female of this species look alike, which reflects their strictly monogamous reproductive strategy.
The Scarlet-headed Blackbird is a striking bird found in wetlands in South America. This insectivore particularly favors tropical or warm temperate marshes with tall emergent vegetation such as sedges and cattails. This bird will also sometimes use adjacent grasslands or agricultural fields. The nest is a sturdy cup-shaped structure built mostly from interlaced strips of cattail leave. Although the Scarlet-headed Blackbird is susceptible to land use changes that affect the quality and extent of wetlands, it is not globally threatened.
Habitat
Tropical or warm temperate marshes with tall emergent vegetation, particularly sedges and cattails; will sometimes use adjacent grasslands or agricultural fields
Diet
Diet mostly insects; reported also as eating small frogs; in the non-breeding season, cultivated maize and sorghum seeds
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Females, with some help from males, build a sturdy, cup-shaped nest from interlaced strips of cattails, lined with finer strips of cattail. Females incubate a clutch of 2-4 eggs for 13-14 days while the male guards the nest. The male helps to feed nestlings, which fledge after 13 days.
FUN FACT
Both sexes have extremely long tail feathers (up to 10 in. long), but the males’ tails are about 50% longer than the females’ on average.
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, with its extremely long and distinctive tail, is a resident of savannas, fields, and pastures, as well as landscaped areas where there is a mix of trees, perches, and open areas. This flycatchers breeding range extends across south-central North America, while it winters in southern Mexico south through Panama. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is an insectivore, catching cicadas, grasshoppers, beetles, dragonflies, moths, and other flying insects. This species is not currently considered threatened.
Habitat
Breeds mainly in savannas; also in towns, agricultural fields, pastures, landscaped areas such as golf courses or parks, wherever there is a mix of trees, perches, and open areas. Scattered trees or shrubs, fences, fencerow vegetation, and forested riparian buffers provide needed nesting sites and perches.
Diet
Diet almost exclusively insectivorous; cicadas, grasshoppers, beetles, dragonflies, moths, and other flying insects caught by aerial hawking (catching in flight) or sally-gleaning (flying from a perch and taking prey off foliage).
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher builds a substantial nest in an isolated tree or shrub, about 3 meters up. They typically lay 5 eggs, which are incubated for 14-15 days. Young fledge after 14-17 days.
FUN FACT
Males and females of the species look almost identical. A recent study found that even the birds themselves cannot tell the sex of unfamiliar members of their species until one of them sings.
The Shaft-tailed Finch, or Long-tailed Finch, is a handsome bird from northern Australia, where it is found in open woodlands, dry grassy savannas, and grassy brushland especially near water courses. Like similar finches, it feeds on ripe and half-ripe grass seeds on the ground, but during the breeding season will consume more insects off the vegetation. Nests are constructed of grasses in trees and are bulky, rounded, with an entrance tube. The Shaft-tailed Finch is not globally threatened, although it was heavily trapped for the cage bird trade in the first part of the 20th century.
Habitat
Open woodlands; dry grassy savannas with watercourses, grassy bushland
Diet
Eats ripe and half-ripe grass seeds; also adult and larval insects, especially in breeding season. Forages for seeds on the ground, but captures aerial insects by sally-striking (grabbing in a fluid movement) at vegetation.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Made from grasses and stems and lined with feathers, plant wool, or fine grass, the nest of the Shaft-tailed Finch is bulky, rounded, and has an entrance tube. It is built in a tree several meters above ground, in bushes or vines, or sometimes in nestboxes. The clutch of 3-6 eggs is incubated for 13-14 days. Chicks fledge after 21 days and are independent about 3 weeks after that.
FUN FACT
The Silver Gull is the most common gull in Australia.
The Silver Gull is the most common gull found in Australia. It is most common in coastal areas but can be found throughout the continent. They use a variety of habitats, from sandy and rocky shores to garbage dumps, and breed on small islands. Their diet is as varied as their habitats. The Silver Gull will eat jellyfish, crustaceans, small mammals, and items scavenged from garbage dumps. This species is not globally threatened and is in fact increasing.
Habitat
Uses both coastal (marine) and inland (brackish and freshwater) habitats, including sandy and rocky shores, beaches, garbage dumps, and inland fields. Breeds on small islands, beaches, and peninsulas with low vegetation
Diet
Diet includes jellyfish, squid, worms, insects, crustaceans, arachnids, small fish, frogs, birds and mammals, as well as some plant material, such as seed and berries. Opportunistically steals food from terns, pelicans, and a variety of other birds. Also scavenges along shore and at garbage dumps
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Silver Gulls breed in large colonies on offshore islands. Their nests are located on the ground, often next to low shrubs, rocks, and jetties. Both adults share nest-building, incubation, and feeding duties. The clutch size is 1-3 eggs, incubated for 19-27 days. Young are fed for 4-6 weeks after hatching.
FUN FACT
In various displays, the male points his bill upwards to maximize the appearance of its silvery color. The female’s bill lacks the contrasting silver mandible.
The Silver-beaked Tanager is a striking South American tanager of brushy forest borders, overgrown clearings, second growth, and shrubs around habitations and riverbanks. Often feeding in small groups, this tanager consumes about equal proportions of arthropods and fruit. Nesting birds are sometimes found close together, and it is occasionally a cooperative breeder with helpers attending the young. Pairs do not seem to defend territories against conspecifics. The Silver-beaked Tanager is not globally threatened.
Habitat
Brushy forest borders, overgrown clearings, second growth, shrubbery around habitations, and shrubby vegetation along riverbanks
Diet
Arthropods and fruit in about equal proportions; some flowers and nectar; often feeds in groups of 4-10 birds, and sometimes found feeding alongside other species when following an army ant swarm
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Silver-beaked Tanagers sometimes nest close together and breed cooperatively, with helpers attending the young. They build bulky, deep cup nests of dead leaves and plant fibers in bushes. The female incubates a clutch of 1-3 eggs for 12 days. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 11-12 days.
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The National Aviary is home to more than 500 birds representing 150 species; some of which live in behind-the-scenes habitats. To enhance our guests’ educational experience, and with regard to individual bird preferences, different species may spend time in various public-facing habitats.
In The News
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