"days. The down-covered ducklings are able to follow their mother in her search for food immediately after hatching. Greater scaup eat aquatic molluscs, plants, and insects, which they obtain by diving underwater. They form large groups, called ""rafts"", that can number in the thousands. Their main threat is human development, although they are preyed upon by owls, skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and humans. Greater scaup populations have been declining since the 1980s; however, they are still listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. The genus name ""Aythya"" is derived from the Ancient Greek ""aithuia"" which"
"more often than those of the greater scaup—particularly during flight—but their call is weaker, a guttural ""brrtt, brrtt"". Lesser scaup are often hard to distinguish from the greater scaup when direct comparison is not possible, but in North America a large scaup flock will often have both species present. Females, juveniles and drakes in eclipse plumage are hard to identify; there is considerable overlap in length between the two species, but greater scaup are usually noticeably more bulky. Lesser scaup females and immatures tend to have less white around the bill, but this too varies considerably between individual birds. The"
"Hamerkop The hamerkop (""Scopus umbretta""), is a medium-sized wading bird. It is the only living species in the genus Scopus and the family Scopidae. The shape of its head with a long bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, which has given this species its name after the Afrikaans word for hammerhead. It is found in Africa, Madagascar to Arabia, living in a wide variety of wetlands, including estuaries, lakesides, fish ponds, riverbanks, and rocky coasts. The hamerkop, which is a sedentary bird that often shows local movements, is not globally threatened and is locally abundant"
"Apus (genus) The bird genus Apus comprise some of the Old World members of the family Apodidae, commonly known as swifts. They are among the fastest birds in the world. They resemble swallows, to which they are not related, but have shorter tails and sickle-shaped wings. Swifts spend most of their life aloft, have very short legs and use them mostly to cling to surfaces. The genus ""Apus"" was erected by the Italian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1777 based on tautonymy and the common swift which had been given the binomial name ""Hirundo apus"" by the Swedish naturalist Carl"
"because they look almost identical from the air. It was estimated that the greater scaup made up about 11% of the continental scaup population. Since the 1980s, scaup populations have been steadily decreasing. Some of the primary factors contributing to this decline are habitat loss, contaminants, changes in breeding habitat, and a lower female survival rate. The 2010 American scaup population survey was 4.2 million scaup, however, the worldwide greater scaup population survey estimated 1,200,000 to 1,400,000 mature greater scaup. Along with the aerial population surveys, there is a banding program for the greater scaup. Metal leg bands are placed"
"for twenty to thirty seconds and go down three metres to look for aquatic plants, small fish, water snails, mussels and insects. It is sometimes seen with the Australian coot (""Fulica atra""); it is thought that the scaup takes advantage of the food stirred up by the coots as they fossick for shrimps. It is found throughout both the North and South Islands of New Zealand in deep freshwater lakes and ponds. Unlike other members of this genus, the scaup is not migratory, although it does move to open water from high country lakes if they become frozen in winter."
"on them, so that if the scaup is killed by a hunter or if it is captured by another banding group, the number on the band can be reported to biologists and wildlife organizations. These banding programs yield valuable data about migration patterns, harvest rates, and survival rates. Greater scaup are a popular game bird in North America and Europe. They are hunted in Denmark, Germany, Greece, France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, and in Iran for both sport and commercial reasons. Greater scaup are hunted with shotguns because they must be shot on the fly, a challenging task, as"
"Cape rockjumper The Cape rockjumper or rufous rockjumper (""Chaetops frenatus"") is a medium-sized insectivorous passerine bird endemic to the mountain fynbos of southernmost South Africa. This is a ground-nesting species which forages on rocky slopes and scree. It frequently perches on rocks. Breeding groups occupy 4–11 ha territories, and typically consist of a breeding pair and one or two additional individuals, usually offspring of the adult pair from the preceding breeding season. These helpers participate in territorial defence and alarm calling, and in the feeding of nestlings and fledglings of the breeding pair. Females also help with nest building and"
"Rockjumper The rockjumpers are medium-sized insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Chaetops, which constitutes the entire family Chaetopidae. The two species, the Cape rockjumper, ""Chaetops frenatus"", and the Drakensberg rockjumper, ""Chaetops aurantius"", are endemic residents of southern Africa. The Cape rockjumper is a resident of the West Cape and south-west East Cape, and the orange-breasted (or Drakensberg) rockjumper is distributed in the Lesotho Highlands and areas surrounding them in South Africa. The two rockjumpers have been treated as separate species but differ in size and plumage. The ranges do not overlap, but come close to doing so. Originally, these"
"Atlantic coasts of North America, the coasts of northwest Europe, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the coast of Japan, Yellow Sea and East China Sea. During the winter months, they are found in coastal bays, estuaries, and sometimes inland lakes, such as the lakes of Central Europe and the Great Lakes. In Europe, the greater scaup breeds in Iceland, the northern coasts of the Scandinavian peninsula, including much of the northern parts of the Baltic Sea, the higher mountains of Scandinavia and the areas close to the Arctic Sea in Russia. These birds spend the winters in the British"
"bird surveys, lesser and greater scaup are counted together due to the impossibility of identifying the species unequivocally when large numbers of birds are involved. Lesser scaup are thought to comprise slightly less than nine-tenths of the scaup population of North America. In the 1970s, the lesser scaup population was estimated at 6.9 million birds on average; in the 1990s it had declined to about half that number, and by the late 2000s it is estimated at 3 million individuals or less. Due to the wide breeding range and the fact that the rate of decline, though remarkable, is still"
"markings on the head from an early age. The Cape sparrow's calls are chirps similar to those of the house sparrow, but much more musical and mellow. The basic call is used in flight and while perching socially and transcribed as ""chissip"", ""chirrup"", ""chreep"", or ""chirrichup"". A loud, distinctive call used by the male to advertise nest ownership can be written as ""tweeng"" or ""twileeng""; this call can be extended into a jerky and repetitive song, ""chip cheerup, chip cheerup"". The Cape sparrow was first described by Philipp Ludwig Statius Müller in 1776, as ""Loxia melanura"". Some other earlier biologists"
"Cepphus Cepphus is a genus of seabirds in the auk family also referred to as true guillemots or, in North America, simply as guillemots. The genus name ""Cepphus"" is from Ancient Greek ""kepphos"", a pale waterbird mentioned by Greek authors including Aristotle. The English word ""guillemot"" is from French ""guillemot"" probably derived from ""Guillaume"", ""William"". ""Murre"" is of uncertain origins, but may imitate the call of the common guillemot. These are medium-sized birds with mainly black plumage in the breeding season, thin dark bills and red legs and feet. Two species have white wing patches, the third has white facial"
"Kakapo The kakapo (Māori: kākāpō) or ""night parrot"", also called owl parrot (""Strigops habroptilus""), is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot of the super-family Strigopoidea, endemic to New Zealand. It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and relatively short wings and tail. A combination of traits make it unique among its kind; it is the world's only flightless parrot, the heaviest parrot, nocturnal, herbivorous, visibly sexually dimorphic in body size, has a low basal metabolic rate and no male parental care, and is the only parrot to"
"from a concealed location. ""Going on a snipe hunt"" is a phrase suggesting a fool's errand, or an impossible task. As an American rite of passage, it is often associated with summer camps and groups such as the Boy Scouts. Snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis, or camouflage, plumage. The ""Gallinago"" snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the ""Lymnocryptes"" snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the ""Coenocorypha"" snipes are found only in the outlying islands"
"Sapsucker The sapsuckers are four species of North American woodpeckers in the genus Sphyrapicus. There are four currently recognized species in the genus: The genus name ""Sphyrapicus"" is a combination of the Greek words ""sphura"", meaning ""hammer"" and ""pikos"", meaning ""woodpecker"". The members of this genus are slender birds with stiff tails and relatively long wings. Their typical pattern in flight is undulating, alternating between quick bursts of wing beats and short dips with wings tucked against the body. As their name implies sapsuckers feed primarily on the sap of trees, moving among different tree and shrub species on a"
"not until 1958 that the controversy finally ended when the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) ruled against the use of the genus name ""Apus"" and instead recognized the term ""Triops"". The genus contains 20 species: Known fossil species are: The Miocene """"Apus"" ignotus"" is now placed in ""Procypseloides"". Apus (genus) The bird genus Apus comprise some of the Old World members of the family Apodidae, commonly known as swifts. They are among the fastest birds in the world. They resemble swallows, to which they are not related, but have shorter tails and sickle-shaped wings. Swifts spend most of their"
"because it symbolized their landless wandering. Common swift The common swift (""Apus apus"") is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barn swallow or house martin but somewhat larger, though not stemming from those passerine species, being in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution, reflecting similar contextual development. The swifts' nearest relatives are thought to be the New World hummingbirds and the Southeast Asian treeswifts. Its scientific name ""Apus"" is Latin for a swift, thought by the ancients to be a type of swallow with no feet (from Ancient Greek α, ""a"", ""without"","
"Snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis, or camouflage, plumage. The ""Gallinago"" snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the ""Lymnocryptes"" snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the ""Coenocorypha"" snipes are found only in the outlying islands of New Zealand. The four species of painted snipe are not closely related to the typical snipes, and are placed in their own family, the Rostratulidae. Snipes search for invertebrates in the mud with a ""sewing-machine"" action of their long"
"genus ""Scopus"" for the hammerkop, a peculiar African bird. Paul Möhring in 1758 had already used the name ""Scops"" for this bird however, and believing this name to be valid Morten Thrane Brünnich replaced ""Scopus"" with it in 1772. The scops and screech owls, which were placed in ""Otus"" by Thomas Pennant in 1769 (as he too believed that Moehring's ""Scops"" was valid) were moved to ""Scops"" by Marie Jules César Savigny in 1809. Lorenz Oken in 1817 changed this to ""Scopus"", also under the impression that ""Scops"" was the older name for the hammerkop, and valid. However, the names"
"Phalarope A phalarope is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the bird family Scolopacidae. The English and genus names come through French ""phalarope"" and scientific Latin ""Phalaropus"" from Ancient Greek ""phalaris"", ""coot"", and ""pous"", ""foot"". Coots and phalaropes both have lobed toes. Phalaropes are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the ""Actitis"" and Terek sandpipers, and also of the turnstones and calidrids. They are especially notable for two things: their unusual nesting behavior, and their unique feeding technique. Two species, the red phalarope (""Phalaropus fulicarius"", called grey phalarope in Europe) and red-necked"
"Cape clapper lark The Cape clapper lark (""Mirafra apiata"") is a small passerine bird which breeds in southern Africa. It derives its name from the wing clapping which forms part of the display flight. The Cape clapper lark is a species of open grassland and savannah, also inhabiting karoo, fynbos and fallow agricultural land. The Cape clapper lark was originally placed in the genus ""Alauda"". This species and the Eastern clapper lark were formerly considered conspecific as the clapper lark (M. apiata) until split in 2009. The Cape clapper lark and the Eastern clapper lark are regarded as forming a"
"in colonies). The clutch size is two eggs for the Cape and two to three eggs for the Drakensberg. Both sexes incubate the clutch for 19–21 days. Chicks fledge at 19-21 days, although they are fed by the parents and helpers for up to 2 weeks following fledge. Rockjumper The rockjumpers are medium-sized insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Chaetops, which constitutes the entire family Chaetopidae. The two species, the Cape rockjumper, ""Chaetops frenatus"", and the Drakensberg rockjumper, ""Chaetops aurantius"", are endemic residents of southern Africa. The Cape rockjumper is a resident of the West Cape and south-west East"
"Swamp harrier The swamp harrier (""Circus approximans""), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier, Australasian harrier, kāhu, swamp-hawk or New Zealand hawk, is a large, slim bird of prey widely distributed across Australasia. It is one of the few birds to have benefited from European settlement of New Zealand: It is a bird of open country and became firmly established in New Zealand after forests were cleared by Polynesians. The swamp harrier belongs to the sub-family Circinae and genus ""Circus"", which are represented worldwide, except Antarctica. The sub-family and genus are derived from the characteristic behavior of circling flight during"
"20% heavier and 10% longer than the closely related lesser scaup. The male has a dark head with a green sheen, a black breast, a light back, a black tail, and a white underside. The drake or male greater scaup is larger and has a more rounded head than the female. The drake's belly and flanks are a bright white. Its neck, breast, and tail feathers are a glossy black, while its lower flanks are vermiculated gray. The upper wing has a white stripe starting as the speculum and extending along the flight feathers to the wingtip. Legs and feet"
"because of the considerable distance in time or space from their current occurrence may represent distinct species. Cepphus Cepphus is a genus of seabirds in the auk family also referred to as true guillemots or, in North America, simply as guillemots. The genus name ""Cepphus"" is from Ancient Greek ""kepphos"", a pale waterbird mentioned by Greek authors including Aristotle. The English word ""guillemot"" is from French ""guillemot"" probably derived from ""Guillaume"", ""William"". ""Murre"" is of uncertain origins, but may imitate the call of the common guillemot. These are medium-sized birds with mainly black plumage in the breeding season, thin dark"
"Shikra The shikra (""Accipiter badius"") is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the little banded goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usually been considered as subspecies of the shikra. The shikra is very similar in appearance to other sparrowhawk species including the Chinese goshawk and Eurasian sparrowhawk. They have a sharp two note call and have the typical flap and glide flight. Their calls are imitated by drongos and the common hawk-cuckoo resembles it in plumage. The shikra is a"
"it is occasionally killed in large numbers. Cape weaver The Cape weaver (""Ploceus capensis"") is a species of bird in the weaver family, Ploceidae, found in southern Africa. In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the Cape weaver in his ""Ornithologie"" based on a specimen collected from the Cape of Good Hope. He used the French name ""Le carouge du Cap de Bonne Espérance"" and the Latin ""Xanthornus Capitis Bonae Spei"". Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature."
"Speckled pigeon The speckled pigeon (""Columba guinea""), or (African) rock pigeon, is a pigeon that is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over much of its range, although there are sizable gaps in its distribution. This species builds a large stick nest on protected rocky outcrops and in urban areas often atop covered pergola pillars and on flat roofs under deep eaves and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are"
"""sweep"". Family: Hirundinidae Swallow The swallows, martins and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine birds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The term ""Swallow"" is used colloquially in Europe as a synonym for the barn swallow. There are around 90 species of Hurundinidae, divided into 19 genera, with the greatest diversity found in Africa, which is also thought to be where they evolved as hole-nesters. They also occur on a number of oceanic islands. A number of European and North American species are"
"Scrub robin The scrub robins or bush chats are medium-sized insectivorous birds in the genus Cercotrichas. They were formerly in the thrush family, (Turdidae), but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, (Muscicapidae). They are not closely related to the Australian scrub-robins, genus ""Drymodes"" in the family Petroicidae. The genus name ""Cercotrichas"" is from Ancient Greek ""kerkos"", ""tail"" and ""trikhas"", ""thrush"". Scrub robins are mainly African species of open woodland or scrub, which nest in bushes or on the ground, but the rufous-tailed scrub robin also breeds in southern Europe and east to Pakistan."
"Cacops Cacops (Greek for ""blind face""), a genus of dissorophid temnospondyls, is one of the most distinctive Paleozoic amphibians that diversified in the equatorial region of Pangea during the Kungurian stage of the Early Permian. Dissorophids were a group of fully terrestrial, often heavily armored predators. This contrasts with the majority of aquatic or amphibious anamniotes, which not did develop into clearly defined terrestrial adults. This, along with their relatively large size and geographical range suggest that they were able to coexist with amniotes as predators before the Permo-Triassic extinction event. Dissorophidae has two distinct clades differentiated on the morphology"
"Cape sparrow The Cape sparrow (""Passer melanurus""), or mossie, is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae found in southern Africa. A medium-sized sparrow at , it has distinctive plumage, including large pale head stripes in both sexes. Its plumage is mostly grey, brown, and chestnut, and the male has some bold black and white markings on its head and neck. The species inhabits semi-arid savannah, cultivated areas, and towns, and ranges from the central coast of Angola to eastern South Africa and Swaziland. Three subspecies are distinguished in different parts of its range. Cape sparrows primarily eat seeds, and"