"of Grande Terre it is infested with introduced feral cats, rats and rabbits. Human visitation is infrequent. The northern end of the peninsula, and the northernmost part of Grande Terre, extending northwards from the head of the Baie de la Dauphine, has been identified as a 60 km Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because of its breeding seabirds. At least 23 bird species breed in the IBA. As well as a colony of 250,000 pairs of macaroni penguins at the tip of the peninsula, there are also 5,400 pairs of southern rockhopper penguins and a small colony of"
"Aracari An aracari or araçari ( , is any of the medium-sized toucans that, together with the saffron toucanet, make up the genus Pteroglossus. They are brightly plumaged and have enormous, contrastingly patterned bills. These birds are residents in forests and woodlands in the Neotropics. One species, the distinctive saffron toucanet, was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ""Baillonius"", but Kimura ""et al."" (2004) showed that it belongs in the genus ""Pteroglossus"". The genus ""Pteroglossus"" has fourteen species considered to belong to the genus: Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize additional species or subspecies as species belonging to the"
"Modena pigeon The Modena is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Modenas along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants of the rock dove (""Columba livia""). The breed comes in many different colors in two main varieties, ""Gazzi"" and ""Schietti"". Gazzi is a pied marking with the head and portion of the throat, the wings and the tail colored and the rest of the bird being white. Schiettis are non-pied. The breed is of Italian origin and derives its name from the city of Modena where it was first bred centuries ago."
"Modena pigeon The Modena is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Modenas along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants of the rock dove (""Columba livia""). The breed comes in many different colors in two main varieties, ""Gazzi"" and ""Schietti"". Gazzi is a pied marking with the head and portion of the throat, the wings and the tail colored and the rest of the bird being white. Schiettis are non-pied. The breed is of Italian origin and derives its name from the city of Modena where it was first bred centuries ago."
"Mascarene martin The Mascarene martin or Mascarene swallow (""Phedina borbonica"") is a passerine bird in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and in the Mascarene Islands. The nominate subspecies occurs on Mauritius and Réunion and has never been found away from the Mascarene Islands, but the smaller Madagascan subspecies, ""P. b. madagascariensis"", is migratory and has been recorded wintering in East Africa or wandering to other Indian Ocean islands. The Mascarene martin is a small swallow that has grey-brown underparts becoming white on the throat and lower abdomen, dark grey-brown upperparts and a slightly forked tail. The underparts are"
"of: Struthioniformes (ostrich), Rheiformes (rheas), Casuariiformes (emus, cassowaries), Tinamiformes (tinamous), Podicipediformes (grebes), Pelecaniformes (cormorants and pelicans), Ciconiiformes (egrets, ibis, spoonbills, flamingos), Anseriformes (screamers, swans, geese, ducks), Galliformes (gallinaceous birds), Gruiformes (cranes and rails), Charadriiformes (plovers, stilts, waders etc.), Pteroclidiformes (sandgrouse), Columbiformes (pigeons and doves), Cuculiformes (touracos, hoatzin, cuckoos) and Coraciiformes (hornbills, kingfishers, rollers etc.). Aviornis Aviornis International is a non-profit bird breeders association in Europe. It brings together breeders and enthusiasts of ornamental birds, such as pheasants and waterfowl. It is one of the most important avicultural organisations in Europe in its field, with around 8,000 members in six European"
"Garganornis Garganornis (meaning ""Gargano bird"") is an extinct genus of enormous flightless anatid waterfowl from the Late Miocene of Gargano, Italy. The genus contains one species, G. ballmanni, named by Meijer in 2014. Its enormous size is thought to have been an adaptation to living in exposed, open areas with no terrestrial predators, and as a deterrent to the indigenous aerial predators like the eagle ""Garganoaetus"" and the giant barn owl ""Tyto gigantea"". The tibiotarsus of ""Garganornis"" is approximately 30% larger than that of the living mute swan in circumference. Based on comparisons with the latter, it has been estimated"
"Merlin (bird) The merlin (""Falco columbarius"") is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. Males typically have wingspans of , with females being slightly larger. They are swift fliers and skilled hunters who specialize in preying on small birds in the size range of sparrows to quail. The merlin has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird."
"Malaconotoidea Malaconotoidea is a superfamily of passerine birds. They contain a vast diversity of omnivorous and carnivorous songbirds widespread in Africa and Australia, many of which superficially resemble shrikes. It was defined and named by Cacraft and colleagues in 2004 and contains the bushshrikes (Malaconotidae), helmetshrikes (Prionopidae), ioras (Aegithinidae), vangas (Vangidae) and the Australian butcherbirds, magpies, currawongs and woodswallows (Artamidae). Molecular analysis in 2006 added the Bornean bristlehead to the group, though its position in the Malconotoidea is unclear. It was initially thought related to the butcherbirds and woodswallows but now is thought to be an early offshoot. In 2012,"
"bird protection legislation. Réunion is an overseas department of France, but the Birds Directive does not apply outside Europe, so there is no European-level bird protection legislation effective on the island, despite the possibility that European Union agricultural and other funding may be adversely affecting birds and vulnerable habitats. Mascarene martin The Mascarene martin or Mascarene swallow (""Phedina borbonica"") is a passerine bird in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and in the Mascarene Islands. The nominate subspecies occurs on Mauritius and Réunion and has never been found away from the Mascarene Islands, but the smaller Madagascan subspecies, ""P."
"in the female. The male is a vibrant red, while the female is a dull reddish olive. The northern cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on insects and fruit. The male behaves territorially, marking out his territory with song. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid, and two to four clutches are produced each year. It was once prized as a pet, but its sale as a cage bird was banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The northern cardinal is"
"Delichon Delichon is a small genus of passerine birds that belongs to the swallow family and contains three species named as house martins. These are chunky, bull-headed and short-tailed birds, blackish-blue above with a contrasting white rump, and with white or grey underparts. They have feathering on the toes and tarsi that is characteristic of this genus. The house martins are closely related to other swallows that build mud nests, particularly the ""Hirundo"" barn swallows. They breed only in Europe, Asia and the mountains of North Africa. Two species, the common and Asian house martins, migrate south in winter, while"
"other cocks. Hens are good sitters, and may sit almost year-round. In the past, capons were often used to care for hatchlings. Birds are robust and resistant to heat and cold, and can be kept in the open all year. If allowed to, they roost in trees. Mugellese The Mugellese, also known as Mugginese, is a rustic dual-purpose breed of small chicken or bantam from Tuscany, in central Italy. It takes its name from the Mugello, an area to the north-east of Florence. It is not officially recognised as a breed in Italy, but is being considered for recognition. The"
"Bokhara Trumpeter The Bokhara Trumpeter is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Bokhara Trumpeters, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon (""Columba livia""). The breed is known for its long muffed (feathered) feet and double crest. One of the most popular breeds of Trumpeter in the U.S., the Bokhara Trumpeter is most noticeably characterized by its lengthy full muffs (feathers on the feet) and double crest which completely obscures the bird's eyes and gives it a look reminiscent of the Old English Sheepdog. The trumpeting breeds of"
"dwarf breeds in Italy, others being the Mericanel della Brianza and the Pépoi. The Mugellese is a traditional chicken breed of Tuscany, of uncertain origins. It was once extensively kept not only in the Tuscan countryside, but also in the gardens or on the balconies of town houses, perhaps as a pet. It was traditional for grandparents to give a pair of Mugellesi to a child who had reached an age to care for them. Once very common, it became rare in the second half of the 20th century; it is now in a phase of recovery, selection and improvement."
"Engaging in behavior similar to the saffron toucanet, they also appear to prey on the nests of other bird species, eating the eggs and baby birds. Ischnoceran lice found on the chestnut-eared aracari were first described as ""Austrophilopterus cancellosus castanotus"", but these parasites are actually indistinguishable from those on most other ""Pteroglossus"", and today are united with them in ""Austrophilopterus flavirostris"". Chestnut-eared aracari The chestnut-eared aracari, or chestnut-eared araçari (""Pteroglossus castanotis""), is a bird native to central and south-eastern South America. It belongs to the toucan and aracari family (Ramphastidae). The chestnut-eared aracari is a larger, more colorful bird than"
"MacQueen's bustard MacQueen's bustard (""Chlamydotis macqueenii"") is a large bird in the bustard family. It was earlier included as a subspecies of the houbara bustard (""Chlamydotis undulata"") and sometimes known as the Asian houbara. The subspecies are geographically separated from the houbara found west of the Sinai Peninsula in North Africa with a population in the Canary Islands. MacQueen's bustard is found in the desert and steppe regions of Asia, east from the Sinai Peninsula extending across Kazakhstan east to Mongolia. These two species are the only members of the genus ""Chlamydotis"". MacQueen's is a partial latitudinal migrant while the"
"this phenomenon is due to the fluctuations of supplementary food stocks discussed above. Merlin (bird) The merlin (""Falco columbarius"") is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. Males typically have wingspans of , with females being slightly larger. They are swift fliers and skilled hunters who specialize in preying on small birds in the size range of sparrows to"
"canopy of forests. It breeds in marshland, building a nest of grass and stems on the ground or low in a bush. The white eggs are incubated for about 32–34 days and the young birds fledge after 42–45 days. Malagasy harrier The Malagasy harrier (""Circus macrosceles"") is a bird of prey belonging to the marsh harrier group of harriers. It inhabits Madagascar and the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Réunion harrier (""C. maillardi"") but is increasingly treated as a separate species. It is also known as the Madagascar harrier, Madagascar"
"Bird of the Year"". The Australian magpie won the contest with 19,926 votes (13.3%), narrowly ahead of the Australian white ibis. Australian magpie The Australian magpie (""Gymnorhina tibicen"") is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. Although once considered to be three separate species, it is now considered to be one, with nine recognised subspecies. A member of the Artamidae, the Australian magpie is placed in its own genus ""Gymnorhina"" and is most closely related to the black butcherbird (""Melloria quoyi""). It is not, however, closely related to the European magpie, which is"
"57th week of the life of the hen. Minorca chicken The Minorca, , , is a breed of domestic chicken originating in the Mediterranean island of Menorca, in the Balearic Islands to the south-east of Spain. It is a well-known exhibition bird in many countries of the world, but in the island of Menorca is an endangered breed and considered to be at risk of extinction. The international type of Minorca was created by the British from indigenous Menorcan birds. This process began during the British occupation of the island from 1708 to 1783, but It is not clear if"
"Sicilian Buttercup The Sicilian Buttercup is a breed of domestic chicken originating from the island of Sicily. The breed was imported to the United States in the 19th century, and to Britain and Australia early in the 20th century. It derives from the indigenous Siciliana breed of Sicily, but long separation from the original stock has led to marked differences between the two. The Siciliana breed of Sicily appears to derive from ancient inter-breeding of local birds with North African stock such as the rose-combed Berbera breed or the Tripolitana described by Tucci. These birds may have been similar to"
"Phedina Phedina is a small genus of passerine birds in the swallow family. It has two members, the Mascarene martin, ""Phedina borbonica"", which has two subspecies in Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands respectively, and Brazza's martin, ""P. brazzae"", which breeds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of the Congo, and northern Angola. The nearest relative of the ""Phedina"" martins is the banded martin, ""Riparia cincta"", which resembles Brazza's martin in nesting habits and vocalisations. Both ""Phedina"" martins have grey-brown upperparts and paler, heavily streaked underparts. Adult Mascarene martins are in length, and Brazza's martin is smaller"
"Fairy gerygone The fairy gerygone (""Gerygone palpebrosa""), previously known as the fairy warbler, is a species of bird in the family Acanthizidae native to New Guinea and Queensland. Alfred Russel Wallace described the species as ""Gerygone palpebrosa"" in 1865, from a specimen from the Aru Islands. The species name is derived from the Latin ""palpebra"" ""eyelid"", for the bird's facial markings. A taxon known commonly as the fairy warbler, ""Gerygone flavida"" was described from the Herbert River in Queensland and initially treated as a separate species. However, birds further north along the Queensland coastline became gradually more like ""Gerygone palpebrosa"","
"it has yellow skin and legs, which are traditionally preferred by Italian consumers of chicken meat. A standard for the breed was published by the now defunct Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Specie Avicole, or national association of breeders of avian species, in the latter part of the 20th century, and is published for historic interest on the website of the Federazione Italiana Associazioni Avicole, the federation of Italian poultry associations, the authority governing poultry breeding in Italy. In early 2012, the breed was not officially recognised by the FIAV. Together with the Pépoi, the Robusta lionata, the Robusta maculata and the"
"appears to derive from light breeds originating in rural Tuscany. The name comes from Leghorn, the traditional anglicisation of Livorno, the Tuscan port from which the first birds were exported to North America. The date of the first exports is variously reported as 1828, ""about 1830"" and 1852. They were initially known as ""Italians""; they were first referred to as ""Leghorns"" in 1865, in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Leghorn was included in the American Standard of Perfection in 1874, with three colours: black, white and brown (light and dark). Rose comb light and dark brown were added in 1883, and rose"
"in the 1880s; gold and silver duckwings originated there a few years later, from crosses with Phoenix or Japanese Yokohama birds. Buff Leghorns were first seen in Denmark in 1885, and in England in 1888. In Italy, where the Livorno breed standard is recent, ten colour varieties are recognised. There is a separate Italian standard for the German Leghorn variety, the Italiana (German: Italiener). The Fédération française des volailles (the French poultry federation) divides the breed into four types: the American white, the English white, the old type (golden-salmon) and the modern type, for which seventeen colour variants are listed"
"contiguous USA and Mexico. However, their populations have heavily declined since the 1960s. Four subspecies reside in southern coastal California: ""mearnsi, gambeli, grinnelli"" and ""anthonyi"". ""L. l. mearnsi"" is only found on San Clemente Island in California, whereas ""L. l. gambeli"" breeds on the mainland and ""L. l. anthonyi"" breeds on the Channel Islands. ""L. l. excubitorides"" is found in central North America, whereas the non-migrating ""L. l. ludovicianus"" resides in southeastern North America. The distribution of ""L. l. migrans"" ranges from north to eastern North America; however, its range has been diminishing since the 1940s. The bird requires an"
"Kalkadoon grasswren The Kalkadoon grasswren (""Amytornis ballarae""), also called the Ballara grasswren, is a species of passerine bird in the family Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the dusky grasswren. The English qualifier ‘Kalkadoon’ refers to the name of the Aboriginal group that live in the area where it is found. The specific epithet ""ballarae"" refers to the deserted mining town of Ballara, in north-western Queensland between Mount Isa and Cloncurry. It is similar to the dusky grasswren, though the markings are generally brighter and more defined, e.g. the wing coverts and"
"amphibians. Little bittern The little bittern or common little bittern (""Ixobrychus minutus"") is a wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. ""Ixobrychus"" is from Ancient Greek ""ixias"", a reed-like plant and ""brukhomai"", to bellow, and ""minutus"" is Latin for ""small"". This bittern is native to the Old World, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, western and southern Asia, and Madagascar. Birds from temperate regions in Europe and western Asia are migratory, wintering in Africa and further south in Asia, while those nesting in the tropics are sedentary. It is rare north of its breeding range. In Britain there were"
"Mountain imperial pigeon The mountain imperial pigeon (""Ducula badia""), also known as the maroon-backed imperial pigeon or Hodgson's imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family with a wide range in south-eastern Asia. The mountain imperial pigeon is the largest pigeon species in its range at long. It has a fairly long tail, broad, rounded wings and slow wing-beats. The head, neck and underparts are vinous-grey with a contrasting white throat and brownish-maroon upperparts and wings, though the upper part of the body can be duller. The underwing is slate-grey and the tail is blackish"
"Moorhen Moorhens — sometimes called marsh hens — are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus Gallinula, Latin for ""little hen"". They are close relatives of coots. They are often referred to as (black) gallinules. Recently, one of the species of ""Gallinula"" was found to have enough differences to form a new genus ""Paragallinula"" with the only species being the Lesser moorhen (""Paragallinula angulata""). Two species from the Australian region, sometimes separated in , are called ""native hens""(also native-hen or, in some specialist sources, nativehen). The native hens differ"
"Madrasi Highflyer The Madrasi Highflyer also known as Thavdal is a breed of performance pigeon developed over centuries for endurance flying. Thavdal, along with other breeds of domesticated pigeons are all descendants of the rock dove (""Columba livia""). They are native to and predominantly bred in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. They have a streamlined body ideal for flying long hours. They usually have orange to reddish eyes. They are specifically bred to withstand the hot and humid conditions of southern India. They are usually flown during the monsoon months of June, July and August"