"Caucasus, but interbreeding occurs rarely, if ever. The mountain chiffchaff differs from ""tristis"" in vocalisations, external morphology and mtDNA sequences. Its two subspecies appear to be distinct vocally, and also show some difference in mtDNA sequences. Mountain chiffchaff The mountain chiffchaff or eastern chiffchaff (""Phylloscopus sindianus"") is a species of leaf warbler found in the Caucasus (""P. s. lorenzii"") and Himalayas (""P. s. sindianus""), and is an altitudinal migrant, moving to lower levels in winter. The nominate subspecies is similar to the Siberian chiffchaff, but with a finer darker bill, browner upperparts and buff flanks; its song is almost identical"
"The common chiffchaff breeds across Europe and Asia east to eastern Siberia and north to about 70°N, with isolated populations in northwest Africa, northern and western Turkey and northwestern Iran. It is migratory, but it is one of the first passerine birds to return to its breeding areas in the spring and among the last to leave in late autumn. When breeding, it is a bird of open woodlands with some taller trees and ground cover for nesting purposes. These trees are typically at least 5 metres (16 ft) high, with undergrowth that is an open, poor to medium mix"
"Common chaffinch The common chaffinch (""Fringilla coelebs""), usually known simply as the chaffinch, is a common and widespread small passerine bird in the finch family. The male is brightly coloured with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts. The female is much duller in colouring, but both sexes have two contrasting white wing bars and white sides to the tail. The male bird has a strong voice and sings from exposed perches to attract a mate. The chaffinch breeds in much of Europe, across Asia to Siberia and in northwest Africa. The female builds a nest with a deep cup in"
"of keeping chaffinches as pets declined after the trapping of wild birds was outlawed by the Wild Birds Protection Acts of 1880 to 1896. The chaffinch is still a popular pet bird in some European countries. In Belgium, the traditional sport of vinkenzetting pits male chaffinches against one another in a contest for the most bird calls in an hour. Common chaffinch The common chaffinch (""Fringilla coelebs""), usually known simply as the chaffinch, is a common and widespread small passerine bird in the finch family. The male is brightly coloured with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts. The female is"
"de Famara. Eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff The eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff or Lanzarote Island chiffchaff (""Phylloscopus canariensis exsul"") is an extinct subspecies of the Canary Islands chiffchaff endemic to the island of Lanzarote – and possibly also Fuerteventura – in the Canary Islands, Spain. The eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff was more chestnut-backed and shorter-winged than the western Canary Islands chiffchaff, ""Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis"". These birds were formerly considered subspecies of the common chiffchaff but separated (Clement & Helbig, 1998; Sangster ""et al."", 2001) due to their morphological, bioacoustical, and mtDNA sequence differences (Helbig ""et al."", 1996). Apparently this subspecies was"
"and larvae of butterflies and moths, particularly those of the winter moth. The chiffchaff has been estimated to require about one-third of its weight in insects daily, and it feeds almost continuously in the autumn to put on extra fat as fuel for the long migration flight. As with most small birds, mortality in the first year of life is high, but adults aged three to four years are regularly recorded, and the record is more than seven years. Eggs, chicks and fledglings of this ground-nesting species are taken by stoats, weasels and crows such as the European magpie, and"
"Eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff The eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff or Lanzarote Island chiffchaff (""Phylloscopus canariensis exsul"") is an extinct subspecies of the Canary Islands chiffchaff endemic to the island of Lanzarote – and possibly also Fuerteventura – in the Canary Islands, Spain. The eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff was more chestnut-backed and shorter-winged than the western Canary Islands chiffchaff, ""Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis"". These birds were formerly considered subspecies of the common chiffchaff but separated (Clement & Helbig, 1998; Sangster ""et al."", 2001) due to their morphological, bioacoustical, and mtDNA sequence differences (Helbig ""et al."", 1996). Apparently this subspecies was already very"
"the nest is a spherical structure with a side entrance and is place near the ground in coastal scrub but higher (8m plus) up in the laurisilva. The clutch is 2-5 eggs and most pairs are triple brooded. When not breeding they are more sociable in the autumn and the winter when it forms small flocks. The post-breeding moult is usually completed by late July. The Canary Islands chiffchaff spends much of its time foraging for its insect food among foliage from ground level up to the tree canopy, although it will also sometimes hover glean and fly catch.It is"
"Chimney swift The chimney swift (""Chaetura pelagica"") is a bird belonging to the swift family Apodidae. A member of the genus ""Chaetura"", it is closely related to both the Vaux's swift and the Chapman's swift; in the past, the three were sometimes considered to be conspecific. It has no subspecies. The chimney swift is a medium-sized, sooty gray bird with very long, slender wings and very short legs. Like all swifts, it is incapable of perching, and can only cling vertically to surfaces. The chimney swift feeds primarily on flying insects, but also on airborne spiders. It generally mates for"
"Chestnut-capped puffbird The chestnut-capped puffbird (""Bucco macrodactylus"") is a species of bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds. It is a small, roundish dark brown bird with a short narrow tail and a dull whitish breast. It is a bright multicolored bird, named for its cap, which is a deep chestnut. A medium orange, narrow collar on the upper back borders the chestnut cap and ends at the side of the neck in a spot. A second collar, similar to that of the collared puffbird, is on the upper breast, wider on the sides, narrow under the throat, and deep"
"Cochoa The cochoas (from ""cocho"", Nepali for ""Cochoa purpurea"") are medium-sized frugivorous, insectivorous and molluscivorous birds in the genus Cochoa. Their bright contrasting plumage patterns, sexual dimorphism and feeding habits made their systematic position difficult to ascertain in early times, Richard Bowdler Sharpe placed them with the Prionopidae in 1879 while many considered them as some kind of aberrant thrush. The genus was previously included in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that it is more closely related to the thrush family Turdidae. These are southeast Asian forest-dwelling species, often found near water. The"
"Cuckoo-finch The cuckoo-finch (""Anomalospiza imberbis""), also known as the parasitic weaver or cuckoo weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs. It occurs in grassland in Africa south of the Sahara. The male is mainly yellow and green while the female is buff with dark streaks. The eggs are laid in the nests of other birds. The species was described in 1868 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis based on a specimen from East Africa, probably from the coast opposite Zanzibar. It was initially placed in the genus ""Crithagra"" but later"
"Giraffidae The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a common ancestor with cervids and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (one species of ""Giraffa"") and the okapi (the only known species of ""Okapia""). Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered"
"of London. These overwintering common chiffchaffs include some visitors of the eastern subspecies ""abietinus"" and ""tristis"", so they are certainly not all birds which have bred locally, although some undoubtedly are. The male common chiffchaff is highly territorial during the breeding season, with a core territory typically 20 metres (66 ft) across, which is fiercely defended against other males. Other small birds may also be attacked. The male is inquisitive and fearless, attacking even dangerous predators like the stoat if they approach the nest, as well as egg-thieves like the Eurasian jay. His song, given from a favoured prominent vantage"
"enough to be vulnerable under the population size criterion. Chilean swallow The Chilean swallow (""Tachycineta leucopyga"") is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. It breeds in Chile and Patagonia, migrating north as far as Bolivia, Paraguay, and Rio Grande do Sul. The new genus ""Tachycineta"" was created for this group of swallows by German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1850. The current genus name ""Tachycineta"", is from Ancient Greek ""takhukinetos"", ""moving quickly"", and the specific ""meyeni"" commemorates Prussian botanist and collector Franz Meyen. Some consider the species name to be ""leucopyga"", which is what the species name originally was."
"use, the loss of mown or grazed breeding sites, and over-hunting. This decline has seen it listed in the ""Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds"" (AEWA). The ruff is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical shorebirds. Recent research suggests that its closest relatives are the broad-billed sandpiper, ""Calidris falcinellus"", and the sharp-tailed sandpiper, ""Calidris acuminata"". It has no recognised subspecies or geographical variants. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his ""Systema Naturae"" in 1758 as ""Tringa pugnax"". It was moved into its current genus by German naturalist Blasius Merrem in 1804. Both"
"Sheathbill The sheathbills are a family of birds, Chionidae. Classified in the wader order Charadriiformes, the family contains one genus, ""Chionis"", with only two species. They breed on subantarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, and the snowy sheathbill migrates to the Falkland Islands and coastal southern South America in the southern winter; they are the only bird family endemic as breeders to the Antarctic region. They are also the only Antarctic birds without webbed feet. They have white plumage including a thick layer of down, with only the face and leg colours distinguishing the two species. They look plump and"
"Chickadee The chickadees are a group of North American birds in the tit family included in the genus ""Poecile"". Species found in North America are referred to as chickadees, while other species in the genus are called tits. They are small-sized birds overall, usually having the crown of the head and throat patch distinctly darker than the body. They are at least in size. Their name reputedly comes from the fact that their calls make a distinctive ""chick-a-dee-dee-dee"",though their normal call is actually fee-bee, and the famous chick-a-dee-dee-dee is an alarm call. The number of ""dees"" depends on the predator!(sound)."
"Rufous-chinned laughingthrush The rufous-chinned laughingthrush (""Garrulax rufogularis"") is a bird species in the family Leiothrichidae. The species is sometimes placed in the genus ""Ianthocincla"", the placement used originally by John Gould. It ranges across the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent and some parts of Southeast Asia. This mid-sized laughingthrush is found along the Himalayas and can be identified by the combination of the black cap and band on the brown tail. The underparts are greyish while the upperparts have scale like feather patterning. A distinctive pale loreal patch of buff colour and a broad dark moustachial stripe which borders"
"or three feet long, where it lays one or two eggs. Swallow-winged puffbird The swallow-winged puffbird (""Chelidoptera tenebrosa"") is a species of bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds. It is also called the swallow-wing. It is the only species in the genus Chelidoptera. It is found in Brazil and the entire Amazon Basin; also Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical and tropical swamps, and heavily degraded former forest. The swallow-winged puffbird's range is throughout the Amazon Basin to the foothills of"
"Chad firefinch The Chad firefinch or Reichenow's firefinch (""Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis"") is a small passerine bird belonging to the firefinch genus ""Lagonosticta"" in the estrildid finch family Estrildidae. It is restricted to a small area of Central Africa. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Jameson's firefinch (""L. rhodopareia"") but is now often treated as a separate species. Its alternative name commemorates Anton Reichenow, the German ornithologist who described this species. It is 10–11 centimetres long. The male is mostly bright pinkish-red, darker on the upperparts. The crown and nape are grey and the vent is dark. The thick, conical"
"Swallow-winged puffbird The swallow-winged puffbird (""Chelidoptera tenebrosa"") is a species of bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds. It is also called the swallow-wing. It is the only species in the genus Chelidoptera. It is found in Brazil and the entire Amazon Basin; also Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical and tropical swamps, and heavily degraded former forest. The swallow-winged puffbird's range is throughout the Amazon Basin to the foothills of the Andes in the west, in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. To"
"Little shrikethrush The little shrikethrush (""Colluricincla megarhyncha"") is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae. The little shrikethrush was originally described in the genus ""Muscicapa"" and was subsequently classified by some authorities within the genus ""Pinarolestes"". Genetic investigations of New Guinea populations of the little shrikethrush indicate high levels of genetic divergence, suggesting it may comprise more than one species. With at least eight separate clades identified as potential species splits, further research may lead to the re-classification of several new species. Alternate names for the little shrikethrush include the brown shrike-flycatcher and rufous shrike-thrush. Currently, twenty subspecies are"
"coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. They may be preyed on by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring, or bachelor herds"
"its wild mountain habitat in Olivier Messiaen’s ""Catalogue d'oiseaux"" (""Bird catalogue""), a piano piece written in 1956–58. ""Le chocard des alpes"" (""The Alpine Chough"") is the opening piece of Book 1 of the work. A group of choughs may be referred to fancifully or jocularly as a ""chattering"" or ""clattering"". (See also: List of collective nouns) Chough There are two species of passerine birds commonly called chough ( ) that constitute the genus Pyrrhocorax of the Corvidae (crow) family of birds. These are the red-billed chough (""Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax""), and the Alpine chough (or Yellow-billed chough) (""Pyrrhocorax graculus""). The white-winged chough"
"Tchagra The tchagras are passerine birds in the bushshrike family, which are closely related to the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, and were once included in that group. The genus ""Tchagra"" was introduced by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1831 with the southern tchagra as the type species. The genus contains four species: The marsh tchagra ""Bocagia minuta"" is sometimes placed in the genus. The dark Angolan subspecies of marsh tchagra was formerly sometimes split as Anchieta's tchagra, ""Tchagra anchietae"", named after Portuguese explorer José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta by his zoologist compatriot José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage"
"the adults are hunted by birds of prey, particularly the sparrowhawk. Small birds are also at the mercy of the weather, particularly when migrating, but also on the breeding and wintering grounds. The common chiffchaff is occasionally a host of brood parasitic cuckoos, including the common and Horsfield's cuckoos, but it recognises and rejects non-mimetic eggs and is therefore only rarely successfully brood-parasitised. Like other passerine birds, the common chiffchaff can also acquire intestinal nematode parasites and external ticks. The main effect of humans on this species is indirect, through woodland clearance which affects the habitat, predation by cats, and"
"Puffbird The puffbirds and their relatives in the near passerine family Bucconidae are tropical tree-dwelling insectivorous birds that are found from South America up to Mexico. Together with their closest relatives, the jacamars, they form a divergent lineage within the order Piciformes, though the two families are sometimes elevated to a separate order Galbuliformes. Lacking the iridescent colours of the jacamars, puffbirds are mainly brown, rufous or grey, with large heads, large eyes, and flattened bills with a hooked tip. Their loose, abundant plumage and short tails makes them look stout and puffy, giving rise to the English name of"
"Whinchat The whinchat (""Saxicola rubetra"") is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in central Africa. At one time considered to be in the thrush family, Turdidae, it is now placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Both sexes have a strong supercilium, brownish upper parts mottled darker, a pale throat and breast, a pale buff to whitish belly, and a blackish tail with white bases to the outer tail feathers, but in the breeding season, the male has an orange-buff throat and breast. The whinchat is a solitary species, favouring open grassy"
"the IUCN, the white-winged flufftail and the slender-billed flufftail. They are threatened with habitat loss caused by the draining of wetlands for cultivation. Flufftail Flufftails (genus ""Sarothrura"") are small birds related to rails and finfoots. There are nine species, seven of which are distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, with the remaining two in Madagascar. The genus was long placed with the rail family Rallidae, but is now placed in the family Sarothruridae, along with three other species of wood rails (genus Canirallus). The group's common name is derived from the short tail which has degraded fluffy feathers. All species except the"
"Flufftail Flufftails (genus ""Sarothrura"") are small birds related to rails and finfoots. There are nine species, seven of which are distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, with the remaining two in Madagascar. The genus was long placed with the rail family Rallidae, but is now placed in the family Sarothruridae, along with three other species of wood rails (genus Canirallus). The group's common name is derived from the short tail which has degraded fluffy feathers. All species except the white-winged flufftail display sexual dimorphism in their plumage but not their size. Flufftails are highly secretive and seldom observed. Two species, the buff-spotted"
"back and underparts, and their flanks are more orange in hue. This species has a hard wooden ""chu-chu-chrrr"" song, often given as a duet. The call is a sharp ""chip"". The buffy tuftedcheek forages actively amongst mosses, vines, bromeliads and other epiphytes for insects, spiders, and even small amphibians. It will join mixed feeding flocks in the middle levels of the forest. The scientific and alternative English names of this bird commemorate American amateur ornithologist, George Newbold Lawrence. Buffy tuftedcheek The buffy tuftedcheek or Lawrence's tuftedcheek (""Pseudocolaptes lawrencii"") is a passerine bird in the ovenbird family, which breeds in the"
"Chilean swallow The Chilean swallow (""Tachycineta leucopyga"") is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. It breeds in Chile and Patagonia, migrating north as far as Bolivia, Paraguay, and Rio Grande do Sul. The new genus ""Tachycineta"" was created for this group of swallows by German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1850. The current genus name ""Tachycineta"", is from Ancient Greek ""takhukinetos"", ""moving quickly"", and the specific ""meyeni"" commemorates Prussian botanist and collector Franz Meyen. Some consider the species name to be ""leucopyga"", which is what the species name originally was. This species, along with the white-rumped swallow, ""T. leucorrhoa"","