"in most of Australia, except for the northern and north-eastern parts. It is active through September to April in still water bodies such as riverine pools, lakes and ponds, including temporary pools. Blue ringtail The blue ringtail (""Austrolestes annulosus"") is an Australian damselfly. It is found on most of the continent. The blue ringtail was first described by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1862. The abdomen is 3 cm long. It can easily be confused with ""Coenagrion lyelli"" or ""Caliagrion billinghursti"", but can be differentiated through dorsal patterns. They are a thin, medium-sized damselfly with varying coloration, which depends on"
"Red-flanked bluetail The red-flanked bluetail (""Tarsiger cyanurus""), also known as the orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and related species, are often called chats. It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in mixed coniferous forest with undergrowth in northern Asia and northeastern Europe, from Finland east across Siberia to Kamchatka and south to Japan. It winters mainly in southeastern Asia, in the Indian Subcontinent, the Himalayas, Taiwan, and northern Indochina. The breeding range"
"Himalayan bluetail The Himalayan bluetail or Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin also called the Orange-flanked bush-robin (""Tarsiger rufilatus"") is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of Muscicapidae. While currently under review, this taxon is not current recognized as a species by BirdLife international. It is closely related to the red-flanked bluetail and was generally treated as a subspecies of it in the past, but as well as differing in its migratory behaviour (the red-flanked bluetail is a long-distance migrant), it"
"the species of ""Pseudochirulus"" and other ringtail genera were formerly also classified in ""Pseudocheirus"". Several subspecies have been described, such as the Western Australian ""Pseudocheirus peregrinus occidentalis"", but the entire population may be a species complex. The arrangement as the only extant species of ""Pseudocheirus"" is: The common ringtail possum weighs between 550 and 1100 g and is approximately 30–35 cm long when grown (excluding the tail, which is roughly the same length again). It has grey fur with white patches behind the eyes and usually a cream coloured belly. It has a long prehensile tail which normally displays a"
"in the ornithological literature. The table below details the treatments adopted by some major works, by publication date (newest first): Red-flanked bluetail The red-flanked bluetail (""Tarsiger cyanurus""), also known as the orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and related species, are often called chats. It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in mixed coniferous forest with undergrowth in northern Asia and northeastern Europe, from Finland east across Siberia to Kamchatka and south to"
"Green ringtail possum The green ringtail possum (""Pseudochirops archeri"") is a species of ringtail possum found only in northern Australia. This makes it unique in its genus, all other members of which are found in New Guinea or nearby islands. The green ringtail possum is found in a tiny area of northeastern Queensland, between Paluma and Mount Windsor Tableland. The green ringtail possum gets its name from its fur, which does indeed have a greenish tinge. In reality the fur is olive grey, but it is grizzled with silver, yellow and black hairs, which makes it appear green. It is"
"misunderstanding of ""motacilla"", the name for the wagtail. Taiga flycatcher The taiga flycatcher or red-throated flycatcher (""Ficedula albicilla"") is a species of migratory bird in the family Muscicapidae. The female has brown upper parts with a blackish tail flanked by white. The breast are buffish with underparts mostly white. The male has ear coverts and sides of the neck blue-tinged grey with breeding males having orange-red coloration on the throats. Unlike taiga flycatcher, the female of the similar red-breasted flycatcher has brown tail while the red color in breeding males extend up to the breast in red-breasted flycatcher. It breeds"
"commonly seen along tracks; favours ridges and mountain tops. It is insectivorous. Himalayan bluetail The Himalayan bluetail or Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin also called the Orange-flanked bush-robin (""Tarsiger rufilatus"") is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of Muscicapidae. While currently under review, this taxon is not current recognized as a species by BirdLife international. It is closely related to the red-flanked bluetail and was generally treated as a subspecies of it in the past, but as well as differing"
"Bluespotted ribbontail ray The bluespotted ribbontail ray (""Taeniura lymma"") is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. Found from the intertidal zone to a depth of , this species is common throughout the tropical Indian and western Pacific Oceans in nearshore, coral reef-associated habitats. It is a fairly small ray, not exceeding in width, with a mostly smooth, oval pectoral fin disc, large protruding eyes, and a relatively short and thick tail with a deep fin fold underneath. It can be easily identified by its striking color pattern of many electric blue spots on a yellowish background, with a"
"Blue waxbill The blue waxbill (""Uraeginthus angolensis""), also called southern blue waxbill, blue-breasted waxbill, southern cordon-bleu, blue-cheeked cordon-bleu, blue-breasted cordon-bleu and Angola cordon-bleu, is a common species of estrildid finch found in Southern Africa. It is also relatively commonly kept as an aviary bird. The blue waxbill has powder-blue face, breast, rump, and flanks with pale brown upperparts. The female is paler than the male and the blue is confined to the rump, tail, head, and upper breast, with the rest of the underparts being buffy brown. They measure 12–13 cm in length. The call is a soft 'seee-seee', often"
"Blue-throated roller The blue-throated roller (""Eurystomus gularis"") is a species of roller in the family Coraciidae. It is found in central and western Africa. Two subspecies are recognized: The blue-throated roller is a dumpy, large-headed, thick-necked bird that frequents the tops of trees. Overall, it is a dark bird, mainly chestnut brown with a bright yellow bill and a blue patch on the throat, a blue tail and purplish blue wings. The juvenile shows bluish on the underparts. It is a rather long-winged roller and can give a falcon like silhouette in flight. It measures 25 cm in length; the"
"Western ringtail possum The western ringtail possum or Ngwayir is a possum found in a small area of Western Australia, regarded as a subspecies (Pseudocheirus peregrinus occidentalis) of the common ringtail possum, or as a separate species. It is a small animal with dark greyish-brown fur without any rufous tinge, pale underparts and a long prehensile tail with a pale tip. It is nocturnal and mainly arboreal, feeding on buds, leaves, flowers and fruit. It breeds mainly in the winter, the single juvenile emerging from the pouch after about three months. Its population seems to be declining, probably due to"
"of sustainable fish. Blue grenadier The blue grenadier, hoki, blue hake, New Zealand whiptail, whiptail or whiptail hake (""Macruronus novaezelandiae"") is a merluccid hake of the family Merlucciidae found around southern Australia and New Zealand, as well as off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America from Peru to Brazil at depths of between . It feeds in midwater on small squids, crustaceans, and fish. Its length is between . It is a slender, silvery fish similar in appearance to the gemfish. The meat of the fish is white and almost always sold in fillets. Australian supermarkets have"
"Blue grenadier The blue grenadier, hoki, blue hake, New Zealand whiptail, whiptail or whiptail hake (""Macruronus novaezelandiae"") is a merluccid hake of the family Merlucciidae found around southern Australia and New Zealand, as well as off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America from Peru to Brazil at depths of between . It feeds in midwater on small squids, crustaceans, and fish. Its length is between . It is a slender, silvery fish similar in appearance to the gemfish. The meat of the fish is white and almost always sold in fillets. Australian supermarkets have many hoki products,"
"subspecies have been described at one time or another, and some 15-20 are currently considered valid depending on which author reviews them. In addition, the citrine wagtail (""M. citreola"") forms a cryptic species complex with this bird; both taxa as conventionally delimited are paraphyletic in respect to each other. The populations of the Beringian region are sometimes separated as eastern yellow wagtail (""M. tschutschensis""). Colouration refers to males except when noted. The nominate blue-headed wagtail and yellow wagtail form a narrow hybrid zone in northern France. Birds from this zone vary in appearance, but one type, which resembles nominate blue-headed"
"Red-eared firetail Stagonopleura oculata, known as red-eared firetail or boorin, is a small finch-like species of birds. They occur in dense wetland vegetation of coastal to sub-coastal regions in Southwest Australia. Their appearance is considered appealing, with white spots, black barring and vivid crimson marks at the ear and upper tail. They are usually only glimpsed briefly, if at all, as they move rapidly and discreetly through their habitat. Most observations occur when their soft voice is heard, or in flight when flushed from the dense scrub. Males and females are similar in colouring and bond as lifelong pairs that"
"Citrine wagtail The citrine wagtail (""Motacilla citreola"") is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae. The term ""citrine"" refers to its yellowish colouration. Its systematics, phylogeny and taxonomy are subject of considerable debate in the early 21st century. This is because this bird forms a cryptic species complex with the eastern (""M. tschutschensis "") and western yellow wagtail (""M. flava""). Which of the many taxa in this group should properly refer to which population is unlikely to be resolved in the immediate future. ""Motacilla"" is the Latin name for the pied wagtail; although actually a diminutive of ""motare"", "" to"
"Blue-tailed damselfly The blue-tailed damselfly or common bluetail (""Ischnura elegans"") is a damselfly, belonging to the family Coenagrionidae. Subspecies and varieties include: This species is present in most of Europe. It is an extremely common species. These damselflies can be found in a wide range of lowland environments, with standing and slow flowing waters, brackish and polluted water. ""Ischnura elegans"" can reach a body length of and a wingspan of about . Hindwings reach alength of . Adult male blue-tailed damselflies have a head and thorax patterned with blue and black. There is a bi-coloured pterostigma on the front wings."
"Blue wildebeest The blue wildebeest (""Connochaetes taurinus""), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeests. It is placed in the genus ""Connochaetes"" and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult colouration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate"
"Blue ant The blue ant (""Diamma bicolor""), also known as the blue-ant or bluebottle is, despite its name and its appearance, not an ant at all, but rather a species of large solitary parasitic wasp sometimes known as a flower wasp. It is a native of south and southeast Australia, including the Australian states of Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It is the sole member of the subfamily Diamminae and the genus Diamma, and is both morphologically and behaviorally unusual among members of the family Tiphiidae. Blue ants have a distinctive metallic blue-green body, with red legs."
"Blue-eyed cockatoo The blue-eyed cockatoo (""Cacatua ophthalmica"") is a large, mainly white cockatoo approximately long with a mobile crest, a black beak, and a light blue rim of featherless skin around each eye that gives this species its name. Like all cockatoos and many parrots, the blue-eyed cockatoo can use one of its zygodactyl feet to hold objects and to bring food to its beak whilst standing on the other foot; nevertheless, amongst bird species as a whole this is relatively unusual. The blue-eyed cockatoo is a large, approximately long, mainly white cockatoo with an erectile yellow and white crest,"
"wagtail (except that the blue tones to the head are paler and more mauve and the white of the head is more extensive, particularly on the throat, ear-coverts, and supercilium) is colloquially referred to as Channel wagtail. In the Pyramid Texts of Old Kingdom Egypt, the yellow wagtail was considered a representation of Atum himself and might have been the first inspiration for the Bennu bird, which, in turn, is the supposed inspiration for the phoenix of Greek mythology. Western yellow wagtail The western yellow wagtail (""Motacilla flava"") is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes"
"Ring-tailed cat The ringtail (""Bassariscus astutus"") is a mammal of the raccoon family, native to arid regions of North America. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat, miner's cat or bassarisk, and is also sometimes called a ""civet cat"" (after similar, though only distantly related, cat-like carnivores of Asia and Africa). The ringtail is sometimes called a cacomistle, though this term seems to be more often used to refer to ""Bassariscus sumichrasti"". The ringtail is buff to dark brown in color with pale underparts. Ringtails have a pointed muzzle with long whiskers resembles that of a fox"
"King quail The king quail (""Excalfactoria chinensis""), also known as the blue-breasted quail, Asian blue quail, Chinese painted quail, or Chung-Chi, is a species of Old World quail in the family Phasianidae. This species is the smallest ""true quail"", ranging in the wild from southeastern Asia to Oceania with 10 different subspecies. A failed attempt was made to introduce this species to New Zealand by the Otago Acclimatisation Society in the late 1890s. It is quite common in aviculture worldwide, where it is sometimes misleadingly known as the ""button quail"", which is the name of an only very distantly related"
"called the ' (police) or """" (priest) bird, because of its black-and-white colouring. The willie wagtail is unrelated to the Eurasian wagtails of the family Motacillidae. It is one of 47 members of the fantail genus ""Rhipidura""; some authorities classify this group of birds as a subfamily Rhipidurinae within the drongo family Dicruridae, together with the monarch flycatchers, while others consider them distinct enough to warrant their own family Rhipiduridae. Early molecular research in the late 1980s and early 1990s revealed that the fantails belong to a large group of mainly Australasian birds known as the parvorder Corvida comprising many"
"Blue-bellied roller The blue-bellied roller (""Coracias cyanogaster"") is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across Africa in a narrow belt from Senegal to northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is resident, apart from some local seasonal movements, in mature moist savannah dominated by ""Isoberlinia"" trees. The blue-bellied roller is a large bird, nearly the size of a jackdaw at 28–30 cm. It has a dark green back, white head, neck and breast, with the rest of the plumage mainly blue. Adults have 6 cm tail streamers. Sexes are similar, but the juvenile is a drabber"
"causing starvation. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as ""critically endangered"". Western ringtail possum The western ringtail possum or Ngwayir is a possum found in a small area of Western Australia, regarded as a subspecies (Pseudocheirus peregrinus occidentalis) of the common ringtail possum, or as a separate species. It is a small animal with dark greyish-brown fur without any rufous tinge, pale underparts and a long prehensile tail with a pale tip. It is nocturnal and mainly arboreal, feeding on buds, leaves, flowers and fruit. It breeds mainly in the winter, the single juvenile emerging"
"an uncommon species and rarely observed due to its secretive behaviour. However it is not considered threatened, and is listed as least concern by the IUCN. The blue malkoha has two subspecies: Blue malkoha The blue malkoha or chattering yellowbill (""Ceuthmochares aereus"") is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly conspecific with the green malkoha until split in 2016. It has a widespread distribution across the tropical evergreen forests of Africa of west and central Africa. The blue malkoha has a greyish belly, head and throat and a heavy yellow bill but subspecies display some differences"
"Wagtail The wagtails are a genus, Motacilla, of passerine birds in the family Motacillidae. The forest wagtail belongs to the monotypic genus ""Dendronanthus"" which is closely related to ""Motacilla"" and sometimes included herein. The common name and genus names are derived from their characteristic tail pumping behaviour. Together with the pipits and longclaws they form the family Motacillidae. The willie wagtail (""Rhipidura leucophrys"") of Australia is an unrelated bird similar in coloration and shape to the Japanese wagtail. It belongs to the fantails. The genus ""Motacilla"" was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition"
"Blue malkoha The blue malkoha or chattering yellowbill (""Ceuthmochares aereus"") is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly conspecific with the green malkoha until split in 2016. It has a widespread distribution across the tropical evergreen forests of Africa of west and central Africa. The blue malkoha has a greyish belly, head and throat and a heavy yellow bill but subspecies display some differences in plumage colouration. ""C. aereus aereus"" has a greenish and blue tail, wings and back, while ""C. aereus flavirostris"" has a blue tail, wings and back. The blue malkoha feeds primarily on"
"by artisanal and commercial fisheries, and by local collecting for the aquarium trade. Bluespotted ribbontail ray The bluespotted ribbontail ray (""Taeniura lymma"") is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. Found from the intertidal zone to a depth of , this species is common throughout the tropical Indian and western Pacific Oceans in nearshore, coral reef-associated habitats. It is a fairly small ray, not exceeding in width, with a mostly smooth, oval pectoral fin disc, large protruding eyes, and a relatively short and thick tail with a deep fin fold underneath. It can be easily identified by its striking"
"and bogs, and nests on the ground, laying 4–5 speckled eggs. Citrine wagtail The citrine wagtail (""Motacilla citreola"") is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae. The term ""citrine"" refers to its yellowish colouration. Its systematics, phylogeny and taxonomy are subject of considerable debate in the early 21st century. This is because this bird forms a cryptic species complex with the eastern (""M. tschutschensis "") and western yellow wagtail (""M. flava""). Which of the many taxa in this group should properly refer to which population is unlikely to be resolved in the immediate future. ""Motacilla"" is the Latin name for"
"Blue-mantled thornbill The blue-mantled thornbill (""Chalcostigma stanleyi"") is a species of hummingbird native to high-altitude forest and grassland of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. Three subspecies are currently recognized: ""C. s. stanleyi"" (Bourcier, 1851), ""C. s. versigulare"" (J. T. Zimmer, 1924), and ""C. s. vulcani"" (Gould, 1852). The species has a dark blue and green back and wing feathers, and a dark brown and green body. The crissum (the undertail coverts surrounding the cloaca) is cinnamon with a scaly pattern. A thin green and purple strip is found on the throat and a small part of the breast in males. There"