"green-winged teal), with 1.7 million shot each year. Because of the efforts of Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl Foundation and other private conservation groups, the species continues to be sustainably hunted. Gadwall The gadwall (""Mareca strepera"") is a common and widespread dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. The gadwall was first described by Linnaeus in 1758 in his ""Systema naturae"". DNA studies have shown that it is a sister species with the falcated duck, and that these two are closely related to the wigeons. and both are assigned into the genus ""Mareca"". There two subspecies: The specific name ""strepera"" is Late"
"regular basis. Other shorebirds, gulls, and occasionally ducks of North American and East Asian species may occur as vagrants. In historic times, two species of landbirds and one subspecies of duck have been recorded. The latter, Coues's gadwall (""Anas strepera couesi""), was the only distinct subspecies of the widespread gadwall. It is surrounded by considerable mystery, mainly as regards the origin of the population, the age and therefore validity of the subspecies (it is sometimes disputed to be significantly distinct), and the causes and date of its disappearance. Only two specimens are known - a couple that is not fully"
"It is a medium-sized grey or speckled bird with a small naked head with colourful wattles and a knob on top, and was domesticated by the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Guinea fowl are hardy, sociable birds that subsist mainly on insects, but also consume grasses and seeds. They will keep a vegetable garden clear of pests and will eat the ticks that carry Lyme disease. They happily roost in trees and give a loud vocal warning of the approach of predators. Their flesh and eggs can be eaten in the same way as chickens, young birds being"
"a bit larger. The status of this bird is controversial. While many scientists consider it as a dwarfed subspecies of the common gadwall (""Anas strepera strepera"") others argue that the two individuals might have been just juveniles of a local breeding population that might not even be taxonomically distinct. The common gadwall is a known vagrant to the Tuamotu Islands (Kolbe wrote ""Tahiti which is a misreading of Greenway) and Hawaiʻi for example, which are about the same distance from the species' breeding grounds as is Teraina (which moreover lies in between these two groups). This makes it entirely possible"
"managed by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The area is designated a Special Protection Area of international importance for its wintering populations of gadwall (some 4% of this species’ European population) and shoveller. It is home to the Anglian Water Bird Watching Centre. Every August, the centre is the venue for the British Birdwatching Fair. Other birds found here include lapwing, coot, goldeneye, tufted duck, pochard, teal, wigeon, cormorant, great crested grebe, little grebe and, most notably, osprey, which were re-introduced to the area during 1996, including one called ""Mr Rutland"". The lake is stocked with brown trout and rainbow"
"Forest wagtail The forest wagtail (""Dendronanthus indicus"") is a medium-sized passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae. It has a distinctive plumage that sets it apart from other wagtails and has the habit of wagging its tail sideways unlike the usual up and down movements of the other wagtail species. It is the only wagtail species that nests in trees. They are found mainly in forested habitats, breeding in the temperate parts of east Asia and wintering across tropical Asia from India to Indonesia. This is a distinctive wagtail, the only one placed in the genus Dendronanthus (all other wagtails"
"Bustard Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (formerly known as Otidae). Bustards are omnivorous and opportunistic, eating leaves, buds, seeds, fruit, small vertebrates, and invertebrates. Bustards are all fairly large with the two largest species, the kori bustard (""Ardeotis kori"") and the great bustard (""Otis tarda""), being frequently cited as the world's heaviest flying birds. In both the largest species, large males exceed a weight of , weigh around on average"
"a shrub or small tree. Two eggs are laid. There are four extant species in the genus ""Bleda"": Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus ""Bleda"": Bristlebill The bristlebills are a genus of passerine birds belonging to the genus Bleda in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. They are found in the understorey of forests in western and central Africa. They forage for insects at or near ground-level, often near water. They will follow driver ant swarms to catch prey items fleeing from the ants and they frequently join mixed-species feeding flocks. They are"
"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"
"Bird Areas. At least 250 bird species have been recorded, 28 being endemic to the Guinean zone. There are 143 species typical of primary forest, including African crowned eagle (""Stephanoaetus coronatus""), lesser kestrel (""Falco naumanni""), white-breasted guineafowl (""Agelastes meleagrides""), rufous fishing owl (""Scotopilia ussheri""), brown-cheeked hornbill (""Ceratogymna cylindricus""), yellow-casqued hornbill (""Ceratogymna elata""), western wattled cuckooshrike (""Campephaga lobata""), rufous-winged thrush-babbler (""Illadopsis rufescens""), green-tailed bristlebill (""Bleda eximia""), yellow-throated olive greenbul (""Criniger olivaceus""), black-capped rufous-warbler (""Bathmocercus cerviniventris""), Nimba flycatcher (""Melaenornis annamarulae""), Sierra Leone prinia (""Prinia leontica""), Lagden's bushshrike (""Maloconotus lagdeni""), copper-tailed glossy-starling (""Lamprotornis cupreocauda""), white-necked rockfowl (""Picathartes gymnocephalus"") and Gola malimbe (""Malimbus ballmanni"")"
"Guineafowl Guineafowl (; sometimes called ""pet speckled hen"", or ""original fowl"") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branch off from the core Galliformes after the Cracidae and before the Odontophoridae. An Eocene fossil lineage, ""Telecrex"", has been associated with guineafowl. ""Telecrex"" inhabited Mongolia, and may have given rise to the oldest of the true Phasianids such as ""Ithaginis"" and ""Crossoptilon"", which evolved into high-altitude montane-adapted species with the rise of the Tibetan Plateau. While modern guineafowl species are endemic to"
"and slightly fewer calories per gram. Their eggs are substantially richer than those of chickens. Guineafowl Guineafowl (; sometimes called ""pet speckled hen"", or ""original fowl"") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branch off from the core Galliformes after the Cracidae and before the Odontophoridae. An Eocene fossil lineage, ""Telecrex"", has been associated with guineafowl. ""Telecrex"" inhabited Mongolia, and may have given rise to the oldest of the true Phasianids such as ""Ithaginis"" and ""Crossoptilon"", which evolved into high-altitude montane-adapted"
"Ptychozoon kuhli Ptychozoon kuhli, commonly known as Kuhl's flying gecko or the common flying gecko, is a species of Asian gecko. The specific name, ""kuhli"", is in honor of German zoologist Heinrich Kuhl. ""P. kuhli"" has adaptations to its skin, including flaps on either side of its body, webbed feet, and a flattened tail to allow it to glide over short distances. These geckos have a remarkable camouflage. The flaps of skin along their sides help them blend with tree bark. Often, the eyes are the only way to see them. Flying geckos, like many other gecko species, have evolved"
"Green junglefowl The green junglefowl (""Gallus varius""), also known as Javan junglefowl, forktail or green Javanese junglefowl, is a medium-sized (up to 75 cm long) bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. The colouration of the green junglefowl is sexually dimorphic. The male's plumage is dark and blackish at a distance. A closer view reveals an iridescent mantle of gleaming scales reminiscent in colour and pattern to those seen in the ocellated turkey and green peafowl. Each scale is vivid blue at its base and moves through various shades of gold and bronzed green. Specialized plumes framing the throat of the"
"Quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New World quail are placed in the family Odontophoridae. The species of buttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form the family Turnicidae in the order Charadriiformes. The king quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, and within this trade is commonly, though mistakenly, referred to as a ""button quail"". Many of the common larger species are farm-raised for table food or egg consumption,"
"These were converted into a wide range of wetland features and habitats before the centre opened in May 2000. It was the first urban project of its kind in the United Kingdom. Many wild birds which have now made their home in the Centre cannot be found anywhere else in London, and there are nationally significant numbers of gadwall and northern shoveler. Other wild birds include Eurasian bittern, northern pintail, northern lapwing, water rail, rose-ringed parakeet, Eurasian sparrowhawk, sand martin, common kingfisher, little grebe and great crested grebe. The centre also holds a collection of captive wildfowl. It is host"
"Union for Conservation of Nature as being of least concern. Hawfinch The hawfinch (""Coccothraustes coccothraustes"") is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Its closest living relatives are the evening grosbeak (""Hesperiphona vespertinus"") from North America and the hooded grosbeak (""Hesperiphona abeillei"") from Central America especially Mexico. This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia. It is mainly resident in Europe, but many Asian birds migrate further south in the winter. It is a rare vagrant to the western islands of Alaska. Deciduous or mixed woodland, including parkland, with large trees – especially hornbeam – is favoured for breeding."
"became commonly known as coachwhip bird or stockwhip bird. John Gould recorded the aboriginal term ""Djou"" from the Hunter Region of New South Wales. Its specific name is derived from its olive colouration, though was soon placed in the new genus ""Psophodes"" by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield, derived from the Greek ""psophōdes""/ψοφωδης meaning 'noisy'. The family placement has changed, some now placing it in a large broadly defined inclusive Corvidae, while others split it and several other genera into the quail-thrush family Cinclosomatidae. Other research proposes that the quail-thrushes are themselves distinctive, leaving the whipbirds and wedgebills in"
"Common waxbill The common waxbill (""Estrilda astrild""), also known as the St Helena waxbill, is a small passerine bird belonging to the estrildid finch family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa but has been introduced to many other regions of the world and now has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km. It is popular and easy to keep in captivity. It is a small bird, 4 to 5 inches in length with a wingspan of 4 1/2 inches and a weight of 3/5 to 3/4 ounce. It has a slender body with short rounded wings and a"
"Viduidae The indigobirds and whydahs, together with the Cuckoo-finch make up the family Viduidae; they are small passerine birds native to Africa. These are finch-like species which usually have black or indigo predominating in their plumage. The birds named ""whydahs"" have long or very long tails in the breeding male. All are obligate brood parasites, which lay their eggs in the nests of estrildid finch species; most indigobirds use firefinches as hosts, whereas the paradise whydahs chose pytilias. Unlike the cuckoos and honeyguides, the indigobirds and whydahs do not destroy the host's eggs. Typically, they lay 2–4 eggs in with"
"mere controls the outflow, which travels only eastwards to the North Sea. Hornsea Mere is a centre for bird-watching and a tourist attraction offering rowing, sailing, boat trips and fishing. It is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area for birds; it accommodates many species throughout the year, and is of international importance for a migratory population of gadwall. Its shallowness results in a diverse range of swamp and fen plants. It was featured in the BBC television programme ""Seven Natural Wonders"". Hornsea Mere is owned by Wassand Hall, situated to the west of the"
"Black-faced sheathbill The black-faced sheathbill (""Chionis minor""), also known as the lesser sheathbill or paddy bird, is one of only two species of sheathbills, aberrant shorebirds which are terrestrial scavengers of subantarctic islands. They are dumpy, short-necked, pigeon-like birds with white plumage, black bills, caruncles and facial skin. This species measures in length, in wingspan and weighs , with males being slightly larger than females. Restricted to subantarctic islands in the southern Indian Ocean: the South African territory of the Prince Edward Islands, the French territories of the Crozet Islands and Kerguelen Islands, and the Australian territory of Heard Island."
"for Europe of the Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture: black, cuckoo, pearled grey, and white. The Houdan is a light breed: cocks weigh and hens . A bantam Houdan was created in Britain in the 1940s, and further developed in Germany. Originally a dual-purpose fowl kept for both eggs and meat, and for part of the 1800s one of France's main meat breeds, the Houdan today is primarily a rare show bird. However, with a fairly quick rate of maturation and the ability to lay a respectable number of white eggs, it is still occasionally kept in backyard flocks."
"(AEWA) applies. Whimbrel The whimbrel (""Numenius phaeopus"") is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Asia and Europe as far south as Scotland. The whimbrel is a migratory bird wintering on coasts in Africa, southern North America, South America, and South Asia into Australasia. It is also a coastal bird during migration. It is fairly gregarious outside the breeding season. This is a fairly large wader though mid-sized as a member of the curlew genus. The English name is imitative of the bird's"
"Ruddy shelduck The ruddy shelduck (""Tadorna ferruginea""), known in India as the Brahminy duck, is a member of the family Anatidae. It is a distinctive waterfowl, in length with a wingspan of . It has orange-brown body plumage with a paler head, while the tail and the flight feathers in the wings are black, contrasting with the white wing-coverts. It is a migratory bird, wintering in the Indian subcontinent and breeding in southeastern Europe and central Asia, though there are small resident populations in North Africa. It has a loud honking call. The ruddy shelduck mostly inhabits inland water-bodies such"
"construction. They were intentionally flooded in the 1970s when the site was re-purposed for recreational use. The site received its SSSI listing in 1999. The British Trust for Ornithology noted a Wetlands Advisory Service report of 2003 that suggested recreational activities at the site might have contributed to a decline in recorded gadwall numbers. The site is used for waterskiing but the activity is prohibited between 1 October - 31 March, which is the period when the gadwalls use it for feeding. At other times of the year, the number of participants is restricted. The designated SSSI status is as"
"Fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Studies of anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together, they form the fowl clade which is scientifically known as Galloanserae (initially termed Galloanseri). This clade is also supported by morphological and DNA sequence data as well as retrotransposon presence/absence data. As opposed to ""fowl"", ""poultry"" is a term for any kind of domesticated bird or bird captive-raised for meat, eggs, or feathers; ostriches, for example, are sometimes kept as poultry, but are neither"
"Crested partridge The crested partridge (""Rollulus rouloul"") also known as the crested wood partridge, roul-roul, red-crowned wood partridge, green wood quail or green wood partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. It is the only member of the genus ""Rollulus"". This small partridge is a resident breeder in lowland rainforests in south Burma, south Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. Its nest is a ground scrape lined with leaves, which is concealed under a heap of leaf litter. Five or six white eggs are incubated for 18 days. Unusually for a galliform species,"
"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"
"African pied hornbill The African pied hornbill (""Lophoceros fasciatus"") is a bird of the hornbill family, a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World. The African pied hornbill is a common resident breeder in much of equatorial Africa, from The Gambia to western Uganda and northern Angola. This is a bird of mainly forest habitats. The female lays up to four white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer"
"Coucal A coucal is one of about 30 species of birds in the cuckoo family. All of them belong in the subfamily Centropodinae and the genus Centropus. Unlike many Old World cuckoos, coucals are not brood parasites, though they do have their own reproductive peculiarity: all members of the genus are to varying degrees sex-role reversed so that the smaller male provides most of the parental care. At least one coucal species, the black coucal, is polyandrous. Some species (""Centropus phasianinus"") have the male investing more in incubation and parental care. Recent DNA evidence suggests that they should be raised"
"Domestic guineafowl Domestic guineafowl, sometimes called pintades, pearl hen, or gleanies, are poultry originating from Africa. They are the domesticated form of the helmeted guineafowl (""Numida meleagris"") and are related to other game birds such as the pheasants, turkeys and partridges. Although the timing of their domestication is unknown, there is evidence that domestic guineafowl were present in Greece by the 5th century BC. They lay 25–30 eggs in a deep, tapering nest. Their eggs are small, dark and extremely thick-shelled. The hens have a habit of hiding their nests, and sharing it with other hens until large numbers of"
"incubation period is around two weeks and incubation and feeding duties are shared by both adults. Grey fantail The grey fantail (""Rhipidura albiscapa"") is a small insectivorous bird. It is a common fantail found in Australia (except western desert areas), the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The species is considered by many to conspecific with (the same as) the New Zealand fantail (""Rhipidura fuliginosa""); however, differences in its calls lead some authorities to treat it as a separate species. This fantail is mid-to-dark grey or grey-brown above, lighter (often yellowish/orange) below, with a white throat, white markings over the"