"of which are currently listed as vulnerable, and one of which is near-threatened. All species have been negatively affected by historic deforestation but currently the remaining large areas of their forest habitat are well protected in reserves and national parks. At present, the greatest threat to their survival is predation by invasive mammalian predators. The unique adaptations of kiwi, such as their large eggs, short and stout legs, or using their nostrils at the end of their long beak to detect prey before they ever see it, have helped the bird to become internationally well-known. The kiwi is an icon"
"two holes known as nares lead to the respiratory system. Although the word ""beak"" was, in the past, generally restricted to the sharpened bills of birds of prey, in modern ornithology, the terms ""beak"" and ""bill"" are generally considered to be synonymous. The word, which dates from the 13th century, comes from the Middle English ""bec"", which itself comes from the Latin ""beccus"". Although beaks vary significantly in size and shape from species to species, their underlying structures have a similar pattern. All beaks are composed of two jaws, generally known as the upper mandible (or maxilla) and lower mandible"
"and ptarmigans, crows, and some woodpeckers. The feathers over a ptarmigan's nostrils help to warm the air it inhales, while those over a woodpecker's nares help to keep wood particles from clogging its nasal passages. Species in the bird order Procellariformes have nostrils enclosed in double tubes which sit atop or along the sides of the upper mandible. These species, which include the albatrosses, petrels, diving petrels, storm petrels, fulmars and shearwaters, are widely known as ""tubenoses"". A number of species, including the falcons, have a small bony tubercule which projects from their nares. The function of this tubercule is"
"gape flanges remain somewhat swollen and can thus be used to recognize that a particular bird is young. By the time it reaches adulthood, the gape flanges will no longer be visible. Most species of birds have external nares (nostrils) located somewhere on their beak. The nares are two holes—circular, oval or slit-like in shape—which lead to the nasal cavities within the bird's skull, and thus to the rest of the respiratory system. In most bird species, the nares are located in the basal third of the upper mandible. Kiwis are a notable exception; their nares are located at the"
"Hornbill The hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family refer to the shape of the bill, ""buceros"" being ""cow horn"" in Greek. Hornbills have a two-lobed kidney. They are the only birds in which the first and second neck vertebrae (the atlas and axis respectively) are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the"
"Fairy prion The fairy prion (""Pachyptila turtur"") is a small seabird with the standard prion plumage of black upperparts and white underneath with an ""M"" wing marking. The fairy prion is a member of the Pachyptila genus, and along with the blue petrel makes up the prions. They in turn are members of the Procellariidae family, and the Procellariiformes order. The prions are small and typically eat just zooplankton; however as a member of the Procellariiformes, they share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns. Although the nostrils on the albatross"
"Beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds that is used for eating and for preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young. The terms ""beak"" and ""rostrum"" are also used to refer to a similar mouth part in some ornithischians, pterosaurs, turtles, cetaceans, dicynodonts, anuran tadpoles, sirens, pufferfishes, billfishes and cephalopods. Although beaks vary significantly in size, shape, color and texture, they share a similar underlying structure. Two bony projections—the upper and lower mandibles—are covered with a thin keratinized layer of epidermis known as the rhamphotheca. In most species,"
"rivalry akin to that of binocular rivalry when there are two different inputs to the two eyes. Nostril A nostril (or naris , plural ""nares"" ) is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation. Fish do not breathe through their noses, but they do have two small holes used for smelling, which may, indeed, be called nostrils. The Procellariiformes are distinguished from other birds"
"tip of their bills. A handful of species have no external nares. Cormorants and darters have primitive external nares as nestlings, but these close soon after the birds fledge; adults of these species (and gannets and boobies of all ages, which also lack external nostrils) breathe through their mouths. There is typically a septum made of bone or cartilage that separates the two nares, but in some families (including gulls, cranes and New World vultures), the septum is missing. While the nares are uncovered in most species, they are covered with feathers in a few groups of birds, including grouse"
"upper mandible of the beak behind the bird's nostril is a powder blue. The lower mandible and rest of the upper mandible are black. This beak is unusually large and crow-like at in length and is also decurved. There are some small, bristle-like feathers located on the crown that can be erected. Behind the crown, the species' bare skin on the hindcrown and nape is carmine in coloration and has a few more bristle-like feathers. The area between these patches of skin, as well as the lores, cheeks, and ear region, are featherless with black skin. Its eyes are dark"
"opening directly into the roof of the mouth. It is smaller in turtles, in which it retains its original nasal connection, and is absent in adult crocodilians. Birds have a similar nose to reptiles, with the nostrils located at the upper rear part of the beak. Since they generally have a poor sense of smell, the olfactory chamber is small, although it does contain three turbinates, which sometimes have a complex structure similar to that of mammals. In many birds, including doves and fowls, the nostrils are covered by a horny protective shield. The vomeronasal organ of birds is either"
"Songar tit The Songar tit (""Poecile montanus songarus"", formerly ""Parus songarus"") is a passerine bird in the tit family. It is the southern counterpart of the willow tit ""P. montanus"", and is usually included in it as a subspecies. It breeds in the deciduous mountain forests of southeast Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and northern China. The 13 cm long Songar tit has a dark brown cap, blackish bib, rich brown upperparts, white cheeks and cinnamon buff underparts. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are somewhat duller. The most common call is a nasal ""zee, zee, zee"", but the notes of the bird"
"Sword-billed hummingbird The sword-billed hummingbird (""Ensifera ensifera"") is a neotropical species of hummingbird from the Andean regions of South America. It is the sole member of the genus Ensifera and is characterized by its unusually long bill; it is the only bird to have a beak longer than the rest of its body. ""E. ensifera"" uses its bill to drink nectar from flowers with long corollas and has coevolved with the species ""Passiflora mixta"". While most hummingbirds preen using their bills, ""E. ensifera"" must use its feet to scratch and preen due to its bill being so long. This uncommon"
"Salvin's prion Salvin's prion, ""Pachyptila salvini"", also known as medium-billed prion, is a species of seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae. Salvin's prion is a member of the ""Pachyptila"" genus, and along with the blue petrel, they make up the prions. They in turn are members of the Procellariidae family, and the Procellariiformes order. The prions are small and typically eat just zooplankton; however as a member of the Procellariiformes, they share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns. Although the nostrils on the prion are on top of the upper"
"Black-necked grebe The black-necked grebe (""Podiceps nigricollis""), known in North America as the eared grebe, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It was described in 1831 by Christian Ludwig Brehm. There are currently three accepted subspecies, including the nominate subspecies. Its breeding plumage features a distinctive ochre-coloured plumage that extends behind its eye and over its ear coverts. The rest of the upper parts, including the head, neck, and breast, are coloured black to blackish brown. The flanks are tawny rufous to maroon-chestnut, and the abdomen is white. When in its non-breeding plumage, this bird has"
"Plushcap The plushcap (""Catamblyrhynchus diadema"") is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is the only member of its genus Catamblyrhynchus. The plushcap is one of the most distinctive of all Neotropical passerines in terms of both its appearance and behavior. The plushcap (""Catamblyrhynchus diadema"") was in its own family until recently when it was grouped with the tanagers. It is very distinct both physically and in terms of behavior. The bill is broad and black. The body is a chestnut color with a bright golden-yellow forecrown. The forecrown is made up of stiff feathers. It has been"
"nest chamber. In a striking dance the male and female face each on nearby twigs and twitch, bob and sing like mechanical toys. D'Arnaud's barbet D'Arnaud's barbet (""Trachyphonus darnaudii"") is an African barbet. Barbets and toucans are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Four geographical races (""darnaudii"", ""böhmi"", ""emini"" and ""usambiro"") have been recorded. D'Arnaud's barbet is a small East African bird that feeds on insects, fruits, and seeds. It grows to about eight inches, and is equally at home in trees"
"Nostril A nostril (or naris , plural ""nares"" ) is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation. Fish do not breathe through their noses, but they do have two small holes used for smelling, which may, indeed, be called nostrils. The Procellariiformes are distinguished from other birds by having tubular extensions of their nostrils. In humans, the nasal cycle is the normal ultradian cycle"
"to be most closely related to the bearded helmetcrest (""Oxypogon guerinii"") and the rufous-capped thornbill (""Chalcostigma ruficeps""). The other member of the genus ""Chalcostigma"" lay outside the group, suggesting the genus might need revising in the future. Two subspecies are recognised - the more widespread nominate subspecies ""nobilis"" has a blue eyebrow, while the more restricted ""albolimbata"" has white. Measuring in length, it is a large hummingbird with a long tail and a long bill. The underparts of both sexes are white, while the tail is white underneath with black feather tips. The male has a green and purple throat."
"to seven syllables, each composed of one low and one high note, while the juniper titmouse song consists of a series of rapid syllables on the same note. Ranges overlap only in a small area in California. The tufted titmouse, which does not overlap in range, has whiter belly, rusty flanks, and black on the forehead. Juniper titmouse The juniper titmouse (""Baeolophus ridgwayi"") is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The American Ornithologists' Union split the plain titmouse into the oak titmouse and the juniper titmouse in 1996, due to distinct differences in song, preferred habitat, and genetic"
"Crested barbet The crested barbet (""Trachyphonus vaillantii"") ('trachys'=rough, 'phone'=voice, sound') is a sub-Saharan bird in the Lybiidae family. Its specific name commemorates François Levaillant, a famed French naturalist. With its thick bill and very colourful plumage the crested barbet is unmistakable. This small bird has a speckled yellow and red face with a small black crest. The belly is yellow with red speckles, wings are black with white specks and it has a broad black band on its neck. Yellow head and body with black and white feathers, red markings on end of body, its colour blends well in the"
"tip of the beak may be more suitable and less prone to variation resulting from the difficulty of interpreting the feathered base of the mandible. In some cases it is more reliable to measure the distance between the back of the skull and the tip of the bill. This measure is then termed as the head. This measurement is however not suitable for use with living birds that have strong neck musculature such as the cormorants. The shank of the bird is usually exposed and the length from the inner bend of the tibiotarsal articulation to the base of the"
"Gilded barbet The gilded barbet (""Capito auratus"") is a species of bird in the Capitonidae family, the New World barbets, and are close relatives of the toucans. It has a total length of c. 20 cm (8 in). As other New World barbets, the gilded barbet is a thickset, relatively large-headed bird with a stubby bill. The upperparts, tail, wings and mask are mainly black. The spotty bar over the greater wing coverts, narrow edging to the remiges and tips to the tertials are yellow. Additionally, the narrow yellow eyebrows extends as two parallel lines over the mantle. The belly"
"of sufficient extent to occur in any one region, it is not dependent on primary forest and will tolerate some degree of habitat alteration. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its wide range. White-fronted nunbird The white-fronted nunbird (""Monasa morphoeus"") is a species of near passerine bird in the puffbird family (Bucconidae). It is found in the tropical Americas. This glossy black or gray-black bird with a stout, medium red-orange bill is named for the white face markings on the cere, the base of its bill and on the upper throat. It has black eyes"
"is chestnut-brown and the tail black. The throat is white, the feathers being edged with brown which gives the throat a scaled appearance, and the rest of the underparts are dark brown. Some other species of leaftossers overlap its range but it can be distinguished by the white throat; the short-billed leaftosser (""Sclerurus rufigularis"") has a short beak and reddish throat; the tawny-throated leaftosser (""Sclerurus mexicanus"") has a downwardly-curved beak and cinnamon throat; and the grey-throated leaftosser (""Sclerurus albigularis"") has a straight beak and a pale grey throat bordered by a cinnamon band. The voice of this bird is a"
"Coppersmith barbet The coppersmith barbet, crimson-breasted barbet or coppersmith (""Psilopogon haemacephalus""), is a bird with crimson forehead and throat which is best known for its metronomic call that has been likened to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is a resident found in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Like other barbets, they chisel out a hole inside a tree to build their nest. They are mainly fruit eating but will take sometimes insects, especially winged termites. This species of barbet is found to overlap in range with several larger barbets in most of South Asia."
"These birds also feed and roost communally. The call is similar to that of the European bee-eater. Its scientific name commemorates the French botanist Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour. Chestnut-headed bee-eater The chestnut-headed bee-eater (""Merops leschenaulti""), or bay-headed bee-eater, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent and adjoining regions, ranging from India east to Southeast Asia. This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green, with blue on the rump and lower belly. Its face and throat are yellow with a"
"to be able to perform nectarivory. ""Eurotrochilus"" are more closely related to crown group Trochilidae than other members of stem group Trochilidae, like ""Jungornis"", because of their specific adaptations for both nectarivory and hovering flight. In some species of ""Eurotrochilus"", the skull and beak have been roughly measured to be 34 millimeters. The beaks of ""Eurotrochilus"" are greatly elongated, straight, and narrow, measuring from 15.5 to 20 millimeters in length, roughly 2.5 times as long as the cranium. This beak shape is distinctly different than other known beak shapes of early Tertiary stem-group hummingbirds, which were short, wide, and most"
"Black-browed albatross The black-browed albatross (""Thalassarche melanophris""), also known as the black-browed mollymawk, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family. Mollymawks are albatrosses in the family Diomedeidae and order Procellariiformes, which also includes shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels, and diving petrels. These birds share certain identifying features. They have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns, although the nostrils on the albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and"
"A tick ""Hyalomma turanicum"" has been recorded on birds from Kazakhstan. Claud Ticehurst noted that males and females migrated separately. Grey-necked bunting The grey-necked bunting (""Emberiza buchanani""), sometimes referred to as grey-hooded bunting (a name also in use for chestnut-eared bunting) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae. It breeds along a wide distribution range from the Caspian Sea to the Altai Mountains in Central Asia and winters in parts of Southern Asia. Like other buntings it is found in small flocks. This bunting has a long pink bill and is greyish above. The male has a distinctive"
"the hard keratin (or rhamphotheca) of the bill, rather than the bone, and along the inner edges of the curved bill, rather than being on the outside of the bill. Beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds that is used for eating and for preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young. The terms ""beak"" and ""rostrum"" are also used to refer to a similar mouth part in some ornithischians, pterosaurs, turtles, cetaceans, dicynodonts, anuran tadpoles, sirens, pufferfishes, billfishes and cephalopods. Although beaks vary significantly in size, shape, color"
"small range extension goes southeastwards into central Bolivia, which are also tributary areas to the Madeira River. Gilded barbet The gilded barbet (""Capito auratus"") is a species of bird in the Capitonidae family, the New World barbets, and are close relatives of the toucans. It has a total length of c. 20 cm (8 in). As other New World barbets, the gilded barbet is a thickset, relatively large-headed bird with a stubby bill. The upperparts, tail, wings and mask are mainly black. The spotty bar over the greater wing coverts, narrow edging to the remiges and tips to the tertials"
"white-streaked brown head and breast, green ear coverts, mainly dark bill, and green-streaked yellow belly. The rest of the plumage is green. Both sexes and immature birds are similar. This species resembles lineated barbet, but is smaller, has the distinctive green ear patch, a darker bill and a dark, rather than yellow, eye-ring. The male’s territorial call is a loud ""took-a-prruk"". Another call is a mellow ""pooouk"". Green-eared barbet The green-eared barbet (""Psilopogon faiostrictus"") is an Asian barbet. Barbets are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe"