"Halcyon (genus) Halcyon () is a genus of the tree kingfishers, near passerine birds in the subfamily Halcyoninae. The genus ""Halcyon"" was introduced by the English naturalist and artist William John Swainson in 1821. He named the type species as the woodland kingfisher (""Halcyon senegalensis""). ""Halcyon"" is a name for a bird in Greek legend generally associated with the kingfisher. There was an ancient belief that the bird nested on the sea, which it calmed in order to lay its eggs on a floating nest. Two weeks of calm weather were therefore expected around the winter solstice. This myth leads"
"artist William John Swainson in 1821. ""Halcyon"" is a name for a bird in Greek mythology generally associated with the kingfisher. The specific epithet ""pileata"" is from the Latin ""pileatus"" meaning ""-capped"". The species is monotypic. This kingfisher is about long. The adult has a purple-blue wings and back, black head and shoulders, white neck collar and throat, and rufous underparts. The large bill and legs are bright red. In flight, large white patches or ""mirrors"" at the base of the primaries are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of"
"refers to the winds and sea in naming kingfishers after a classical Greek myth. The first pair of the mythical-bird Halcyon (kingfishers) were created from a marriage of Alcyone and Ceyx. As gods, they lived the sacrilege of referring to themselves as Zeus and Hera. They died for this, but the other gods, in an act of compassion, made them into birds, thus restoring them to their original seaside habitat. In addition, special ""halcyon days"" were granted. These are the seven days on either side of the winter solstice when storms shall never again occur for them. The Halcyon birds'"
"Halcyon (dialogue) Halcyon () is a short dialogue with the distinction of being attributed in the manuscripts to both Plato and Lucian, although the work is not by either writer. Favorinus, writing in the early 2nd century, attributes it to a certain Leon. In the dialogue, Socrates relates to Chaerephon the ancient myth of Halcyon, a woman who was transformed by the gods into a bird in order to be able to search the seas for her husband Ceyx, who was lost at sea. Skeptical of this account, Chaerephon questions the possibility that humans can be transformed into birds. In"
"on wires. The white-throated kingfisher is one of the many birds that were first formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ""Systema Naturae"". He coined the binomial name ""Alcedo smyrnensis"". Linnaeus cites Eleazar Albin's ""Natural History of Birds"" published in 1738 which includes a description and a plate of the ""Smirna Kingfisher"". The present genus ""Halcyon"" was introduced by the English naturalist and artist William John Swainson in 1821. ""Halcyon"" is a name for a bird in Greek mythology generally associated with the kingfisher. The specific epithet ""smyrnensis"" is an adjective"
"compassion, the gods changed them both into halcyon birds. It is said that the halcyon birds build their nests when the water is calm since both of them died at sea. Ovid and Hyginus both also recount the metamorphosis of the pair in and after Ceyx's loss in a storm, though they both omit Ceyx and Alcyone calling each other Zeus and Hera – and Zeus's resulting anger – as a reason for it. They both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the etymology for ""halcyon days"", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that"
"The legend of the glowing birds of the Hercynian forest has inspired various works of art, including Thomas Moore's poem, ""A Dream of Antiquity."" Hercinia Hercinia is a legendary bird with glowing feathers that inhabited the Hercynian Forest of ancient Germany. The hercinia is depicted in Medieval bestiaries and was recorded in the 1st century by Pliny the Elder, who wrote, “In the Hercynian Forest, in Germany, we hear of a singular kind of bird, the feathers of which shine at night like fire.” Writing in the 7th century, Isidore of Seville notes, ""Their feathers sparkle so much in the"
"Helicon family of butterflies. In the streams of the gardens is home to two varieties of carp, the gin rin koi and butterfly koi, and the albino oscar. All over the gardens, there are different kinds of birds. Some of them share the air and fly amongst the butterflies, some swim in the streams with the fish. The birds of the gardens are popular attractions, because of their antics and behaviours that raises the entertainment value for the visitors. The most popular birds in the gardens are Leo the orange-winged amazon parrot, and Mango and Houdini, the Caribbean flamingos, whom"
"all. Notably, the features three alerions, because ""alerion"" is a partial anagram of ""Lorraine"". The word's ultimate origin is unclear, possibly adapted from the German ' (‘eagle’) or ' (‘noble eagle’). And it is found in 12th-century French as ' and in medieval Latin as ' (a large eagle-like bird). Avalerion An avalerion or alerion is a mythological bird. It was ""rather small, yet larger than an eagle"" and lived near the Hydaspes and the Indus according to European medieval geographers and bestiaries, which were possibly based on a description by Pliny. Only two of the birds were said to"
"Hercinia Hercinia is a legendary bird with glowing feathers that inhabited the Hercynian Forest of ancient Germany. The hercinia is depicted in Medieval bestiaries and was recorded in the 1st century by Pliny the Elder, who wrote, “In the Hercynian Forest, in Germany, we hear of a singular kind of bird, the feathers of which shine at night like fire.” Writing in the 7th century, Isidore of Seville notes, ""Their feathers sparkle so much in the shade that, however dark the night is with thick shadows, these feathers, when placed on the ground, give off light that helps to mark"
"Alectryon (mythology) Alectryon (Ancient Greek: ἀλεκτρυών) is the Ancient Greek word for ""rooster"". In Greek mythology, Alectryon was a young soldier who was assigned by Ares to stand guard outside his door while the god indulged in illicit love with Aphrodite. He fell asleep on guard duty and Helios walked in on the couple where Helios then alerted Hephaestus on what Ares was doing with Aphrodite. Ares punished Alectryon by turning him into a rooster which never forgets to announce the arrival of the sun in the morning by its crowing. Both the words Alectryon and Halcyon might have been"
"sheep when the goddesses presented him with a laurel staff, a symbol of poetic authority. The Helicon thus was an emblem of poetical inspiration. (It is not clear, if the other names mentioned – Permessus and Olmeius – are different springs or other names for Hippocrene.) In the ""Homeric Hymn"" to Poseidon – generally dated to the seventh century, but a bit later than Hesiod's works – a brief invocation, the god is hailed as ""Lord of Helicon"". In his ""Aitia"", the third-century BC poet Callimachus recounts his dream in which he was young once more and conversed with the"
"Hydrocynus Hydrocynus is a genus of large characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called ""tigerfish,"" endemic to the African continent. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (""water"") + κύων (""dog""). (In fact, this fish is popularly referred to as ""poisson chien"" (dog fish) in French-speaking West Africa.) The genus contains five species, all popularly known as ""African Tigerfish"" for their fierce predatory behaviour and other characteristics that make them excellent game fish. ""Hydrocynus"" are normally ""piscivorous"" but ""H. vittatus"" is the only freshwater fish proven to prey on birds in flight. The earliest fossils which have"
"latter a form of the word ""halcyon"", meaning ""kingfisher"". French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot assigned it to the large jacamar genus ""Galbula"" when he established a scientific name for it in 1817, naming it ""Galbula tridactyla"". In 1830, French ornithologist René Primevère Lesson created the genus ""Jacamaralcyon"", separating the three-toed jacamar from other jacamar species on the basis of its unusual foot structure; the genus name is a nod to Levaillant's earlier common name for the bird. The specific name ""tridactyla"" is a combination of the Greek words ""tri"", meaning ""three"" and ""dactulos"", meaning ""toes"". Like all members of"
"Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827 under the binomial name ""Halcyon sanctus"". ""Halcyon"" is feminine and the correct name would be ""Halcyon sancta"". Vigors and Horsfield compare their species to ""Alcedo sacra"" described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. Gmelin in turn based his description on John Latham's ""Sacred King's Fisher"" published in 1782. Latham described several varieties, one of which was illustrated in Arthur Phillip's ""The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay"" published in 1789. The genus ""Halcyon"" is now split and the sacred kingfisher placed in the genus ""Todiramphus"" that had been erected by the French surgeon"
"Heliconia Heliconia, derived from the Greek word (), is a genus of flowering plants in the family Heliconiaceae. Most of the ca 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the western Pacific and Maluku. Many species of ""Heliconia"" are found in the tropical forests of these regions. Several species are widely cultivated as ornamentals, and a few are naturalized in Florida, Gambia and Thailand. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, toucan peak, wild plantains or false bird-of-paradise. The last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise"
"Hippocrene In Greek mythology, Hippocrene () was a spring on Mt. Helicon. It was sacred to the Muses and formed by the hooves of Pegasus. Its name literally translates as ""Horse's Fountain"" and the water was supposed to bring forth poetic inspiration when imbibed. Hesiod refers to the horse's well on Helicon in his ""Theogony"". And after they have washed their tender skin in Permessus or Hippocrene or holy Olmeidus, they perform choral dances on highest Helicon, beautiful, lovely ones, and move nimbly with their feet. John Keats refers to Hippocrene in his poem ""Ode to a Nightingale"". O for"
"(""Luscinia megarhynchos""), a migratory passerine bird native to Europe and southwest Asia and noted for its song. Because of the violence associated with the myth, the song of the nightingale is often depicted or interpreted as a sorrowful lament. Coincidentally, in nature, the female nightingale is mute and only the male of the species sings. Ovid and other writers have made the association (either fancifully or mistakenly) that the etymology of her name was ""lover of song,"" derived from the Greek and (""song"") instead of (""fruit"" or ""sheep""). The name means ""lover of fruit,"" ""lover of apples,"" or ""lover of"
"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."
"has been named ""3200 Phaethon"" after the mythological Phaethon. The French form of the name ""Phaethon"" is ""Phaéton"". This form of the word is applied to a kind of carriage. An order, family, and genus of birds bear the name Phaethon in their taxonomic nomenclature, the tropicbirds. Phaethon Phaethon (; , ""Phaéthōn"", ) was the Ancient Greek name for the planet Jupiter, the motions and cycles of which were personified in poetry and myth. Phaethon was said to be the son of the Oceanid Clymene and the solar deity Helios. Alternatively, less common genealogies make him a son of Clymenus"
"Turul The Turul is a mythological bird of prey, mostly depicted as a hawk or falcon, in Hungarian tradition and a national symbol of modern Hungary and Transylvania (now part of Romania). The Turul is probably based on a large falcon, and the origin of the word is most likely Turkic: ""togrıl"" or ""turgul"" means a medium to large bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, goshawk or red kite. In Hungarian the word ""sólyom"" means falcon, and there are three ancient words describing different kinds of falcons: ""kerecsen"" [Greek κερχνηίς] (saker falcon), ""zongor"" [Turkish ""sungur"" = gyrfalcon] (which survives"
"created when the winged horse Pegasus aimed his hoof at a rock, striking it with such force that the spring burst from the spot. On Mount Helicon too was the spring where Narcissus was inspired by his own beauty. Mount Helicon and the Hippocrene spring were considered to be a source of poetic inspiration. In the late seventh century BCE, the poet Hesiod placed a reference to the Muses on the Helicon at the very beginning of his ""Theogony"": Later in the text, he describes a meeting between himself and the Muses on Mount Helicon, where he had been pasturing"
"lesser and greater flamingo in the world” and a site of international importance. Among the wild life species noted in the sanctuary are 165 bird species. Other species of wild life are also reported, though of limited numbers. The bird sanctuary has about 165 species of birds; the lesser and greater flamingos, great white pelican ""(Pelecanus onocrotalus)"" and pink-backed pelican ""(Pelecanus rufescens)"" are the most dominant species, they arrive annually in large numbers as part of their migration during the winter season. Some of the other notable bird species recorded are: avocet, blackwinged stilt ""(Himantopus himantopus)"", blacksmith lapwing ""(Vanellus armatus)"","
"Laughing falcon The laughing falcon (""Herpetotheres cachinnans""), also called the snake hawk (erroneously, since it is not a hawk), is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family (Falconidae), the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. This Neotropical species is a specialist snake-eater. Its common and scientific names both refer to its distinctive voice. Its English name comes from its loud voice, as does the specific name ""cachinnans"", Latin for ""laughing aloud"" or ""laughing immoderately"". The generic name ""Herpetotheres"" refers to its preferred food; it is Latinized Ancient Greek, derived from ""[h]erpeton"" (ἑρπετόν, ""reptile"") + ""therizein"" (θερίζειν, ""to mow"
"Avalerion An avalerion or alerion is a mythological bird. It was ""rather small, yet larger than an eagle"" and lived near the Hydaspes and the Indus according to European medieval geographers and bestiaries, which were possibly based on a description by Pliny. Only two of the birds were said to exist at a time. A pair of eggs was laid every 60 years; after hatching, the parents drowned themselves. Some coats of arms include alerions. In heraldry, an alerion is most often depicted as a bird with no beak and feathered stumps in place of legs, or no legs at"
"Royal Society. It was one of the many bird species originally described by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his ""Systema Naturae"", and still bears its original scientific name, ""Phaethon aethereus"". The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ""phaethon"", ""sun"" while the species name comes from Latin ""aetherius"", ""heavenly"". This bird is called the red-billed tropicbird due to its red bill and its location in the tropicbird genus. An alternative common name was ""bosun bird"", also spelt ""boatswain bird"", from the similarity of its shrill call to a boatswain's whistle. An alternative derivation of the name is"
"notably Aeschylus and Aristophanes, who used it as one of his favourite insults. The precise function of the Hippalectryon remains a mystery; as an apotropaic and prophylactic animal, it might have been dedicated to Poseidon and tasked to protect ships. Other studies interpret it as a grotesque beast to amuse children, or a simple fantastic decorative element without any specific function. The term ""hippalectryon"", also transcribed ""hippalektryon"", comes directly from Ancient Greek ""ἱππαλεκτρυών"", a compound word that comprises ἵππος (""híppos"", ""horse""), and ἀλεκτρυών (""alektryốn"", ""rooster""). The name is thus a plain description of the hybrid creature. The name seems to"
"(""Anas platyrhynchos"") and mute swan (""Cygnus olor""). Although generally hosting only small numbers of birds (244 species recorded), the reservoir has attracted a considerable number of North American vagrant shorebirds and wildfowl, including a number of lesser scaup (""Aythya affinis""). In May 2016 a Dalmatian pelican (""Pelecanus crispus"") was seen in western Cornwall and was frequently seen on the reservoir. There are 5,000 year old fossil remains of this species from Somerset and this bird could be the first recorded in Britain since then. At the same time as the Dalmatian pelican, a cackling goose, (""Branta hutchinsii""), which is a"
"Heliconius erato Heliconius erato, or the red postman, is one of about 40 neotropical species of butterfly belonging to the genus ""Heliconius"". It is also commonly known as the small postman, the red passion flower butterfly, or the crimson-patched longwing. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ""Systema Naturae"". ""H. erato"" exhibits Müllerian mimicry with other ""Heliconius"" butterflies such as ""Heliconius melpomene"" in order to warn common predators against attacking, which contributes to its surprising longevity. It also has a unique mating ritual involving the transfer of anti-aphrodisiacs from males to females. Recent field work"
"and is the name for a small bird of grasslands. The specific ""hodgsoni"" commemorates English diplomat and collector Brian Houghton Hodgson. The scientific name of this bird commemorates the British ornithologist Brian Houghton Hodgson. Olive-backed pipit The olive-backed pipit (""Anthus hodgsoni"") is a small passerine bird of the pipit (""Anthus"") genus, which breeds across South, north Central and East Asia, as well as in the northeast of European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia. Sometimes it is also called Indian pipit or Hodgson's pipit, as well as tree pipit owing to its"
"recovered from Early Oligocene deposits in the Mainz basin, Germany, and was described in 2006 by Gerald Mayr. The genus name ""Pandion"" derives from the mythical Greek king of Athens and grandfather of Theseus, Pandion II. Although Pandion II was not used to name a bird of prey, Nisus, a king of Megara, was used for the genus. The species name ""haliaetus"" comes from Ancient Greek ""haliaietos"" from ""hali-"" , ""sea-"" and ""aetos"" , ""eagle"". The origins of ""osprey"" are obscure; the word itself was first recorded around 1460, derived via the Anglo-French ""ospriet"" and the Medieval Latin ""avis prede"""
"bite. Laughing falcon The laughing falcon (""Herpetotheres cachinnans""), also called the snake hawk (erroneously, since it is not a hawk), is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family (Falconidae), the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. This Neotropical species is a specialist snake-eater. Its common and scientific names both refer to its distinctive voice. Its English name comes from its loud voice, as does the specific name ""cachinnans"", Latin for ""laughing aloud"" or ""laughing immoderately"". The generic name ""Herpetotheres"" refers to its preferred food; it is Latinized Ancient Greek, derived from ""[h]erpeton"" (ἑρπετόν, ""reptile"") + ""therizein"" (θερίζειν, ""to"
"is on the ground. Four to six whitish eggs are laid. Pallid harrier The pale or pallid harrier (""Circus macrourus"") is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek. ""Circus"" is from ""kirkos"", referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight (""kirkos"", ""circle""), probably the hen harrier and ""macrourus"" is ""long-tailed"", from ""makros"", ""long"" and ""-ouros"" ""-tailed"". It breeds in southern parts of eastern Europe and central Asia (such as Iran) and winters mainly in India and southeast Asia. It is a very rare vagrant to Great"