Pelicans are large, bulky waterbirds with webbed feet, short legs, and a remarkably long bill. The underside of their bills extends into a pouch that can hold 2-3 gallons of water at a time, which they use to trap fish. When hunting, they spot their prey from the air and plunge into the water head-first. After trapping the fish, they drain the water out the sides of the bill, and then swallow the fish whole. Brown Pelicans incubate their eggs with their feet, essentially standing on them to keep them warm.

Unfortunately, the use of the pesticide DDT caused Brown Pelican numbers to plummet during the 20th century. Much like the decline of the Bald Eagle, DDT thinned the pelicans’ egg shells, causing them to break during incubation. After DDT use was banned, Brown Pelican numbers slowly recovered and they were officially removed from the Federal Endangered Species list in 1985.

The Bufflehead is a small, handsome resident of permanent freshwater ponds and lakes within the boreal forest and aspen parkland zone of North America. The smallest duck species in North America nests in old woodpecker cavities in poplar, spruce, or fir trees near water. This duck is small enough to fit in the nest cavities of Northern Flicker woodpeckers, which have a hole only about 2.5 inches in diameter! Buffleheads are almost exclusively monogamous and nest in the same spot every year. Bufflehead chicks are precocial, meaning they are able to walk and feed themselves shortly after hatching, and they leave the nest only a day after they’ve hatched. Although not threatened, this diving duck is susceptible to loss of nesting sites from timbering and development of the forest near lakes, and to environmental contamination by heavy metals like mercury and cadmium.

Burrowing Owls are a small, long-legged species of owl that spends the majority of its time on the ground. They are native to open grassland, prairie, and desert habitats and range from southern Canada (where they are considered an endangered species) to the drier habitats of South America. They have also been found nesting in man-made structures and in close proximity with people on golf courses, campuses, and suburbs. Burrowing Owls differ from most owls in a variety of ways. They are primarily terrestrial and nest underground, while the majority of owls are cavity nesters or use the nests of other birds, such as crows or hawks.  This owl’s habit of nesting in colonies in underground burrows across flat, treeless habitats has put it in competition with many kinds of human development, such as agriculture, housing plans, golf courses, and airports. As a result, programs exist to safely translocate Burrowing Owls and to attract them to nearby protected sites using artificial burrows.

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An inhabitant of high mountain ranges in eastern China, the Cabot’s Tragopan—also sometimes called the Yellow-bellied Tragopan—is a grouse-like bird. Male Cabot’s Tragopans perform a spectacular display at dawn and dusk, sometimes while perched on a mossy log, which is reminiscent of Pennsylvania’s state bird, the Ruffed Grouse. Both the Ruffed Grouse and Cabot’s Tragopan flap and drum their wings during courtship displays, but the tragopan takes it a step further, slowly fanning his wings while rhythmically pumping his head up and down. He inflates two fleshy blue horns on top of his head, unfurls a red-and-blue wattle, then abruptly rears up, drums his wings, and cranes his neck. The display transforms this dusty brown bird into a colorful curiosity! This species is threatened by logging and farming, as well as hunting outside of protected areas.

The Capuchinbird is an unusual-looking, brown-to-orange bird of the canopy of tropical lowland evergreen forests of northeastern South America. This species primarily consumes a wide variety of fruits, but also many different larger invertebrates. The Capuchinbird gathers in leks during the mating season where males compete for the attention of the female in a communal space. Their nests of twigs are then built in the understory in the fork of branches near the lek site. The Capuchinbird is not currently considered under threat.

The beautifully iridescent Common Grackle is found throughout much of North America where it inhabits a wide variety of open or partially open habitats with scattered trees. The grackle is omnivorous, eating a wide variety of seeds, grains, fruits, insects, and small vertebrates, as well as human food scraps. They build a bulky nest, commonly in wooded residential areas and often near water. The Common Grackle is considered a common bird in steep decline, though they remain widespread and abundant.

The Common Shama Thrush, also called the White-rumped Shama, is native to southest Asia, India, and some Indonesian islands. This species prefers dense greenery and uses its long tail to change directions easily as it flits about in dense thickets. It has a melodious and complex song and was once thought to be a member of the thrush family Turdidae. The Common Shama Thrush was introduced to the Hawaiian Archipelago in 1931 and is now common on the islands of Kaua’i and O’ahu. Unfortunately, in Hawaii the Common Shama Thrush is a reservoir for avian malaria which threatens endemic birds on the islands. While not globally threatened, the illegal wildlife trade has led to marked declines of the species’ population.

The Crested Coua is found in drier habitats of the Afrotropical region, including coastal deciduous forest, savanna, spiny brushland, palms, and mangroves. The Crested Coua eats large insects, snails, small lizards, and occasionally other birds’ eggs, but also some berries, seeds, and fruits. These are collected at higher levels of the forest, mostly by walking along branches, gleaning food items as it goes; it often works its way up from the base of one tree, and upon reaching the top, flies down to the base of an adjacent tree and then repeats the process.

The Crested Oropendola inhabits forest edges and clearings in lowland South America east of the Andes Mountains. This species forages mostly in the upper stratum of trees on fruits, insects, and spiders, as well as small vertebrates such as tree frogs. The Crested Oropendola will also take cultivated fruits such as oranges, papayas, and mangos. Crested Oropendolas breed in colonies of 2–40 nests, with a dominant male that does most of the mating. Nests, built by the females, are spectacular pensile (hanging) pouches, open at the top, that may be as long as 5 feet. The Crested Oropendola is regarded as an agricultural pest in fruit orchards and plantations in some areas, and is locally persecuted, but it is not considered threatened.

The Crested Partridge is a fairly small, quail-like bird; its short tail adds to a rotund appearance. A native of low elevation, broad-leaved evergreen and dense primary forests, the Crested Partridge consumes a variety of seeds, large fruits, large beetles, ants, and snails. This species is considered Vulnerable because of habitat lost to logging and other human activities.

The Demoiselle Crane is an elegant and delicate-looking crane, named by Queen Marie Antoinette for its maiden-like appearance. The smallest crane species, males are slightly larger than females, but are otherwise similar in appearance, with silvery gray feathers and graceful black plumage hanging down across their chests. Demoiselle Cranes undertake an intense migration, flying over the Himalayas at elevations of more than 20,000 feet to reach their wintering grounds in India. Like other cranes, the Demoiselle Crane does a balletic dancing courtship display.

The Dhyal Thrush, also called the Oriental Magpie-Robin, is a small songbird found throughout India and southeast Asia. It is the national bird of Bangladesh. The Dhyal Thrush can be found in a variety of habitats including deciduous forest, orchards, cacao plantations, and even in residential village gardens. It has a clear warbling song that can sometimes include mimicry. This species is not globally threatened but is experiencing declines due to the cagebird trade.