Aloe — Aloë, is a genus containing about four hundred species of flowering succulent plants. The genus is native to Africa and is common in South Africa’s Cape Province and the mountains of tropical Africa, and neighbouring areas such as Madagascar, the Arabian peninsula and the islands off Africa. The APG II system (2003) placed the genus in the family …

Ageratum — Ageratum known as Whiteweed is a genus of about 60 tropical American herbs, annuals and perennials from the Sunflower family Asteraceae, tribe Eupatorieae. They form tussocks or small hills. They grow to a height of 75 cm. The opposite leaves are cordate or oval, hairy or tomentose. The margins are slightly toothed or serrate. The leaves form compact …

African Violet — Saintpaulia, commonly known as African violet, is a genus of 6 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa, with a concentration of species in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania. The genus is most closely related to Streptocarpus, with recent phylogenetic studies suggesting it …

Wryneck — The wrynecks (genus Jynx) are a small but distinctive group of small Old World woodpeckers. Like the true woodpeckers, wrynecks have large heads, long tongues which they use to extract their insect prey and zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backwards. However, they lack the stiff tail feathers that the true woodpeckers use when climbing …

Woodpecker — The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. Most species live in forests or woodland habitats, although a few species are known to live in treeless areas such as rocky hillsides and deserts. The Picidae …

Woodcock — The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea. Their closest relatives are the typical snipes of the genus Gallinago. Woodcocks have stocky …

Wood Warbler — The Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) is a common and widespread leaf warbler in the genus Phylloscopus, family Phylloscopidae & order Passeriformes, which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains. This warbler is strongly migratory and the entire population winters in tropical Africa. This is a …

Widgeon — The wigeons are dabbling ducks in the genus Anas. There are three species: The Eurasian Wigeon, also known as Widgeon or Eurasian Widgeon (Anas penelope, previously Mareca penelope) is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. It is common and widespread within its range. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his …

Weaver — The Ploceidae, or weavers, are small passerine birds related to the finches in the family Ploceidae, suborder Passeri & order Passeriformes. These are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which are from Sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia. A few species have been introduced outside their native range. The weaver group is divided into …

Waxwing — The waxwings form the genus Bombycilla of passerine birds in the family Bombycillidae, suborder Passeri & order Passeriformes. According to most authorities, this is the only genus placed in the family Bombycillidae. Waxwings are characterised by soft silky plumage. They have unique red tips to some of the wing feathers where the shafts extend beyond the barbs; in …