Bunting — Buntings are a group of mainly European passerine birds of the family Emberizidae. They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills, and are the Old World equivalents of the species known in North America as (American) sparrows. (However, these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae.) Their habits are …

Bobwhite — The Bobwhite Quail, Northern Bobwhite, or Virginia Quail, Colinus virginianus, is a ground-dwelling bird native to North America. The name derives from its characteristic call. The Bobwhite Quail is a member of the group of species known as New World quail. This quail primarily inhabits areas of early successional growth dominated by various species of pine, hardwood, woody, …

Bluethroat — The Bluethroat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats. It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe …

Bluebird — The bluebirds are medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family Turdidae. These are one of the relatively few thrush genera to be restricted to the Americas. As the name implies, these are attractive birds with blue, or blue and red, plumage. Female birds are less brightly colored than males, although color …

Bittern — Bitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family. They were called hæferblæte in Old English; the word “bittern” came to English from Old French butor, itself from Gallo-roman butitaurus, a portmanteau of Latin būtiō and …

Blue Jay — The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird and member of the crow family Corvidae native to North America. It is adaptable, aggressive and omnivorous. The Blue Jay measures about 30 cm from bill to tail and weighs 70–100 g (2.47-3.53 ounces), with a wingspan of 34–43 cm (13–17 in). Its plumage is lavender-blue to mid-blue …

Bird of Paradise — The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea and its satellites, with a few species occurring in the Moluccas and eastern Australia. The family has forty species in 14 genera. The members of this family are perhaps …

Bee Eater — The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a …

Becard — The becard is any bird of the genus Pachyramphus or Platypsaris in the COTINGA family, Cotingidae; 16 species are represented by numerous subspecies in tropical and subtropical America. The becards are characterized by their large heads with slight crest. The smaller members of this genus have graduated tails and most members are sexually dimorphic, although the Cinnamon Becard …

Avocet — The four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills (giving their scientific name Recurvirostra) which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer. The plumage is pied, sometimes also with some …