Birds, WHI-YEL
Hummingbirds, chickens, flamingos, pheasants: birds may come in all different shapes and sizes, but they all possess feathers, which is the easiest way to distinguish them from all other animals. Although not all species of bird can fly (sorry about that, ostriches), many birds do enjoy the power of flight, and this has permitted an almost unlimited diversification of birds, so that birds are now found virtually everywhere on Earth.
Birds Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Whistling duck
Whistling duck, (genus Dendrocygna), any of eight species of long-legged and long-necked ducks that utter sibilant......
Whistling swan
Whistling swan, (Cygnus columbianus), species of North American swan that calls with a soft musical note. It has......
White-eye
White-eye, any of the nearly 100 species of birds of the Old World family Zosteropidae (order Passeriformes). They......
White-fronted goose
White-fronted goose, (species Anser albifrons), rather small, dark-bodied goose with white forehead, yellow bill,......
Whitethroat
Whitethroat, (Sylvia communis), typical Old World warbler of the family Sylviidae (order Passeriformes); it breeds......
Whooping crane
Whooping crane, (Grus americana), tallest American bird and one of the world’s rarest. At the beginning of the......
Why are bald eagles called bald?
First off, bald eagles are not bald. In the past, the term “bald” meant “white-headed.” This is a reference to......
Why Are Flamingos Pink?
Flamingos are long-legged wading birds that are usually covered in bright pink feathers. With a name that derives......
Why are robin eggs blue?
Robin eggs are blue due to a fascinating evolutionary adaptation that may help protect them from sun exposure.......
Why are some eggs brown and some white?
The color of an eggshell is determined primarily by the breed of the hen that laid it. This trait is genetic: hens......
Why are there no penguins at the North Pole?
Penguins are not found at the North Pole because their evolutionary history and adaptations to their environment......
Why Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg?
Resplendent in bright pink feathers (the result of a diet rich in larvae, algae, and shrimp), flamingos are among......
Why do owls hoot?
The eerie hooting of an owl, sometimes linked to the supernatural by humans, serves a number of purposes in the......
Why do parrots talk?
Parrots talk primarily because of their advanced vocal learning abilities, which allow them to mimic sounds, including......
Why do vultures circle?
Vultures circle for various reasons, most related to locating food and conserving energy. They ride warm thermal......
Why Don’t Birds Have Teeth?
According to most paleontologists, birds branched off of one of the main dinosaur lineages more than 100 million......
Why Is Bird Poop White?
Actually, bird poop, per se, is not white. Birds, unlike mammals, do not have separate exits for urine and feces.......
Why is bread bad for ducks?
Bread is bad for ducks because it offers little nutrition. Bread fills ducks up without supplying the nutrients—crucial......
Whydah
Whydah, any of several African birds that have long dark tails suggesting a funeral veil. They belong to two subfamilies,......
Wigeon
Wigeon, any of four species of dabbling ducks (family Anatidae), popular game birds and excellent table fare. The......
Willet
Willet, (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus), large, long-billed shorebird of America, belonging to the family Scolopacidae......
Wood duck
Wood duck, (Aix sponsa), small colourful North American perching duck (family Anatidae), a popular game bird. Once......
Wood hoopoe
Wood hoopoe, (family Phoeniculidae), any of eight species of tropical African birds included in two genera, Rhinopomastus......
Wood owl
Wood owl, (genus Strix), any of approximately 20 species of birds of prey of the genus Strix, family Strigidae,......
Wood pigeon
Wood pigeon, (species Columba palumbus), bird of the subfamily Columbinae (in the pigeon family, Columbidae), found......
Wood thrush
Wood thrush, One of the 11 species of thrushes (in the genus Hylocichla, or Catharus) called nightingale thrushes......
Wood warbler
Wood warbler, any of the species in the songbird family Parulidae. Wood warblers are New World birds, distinct......
Woodcock
Woodcock, any of five species of squat-bodied, long-billed birds of damp, dense woodlands, allied to the snipes......
Woodcreeper
Woodcreeper, any of about 50 species of tropical American birds constituting the subfamily Dendrocolaptinae, family......
Woodpecker
Woodpecker, any of about 180 species of birds that constitute the subfamily Picinae (true woodpeckers) of the family......
Woodswallow
Woodswallow, (genus Artamus), any of about 16 species of songbirds constituting the family Artamidae (order Passeriformes).......
Working Like a Dog: 7 Animals with Jobs
The number one job for many animals is often simply being cute. However, for a few critters, working it means actual......
Wren
Wren, (family Troglodytidae), any of approximately 85 species of small, chunky, brownish birds (order Passeriformes).......
Wren-babbler
Wren-babbler, any of about 20 species of small Asian birds belonging to the babbler family Timaliidae (order Passeriformes).......
Wren-warbler
Wren-warbler, any of a number of Old World warblers, family Sylviidae (order Passeriformes), that are wrenlike......
Wrenthrush
Wrenthrush, (Zeledonia coronata), bird of the rain forests of Costa Rica and Panama. It resembles the wren in size......
Wrentit
Wrentit, (species Chamaea fasciata), bird of the Pacific coast of North America belonging to family Timaliidae.......
Wrybill
Wrybill, (Anarhynchus frontalis), New Zealand bird of the plover family, Charadriidae (order Charadriiformes),......
Wryneck
Wryneck, either of two species of birds that constitute the subfamily Jynginae of the woodpecker family (Picidae)......
Xenicidae
Xenicidae, bird family of the order Passeriformes; its members are commonly known as New Zealand wrens. The three......
Yellow-eyed penguin
Yellow-eyed penguin, (Megadyptes antipodes), the only species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) belonging to the......
Yellowhammer
Yellowhammer, (Emberiza citrinella), Eurasian bird belonging to the family Emberizidae (order Passeriformes). The......
Yellowlegs
Yellowlegs, (genus Tringa), either of two species of American shorebirds with trim, gray-brown and white streaked......