Uropelia campestris

By Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Tailed Dove

First Described By: Bonaparte, 1855 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Columbaves, Columbimorphae, Columbiformes, Columbidae, 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Long-Tailed Ground-Dove is mainly found in the Amazon basin 

Physical Description: These doves are distinctive for exactly what their name would suggest – they have long tails for pigeons! Ranging between 15 and 18 centimeters in length, they are brown on top with darker brown tails and wing-tips, with black patches on the wings. Their heads are grey, with dark grey beaks. Their undersides are light brown and their rumps are white. Interestingly, they also have yellow scales – a yellow ring around their eyes, and their feet are yellow. The females tend to be paler than the males. The juveniles tend on the duller side. They are distinguished from other doves due to that long tail and the yellow color of their feet. 

Diet: This Ground-Dove mainly feeds on ground seeds. 

Behavior: These doves will group up together near the edges of woodlands and on the ground in grassier habitats, usually in smaller groups of three to five birds. They’ll peck around on the ground looking for sources of food together, and give high-pitched wha-oop calls when distressed or trying to keep the group together. They tend to not migrate, but stay in one region throughout the year; their breeding habits are poorly known, though they probably start matings in the dry season. 

By Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ecosystem: These doves are found primarily in seasonally wet grasslands, savannas and on forest edges. They avoid denser vegetations or humid regions, opting for more scrubland habitats. 

Other: Long-Tailed Ground Doves aren’t threatened with extinction; they’re fairly common, but not the most common doves in the Amazon, especially during the dry season. They are found in other locations such as the Poconé region. Habitat destruction, however, is a major threat again this bird, especially today. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Osmakasaurus depressus

By Jack Wood

Etymology: Reptile from the Canyon  

First Described By: McDonald, 2011 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Ornithischia, Genasauria, Neornithischia, Cerapoda, Ornithopoda, Iguanodontia, Dryomorpha, Ankylopollexia, Styracosterna 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Between 140 and 137 million years ago, from the Berriasian to the Valanginian ages of the Early Cretaceous 

Osmakasaurus is known from the Chilson member of the Lakota Formation in South Dakota 

Physical Description: Osmakasaurus was an animal fairly like Camptosaurus, a bulky bipedal herbivore with short arms and thick legs. It probably ranged between 4 and 5 meters long, and compared to its close relatives it had a fairly narrow and weirdly-shaped hip, though of course very little else is known of it to determine how else it may have differed from its close relatives. Osmakasaurus would have been primarily scaly, though it may have had some residual tufts of feathers or a feather cape of some sort for display. 

Diet: Osmakasaurus would have been a mid-level browser, feeding on bushes and low-lying tree branches, probably specializing on tough vegetation like its close relatives. 

Behavior: Osmakasaurus probably wasn’t a herding sort of animal – dinosaurs in this group of Ornithopods tend to be more solitary than the earlier flocks of small bipedal friends and the later magnificent herds of the later hadrosaurs. Instead, Osmakasaurus would have been fairly solitary, moving around its environment and trying to stick to places of denser vegetation in order to stay hidden. It is possible that it formed family groups during the mating season – it almost decidedly took care of its young, so it is not unreasonable to suppose that mated pairs would care for the young during the season together, but that would probably be the extent of its social behavior after leaving the families. They would have been somewhat slow animals, given their size, but able to run when needed. 

Ecosystem: The Chilson environment was a sandy floodplain, filled with winding rivers and greatly affected by seasonal ebbs and flows of water. As such it was mainly filled with plants able to deal with these changes – hardy conifers and seed ferns, though there were some leptosporangiate ferns as well. These rivers, though fickle, hosted a wide variety of animals in addition to Osmakasaurus. There were many types of fish, as well as mammals such as Bolodon, Passumys, Lakotalestes, and Infernolestes. Other dinosaurs mainly included other herbivores – an ankylosaur, Hoplitosaurus; some sort of large sauropod; and a more Iguanodon-like Ornithopod, Dakotodon. 

Other: Osmakasaurus used to be a species of Camptosaurus, since the latter was a wastebasket taxon in which large, bipedal ornithopods that weren’t quite Iguanodon-like enough were dumped into. It was since separated out, but not much more has been said about it. It was close to being Iguanodon, but not quite, and so still was in the group of generic-Camptosaurus-esque things. It is only known from scattered remains. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Ambylospiza albifrons

By Bernard Dupont, CC By-SA 2.0

Etymology: Blunt Finch 

First Described By: Vigors, 1831 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Passerida, Estrild Clade, Ploceidae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

These birds are found in wetlands and evergreen forest patches in central and southern Africa 

Physical Description: These are medium-sized songbirds, ranging up to 18 centimeters with the males heavier than the females. These birds are very dark and distinctive in color, and the males are hard to mix up with other birds! They have thick, wide beaks for cracking open seeds. They have short tails and ovular bodies. The males have white patches on their foreheads and little white spots on their wings, which are black; the tails are also black. Many males have brown – even light brown – heads; some have brown bellies and brown and black striped bellies; some grey bellies; and some brown and black backs. The females tend to have brown backs with white and mottled-brown striped bellies. Juveniles resemble the females, but instead of having grey beaks they tend to have yellowish beaks. 

Diet: Thick-Billed Weavers use those nominal beaks to crack open large seeds, dig into soft fruits, and break open insects – they will remove the skin of things they eat to get into it, and smash berries in their beaks. 

By JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0

Behavior: These weavers will mainly forage on the ground or in the canopy of the forest, forming small flocks during the non-breeding season. During the breeding season, males will forage with their mates, but they become very territorial at this point, not allowing other groups of mates to join them. They tend to call back and forth with clicking, trilling notes, and will contact each other with louder “chucks”. They do not tend to migrate, but only move back and forth over a small local range while foraging. Very few move more than 50 kilometers from where they hatched in their entire lifetimes. 

Breeding occurs throughout the year, varying somewhat from location to location. The male will mate with and maintain a group of up to six pairings; though usually only three of the females build nests within the territory (and sometimes monogamy happens in a breeding season). These territories are in small, loosely associated colonies, though the territory around the nest is defended. Males will display for females by flapping slowly around her while the female approaches; he will then rotate his wings, displaying the white patches, jerking his tail, and singing to attract her. The nests are built by the male out of strips of grass, balms, and other plants, gathered into an ovular shape, usually in some sort of bridge-branch or close to the ground, where the roofed nest is tucked away near water. Usually three eggs are laid and incubated by the female for two weeks. Both parents will feed the young and take care of them for three weeks; the young are still dependent on the adults for a little while after that before striking out on their own. 

By Bernard Dupont, CC By-SA 2.0

Ecosystem: Thick-Billed Weavers live near water, in well-wooded areas; they tend to breed in wetlands, and stick to edges of evergreen forests and the forest canopy far from water during the non-breeding season. It will roost in tall grass and reeds, and can be found in very high elevations. The nests of these birds are hunted by Crows and Coucals, as well as Nile Monitors. 

Other: Thick-Billed Weavers are, thankfully, very abundant in its range, with thousands of individuals known in multiple locations, even in urban areas near artificial wetlands. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Falcunculus frontatus

By Frankzed, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Curved Falcon 

First Described By: Vieillot, 1816 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Corvides, Orioloidea, Falcunculidae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Crested Shriketit lives entirely in Australia 

Physical Description: The Crested Shriketit is a small yellow bird, reaching between sixteen and nineteen centimeters in length. They have distinctive white and black striped heads, with small thick beaks. The males have shaggy black crests on their heads, while the females have more smooth heads. Some varieties of this birds are black and olive on their backs, wings, and tails; while some are yellow nearly all over. Regardless, they have yellow undersides all over. The juveniles tend to be somewhat browner than the adults. They are round, stocky passerines, rather than slender, and have a vague appearance like they’re smiling! Even though they are not. In short, these are quite adorable little birds. 

Diet: Crested Shriketits mainly feed on small invertebrates and some fruits, seeds, and other plant materials, though invertebrates such as insects and spiders are the bulk of their diets. 

By Aviceda, CC BY-SA 3.0

Behavior: Crested Shriketits primarily forage on branches, sometimes divided based on sex with males feeding higher in the trees than females; they tend to look for trees with smooth bark, with males preferring dead branches and females preferring to glean food from leaves. They will pick around the bark or underneath it, and even tear it away or dig into the bark or plants to find food. They have been observed breaking off twigs, holding it in their mouths, and poking it into holes to force out insects. They’ll also hold their food with their feet and bashing it against the branches to break it apart to eat. They make a series of descending and ascending notes with double whistles to one another, though some make high-pitched descending mournful whistles. They’ll also yell at each other with scolding “tut-tut” calls. 

These birds tend to vary when they breed, some breeding in the late winter, others breeding closer to the start of summer. They breed in simple pair, sometimes with helpers, and are very territorial over their breeding areas. The females will build nests of deep cups of barks and dry grass, covered with spiderwebs and lichen. They are usually placed fairly high above the ground, and two to three eggs are laid in the nest. The female will do most of the incubation for about three weeks, with some help from the male; both parents and any helpers will aid in feeding the young for two more weeks. The fledglings are then cared for by the parents for up to six months before going out on their own. They do not tend to migrate, but they may move locally in response to food availability. 

By J. J. Harrison, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ecosystem: Crested Shriketits are mainly found in eucalyptus forests and woodlands, though they will also be found in river-associated vegetation in drier areas and in even in some of the remaining rainforests of Australia, though they prefer slightly drier habitats. They are preyed upon by a variety of predatory birds, and their nests are parasitized by at least three different species of Cuckoo. 

Other: These birds are not threatened with extinction and are quite common in their habitats; they have shown some decline in areas due to logging and fires, but not enough to be classified as nearly threatened. Some local populations are more vulnerable to fires than others. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Berenicornis comatus

By Michael Gwyther-Jones, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Berenice’s Bird 

First Described By: Bonaparte, 1850 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Coraciimorphae, Cavitaves, Eucavitaves, Picocoraciae, Bucerotiformes, Bucerotidae, Bucerotidae 

Status: Extant, Endangered 

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The White-Crowned Hornbill lives on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo 

Physical Description: The White-Crowned Hornbill looks exactly like what you would think: it is a hornbill, with a giant tuft of white feathers on the top of its head! It ranges between 75 and 80 centimeters in body length, with a large grey bill and flat plateau on the top of the bill called the horn. The feathers on the head are primarily white in the males and black on the females, but both have white crowns on the top of the head. Bare blue patches surround their eyes. The females then continue to be black all over except for the tail, which is long and white. The males have white underbellies and grey legs, but black backs and wings like the females. Juveniles are all black and more dull than the adults. 

Diet: White-Crowned Hornbills feeds primarily on other animals such as insects, snakes, lizards, and small birds, though it will also eat a variety of fruits like drupes and figs. 

By Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 3.0

Behavior: These hornbills will forage among the tangled growth of their evergreen forest homes, usually close to the ground or in lower levels of the trees; they spend a lot of time digging in the bark and in debris for animals. They will stay in one place their whole lives and are quite territorial; they tend to make owl-like hooting calls back and forth to warn away other hornbills from their territory. They tend to lay eggs regardless of season, with nests known throughout the year; groups of three to eight birds will work together to create cooperative nests for one dominant female. Two eggs are laid, but one chick is raised by this small family. The female will seal herself in the nest hole, blocking herself with droppings and mud, and the family will bring food until the chicks are able to fly, when the female breaks the wall. 

Ecosystem: White-Crowned Hornbills live primarily lowland evergreen rainforests, though it can be found in adjacent human-made plantations. 

Other: These birds are endangered primarily due to very few individuals being found in certain areas – it seems to be vulnerable to habitat destruction and hasn’t been counted very well to allow for conservation efforts to be effective in the past. They are rarely observed and easily overlooked in their ranges. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Chondrohierax

Hook-Billed Kite by Hector Bottai, CC BY-SA 3.0

Etymology: Coarse Hawk

First Described By: Lesson, 1843

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Accipitrimorphae, Accipitriformes, Accipitridae, 

Referred Species: C. uncinatus (Hook-Billed Kite), C. wilsonii (Cuban Kite) 

Status: Extant, Critically Endangered – Least Concern 

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Hook-billed Kites are known from Cuba, Central, and South America, primarily in more humid habitats such as the Amazon basin 

Physical Description: These kites range from 38 to 51 centimeters in length, making them fairly large for flighted birds (but not the largest amongst birds of prey by any means, in that respect they’re middle-of-the-road). They are named for their most distinctive feature – a large, heavy, hooked bill. This bill goes well over the underbill, though it varies extensively across individuals in this genus. The birds have strong feet with sharply curved claws, and somewhat short tails. Their wings are ovular in shape, and interestingly enough the females have more interesting color schemes than the males – while all have grey heads with yellow eye patches, the females have brown backs and reddish-brown stripes across their white bellies, while males continue to be grey, with grey stripes. Some morphs of this genus are very dark in color all over. The juveniles are typically dark brown on top and white underneath, with very few stripes. 

Diet: These birds feed primarily on tree snails, interestingly enough, which they break apart with their strong beaks. They also will eat some reptiles, frogs, salamanders, craps, and insects, depending on where they live and the food available in that local. 

Hook-Billed Kite by Cláudio Dias Timm

Behavior: These are fairly sluggish raptors, all things considered, spending most of their time in the leafy canopy when not flying around. They do fly extensively, though, and are often seen soaring above the rainforest. They will fly until they find a suitable patch of rainforest, go down into the undergrowth, find a snail in its shell, and break the inner whorls of the shell by cracking it with its beak towards the apex of the spire. It will also swallow some smaller snails whole. It will also sit in a perch in the lower canopy to look for snails, or hop between trees. It usually hunts throughout the day, especially during the nesting season. Fairly silent birds, they only tend to make musical chuckling calls to their mate while perched and flying together. They will also make shrill alarm screams in response to danger, and chattering noises to their babies. 

When it comes to breeding, they tend to breed whenever the rainy season starts, based on their individual locations. The two birds will circle each other in courtship, low above the canopy, making those noticeable laughing calls. They then build a flimsy stick nest together, between five and seven meters up in the trees or close to the top of the trees – usually precariously placed on thin branches away from the trunk. They lay up to three eggs, usually two, which are incubated for a little over a month. The male will bring food to the female while she incubates, but when the eggs hatch both parents will feed the young. The chicks then fledge in the early to middle rainy season to take advantage of more plentiful snails. These birds are fairly nomadic – with no distinct migratory pattern, they will move in response to availability of food. 

Hook-Billed Kites by Mike Ostrowski, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ecosystem: Hook-Billed Kites will live primarily in rainforests, especially in lower canopies and dense understory, as well as in more temperate zones in the Andes mountains. They can also be found in forest edges and clearings, and while they can get up to higher elevations in the Amazon, they are found in lower elevations in more northern locals. The Cuban Kite will be found in more montane gallery forest with extremely tall trees. The young tend to be preyed upon by jays, but the adults don’t have many predators. 

Other: These birds are usually very common, but the Cuban species is very much threatened with extinction due to a limited habitat and excessive human hunting. The mainland species may be rarer in some regions, but overall very common and extending its range northward in response to climate change. 

Species Differences: The Hook-Billed Kites, as opposed to the Cuban Kites, have dark bills with only slight yellow patches on the lower bill. Meanwhile, the beaks of Cuban Kites are entirely yellow. The Cuban Kite has a much more limited range (in Cuba only), while Hook-Billed Kites are found all over Central and South America. This limited range, in addition to persecution by humans, has led to the critical endangerment of the Cuban Kites. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Uroglaux dimorpha

By Carlos N. G. Bocos

Etymology: Tailed Owl 

First Described By: Mayr, 1937 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Strigiformes, Strigidae

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: From about 10,000 years ago to today, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Papuan Hawk-Owl is known from the island of New Guinea 

Physical Description: The Papuan Hawk-Owl is a medium sized owl, ranging between 30 and 33 centimeters in length. It has particularly large eyes, even for an owl, with bright goldenrod irises. The face is white with streaks of black, while the bulk of the top half of the body is mottled brown and black. The under-feathers are white with black-brown streaks. The feet are yellowish, and the Papuan Hawk-Owl is notable for having a longer than average tail. The young differ from the adults in being paler in color. 

Diet: These owls will mainly feed on insects, small rodents, and other birds such as the Wompoo Fruit-Dove, even when they’re almost the same size as the Papuan Hawk-Owl 

By John Gould, in the Public Domain

Behavior: Papuan Hawk-Owls are poorly known, given their rarity; they are known to make low, mournful hooting calls, with distinctive pauses between notes. They can also make more fast-paced calls, preceded by purring. They do not seem to migrate, and their chicks fledge from the nest by early August – though no other information is known about their breeding habits. 

Ecosystem: These owls primarily live in lowland rainforests, on the forage edge, and gallery forest along the savanna, though they are known from some mountain forests. 

Other: The Papuan Hawk-Owl isn’t considered threatened with extinction, despite being distributed somewhat sparsely in a wide range – it seems to be naturally rare, rather than made as such by human activity. The population size of this bird is unknown, and there isn’t much information about the effects of human activity on its populations – however, it may be threatened by logging. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Jabiru mycteria

By Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology: Tupí for Very Big Bird

First Described By: Hellmayr, 1906

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Aequorlitornithes, Ardeae, Aequornithes, Ciconiiformes 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: From 126,000 years ago until the present, from the Tarantian of the Pleistocene to the Holocene 

Jabiru are primarily known from the Amazon basin, though during the Ice Age they were much more widespread (shown in light blue) 

Physical Description: Jabiru are extremely large storks, primarily white in color all over their bodies and wings. They have very long, skinny black legs, like other storks, and black heads. Their heads are ridiculously long, with beaks that make up three-forths of the entire head – these beaks are long, triangular, and pointed. Underneath the black neck, they have red throat sacks which stand out from the rest of the body. Males differ from females in having longer beaks and more vibrant red color on their throat sacks; the juveniles, meanwhile, are more grey than the adults. Babies of this species are especially fat and fluffy, and covered in white feathers. In terms of size, Jabiru are the tallest flying birds in Latin America, reaching the same height as the flightless rhea – up to 1.53 meters tall. So, you know, about the same height as a shorter person. They grow between 1.2 and 1.4 meters long in general, from head to tail; they have some of the largest wingspans of any South American bird, reaching between 2.3 and 2.6 meters long – only the Andean Condor has a larger wingspan on that continent. The beaks can range between 25 and 35 centimeters. In short, though Jabiru can honestly look really gangly and ridiculous, they are also absolutely, terrifyingly, huge. 

By Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Diet: Jabiru feed on fish, frogs, snakes, insects, baby crocodilians, and turtles – though the bulk is fish, they really can’t be classified as anything other than a carnivore. 

By Lukja, CC BY-SA 3.0

Behavior: Jabiru will wade in the shallows of the water, splashing their bills into it to disturb prey. They will look for prey mainly by feeling around with their beaks, but they also see the food and reach out to grab it. THey then carry the food to the shore and dismantle it there, where it can’t as easily slip out (especially in the case of fish). They’ll also use sounds – baby caimans, especially, are found by listening for their distress calls. They tend to feed in large groups of up to fifty birds during the dry season, congregating where food can be found; in the west season, they are more solitary. They do associate with other storks and ibises as well during feeding. They are very silent away from the nest, stalking in the quiet; they will make very loud bill claps when alarmed, and make soft coughs and bill claps during copulation and nest displays. Their pouches are inflated during mating displace, and also as a threat to other members of species when they feel their spaces is being invaded. 

By Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Despite being ridiculously huge and a little silly looking on the ground, Jabiru are amazingly graceful fliers, soaring above the ground with the agility of the Andean Condor – which it rivals in size. They don’t migrate much, but congregate in small groups with other storks and ibises and moving in relation to rainfall. They will fly to seek out new places of food. Breeding varies from location to location, usually at the end of the dry season and the start of the wet season. They usually nest alone, but they will form groups of up to six nests – though some populations breed in mixed colonies with other storks. They make nests in tall palm trees, so if you needed to imagine a person-sized bird nesting in a tree, here you go. They sometimes nest in tall mangroves or other types of trees in pine savanna. The nests are made of sticks and mud and are used year to year. Three to four eggs are laid per season, and the young hatch white and fluffy and dependent on the parents. Both parents will incubate the eggs. The babies leave the nest after about a hundred days, though the young stick with the parents for another three months. As such, most mated pairs alternate breeding years. The pairs mate for life as well. Jabiru can live on average for thirty-six years. 

By Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ecosystem: Jabiru live in large freshwater marshes, pine-savanna, ranches near ponds and lagoons, near large rivers and lakes, in estuaries, and rice fields. The young are specially preyed upon by raccoons, other storks, and humans; but healthy adults have no known predators. 

By Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 4.0

Other: Though the Jabiru stork already has a very large range today, fossil evidence indicates that during the last glacial maximum its range was even larger, extending up into North America. It is thus possible that climate change following the end of the last Ice Age lead to a decline in Jabiru populations and a decrease in Jabiru range. That being said, Jabiru today are doing perfectly fine in terms of conservation and population – they are considered threatened with extinction, and therea re considered to be tens of thousands of birds worldwide. Still, Central American populations of Jabiru are on the decline possibly as a continuation of the elimination of this bird from North America in general; in the Amazon, the chicks are considered a source of food by native populations. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Bucorvus

Southern Ground Hornbill by Neil McIntosh, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Hornbill Crow 

First Described By: Lesson, 1830

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Coraciimorphae, Cavitaves, Eucavitaves, Picocoraciae, Bucerotiformes, Buceroti, Bucorvidae 

Referred Species: B. brailloni, B. leadbeateri (Southern Ground Hornbill), B. abyssinicus (Abyssinian/Northern Ground Hornbill) 

Status: Extinct – Extant, Vulnerable 

Time and Place: From about 12 million years ago, in the Serravallian of the Miocene, through today 

Ground Hornbills are known from across the entire African continent 

Physical Description: Ground Hornbills are truly impressive living dinosaurs, large in body and bulky in form. They can reach up to 100 centimeters in length, weighing as much as 6 kilograms. They are black over most of their bodies (leading to their being named for crows and ravens, which they are not closely related to at all), with grey legs and grey bills. They also have grey crests on the tops of their heads. Their heads feature bright coloration which is distinguished from the rest of the body – red patches, blue patches, yellow bits, and wattles, which vary from species to species. The undersides of their wings are white, and they have short and thin tails. Called hornbills for their very large, pointed beaks, these bills make up a major chunk of their heads. They also, interestingly enough, have eyelashes on their eyes to aid in protecting them. The juveniles are somewhat brown, and they become more black in color as they age. 

Northern Ground Hornbills by Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0

Diet: Ground Hornbills primarily feed upon arthropods such as insects, spiders, and scorpions. They also feed upon other invertebrates like snails, and larger prey such as snakes, lizards, small mammals, and carrion. Though they have been recorded feeding upon berries, they are primarily carnivorous. 

Southern Ground Hornbill by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

Behavior: Ground Hornbills are extremely fascinating creatures, able to fly but spending most of their time on the ground searching for sources of food. They will move slowly and carefully, searching around for prey that then is picked up with their large bill, very carefully and in a picky fashion from the ground. They forage in small groups – with a mate, or with their offspring. They rarely gather in large groups, usually only when food is especially abundant. They’ll even dig into the ground or poop looking for food. When large prey is found, groups will gather and attack it together, dismembering it as a team. These are extremely vocal birds, making low-pitched hoots at each other often at two different pitches. They will make softer hoots when snuggling with each other, and deep alarm grunts. They are often known to call for long periods of time. They do not migrate, but do wander about; juveniles will stay where their parents lived for many years. 

Northern Ground Hornbill by Sakari A. Maaranen, CC BY 3.0

The Ground Hornbills are cooperative breeders – the dominant pair will be assisted by juvenile and younger adult helpers, all defending the nesting territory fiercely. Males will prepare their nests in large tree cavities, sometimes in rock holes or baskets – they will line the hole with dry leaves, and not seal the entrance. Two to three eggs are laid and incubated for two months by the dominant female of the group. Upon hatching, the group members will feed the babies together, but usually the second or third eggs don’t survive – either the eggs don’t hatch, or the chicks starve to death. The chicks stay in the nest for three more months, and the juveniles stick with their families for a little while after hatching. They tend to reach sexual maturity between six and seven, but they don’t usually breed for the first time until later. They also tend to breed only once every three years – a rarity for birds. The birds can live for a very long time – in captivity, they’ve been seen living for up to 40 years. 

Southern Ground Hornbill by Lip Kee, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ecosystem: Ground Hornbills live in a variety of habitats, across woodland and savanna, as well as grassland patches. The Southern Ground Hornbills live in more moist habitats than the Northern Ground Hornbills. They are often fed upon by large carnivores such as leopards, and can be a host for a wide variety of parasites and diseases. 

Northern Ground Hornbill by Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0

Other: All living Ground Hornbills are recorded as being vulnerable to extinction at this time. Despite being extremely widespread, they are sparse across their range. This sparseness makes it harder for them to find others of their species and mate with them. They are often hunted and killed, or even murdered as a bringer of bad luck in some cultures. Ground Hornbills also break window panes and are killed for that, in addition to being killed for being a harbinger of drought. Habitat loss also greatly contributes to their decline in population. They do live in several national parks, and there are conservation efforts to aid in its reproduction, using the abandoned eggs to raise more of the birds. Reintroduction, however, is more difficult than anticipated. 

Southern Ground Hornbill by Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0

Species Differences: The Northern Ground-Hornbill is known from Central Africa, and features blue patches on its face with a yellow bit in the front. Males have red additions to their throat wattles. The Southern Ground-Hornbill, on the other hand, is all red, with no yellow or blue to be found. They are also found in southern Africa. In addition to all of this, the Northern Ground-Hornbill is somewhat lighter in weight than the Southern Ground-Hornbill. The extinct species, B. brailloni, was from much more north – in Morocco – and was much older, as well as a little smaller, than its living relatives. 

Northern Ground Hornbill by Noel Reynolds, CC BY 2.0

~ By Meig Dickson

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Maiasaura peeblesorum

By José Carlos Cortés

Etymology: Good Mother Reptile 

First Described By: Horner & Makela, 1979 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Ornithischia, Genasauria, Neornithischia, Cerapoda, Ornithopoda, Iguanodontia, Dryomorpha, Ankylopollexia, Styracosterna, Hadrosauriformes, Hadrosauroidea, Hadrosauromorpha, Hadrosauridae, Euhadrosauria, Saurolophinae, Brachylophosaurini 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Between 77.2 and 76.3 million years ago, in the Campanian of the Late Cretaceous 

Maiasaura is known from the Upper member of the Two Medicine Formation in Montana 

Physical Description: Maiasaura was a medium-sized hadrosaur – aka, a “duck-billed” dinosaur. Famed for being known from hundreds of individual skeletons, we have a general idea of the appearance of this dinosaur at every stage of its life cycle. Baby Maiasaura were around 0.4 meters in length and were positively tiny in weight, weighing less than 250 kilograms. These babies were adorable in appearance: with large eyes, small heads, and small limbs. The limbs were very weak and skinny at this point in life. Despite this extremely small size, Maiasaura young grew quickly – growing to 1.5 meters in length by the first year, and reaching sexual maturity at about the age of three or so, when they weighed around 1250 kilograms. Full skeletal maturity then came at about five years of age. At this point, Maiasaura were as much as 3000 kilograms in weight, and reaching 9 meters in length. Maiasaura adults were much beefier than the young – with thick, strong hind legs and somewhat more gracile front legs, it was almost as if they had deer front legs and elephant hind legs. The front feet formed hoof-like structures – with the pinky and thumb both sticking out, the middle three fingers were fused together. The hind limbs were typical ornithopod feet, with three toes splayed out like that of a very thick bird. Their tails were thick and muscular, and their torsos also very beefy. They had very thick, muscular necks as well. 

By Ripley Cook

The heads of Maiasaura were rectangular and long, with flattened duck bills in the front. In the jaws, there were rows upon rows of densely packed teeth, forming a single surface. This surface was essentially serrated with the number of teeth packed in there. The upper jaws could then expand, allowing the lower jaws to slide upwards into them, creating a chewing motion. The more duck-like front bill was used to snip off plants and bring them into the jaw. Maiasaura also had a very large nose, forming a sort of lump in the front of the snout – this would have helped keep the head cool, and also allowed Maiasaura to make a variety of calls without a hollow crest attached. Above the eyes the skull of Maiasaura was domed with the brain area. In front of the eyes, on the top of the skull, there was a little ridged crest for display. It is logical to suppose that said crest would be somewhat patterned or even colorful, for display. 

By Nobu Tamura, CC BY 3.0

Scale impressions from Maiasaura are known. Adults of this species were entirely scaley, with almost a pebble-like texture of scales covering the entire body. These small round patches didn’t seem to overlap much, but were densely packed and not leaving much in the way of bare skin showing. Very small ones no longer than 2 millimeters were interspersed with bigger, more hexagonal ones at five to ten millimeters long. It is possible that fuzz would extend between the scales, but they would have looked rather like plants growing between sidewalk scales, and fairly impossible to see ultimately. The back was bumpy from the spine, and rather high over the animal – making Maiasaura itself quite tall. The scales were even bigger on this portion of the animal. Though skin impressions are known from Maiasaura adults and close relatives, baby Maiasaura do not have preserved skin impressions. What this means is that, while it seems very logical they’d also be scaly, there is a possibility they were fluffy to stay warm, given their smaller size. We present one hypothetical reconstruction of such for you all below, with the caveat that it is purely speculation at this time. 

By Diane Ramic

Diet: Maiasaura, like other hadrosaurs, fed mainly on soft, wet vegetation at low and middle levels of browsing (rather more tough, hard, dry vegetation like scrub plants and desert brush). So, it would favor leaves, berries, and more tender shoots, as well as plants in sources of water. 

By Madchester, in the Public Domain

Behavior: Maiasaura was a highly social, active animal – warm blooded in energy levels, these dinosaurs would have spent most of their time, each and every day, wandering around looking for food and socializing with other members of the herd. They spent a good portion of their time taking care of their young, of course, but that was only during the breeding season. Nests were made in large breeding colonies, not unlike their modern bird relatives such as seabirds, with gaps between nests only 7 meters long – less than the length of the adults that had to move between them! Between thirty and forty eggs were laid in a dense spiral pattern, and these eggs were the size of an ostrich’s today. Rotting vegetation was placed upon the nest to keep it warm. The babies, not able to take care of themselves upon hatching, entirely relied on their parents to bring them back chewed up food and look out for their safety. Sadly, most of the young would still die in the first year of life – mainly due to disease and predation, up to 90% of the young would die in the first year of life. Still, the parents did their best – with the young having features associated with cuteness, indicating dependence on the parents for survival until they reached larger sizes. 

By Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0

Past that point, however, as the young grew faster, they fared better in terms of mortality – dropping down to 12% mortality until reaching old age again. They began to move on their own and keep up with the herd as it moved about. Young Maiasaura would walk on two legs, and as they got heavier they would switch to four, still sometimes only using the hind limbs when needed. Upon reaching sexual maturity at around three years of age, they began to get even bulkier. The Maiasaura would live in herds hundreds of individuals large, which would have been very noisy – using those bulky nostrils to make very loud, differing calls. Come mating time, they would display to each other with the ridges on their heads and other patterns. It is uncertain who was in charge of caring for the young, as sexual dimorphism isn’t seen in the skeletons of Maiasaura – if it was just the mother, both parents, just the father, or even the parents and previous children, we do not know at this time. The herd structure would protect the young, the sick, and the old from predators, and they would probably call to each other to ensure that they stayed safe in the face of predation. That being said, most of the rest of Maiasaura would then die in old age, with the death rate jumping up to 44% at the oldest ages of 12 to 14, when their own weight, slowness, and illness would leave them more vulnerable to predators. 

By Fabrizio De Rossi, retrieved from Earth Archives

Ecosystem: The Two Medicine Formation was one of the most iconic dinosaur ecosystems of all time, sort of a precursor in many ways to the more famous Hell Creek, but with more variety and dinosaur diversity! Here was a very large floodplain, filled with rivers and deltas and associated plantlife on sandy riverbanks. This environment was highly associated with the ever-present Western Interior Seaway, much like the later Hell Creek. It was seasonally arid, with rainshadows from the nearby Cordilleran Highlands, which may have been at least somewhat volcanic. This made the Two Medicine Environment positively volatile – with flash flooding, droughts, dehydration, and volcanic activity all allowing for the animals in this region to be wonderfully preserved (allowing us to know so much about Maiasaura)! Plants would grow very rapidly each wet season, making the area a very lush habitat for about half the year, allowing for all these dinosaurs to congregate here. This environment was filled with conifers and pine trees primarily, though there were also other types of plants as well. There were non-dinosaurs here as well – the pterosaurs Montanazhdarcho and Piksi, the Choristodere Champsosaurus, unnamed crocodylians, lizards like Magnuviator, mammals such as Cimexomys, Paracimexomys and Alphadon, and a wide variety of turtles like Basilemys. 

By Sam Stanton

Still, dinosaurs were the primary feature of the later (Upper) Two Medicine environment where Maiasaura frequented. There were four different types of Ceratopsians: the flat-nosed Achelosaurus, the curved-horned Einiosaurus, the giant-horned Rubeosaurus/Styracosaurus (depending on who you talk to, lumping-wise), and the small herbivore Prenoceratops. Ankylosaurs came in three different varieties – the large-spined but wiggle-taled Edmontonia, and the wide tail-clubbed Dyoplosaurus and Scolosaurus. Other hadrosaurs shared this environment with Maiasaura, like the large-nosed Gryposaurus, the round-crested Hypacrosaurus, and the small pointed crest having Prosaurolophus. There was also the small, active burrower Orodromeus. As for theropods, there were two different raptors – Bambiraptor and Richardoestesia – which would have been major problems for younger Maiasaura and the babies and eggs. The predatory opposite-bird, Gettyia, would have also been a predator of these smaller individauls. The troodontid Saurornitholestes would have been a major danger to these young Maiasaura along with its close cousins. The adults, on the other hand, had not one but two different species of tyrannosaur to contend with: the bulky and rarer Daspletosaurus, and the more slender Gorgosaurus that has been hypothesized to feed more on hadrosaurs than its cousin (though this is under hot debate). In short, this was the place to be to see just how diverse and fascinating non-avian dinosaurs were right at the end of their tenure, and Maiasaura was a major part (if not the most common part) of that ecosystem. 

By Scott Reid

Other: Maiasaura is the closest thing non-avian dinosaurs get to a “model organism” – a creature with enough specimens, research, and data about it to use it as an example for other animals which we know less about. With hundreds of specimens found and counting, we have recorded a complete growth sequence of this dinosaur, knowing what the trajectory of a typical Maiasaura life was like. This is of vital importance, as hadrosaurs were some of the most diverse dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous – the end of the time of non-avian forms. It is also fascinating for how much the life history of Maiasaura – a dinosaur not close to being a bird by any stretch of the imagination – is so similar to birds. With similar rapid growth rates as their warm-blooded cousins, and similar nesting and group living strategies, Maiasaura showcases how complex behavior and lifestyles were common over the entirety of the dinosaur group. Maiasaura is also of fundamental importance because, with its discovery and descriptions in the late 1970s, it served with Deinonychus to show how dinosaurs weren’t slow, sluggish, giant lizards – but active, warm-blooded avian precursors. Dinosaurs were active, behaviorally complex, and took care of their young – something that was a truly revolutionary statement before these dinosaurs were named! So, despite not really looking like much, Maiasaura is probably one of the most important dinosaur discoveries ever found. Maiasaura itself is closely related to dinosaurs such as Brachylophosaurus, and is in general part of the “crestless” hadrosaur group, along with the contemporary Gryposaurus and the later Edmontosaurus. 

~ By Meig Dickson

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