Myrtis fanny

By Michael Woodruff, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Named for the Boeotian poet, muse, and teacher

First Described By: Reichenbach, 1854 

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, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Purple-Collared Woodstars are known from the western side of the Andes mountains (in lowland elevations) in the Northern half of South America 

Physical Description: Purple-Collared Woodstars, being hummingbirds, are extremely small dinosaurs, about 7.5 and 8 centimeters long and a little more than 2 grams in weight. Both sexes have green backs, but beyond that they look almost nothing alike. Males have long, curved bills, with blue throats and a violet stripe underneath. The rest of the belly is white. Their wings have black tips and their tails are V-shaped. The females, on the other hand, have less curve to their beaks; their bellies and under-throat are orange, and they have orange tips to their wings. They also have more rounded tails. Juveniles look like the females until they reach sexual maturity, where they either stay like that or develop the adult male plumage.  

Diet: These hummingbirds feed upon nectar from a variety of flowers (including cacti flowers), as well as some insects. 

By Hector Ceballos-Lascurain

Behavior: Purple-Collared Woodstars follow consistent routes back and forth from flower to flower, consistent in where they go and constantly on the move. Like other hummingbirds, they move their wings extremely fast in order to hover at the flower and get nectar with their long curved bills. They do rest occasionally, to bathe and sleep, but they are on the move more often than not. That being said, they do not seem to migrate, but do go up and down the altitude levels of the mountains following the blooming of the flowers. Males will fly in large semi-circles around the females, making twittering sounds at the top of the arc and making more trumpet sounds at the end of the arc. They also make chittering calls to one another while moving around, and chase flies while making different tweets. They breed from March through June closer to the equator, and more south they breed from June through October. They make nests out of plants and spider webs, placed in thin branches a few meters off of the ground. These hummingbirds lay two eggs which are incubated by the females for two weeks. The chicks are black and grey, and fledge after three weeks. They begin breeding at two years of age. 

By Arthur Grosset

Ecosystem: Purple-Collared Woodstars live in coastal scrub and the open woodland from the lowlands up to 3000 meters high in the Andes mountains, and they do not venture into more rainforested territory. They prefer the drier ecosystems for their right types of flowers. 

Other: Purple-Collared Woodstars, thankfully, are not threatened with extinction and are very common in their range; they are also very adaptable to human-created habitats. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Nyctibius

Common Potoo by Gmmv1980, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology: Night Feeder 

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, Strisores, Caprimulgiformes, Nyctibiidae 

Referred Species: N. bracteatus (Rufous Potoo), N. grandis (Great Potoo), N. aethereus (Long-Tailed Potoo), N. leucopterus (White-Winged Potoo), N. maculosus (Andean Potoo), N. griseus (Common Potoo), N. jamaicensis (Northern Potoo) 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: From 12,000 years ago through today, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Potoos are known from Central and South America, around the Equator 

Physical Description: Potoos are some of the weirdest birds alive today, looking about as ridiculous and muppet-like as any bird can really look. I’m honestly not sure if there is another living dinosaur that looks more like a muppet – and, of course, we don’t know if any extinct dinosaurs could have taken home the gold. The only probable and possible contender is the Frogmouth, which may just be the slightest amount more muppet-like, but it’s a close contest. They have distinctive faces, that are more feather than underlying tissue – their beaks stick out a bit, with a small hooked beak at the end. They have a large mouth, covered in fluff. Their eyes have a general sunken in appearance, which makes them look very large compared to the rest of the face. Their heads are very large compared to the rest of their bodies, and they have long bodies with short wings and long, fluffy tails. So, when they stand up, they look… well, they look like a stump, or a log standing up. They can then make themselves skinnier, which makes their eyes stand out compared to the rest of their bodies… which gives them the general appearance of a completely ridiculous animal. They can range in size from 21 to 58 centimeters, and range in color from reddish brown, to more orange brown, to more grey in color. This genus is not sexually dimorphic, though some species have variants in color. 

By Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Diet: Potoos eat a lot of insects – from beetles to moths, to mantids, ants, termites, cicadas, leafhoppers, and grasshoppers. 

Rufous Potoo by Eric Gropp, CC BY 2.0

Behavior: Potoos will hunt by standing extremely still on their perches – often, again, making themselves to look like a continuous log – and waiting for food to appear. Since they’re nocturnal, they are easily missed by the insects, as they blend into the background around them. Then, when they spot the prey, they launch forward, jutting forward to catch the insects and swallow them. Some species are more clumsy in this endeavor than others, though some are able to make leaps over several meters in order to grab the food they desire. They then return to the same post, returning to their previous log-like stillness as they wait for more food to appear. They’ll look around for the food by turning their heads rapidly from side to side – weirdly like owls, though they are not closely related to them at all. These perches can be only one meter off the ground, or up to 19 meters, depending on the forest around the potoo in question. 

Common Potoo by the American Bird Conservancy

Potoos aren’t the most musical or birds, but they are loud – they make harsh, guttural “bwa-bwa-bwa” calls, similar to laughing or wailing. They can also make drawn out, descending rasps, that are… somewhat more musical at least. They tend to make their sounds mostly at dusk, right before dawn, and also on moonlit nights – so when it is Dark, but not too dark. These sounds, of course, do vary from species to species. There are some courtship calls, including descended calls made by females during the mating ritual, but they aren’t a major feature of these events. So, instead of picturing the great wolves as your moonlight singers, remember: the Potoos can and WILL be making these weird urts, laughs, and whistles, every time the moon is full and out in the sky. Potoos do not migrate, but they do appear to move sporadically in response to season changes and mating territory disturbances. 

Long-Tailed Potoo by Lee R. Berger, CC BY-SA 3.0

As for nesting, Potoos are not… fantastic at the prospect, because of their tiny legs and weird, weird beaks. This makes them not great at both sitting on the nest and feeding the chicks. Still, they do it anyway, and clearly well enough since they aren’t endangered with extinction. They are monogamous, with both parents working together to incubate the egg and raise the chick, and they don’t build a nest – instead, the egg is laid in a depression on the branch, usually on top of a rotting stump. The male incubates the egg during the day, while the female will do so with the male at night. The chick is hidden almost entirely through camouflage. They hatch about a month later, and then stay in the nest for two more months, being protected by the parents and fed by them as well. They look… like clumps of fungus. Hiding underneath the log of their parents. The parents will defend themselves and the nest with mobbing behavior, crowding a predator and dive bombing it, and also calling at it loudly. In short, these birds are a Giant, Giant mess of Chaos. 

White-Winged Potoo by Mark Sutton

Ecosystem: Potoos are known primarily from rainforests, and can be found at any level of the forest – some Potoos are known from the understorey, some from the middle, and some from the canopy – it really depends. They’re also found in very swampy forests, depending on the species and the habitats in question. They tend to stick to where there are easily accessible sources of water, regardless, especially rivers and lakes in the jungle. They stick to the deep interior of the forest, not venturing to forest edges much unless driven to by necessity. Some species are also found in mountain forest habitats. They have few natural predators after reaching adult size, though the young are hunted upon by monkeys and falcons. 

Andean Potoo by Isirvio, CC BY-SA 2.0

Other: Potoos are a part of the Stirsorians, a group of WEIRD BIRDS that are adapted for a variety of extremely unique ecological niches, usually depending on their flight style. Close relatives of the Potoo include the Frogmouth, Nightjars, Oilbirds, Swifts, and Hummingbirds, among others. Potoos are highly adapted for their nocturnal lifestyle, adapted to blend in with their forested surroundings above all else. None are threatened with extinction at this time, though of course some species are rarer than others, and all are vulnerable to climate change and extensive habitat destruction in the American Rainforests. They are also quite uncommon birds, which of course affects their vulnerability as well.

Northern Potoo by Dominic Sherony, CC BY-SA 2.0

Species Differences: The different species of Potoo vary mainly on size, coloration, habitat, and location. The Rufous Potoo is one of the most notable, being very red in color and also the smallest species; it is known from northern Amazonia, in the middle and lower storeys of the forest. Great Potoos are the heaviest species, and greyish to yellowish brown; they are found in the canopy of Amazonia. The Long-Tailed Potoo is the longest species, and is a darker brown; it is found in lowland forest in Amazonia. The White-Winged Potoo has – you guessed it – white wings, and is small in size; it is found in the canopy of lowland Amazonia rainforest. The Andean Potoo is very dark and Extremely Muppety, and is found in mountain forests in the Andes Mountains. The Common Potoo is the most middle brown of them all and very middle in size, so the Averagest Potoo of them All; it is found in wet open woodland, usually at forest edges and the canopy, throughout Northern South America. The Northern Potoo is similar to the Common Potoo but usually larger, and it is also found in forest edges, but in Central America and the Carribean. 

~ By Meig Dickson 

Sources Under the Cut 

Upupa

Eurasian Hoopoe by Jaiprakashsingh, CC BY-SA 3.0

Etymology: Hoopoe 

First Described By: Linnaeus, 1758 

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, Phoeniculidae, Upupidae 

Referred Species: U. africana (African Hoopoe), U. antaios (Saint Helena Hoopoe), U. epops (Eurasian Hoopoe), U. marginata (Madagascan Hoopoe) 

Status: Extinct – Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Between 12,000 years ago and today, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Hoopoes are known from all over the Eastern Hemisphere 

Physical Description: Hoopoes are extremely distinctive birds! They have very long, thin, and curved bills that extend out greatly from their heads, and huge crests on their heads that are easily spotted. They have long, thin bodies, and feet built for perching. Their wings are very square-ish, and they have shorter tails than other birds. However, their coloration is decidedly where they are most distinctive of all. They have bright orange heads, with orange crests – but the crests end in very slight white bandings and then black tips. Their bodies are orange, but their wings and rumps and tails are black and white striped all over! They are such beautiful, distinctive birds. The shades of orange can differ in brightness or redness based on species (for example, the African Hoopoe tends to be redder than the Eurasian Hoopoe), but they do tend to be overall similar to one another in appearance. Living species range between 19 and 32 centimeters long; the extinct Saint Helena Hoopoe, though it had smaller wings, probably could have reached 36 centimeters long. 

Madagascan Hoopoe by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Diet: Hoopoes primarily feed on insects, especially larvae, though some larger animals are also fed upon by these animals. 

Common Hoopoe by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Behavior: Hoopoes are very curious, adventurous birds, spending a lot of their time foraginging on the ground – they’ll dig with their bills into soft earth, using them to turn over leaves and probing into the mud and dung for insects and other invertebrates. They’ll even use their bills to prise off the bark from trees, or forage for insects in lichen! Sometimes, these birds also smash their food against the ground to They’ll usually forage in pairs or alone, spending a lot of their days looking for food. Some Hoopoes – especially the Madagascan Hoopoe – will forage in even slightly larger groups, of up to six individuals. Fascinatingly, Hoopoes have their own version of Penicillin – Anting! They’ll find piles of ants and roll around in them, allowing the ants to cover their feathers. The ants then secret substances that will kill bacteria, fungi, and other insects – protecting the Hoopoe (and other birds that Ant) from illness! These birds also take dust and sand baths to clean themselves; they’ll also sunbathe by spreading out their wings and tail low to the ground and tilting their heads up! 

Madagascan Hoopoe by Charles J. Sharp, CC By-SA 4.0

Hoopoes are distinctive in one very special way that lead to its name – their voice! They literally make calls that sounds like “hoo-poo-poo” and “hoop-oop hoop-oop” – leading to the name, Hoopoe, as well as the genus  name, Upupa, and the species name of the Eurasian species, epops. Interestingly enough, the Madagascan Hoopoe does not make this sound – but rather, more cooing sounds, like doves. These birds will also make harsh, scolding calls, trills, and hisses, depending on the situation. The females and males will communicate primarily in trilling sounds while watching out for their nests. These birds are often sedentary, not migrating over long distance, but northern populations usually do come south in the winter to avoid colder climates, creating a variety of populations with very distinctive seasons and migrational patterns from one another within the species. 

Saint Helena Hoopoe by Apokryltaros, CC BY 2.5

Hoopoes are monogamous each breeding season (which varies throughout the year as Hoopoes live all over the Eastern Hemisphere), forming strong pair bonds (that only last for that period of time). Males make very frequent calls to establish their territories, and they often fight with each other very brutally – including stabbings that can leave their opponents blinded. Females will then mate with the winners of these contests, and together they make nests out of holes in trees and walls with very narrow entrances. They usually aren’t lined with much. The female then incubates the egg, while the male defends her and the nest. Clutch size tends to depend on location, varying between 4 and 12 eggs per nest. They are incubated for nearly three weeks. At hatching, the chicks are very white and fluffy after a few days, and the crest develops after two weeks. The chicks are able to leave the nest after about a month, though they still stick with their families for a little while. Sometimes, when males defeat each other and replace each other in the mated pair, they will kill the offspring of the replaced male. Females can produce foul-smelling liquid, as do the babies, to protect themselves from predators – since they smell like rotting meat, they can fend off meat-eaters and parasites, and potentially fend off bacteria. Chicks in the nests also are able to literally poop at intruders, helping them to protect themselves! After leaving the nest, they stay with the parents for another week as they gain their bearings; they then become sexually mature between ages one and two. 

Eurasian Hoopoe by Frank Vassen, CC BY 2.0

Ecosystem: Hoopoes live mainly in open country – pastures, orchards, steppe, dry savanna, wooded savanna, short grassland, and bare ground. They congregate near scattered, isolated trees for their roosting and nesting. They do need perches and shade, but they want the trees they get these services from to be rare in the environments – so they can go down to the ground to get their food! They are fed upon by herons, falcons, and many other birds of prey. 

African Hoopoe by Derek Keats, CC By 2.0

Other: Most hoopoes are not currently threatened with extinction – they are extremely common, widespread birds, that are even protected in many localities (being highly venerated in many cultures – it’s even mentioned extensively in the Quaran – and made the national bird of Israel; it is also considered a pest controller and thus is protected on that front also. Some local populations, such as those in Morocco, are more threatened due to local practices (such as selling them for medicine), but overall they seem to be doing well. In fact, there are probably as many as 10 million Hoopoe around today, if not more. Still, in more northern countries such as Germany they are more endangered, primarily due to changes in habitat, hunting, and human activity giving pressure to the populations. The numbers in Madagascar are slightly vulnerable too, given forest clearance. Hoopoes are closely related to the Hornbills! 

Saint Helena Hoopoe by Scott Reid

Species Differences: The four species primarily differ based on location: The African Hoopoe is found in Africa; the Eurasian Hoopoe is found in Eurasia; the Madagascan Hoopoe is known from Madgascar: and the late Saint Helena Hoopoe – now extinct – was known from the island of Saint Helena off the coast of Africa! The Saint Helena Hoopoe differed from the other species in other ways, too – it had smaller wings, was somewhat larger, and was probably flightless! A giant flightless Hoopoe! And, like most large flightless birds of the recent past, it went extinct due to human activity on the island – this time, sometime in the 1500s. 

~ By Meig Dickson 

Sources Under the Cut 

Microchera albocoronata

By Joseph C. Boone, CC BY-SA 3.0

Etymology: Small Widow

First Described By: Gould, 1858 

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, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Snowcaps are known primarily from Central America 

Physical Description: Snowcaps are very small birds – being hummingbirds! They range between 6 and 6.5 centimeters in length, making them only a tad bigger than the smallest dinosaurs of all, the Bee Hummingbirds! All sexes are iridescent – brilliantly shiny and colorful. The males are red, with black wings and a black face; while the females are green and blue with red tails, black wings, and white bellies. They have long, narrow, pointed beaks, that are black in color. They, like other hummingbirds, have very tiny feet, that are rarely used. Their wings are short and triangular, built for hovering, as in all other Hummingbirds. They are named for the white patches on the foreheads of the males! 

Diet: Like other hummingbirds, they primarily eat nectar – specifically the nectar of small flowers on trees and shrubs. They will supplement their diet with insects as well. 

By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, CC BY 2.0

Behavior: Snowcaps spend most of their time hovering around flowers, staying aloft in the air in order to reach into the flower with their beaks and pull out nectar. Males will often defend their food very territorial, but it will run away from larger hummingbirds. They make very soft, warbling melodies, as well as more high-pitched zipping and buzzy noises when fighting each other. They do not tend to migrate, but will go up and down from highlands to lowlands depending on the breeding or nonbreeding season. They tend to breed during the early wet season or late dry season, with the males singing soft warbles on the forest edge to attract mates. They make tiny cups of tree-fern scales, using moss and lichen to bind up the cup – which is hung a few meters up into the tree. Two eggs are laid in the clutch, and the female does most of the incubation for about two weeks. She then feeds the young regurgitated nectar. 

Ecosystem: Snowcap hummingbirds live on forest edges and in tropical rainforest, frequenting the canopy and subcanopy (when male) and the understory when female. They rarely ascend into higher elevations. 

Other: These hummingbirds are not threatened with extinction, remaining very common throughout its range even though deforestation affects some habitats. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London. 

Kistler, Ethan; Schulenberg, Thomas S (2013). “Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata)”. Neotropical Birds Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 

Stiles, F.G. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 

Reinwardtipicus validus

By Lars Peterson

Etymology: Reinwardt’s Woodpecker 

First Described By: Temminick, 1825 

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, Picodynastornithes, Piciformes, Picides, Picidae, Megapicini 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Orange-Backed Woodpecker is known from Southeast Asia and Oceania 

Physical Description: These are fairly large woodpeckers, reaching up; to 30 centimeters in length. They look like other woodpeckers, of course – with somewhat round bodies, long thin necks, round heads, and long pointed beaks. Their feet are zygodactylous, with two toes forward and two toes backward. They also have small tails. In general, they have a variety of orange and brown hues in terms of plumage, though they differ based on sex. Males tend to have orange crests, necks, and stomachs; they also have bright orange stripes on the wings. Females are brown in those places, except on the wings, where the orange stripes are a bit more dull. The bulks of their wings are dark brown and their tails are also dark brown. They have white patches on the front of their backs. Their bills, which are pale colored, are slightly curved. 

Diet: Orange-backed Woodpeckers feed mainly on beetle larvae, termites, caterpillars, ants, and other insects. 

By Jean Gabriel Pretre, in the Public Domain

Behavior: These woodpeckers will live in families or mated pairs, foraging together in low and middle parts of trees. They will mainly attack rotting logs, dead stumps, and soft tree trunks – even fines from time to time. They peck and hammer loudly and forcefully to get the wood away to reveal the food, spending minutes to excavate the tasty food inside. They’ll then reach in with their long tongues (which wind around their heads) to grab the food. They don’t tend to move a lot to get food, but prefer to stick in specific locations. They will make loud, ringing calls to each other as they feed, sometimes with more rattling and irregular calls as well. They also make very excited “cha-cha-cha” calls when finding members of the family. Their bursts of digging in wood, however, are very short and loud. They breed from January through September, displaying to their mate with raises of the crest, directs of the bill, and wing flicks and spreads. They build nest holes through excavation a little high up in a dead tree, and they lay one to two eggs. The parents will feed the babies directly – they do not regurgitate. They also do not migrate. 

By Mike Prince, CC BY 2.0

Ecosystem: Orange-Backed Woodpeckers primarily live in evergreen rainforest and in coastal vegetation. They tend to stick to lowlands, rather than getting particularly high up into the mountains, though they can be found there from time to time. 

Other: Orange-Backed Woodpeckers are not threatened with extinction; though they are uncommon in most of their range, they are more common in Sumatra and Borneo. 

~ 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 

Nymphicus hollandicus

By Jim Bendon, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Nymph Birds 

First Described By: Wagler, 1832

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, Psittaciformes, Cacatuoidea, Nymphicinae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

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

Cockatiels are originally known from the bulk of Australia 

Physical Description: Cockatiels are medium sized birds, ranging between 29 and 33 centimeters in total body length. Wild Cockatiels are grey all over their bodies, with white patches on their wings. The males have bright yellow heads with orange cheek patches, and long yellow crests of feathers coming off of the tops of their heads. The females are usually more grey in the head region, with a duller orange cheek patch, and a grey crest. They have extremely long tail feathers and very large, broad wings. They usually weigh between 80 and 100 grams. Semi-domesticated individuals of this species can come in a wide variety of color morphs that are based on the wild-type colors, but not exactly the same: some will be yellow-ish all over, some will be entirely white; some will lack the orange cheek patches and have grey or white heads; some will be more spottled, and so on. There are an estimated 22 color mutations in cockatiels, with many being very distinctively different. In general, males are more brightly patterned than females, and have bigger crests; there are exceptions to this rule, of course, all over the color spectrum. 

By Ben Cordia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Diet: In the wild, Cockatiels feed mainly on seeds and grain, especially from crops and native fields and plains, where grass seeds are fed upon. In captivity, Cockatiels should be fed a varied diet of pellets, fresh vegetables, whole grains, some fruit, and the occasional seed for treats. 

By Jim Bendon, CC BY-SA 2.0

Behavior: Cockatiels in the wild will feed twice a day by foraging on the ground, scurrying about in a waddling fashion to look for the seeds and grains they prefair. Large flocks of tens to hundreds or even thousands of birds will gather depending on how much food is available in any given spot, and are occasionally joined by budgies at especially fertile lands. Their waddle walk is offset by the fact that they are extraordinarily powerful fliers, able to move very fast and powerfully with rapid flaps of their wings, using the tail to steer. They will migrate nomadically, following the presence of seeds and – thus – usually following rain patterns. Because they follow water, they oftentimes will reach the coast in their migrations. At night, they will sleep in available trees, perched in branches with no real preference as to what sort of tree they sleep in. 

BY Jim Bendon, CC BY-SA 2.0

Cockatiels are extraordinarily loud birds, making a variety of calls to one another to ensure that the flock stays together. To just chirp at each other, they’ll make sort of yipping calls as they go about their day. When a member of the flock is lost, they will scream extremely loudly to find them again, calling out “EEP” at the top of their lungs until the flock member is located. While flirting, they will unfurl their wings ever so slightly, forming a heart shape; sticking their neck out, they will perform a flirtatious call (which can vary somewhat) at the object of their affections. They often bob their heads and bodies while doing this. Sometimes they’ll practice their singing into the air, and will hold up one of their feet to do so, singing at it like they’re holding a microphone. They will extend their crest out all the way while curious, and cluck while exploring a specific environment. When alarmed, their body will go extremely taught, their neck stuck out all the way; if danger is present, they’ll fly away quickly and make very loud sounds to the rest of the flock to promote everyone escaping from the situation. 

By Jim Bendon, CC BY-SA 2.0

In the wild, cockatiels breed usually in the late autumn or winter, nesting within tree hollows. They are very protective of their nesting sites and will scream at any intruders. They can form lifelong pairs or be polygamous in terms of breeding behavior. Both sexes will protect the eggs and bring each other food; the clutches are usually one to seven eggs in size, and are incubated for twenty days. The chicks are usually very naked with some yellow down, and are largely altricial; they will stay protected for five weeks and are guarded by the parents. They then mature and become part of the nomadic flocks, sticking close to their family members for the first month or so. Cockatiels reach sexual maturity at around 1 year old, and full skeletal maturity at 2 years. They can live up to 25 years on average, though many individuals have reached past 30 years of age with proper care. 

By Meig Dickson

Ecosystem: In the wild, Cockatiels live in arid and semi-arid open habitats such as savanna, scrubland, open woodland, grassland, and more outback habitats. They will stay close to sources of water but do not need them as much as other parrots; and they are often found associated with extensive cropland and farms. They are usually not found in the most fertile and wet corners of Australia, or the deepest parts of the Australian desert, or the Cape York Peninsula. 

By Meig Dickson

Other: Cockatiels are some of the most common birds in Australia, with an estimated population of around one million individuals; this, plus them showing no real drops in population, makes them not vulnerable to extinction at this time. They are occasionally regarded as pests, especially by farmers. However, the main interaction humans have with Cockatiels is via aviculture.  

By Meig Dickson

Cockatiels are the second most popular pet parrot after budgies, and one of the most common pet caged birds out there. While individuals are occasionally imported from Australia from time to time, most Cockatiels sold or adopted at this point are descended from many generations of breeding programs. Breeding efforts have turned pet cockatiels into nearly domesticated animals, inhabiting that weird grey area between tame and domestication. As such, at-home species have different colors and behaviors. They tend to trust humans more, especially when they are hand-fed by their breeders. They are extremely intelligent animals and are able to learn tricks. They require extensive space, toys, and out-of-cage time to live happy lives, and need a varied diet to avoid biological problems such as fatty liver disease. Though not an easy companion animal to own by any stretch of the imagination, cockatiels (and budgies) are well on their way to being truly domesticated, rather than just an exotic animal that’s at home in human spaces. Extremely social animals, they do best with other members of their species in a large cage, rather than being alone in a smaller space. Cockatiels are kept entirely for companionship; they are not bred for any other purpose, though with their powerful and agile flight style they may be shown off in bird shows. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Oligocolius

By José Carlos Cortés

Etymology: Oligocene Mousebird 

First Described By: Mayr, 2000 

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, Coliiformes, Coliidae 

Referred Species: O. brevitarsus, O. psittacocephalon 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Between 31 and 24.7 million years ago, from the Rupelian to the chattian of the Oligocene 

Oligocolius is known from the Bott-Eder Grube Unterfeld and the Enspel Maar Lake of Germany 

Physical Description: Oligocolius is a fascinating little bird because it is a Mousebird – a group of dinosaurs today with magnificent little crests and soft, grey appearances – but, in at least one species, it didn’t have a typical Mousebird beak. Instead of having a short, triangular beak, this bird had the dramatically hooked bill of a parrot! With a large, round head and a hooked, sharp beak, it would have been very hard to tell apart Oligocolius from a living parrot when just looking at the head. This is a clear-cut case of convergent evolution, since mousebirds and parrots are nowhere near closely related to each other. Oligocolius was weird in other ways too – it had longer wings than living Mousebirds, and shorter legs, so it was more adapted for flight than living members of the genus. Interestingly enough, it also seems to have had a crop, which is something living Mousebirds lack; this indicates that it fed on tougher to digest plant material than Mousebirds today do – meaning, it wasn’t only eating fruit like its living relatives. Instead, it was able to eat tougher to digest plant material in addition to fruit. Whether or not its feathering would have been as weird as its living relatives is difficult to say without more fossils. It is difficult to say what its size would have been, as no tail feathers are preserved and the mousebirds today are distinctive for their long tails, but it seems likely they were about as big as living forms, reaching sizes around 10 centimeters in length. 

Diet: Oligocolius would have fed on a variety of plant material, rather than exclusively fruit; in addition to fruit, it probably would have favored seeds, which it could easily crack open with its parrot-like beak. 

Behavior: Oligocolius would have flown too and fro in its forested environment, searching for food and spending less time perched than its living relatives. It would probably gather seeds, fruit, and other plant material from trees as it flitted about, holding and crushing the food with its strong beak. Despite being rare in terms of fossils, it was probably very social like its living relatives, forming somewhat large family flocks in the forests. It would have taken care of its young, even potentially building cup-shaped nests out of twigs in trees. It is probable that it would have been very distinctive in appearance, as its living relatives are, and used that appearance for communication. 

By Scott Reid

Ecosystem: Oligocolius was probably a fairly common fixture of the forests of the Oligocene in Germany, having been found in two different environments from across the epoch. It is known from primarily forested areas near bay and estuary coastlines, as well as a prehistoric freshwater lake with a variety of shore plants and swamps, so it wasn’t picky about where it ended up. O. brevitarsus, in the earlier Bott-Eder environment, it lived alongside many different kinds of birds that I’ve mentioned in articles past: the hummingbird Eurotrochilus, the barbet Rupelramphastoides, the trogon Primotrogon, the loon Colymboides, the seabird Rupelornis, the songbird Wieslochia, the tody Palaeotodus, and the buttonquail Turnipax. There were also a variety of mammals. At the later Enspel swamp-lake, there were rodents like Eomyodon, pikas, and moles, as well as crocodilians and turtles; as for other birds, there was the pheasant Palaeortyx, the cormorant Borvocarbo, and a loon. 

Other: Oligocolius is closely related, but not entirely in, the group of living mousebirds. In fact, Oligocolius is one of many known extinct mousebirds, showcasing that this group was much more diverse in the past than it is today. The weird parrot-like beak of Oligocolius is just one of many evolutionary paths the mousebirds took during the Cenozoic era. 

Species Differences: O. brevitarsus is the first described species of this genus, and does not have an associated head; thus, it cannot be said with any certainty that it had the parrot beak, though that does seem likely. It comes from earlier and more southward than O. psittacocephalon. O. psittacocephalon, in addition from being later in time and a more northward location, it also had differently proportioned limbs than its earlier cousin. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Eurotrochilus

By Scott Reid

Etymology: European Hummingbird 

First Described By: Mayr, 2004 

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, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae 

Referred Species: E. inexpectatus, E. noniewiczi 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Between 31 and 28 million years ago, in the Rupelian of the Oligocene 

Eurotrochilus is known from the Menilite Formation, the Bott-Eder Grube Unterfeld, and Le Grand Banc locations across Poland, Germany, and France 

Physical Description: Eurotrochilus is a bird that is remarkable precisely because, to us, it is utterly unremarkable. Put in a clearer way, Eurotrochilus is almost identical to living Hummingbirds – but it’s thirty million years old. An extremely small bird, Eurotrochilus had wings shaped like hummingbirds – small, triangular, and built for hovering flight. It was about nine centimeters in length, making it as big as living hummingbirds like the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. In addition to having small, triangular wings, Eurotrochilus had tiny legs, like living Hummingbirds, and a very long beak. So, its identical nature to living hummingbirds points to the hummingbird body plan as an ancient one, that hasn’t been improved upon much during the Cenozoic era. Still, it wasn’t a true hummingbird yet – aka in the group that contains modern hummingbirds and those more closely related to one sort than the other – because it still had long finger bones, and smaller connections between those bones. So, while the general hummingbird shape was present for thirty million years, it still had some modifications left to go. 

Diet: With its very long, specialized bill, Eurotrochilus would have fed on nectar, like living hummingbirds. 

Behavior: We can be fairly confident that Eurotrochilus was capable of hovering, and did so with some regularity; it would hover near flowers and rarely perch on them while gathering nectar up with its long beak. The beak would go into the center of the flower to draw up nectar, and in the process Eurotrochilus would pick up pollen. Then, upon going to the next flower to drink more nectar, Eurotrochilus would drop off the pollen, thus helping the flowers to reproduce. It would have spent most of its time hovering, and when not hovering would rest on branches or in more foliage-filled areas. It would have been a fairly active animal, and loud as well, making a variety of chirps and calls to one another. They probably would have been very brightly colored, like living hummingbirds, and the males probably wouldn’t have been very involved in nest care. 

By Ripley Cook

Ecosystem: Eurotrochilus primarily lived in forested areas, near lagoons, lakes, and estruary-filled areas. These lush habitats were filled with a variety of flowering plants for Eurotrochilus to feed on, and the forests were densely populated with birches, oaks, cypresses, conifers, palms, roses, asterids, and beeches. Eurotrochilus was a common site in these environments, which featured a variety of birds that resembled living forms and yet, were not quite like their modern counterparts. In the Bott-Eder environment of Germany, a coastal bay area, Eurotrochilus lived with birds such as the barbet Rupelramphastoides, the buttonquail Turnipax, the tody Palaeotodus, the mousebird Oligocolius, the trogon Primotrogon, the loon Colymboides, the seabird Rueplornis, and the songbird Wieslochia. This is a notable environment with a variety of transitional tree and ocean going birds, making it a fascinating habitat in which to study the evolution of dinosaurs in the Cenozoic. There were also sea cows, bats, and a Hyaenodont Apterodon, though Eurotrochilus would have been so small its unlikely that the Hyaenodont would have posed a problem for it. In the dense lake environment of Menilite, Eurotrochilus lived with the passerines Jamna, Resoviaornis, and Winnicavis, as well as the woodpecker Picavus. Here there was an extensive amount of thermal activity, which would negatively affect the ecosystem with gas bubbles and oil wells. In the lagoon environment of Le Grand, there was also Primotrogon, the early cuckoo Eocuculus, the crane Parvigrus, and the stem-passerine Zygodactylus. 

Other: As the oldest representative of a proper, nectar-eating hummingbird shape, Eurotrochilus is vital for our understanding of the evolution of hummingbirds. In fact, its presence points to the idea that flowers pollinated by birds co-evolved with hummingbirds in the Eastern Hemisphere, even though hummingbirds aren’t present on that side of the globe today. Hummingbirds like Eurotrochilus, however, disappeared from that half of the globe during tropical climate collapse in Europe and the effects of the ice age. Interestingly enough, they were replaced in the Eastern Hemisphere by Sunbirds, a group of passerines that convergently evolved similar adaptations for hovering and nectar-eating, and also brightly colored feathers. 

Species Differences: The two species of Eurotrochilus mainly differ on the proportions of the limbs, with E. noniewiczi having longer upper arm bones than E. inexpecatus, but shorter lower arm bones. They lived at the same time and fairly close to each other, so this difference is important in telling apart the varying kinds of these early hummingbirds. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Xenopsitta fejfari

By Scott Reid 

Etymology: Strange Parrot 

First Described By: Mlikovsky, 1998 

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, Psittaciformes, Psittacoidea, Psittacidae, Psittacinae, Psittacinae 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: 22 million years ago, in the Aquitanian of the Miocene 

Xenopsitta is known from the Merkur site of Cheb County in Czechia 

Physical Description: Xenopsitta was a small parrot, with very robust feet similar to living African parrots. Despite this, it was probably much smaller than most of them, probably only about half the size as living African Greys or Senegal Parrots. This would mean it is probably somewhere around 16 centimeters in total body length, though that is a rough estimate. Still, in a lot of ways it was a miniature version of a living African Grey Parrot, with similarly short ligaments and strong feet. Xenopsitta also had fairly stout and short wings compared to other parrots, though not to the point of being flightless. We can’t say much more about this parrot, as it has shapes in its feet and wings similar to quite a few different kinds of parrots, though African varieties seem most likely; it would have resembled living parrots in most ways too, with a similarly large head, big and distinctive beak, and possibly colorful feathers. 

Diet: As a parrot, Xenopsitta would have been mainly herbivorous, feeding on a wide variety of nuts, leaves, and fruit; though they would have probably supplemented their diet with animal matter such as insects when needed. 

Behavior: It is reasonable to suppose, as a bird closely related to a very specific group of living parrots, Xenopsitta would have been an intelligent forager much like they are today, using its large and curved beak to dig around and find food, as well as to make nests in cavities it would create in trees. It would have used its flexible feet to interact extensively with its environment, reaching out to grab things and to manipulate objects. In addition, Xenopsitta would have been very social, living in decently sized flocks and family groups, and talking to each other with squawks and calls aplenty. They would have taken care of their young, probably for a decent amount of time before the young left the nest. 

By Ripley Cook 

Ecosystem: Xenopsitta lived in a heavily forested environment, probably sub-tropical in terms of temperature with a bit of seasonal variation. There were many types of plants present in the area, including beeches and oaks, walnuts and birches, maples and chestnuts and mangos and mahoganies, citrus, magnolias, roses, and some coniferous trees. Little is known in the way of mammals here, but there were plenty of birds – including the Swift Procypseloides, the owl Mioglaux, the cormorant Phalacrocorax, the loon Petralca, ducks like Nettion and Mionetta, and the giant swimming-flamingo Palaelodus. The present of so many water birds indicates that there was a decent system of rivers and lakes present in the area as well. As for predators, Xenopsitta probably mostly had to watch out for Mioglaux! 

Other: Xenopsitta is one of many fossil parrots known from the Miocene of Europe, a location that doesn’t have natural parrots today. This showcases that parrots occurred in a wide diversity in the forests of Europe prior to the Ice Age glaciations, with many different kinds of living groups represented within the sub-continent. Furthermore, it is one of the earlier ones known, which helps to clear up some of the murkiness of parrot evolution – stem-parrots disappear from the fossil record in the Oligocene, with modern-form parrots showing up seemingly out of nowhere in the Miocene. This is then followed by a dramatic extinction of parrots and other later tropical birds from Europe, sometime in the late Miocene, from which Xenopsitta and its descendants would have been affected. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Čerňanský, A., M. Venczel. 2011. An amphisbaenid reptile (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae) from the Lower Miocene of Northwest Bohemia (MN 3, Czech Republic). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie – Abhandlungen 260 (1): 73 – 77. 

Göhlich, U. B. 2003. The avifauna of the Grund Beds (Middle Miocene, Early Badenian, northern Austria).  Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien Serie A 104:237-249.

Mayr, G., U. B. Göhlich. 2004. A new parrot from the Miocene of Germany with comments on the variation of hypotarsus morphology in some Psittaciformes. Belgium Journal of Soozology 134 (1): 47 – 54. 

Mayr, G. 2010. Mousebirds (Coliiformes), parrots (Psittaciformes), and other small birds from the late Oligocene/early Miocene of the Mainz Basin, Germany. N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Abh. 257 (2): 129 – 144. 

Mayr, G. 2011. Two-phase extinction of “Southern Hemispheric” birds in the Cenozoic of Europe and hte origin of the Neotropic avifauna. Palaeobiology Palaeonevironment 91: 325 – 333. 

Mayr, G. 2017. Avian Evolution: The Fossil Record of Birds and its Paleobiological Significance. Topics in Paleobiology, Wiley Blackwell. West Sussex. 

Manegold, A. 2012. Two new parrot species (Psittaciformes) from the early Pliocene of Langebaanweg, South Africa, and their palaeoecological implications. Ibis 155 (1): 127 – 139. 

Mlikovsky, Jiri (1998). “A new parrot (Aves: Psittacidae) from the early Miocene of the Czech Republic”. Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 62: 335–341. 

Pavia, M. 2014. The parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) from the Middle Miocene of Sansan (Gers, Southern France). Paläontology Z. 88: 353 – 359. 

Svec, P. 1981. Lower Miocene birds from Dolnice (Cheb basin), western Bohemia, part II. Casopis pro mineralogii 26(1):43-56 

Waterhouse, D. M. 2013. Parrots in a nutshell: the fossil record of Psittaciformes (Aves). Historical Biology 18 (2): 227 – 238. 

Xelenkov, N. V. 2016. The first fossil parrot (Aves, Psittaciformes) from Siberia and its implications for the historical biogeography of Psittaciformes. Biology Letters 12: 20160717.