• HOME
• INDEX
• BIRDS
  • ARCHIVE
  • ALPHABETICAL
  • TAXONOMIC
• MAMMALS
  • ALPHABETICAL
• VARIOUS
• INFO
  • THE AUTHOR
  • EQUIPMENT
  • LINKS
  • SHACKS
• IT

Medium-large birds, sedentary in mountain areas and boreal forests, terrestrial. They have nostrils and feathered legs and lack of spurs, rounded wings with rigid primaries. They nidify on the ground and the young born are able to carry out short flights only after 1-2 weeks. Generally different sexes.

Terrestrial birds resembling hens with featherless legs. They can be observed in the plains and on mountain slopes above the tree line. Pheasants have a long tail, partridges and quails are much smaller, rounder with very short tails. They nest on the ground.

Very large water birds with long necks used for feeding in shallow waters. They are massive birds which, for taking off, must run and beat strong the wings, gait on the clumsy and wavy ground. They feed on mostly submerged vegetables, they’re monogamous, faithful all their lives. Three species, the black swan is of Australian origin, introduced is able to self-sustain, present in Holland, in Italy and in other countries.

Big aquatic birds specialized in grazing, with strong legs. Beak with serrated edges in the upper jaw. Gregarious species especially in winter, migrants follow traditional routes flying in V formation. They nourish of vegetables and nidify on the ground. There are two types of geese the " gray" ( Anser ) and the " dark " ( Branta ).

Waterfowl from small to big, feed by sieving the water or dipping in half. They easily fly up from the water. Sexes usually very different from each other, the summer males get a feather similar to the females during the simultaneous moulting of the remiges.

Group of ducks that nourish diving and run on the surface of the water for getting up in flight. Some are found in shallow lakes while others are mostly marine (orcs, eiders).

They are aquatic birds with thin and serrated beak, most have a tuft and slender body. In flight they appear with the elongated body with beak, head and neck kept horizontal. They nidify on the ground or in cavities.

They are medium-sized birds, specialized in catching flying insects at sunset and at night. They have very wide mouth cavities, long and hard vibrissae on the sides of the beak. The wings and the tail are long and narrow, short legs and neck, small beak. camouflaging brown mottled plumage. They spend the day or on the ground or perched on a branch in the direction of the length. Nest on the ground.

Medium-spicy birds with long, pointed and sickle wings. Flying birds, they spend their lives in flight. They mate and sleep in flight. Tiny legs, are used for clinging but not for resting on the ground, equipped with curved nails of raptor. Similar sexes, insectivorous.

Medium-sized birds with elongated body, narrow wings and long tail. They parasitize other species, laying their eggs in the nest of other birds, leaving them to care for their young. Similar sexes.

Fast flyers, compact with strong pectoral muscles and small head. The bigger species with ample tail are indicated by the terms "pigeon" or " pigeon" whilst the turtle doves are the smallest and slender species with longer tail. They drink by dipping their beak in the water " sucking it " unlike other birds. The chicks are fed with the "picket milk " from the goiter.

Aquatic birds that live hidden in the vegetation of wetlands. Compact and rounded body with rounded and short wings, they fly reluctantly and for short stretches. Reserved habits one hears the song, often emitted at night. Nocturnal migration.

Very big birds with long neck and legs, terrestrial. Sailplanes, fly with the neck elongated in V-shaped formation or with regular oblique lines. The voice resembles the sound of a trumpet. They feed on fields and uncultivated at slow paces. Nest on the ground.

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Slavonian Grebe

Podiceps auritus

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Five species present in the Palearctic and one accidental American. Aquatic birds experienced divers. Aerodynamic body with feet far back. Lobed fingers ( have no interdigital menbrane like the ducks ). The flight is often close to the surface of the water and appears heavy, the wings are small.

Little Grebe

Podiceps ruficollis

Big wading birds, they live in shallow brackish habitats. The legs and the neck are very long. The beak, bent downwards, is equipped with gills to filter water and retain food. Nest made of mud on islands or beaches unfit for sale. Colonial.

Waders include a large number of variously long-legged and beaked species, which usually live in wetlands and some species in drier habitats. They include numerous families, two of which with numerous species ( Charadrids and Scolopacids ).

They are medium-large birds with strong yellow or yellow-black beaks, yellow eyes and mimetic plumage; they have long yellow or greenish legs and a very prominent knee joint.

They are medium-large birds, noisy and showy, with strong and long red or orange beaks that allow them to split or force the shells of the molluscs.

They are big birds, with bright black and white plumage with a stocky neck and very long legs. They look for food by moving the beak fast sideways or forward in shallow water.

They are revision birds with compact structure, thicker neck and colouration with neat contrasts, the beaks are shorter and bigger, the eyes bigger. Sexes usually similar, nest on the ground.

They have rather long legs, at times conspicuously long, pointed wings, easily recognizable when flying, long and thin beaks. The feathers are various, and change during the year so for the identification it is necessary to rely on the stripping of the wings, on the design of the colors of the rump and of the tail. Most scolopacids are gregarious birds, except during the breeding period. The exception is the woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), which is a solitary bird. Usually they nidify on the ground, at times some gather in large crowds along the seashore.

They are slender birds, long and pointed wings, short and black legs, they fly in crowds hunting insects ( sea partridges ); the corrione has a sharp and curved beak, a plover-like behaviour, it runs quickly and squats to escape the sight; general pale appearance with long legs.

Some of the 19 species of gulls nesting in the Palearctic are very common. They nest in marine areas, coastal and inland wetlands, in large colonies. Seagulls are attracted by ports, landfills, fishing boats, fish farms and many species gather in large flocks on uncultivated fields or plowed in search of food.

They differ from the Tern for slower and wavier flight, dancing on the surface of the water. They have shorter and wider wings, less forked tail. They feed with dives towards the surface of the water from which they collect insects ( very rarely they dive to catch small fishes). They nest in colonies in wet zones of fresh water.

Marine birds, slender, with long, narrow and very pointed wings, long and forked tail and long pointed beak. Exceptional flyers, migrating can travel longer distances than any other bird. They frequently make the holy spirit before diving to catch the fish. They nest in colonies.

Small and compact marine birds, with white-black plumage. They frequent the mainland only for nidifying, pelagic for the rest of the year. Elongated body with webbed legs and small and narrow wings. They dive from the surface of the water with a beat of wings, then "fly" under using wings and feet. They winter in the high sea and nest on cliffs.

Gaviidae

Red-throated Diver

Gavia stellata

Black-throated Diver

Gavia arctica

Eleven species ( Berte, Fulmari and Petrelli ). Oceanic birds that touch the ground only to nest. They are distinguished by the outer tubular nostrils: the nasal glands secrete the salt of sea water. The Shearwaters have thin beak and elongated body, the Fulmari are thicker, similar to the seagulls, but fly with rigid wings. They nest in cavities or on rocky walls.

Big birds with long legs and neck, long and pointed beak. The flight is slow with the neck straight and slightly leaning.They walk with calm and dignity. similar sexes nest on trees or roofs ( white stork ).

Two species. Big sea birds with long and pointed wings and tail, with straight and pointed beak. They perform spectacular dives from a height of 30 and more meters with their heads forward to the subaqueous pursuit of the fish. Similar sexes.

Three species. Medium-large aquatic birds, with generally dark plumage. Elongated body, strong beak with hooked tip, the fingers are webbed. After the dives it rests on the rocks with the wings stretched to dry up. They fly in linear or V-shaped formation like geese. They nest in colonies on rocks or trees.

They are similar to small storks or herons, but have a long beak curved like a spatula. They keep the neck extended in flight. Similar sexes. They nest in reeds, bushes or trees.

Group of swamp birds, with long neck, long legs and beak. In flight the head is held back between the shoulders. The crest is formed by few long and filiform feathers placed on the head. They nest on the trees or among the marsh reeds.

Two species, both much diminished. Very big aquatic birds, with enormous beak equipped with an elastic skin bag on the lower jaw with which they catch the fishes. They whirl in ordered and synchronized groups, similar sexes. They nest in shallow waters rich of fish.

Only one species, the osprey, specializes in catching fish through quick dives. Equipped with very strong legs and tarsi. The species has a wide range that includes North America and South America, Eurasia, and Africa. Since 2011 it has returned to nest in the Province of Grosseto, within the areas of the Natural Park of Maremma and the Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve in Castiglion della Pescaia (2014 and 2015), thanks to a successful reintroduction intervention.

Family of diurnal birds of prey with several species, wide and digitate wings suitable for twisting and slipping.

Vultures: very big birds, with huge wingspan, short tail and naked head ( except the Bearded vulture ). Carrion eaters, linked to the warm air currents for the flight. They are often observed in flocks looking for food.

Eagles: big and powerful raptors, with wide wings, massive beak and strong legs with sharp and very long claws. The sexes are similar, but the female is bigger.

Kites: they have long, angled wings and forked tails. The flight is agile and gliding. they eat small animals and carrion.

Harriers: slender raptors with narrow and long wings, long tail. Low and wavy flight, with few wing beats and slides with raised wings to "V". Nest on the ground or among the reeds.

Buzzards: birds of prey with wide wings, rounded tails. They are often observed in high vaults in the sky and glide with motionless wings or laid motionless on poles or on top of trees. They feed on small mammals, reptiles, insects or birds.

Honey Buzzards: medium-sized birds of prey, similar to buzzards, although more closely related taxonomically to kites, especially in flight. They share with the buzzards the habit of using the upward currents of hot air to whirl. They differ for the smaller head, more protruding neck, thick down around the eyes and at the base of the beak. It nourishes mainly of nests of wasps.

Sparrowhawks - Goshawks : medium-small birds of prey with wide wings and long tail, skilled hunters through quick surprise attacks in dives. Their structure allows them to hunt also in thick woods. They mainly eat birds which are then plucked and eaten on the ground.

In appearance they are extremely similar to the Strigids. However, they are classified in a separate family due to two peculiar skeletal characteristics: the clavicles fused with the sternum (the Strigidi have separated them) and the claw of the serrated central finger.

Birds of night prey, with big head, flattened face whose feathers form facial discs. The eyes are placed frontally, have adunchi beaks and robust nails. The flight is silent thanks to the soft plumage and velvety feathers. Some species are equipped with auricular tufts, the sexes are similar. They nest in holes, old nests or on the ground.

Only one species ( Hoopoe ), unmistakable. Pink brown plumage and white and black bar wings, erectile crest, long and curved beak.

They are a family of birds commonly known as marine jays, with genera widespread in the Old World, arboreal, and characterized by hooked beak and free front fingers.

Small or medium size birds, compact with large head and beak, short neck and small legs. They live close to the water and are skilled in diving to prey on fish.

Rather small, slender, with thin beak, long and curved downwards. They are birds that love the heat, prefer plain areas. Specialists in catching flying insects, gregarious habits, nest in common in holes on the ground.

Specialists in climbing and digging holes in the trunks of trees, except for the Wryneck. They have strong legs with mobile fingers ( the species with four fingers have two front and two rear ), rigid tail feathers that serve as support on the vertical surfaces of the trunks. They nourish of insects which they extract from the trunks with their tongue ( very elongated base ). Only the Wryneck is a migrant, the other species are resident.

Raptors with pointed wings, agile and fast flight. Preys captured mostly in flight with dives at dizzying speed.

Family of birds mainly spread in the tropical and subtropical zones of the world, such as Latin America, India, south-eastern Asia, Africa and Oceania. Imported for almost five centuries in Europe, many species have by now settled in real colonies in the metropolises or in the adjacent countryside.

Diffused in Africa and Asia, where they prefer the not too thick forests and the thickets along the water streams. Some of these species are bred in captivity, now has settled groups in various European countries.

Family of birds commonly called Shrikes, medium-sized with long tail, hooked beak and sharp claws. Feed on insects, lizards, small rodents and small birds. Long-distance migratory.

Commonly known as orioles; the term oriole seems to be derived from the Latin aureolus, «golden» or «yellow». Elongated thrush structure, hidden in the canopy of the trees.

The biggest sparrows with long and robust beak. Similar sexes, social and omnivorous. They build big nests on the foliage of the trees.

Plump and rounded birds, with a squared head and a squat and conical beak, as well as an erectile crest, whilst the wings are pointed, the legs short and the tail is short and squared. They feed mainly on fruit, while insects become the main source of food during the warmer months. They live in the boreal forest and in the pine forests.

Small and lively birds, chubby with short beak performing acrobatics looking for food. Especially sedentary, but wandering in mixed flocks in winter.

Inserted in a family also distinguished for its reproductive biology. It nidifies in deciduous trees on hanging branches with a bag nest equipped with entrance tunnel. Polygamous.

Only one species in this family. A singular appearance in the male (which also explains the common name in Italian: sideburns) are two showy black sideburns, triangular in shape, on each side at the base of the beak, the latter of yellow colour.

They are singing passerines of small-medium size. The plumage is usually striped brown, with showy white or black spots in some species. This dull colouration allows them to camouflage on the ground, especially during the reproductive period. They have long rear claws that give them stability when they land.

Family of birds characterized by their adaptation to aerial nutrition and known as "swallows" and "mice". Their ability to hunt insects in flight is due to a slender and aerodynamic body and long pointed wings. They usually feed at a speed of about 30-40 km/h, although they can reach speeds of between 50 and 65 km/h.

Small insectivorous songbirds that form the nucleus of the new family Cettiidae, previously placed in the family of the Silvidae. They live in densely vegetated habitats like thick forests and reed beds. The color of the plumage and the lifestyle make these birds difficult to see and identify.

Chubby and rounded look, equipped with a big rounded head with short conical beak with upper mandible slightly curved downwards, short but pointed wings and tail almost as long as the body and the cuneiform extremity. Very cheerful and lively birds, which, apart from the reproductive season, live in small groups of 6-30 individuals.

They nest in the woods, spend a lot of time on the tops of the trees, but nest on the ground. Small size with legs and thin beak. They are always moving, the plumage is usually green-gray above and white or yellowish white below. The singing is loud and pleasant.

They live mainly in humid zones, reeds and bushes. Agile and active, they jump on the stems of the reeds and dive in the vegetation. Brown plumage above, white suede below. Similar sexes.

Similar to acrocephalus, but have a wider and more rounded tail and more striated plumage. They stay more on the ground in low vegetation and often run away on the ground rather than fly. A monotonous song like the sound of a bug at night.

The family has a vast range, but in southern Europe there is only one species, Cisticola juncidis, known in Italy as beccamoschino.

Species living in bushes or in the woods. Robust birds with rather heavy beak and strong feet. The colour of the plumage is usually brown or grey above and white or chamois below. The males are red-rust or pinkish on the throat and chest and black on the head.

They are small birds, which, with their 8-11 cm of length per 5-10 g of weight, are the lesser-sized passerines in absolute size. Chubby and rounded look, equipped with a big rounded head with very short neck, rounded wings, short tail and with a forked tip and short but thin beak.

Birds commonly known as wrens. Only one species, the common wren is also present in Eurasia. In Italy it is sedentary, nidifying, migratory and regular wintering. The song is very powerful for such a small bird.

Size from small to medium, with big head and robust feet, able to climb on sloping surfaces, able to descend upside down or to proceed upside down on the lower side of the branches. Long beak and short tail. Nests in holes with the walled aperture of mud.

Only one species in this family, close relative of the masonry peaks, diffused in the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.

Small birds (11-15 cm), with an unmistakable look, stocky and chubby, long thin beak and curved downward, pointed wings, long tail with very rigid feathers and strong and elongated legs, with long curved claws. They nourish mainly of insects, found performing characteristic helical trajectories around trunks and tree branches.

Very gregarious birds, are characterized by robust legs and by a direct flight. Many species live in contact with the man. They eat insects and fruits even if some species are omnivorous.

They are medium-sized birds (total length between 11,5 and 33 cm). They have a very wide diffusion all over the globe residing in the most diverse territories, from the Mediterranean maquis to the desert and from the tundra to the humid tropical forest, but their preferred habitats are formed by regions where small groves alternate, expanses of bushes, clearings and meadows. They’re really good singers.

The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they are all excellent songbirds. They have medium-small dimensions ( 10-21 cm). Many species have uniform brown plumage, while others are brightly coloured, especially males. Almost all have broad, flattened beaks, suitable for catching insects in flight, whilst the few species nourishing on the ground usually have thinner beaks.

Medium-small size (14 - 23 cm, with the males bigger than the females), with a physical appearance overall similar to that of the wrens. In spite of the semi-aquatic habits of these birds, none of them has hints of palmation of the legs. Among the adaptations related to life in the aquatic environment, there are full bones instead of quarries that act as ballast during immersion and nostrils with sphincters, to avoid the entry of water during diving.

They are small birds, with robust and pointed conical beaks, wide and blunt wings, and relatively short tails; the colouration of the plumage occurs in various combinations of brown, beige, grey, white and black, at times even yellow. They are also comfortable in urban contexts. Some species, such as the Eurasian sparrow , are also found in the countryside.

Birds with characteristics of sparrows, silvids and small thrushes. thin beak, brown plumage with short and rounded wings. feed on the ground.

Land birds that run and walk quickly. The pylons are brown striated birds, they are less slender than the ballerinas and the cutrettole, with long back nail. The ballerinas and cutrettole are very elongated with long tail, thin beak and slender legs. They nidify on the ground or on the rocks.

They are birds with a generally robust and massive conformation, although they are small in size . They usually have a rounded head, dark eyes, pointed but not elongated wings and conical beaks, thinner in the insectivorous diet species and more robust in those mainly granivorous. The species belonging to this family prove very adaptable, occupying the most varied habitats.

They are small birds (13,5-19 cm), with a robust and massive look, equipped with squared head with short robust and conical beak, pointed wings, tail with a slightly forked tip and strong legs. Most species live in North America, but two (the Lapland bunting and the snow bunting) are also found in Eurasia.

More terricolous than close relatives finches, most have triangular beak and typical color and plumage design. The favorite food are the seeds of herbaceous plants. Nest in tufts of grass or down in the bushes.

The Passerellids are a family of birds belonging to the order of the Passeriforms distributed all over America. Although they share the name sparrow, catwalks are more closely related to Old World buntings than to sparrows (family Passeridae). On the contrary, they are similar both for appearance and for habit to the finches, with whom they were sometimes classified.

The members of this family are medium-small passerines often with showy colours and marked sexual dimorphism. The family is closely related to that of the Parulids and the Thraupids.

Family of New World sparrow birds. There are over 30 species of mimidia in two larger genera and a dozen small or monotypic. They tend to dull gray and brown in their appearance, although some are black or blue-gray, and many have red, yellow or white irises. They range from 20 to 33 centimeters in length and 36 to 56 grams in weight.

Family of birds of the order of the Passeriforms, spread in the New World. The family Parulidae contains 119 species divided into 18 genera.

Family of small passerine birds known as mosquito nets or flycatchers. Most of the polypeptiles are grey tending to blue and have the typical elongated beak of the insectivores. Many species have characteristic black marks on the head and long white and black tails. The family includes 17 species in 3 genera : Microbates , Ramphocaenus and Polioptila. They are found throughout the Americas, except in the far south and in the higher Andes. Most species are settled in sub-tropical and tropical areas, except for the blue-gray mosquito net that migrates in winter from the United States and Canada to the south. They live mainly in the undergrowth of the forests, often humid.

They are a family of birds of the order of the Passeriforms diffused only in the New World. They are medium-small birds often brightly coloured. Most species are covered with black plumage, often mottled with yellow, orange, or red.

Family of passeriform birds of the American continent, migratory, insectivorous, with short beak and surrounded by bristles, including about a thousand species, most of which diffused in South America.

This family includes 5 genera ( Cathartes , Coragyps, Gymnogyps , Sarcoramphus and Vultur ) and 7 living species. The catartids, known as vultures of the New World, are a family of birds of the order Accipitriformes, exclusive to the American continent. They have characteristics such as the hooked bill, the claw nails and the digestive system adapted to a meat diet, common to the other Accipitriformes, from which they differ for the absence of the nasal septum, the fact of using the sense of smell rather than sight to identify food, as well as the poorly developed syringe. The Urubù is the only species of the genus Coragyps.