Antbird A small perching bird from the rainforests of Central and South America. It follows columns of marching ants, feeding on the insects they disturb.

Bee-eater A small bird with bright plumage. The bee-eater feeds on bees and other insects, smashing their stings on branches before swallowing them.

Bird of paradise A perching bird from the forests of Australasia. Male birds of paradise use their long, colourful plumage to attract a mate. They perform elaborate displays in the trees to show off their feathers.

Birds of prey Meat-eating birds with sharp, hooked bills and strong talons. Birds of prey swoop down to snatch their prey from the ground. Most species also eat carrion. They all have excellent long-distance vision.

Bustard A ground-nesting bird that lives on the plains of Africa, Europe and Asia. A bustard has a heavy, brown body and long legs.

Cassowary A large, black, flightless bird from the rainforests of Australasia. A cassowary has a hollow, horny ridge on its head, which may be used to amplify its deep calls. Its middle toe has a sharp claw, used for slashing at enemies.

Crane A tall wading bird with a long neck and legs. Cranes fly with necks and legs outstretched. They have elaborate mating rituals and some species mate for life.

Crow A perching bird with black, glossy feathers. Crows will eat anything, and can kill small animals to eat. They are curious birds, known to steal unattended human objects such as keys. Crows include ravens, rooks, choughs, jays and magpies.

Cuckoo A bird best known for laying eggs in the nest of other species. The cuckoo egg quickly hatches and the cuckoo chick kicks its nestmates out of the nest.

Dipper A small songbird that lives in streams or lakes. The dipper is the only perching bird with an aquatic lifestyle, swimming in pursuit of insects and fish.

Duck A bird that lives in fresh or saltwater habitats, feeding in the water and nesting on land. Ducks feed on grasses, water plants, fish, insects and worms. Some dip upside down to feed, while others dive. Ducks are strong flyers.

Eagle A large bird of prey. Eagles build their nests, called eyries, in trees or up cliffs, returning to the same nest each year. Most eagles feed on mammals or other birds, except for the fish-eating sea eagles and the snake eagles which feed on reptiles.

Emu A large, flightless bird from Australia with a long neck and legs and dark, shaggy plumage. The emu is the second largest bird and runs at speeds of around 50 km/h (30 mph).

Falcon A fast-flying bird of prey with long, pointed wings. In a vertical dive, or stoop, a peregrine falcon can reach speeds of over 385 km/h (240 mph). Some species, such as the kestrel, can hover in the air whilst searching for prey on the ground.

Finch A small songbird with a strong bill, used to break open seeds. Male finches are often brightly coloured. Some species, such as the canary, are popular pets.

Flamingo A pink wading bird that uses its bill to filter shrimp and algae, from the water. The flamingo’s pink colour comes from pigments in the shrimp and algae.

Game birds An order of birds with heavy bodies and short wings. They are ungainly flyers. Game birds include turkeys, chickens, guinea fowl, grouse and partridges. Some species are bred by humans for food.

Goose A large bird with a long neck and a notched bill, for pulling up grass. Geese often live near water. They are strong flyers.

Hawk A medium-sized bird of prey. Hawks include kites, buzzards and harriers. Most species have long tails and rounded wings, which enable them to change direction quickly when pursuing prey.

Heron A wading bird with a long neck and legs and long, thin bill. Herons live by rivers and lakes or in marshes. They stand motionless in the shallows waiting to snap up passing fish. When flying, their necks curve back in an S-shape. The heron family includes the egrets and the bitterns, which have shorter necks.

Honeyguide The only bird that feeds on beeswax. The honeyguide also eats bee larvae.

Hornbill A tropical bird with a bright, horny growth on its huge bill. A hornbill feeds on fruit and animals such as snakes. The female builds a nest with only a slit for an opening, through which the male feeds her.

Hummingbird A small, colourful, American bird that hovers in front of flowers, drinking nectar with its long bill. A hummingbird beats its wings up to 80 times per second.

Ibis A tropical wading bird with a long, curved bill, used to snatch fish or dig for food in the mud. The ibis's relatives, the spoonbills, have long, spoon-shaped bills.

Jacana A small, colourful wading bird from the tropics. A jacana has very long toes, which spread out its weight as its walks across floating lilypads.

Kingfisher A small, often colourful bird. Some species live near rivers, diving for fish. Others feed on insects or worms. Kingfishers nest in sandy burrows.

Kiwi A small, flightless bird from New Zealand. A kiwi has a long, thin bill and shaggy plumage. It is the only bird with its nostrils at the tip of its bill. This helps it to smell insects and worms in the undergrowth.

Lark A small songbird, with long wings and dull colouring. Larks are well known for their tuneful birdsong.

Mockingbird An American songbird that can mimic the songs of other birds and even imitate noises such as a frog croaking or a car alarm.

Nightjar A nocturnal, insect-eating bird with large eyes and short legs. During the day, it nests on the ground, protected by its camouflage. Nightjars are related to the frogmouths, which have wide bills.

Ostrich A flightless African bird. At almost 3 metres (10 feet) tall, the ostrich is the world’s largest bird. It is also the fastest creature on two legs, running at speeds of up to 70 km/h (more than 40 mph). Ostrich eggs are the largest laid by any bird.

Owl A nocturnal bird that hunts rodents, smaller birds, frogs and insects. Owls have flat faces and superb eyesight and hearing. Their flexible necks mean they can even twist their heads to look backwards.

Parrot A brightly coloured, tropical bird with a short, strong bill. Parrots include macaws, cockatoos and budgerigars. Some can imitate human voices.

Passerines Also called perching birds, the largest family of birds. With about 6000 species, they range in size from the tiny wren to the raven. All kinds of passerine have four toes, three pointing forwards and one backwards, an arrangement that enables them to perch on thin branches or twigs with ease.

Penguin A flightless bird that lives mostly on cold, southern coastlines. Clumsy on land, in the water, penguins are graceful and fast. To keep warm, they have several layers of feathers, and a thick layer of fat called blubber.

Pigeon A round-bodied, powerful flyer. Smaller species are known as doves. Unlike most birds, pigeons can produce milk for their young, from a gland in their necks.

Pipit A small songbird with a long tail. Pipits have strong legs and run around on the ground looking for insects. Their relatives, the wagtails, have longer tails, which they characteristically bob up and down.

Rail A bird that often lives near ponds, rivers or marshlands. Some species are camouflaged, but others, such as the coot, have bold markings. There are several flightless species, and most rails seldom fly.

Ratites An order of flightless birds that includes the ostrich, rhea, emu, cassowary and kiwi. Most rattites are tall, running birds that live in open spaces.

Rhea A large flightless bird from South America. The rhea has a long neck and legs and shaggy grey plumage.

Sandgrouse A sandy coloured, ground-dwelling bird from the deserts of Africa and Asia. Sandgrouse fly great distances to find water, soaking their feathers, so their chicks can drink from them.

Sea birds Birds that live in or near the sea. Some species of sea birds dive into the water to feed. Others skim the surface, scooping up fish.

Songbirds Perching birds that have extra muscles in their voice boxes. These muscles enable them to produce complex patterns of notes.

Sparrow A small, brown and grey songbird. Sparrows often live in towns and may build nests in the eaves of houses.

Stork A wading bird with a long, broad bill. Storks can survive in drier areas than cranes or herons. Some large species, such as the marabou stork, even feed on carrion.

Sunbird A small, brightly coloured songbird from the rainforests of Africa. Sunbirds use their long bills to feed on nectar. Some species can hover over flowers.

Swallow A small, fast-flying perching bird, with long, pointed wings and a long tail. Swallows and their relatives, martins, catch insects as they fly. They migrate, nest and feed in large flocks.

Swan A bird with a long neck. Swans are the largest of the waterfowl. They are strong fliers and migrate long distances.

Swift A small, fast-flying bird with long, pointed wings and a long tail. Swifts can mate, feed and sleep on the wing, and only land to nest. Swifts use their saliva to glue their nests together.

Thrush A small, plump songbird that lays speckled eggs. Its young often have spotted plumage. The thrush family includes robins, bluebirds and nightingales.

Tit A small woodland songbird with a short bill. Species of tits include the titmice and the chickadees.

Toucan A bird with a large, brightly coloured bill, used to break open fruit. Toucans live in the tropics of America. They have short wings and can only fly small distances, but their strong legs help them to climb about in the treetops.

Trogon A brightly coloured bird from the tropical forests of America. Trogons have very long tail feathers. Their relatives, the quetzals, have green plumage on their wings and backs and red chests.

Vulture A large bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. Most vultures have a bald head, to make cleaning easier after feeding.

Wading birds Long-legged wetland birds, such as storks and herons, that wade in shallow water to hunt for fish.

Warbler A small, songbird with a fine, pointed bill. The Old World warblers from Europe, Africa and Asia are dull in colour. The New World warblers from the Americas are more brightly coloured.

Waterfowl Freshwater birds, such as ducks, geese and swans. They swim along the surface using their feet, which are usually webbed, as paddles. Waterfowl feed on fish, invertebrates and plants.

Woodpecker A bird that clings to tree trunks and uses its bill to make holes in trees, from which it extracts insects to eat. A woodpecker also uses this method to dig nest holes. Two of its toes point forwards and two backwards, giving it a good grip. A few species feed on the ground.

Wren A small songbird, with a round body and short, erect tail. Wrens have loud, complex songs.

Consultant: Chris Jarvis