Sagittarius Serpentarius (Secretary Bird)

The Secretarybird or Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a very large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Saharan region. Although a member of the order Accipitriformes, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, hawks, vultures, and harriers, it is given its own family, Sagittariidae.

Pterapogon Kauderni (Banggai Cardinalfish)

The Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is a small tropical cardinalfish in the family Apogonidae. It is the only member of its genus. This attractive fish is popular in the aquarium trade. It is among the relatively few marine fish to have been bred regularly in captivity, but significant numbers are still captured in the wild and it is now an endangered species.

Cryptoprocta Ferox (Fossa)

The Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) is a cat-like, carnivorous mammal endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of the Eupleridae, a family of carnivorans closely related to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). Its classification has been controversial because its physical traits resemble those of cats, yet other traits suggest a close relationship with viverrids (most civets and their relatives). Its classification, along with that of the other Malagasy carnivores, influenced hypotheses about how many times mammalian carnivores have colonized Madagascar. With genetic studies demonstrating that the fossa and all other Malagasy carnivores are most closely related to each other (forming a clade, recognized as the family Eupleridae), carnivorans are now thought to have colonized the island once around 18 to 20 million years ago.

Ailuropoda Melanoleuca (Giant Panda, 大熊猫)

The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally "black and white cat-foot"; Chinese: 大熊猫; pinyin: dà xióng māo, literally "big bear cat"), also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear native to south central China.It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from the unrelated red panda. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the giant panda's diet is over 99% bamboo. Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food.

Todus Multicolor (Cuban Tody)

The Cuban tody (Todus multicolor) is a bird species in the family Todidae that is restricted to Cuba and adjacent islands. The family Todidae is confined to the Greater Antilles and includes five species. The genus Todus was split from kingfishers of genus Alcedo and established in 1760. However, the todies appear to be most closely related to the motmots, and especially the Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula), a small solitary bird of humid tropical and subtropical forests.  

Melanerpes Pulcher (Beautiful Woodpecker)

The beautiful woodpecker (Melanerpes pulcher) is a bird species in the woodpecker family (Picidae). It is endemic to Colombia. Until recently, it was united with the golden-naped woodpecker (M. chrysauchen) of Central America as subspecies. But the different appearance and allopatric ranges argue in favor of recognizing the two as distinct species. According to "Birds of Northern South America" by Robin Restall the back is barred and the belly and breast are white, but that appears to be in error based on photos of the birds in Colombia.

Pseudobombax Ellipticum (Shaving Brush Tree)

Pseudobombax ellipticum, with the Common names include "shaving brush tree" and amapolla tree, is a species of plant in the Bombacoideae subfamily of the Malvaceae family. Pseudobombax ellipticum  commonly known as Shaving Brush Tree one of the beautiful trees from tropical area of southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Generally it grows 20-40 ft (6 – 12 m). Sometimes it can grow up to 60 ft (18m). Leaves are first bright red turning a fine green as they mature. It blooms flowers in Spring. The Flowers are silky and two types colors. Some trees bloom red flowers and some white flowers. They are looking so beautiful when they are in full bloom. The wood is interesting as well, showing stripping of greens, yellows, browns and white. For this reason the people of Central America plant the tree in their garden and the attractive flowers are used to decorate their homes. The tree is grown as an ornamental in Florida and Hawaii. The Shaving brush tree is especially cute when it's young - having a bulb like swollen stem that look like a green rock melon. The trees also used as firewood and wood for carving handicrafts. The tree may be used as living fence in rural areas.

Dinopium Javanense (Common Flameback)

The Common Flameback or Common Goldenback (Dinopium Javanense) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The spot-throated flameback is sometimes considered a subspecies.

Dryocopus Pileatus (Pileated Woodpecker)

The pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is the largest of the common woodpeckers native to North America. This crow-sized bird normally inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast.

Synchiropus Splendidus (Mandarinfish), Is it Poisonous ?

The mandarinfish or mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus), is a small, brightly colored member of the dragonet family, which is popular in the saltwater aquarium trade. The mandarinfish is native to the Pacific, ranging approximately from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia.

Polyommatus Bellargus (Adonis Blue)

The Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Palearctic ecozone (Western Europe, Central Europe, South Europe, South Russia, Iraq, Iran, Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Turkey).

Passiflora (Passion Flowers) Can it calm your mind?

Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae.

Tauraco Fischeri (Fischer's Turaco)

Fischer's turaco (Tauraco fischeri) is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae. It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and arable land. It is threatened by habitat loss. The common name and scientific name commemorate the German explorer Gustav Fischer.

Chrysolophus Amherstiae (Lady Amherst's pheasant)

The Lady Amherst's pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) is a bird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khrusolophos, "with golden crest".

Archilochus Alexandri (Black-Chinned Hummingbird)

The Black-chinned hummingbird or Archilochus alexandri is a common species of hummingbird, popular in the western part of Central and Northern America.

Ailurus Fulgens (Red Panda)

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), also called the lesser panda, the red bear-cat, and the red cat-bear, is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs; it is slightly larger than a domestic cat.

Machlolophus Holsti (Yellow Tit)

The yellow tit or Formosan yellow tit (Machlolophus holsti) is a species of bird in the family Paridae. It is endemic to central Taiwan.

Glaucus Atlanticus (Blue Glaucus, also: Blue Dragon)

If you heard about a tiny, funny-looking animal that spends its life floating upside-down on the surface of the Pacific, Atlantic, or Indian Ocean thanks to an air bubble which it swallows and keeps inside its belly, going wherever the currents and the wind take it, you would probably think it was just a harmless creature that likes to relax in the water. But this slender, up-to-3-centimeter-long animal, which is called the blue glaucus, blue sea slug, or blue ocean slug, is not nearly as innocent as it seems.

Onions: Facts and Benefits

The onion (Allium cepa L., from Latin cepa "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable and is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the garlic, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onion.

Pteroglossus beauharnaesii (Curl-crested Aracari)

The Curl-crested Aracari is one of the more spectacularly plumaged aracari, and one of the more stranger looking birds. Unlike any other aracari, or any other bird, it has modified head feathers that resemble shiny black pieces of plastic. It is from these modified feathers that this species gets its name. It is restricted to lowland terra firme forest of western Amazonia in southern Peru (south of the Amazon), western Brazil, and northern Bolivia. apart from the bizarre head ornamentation, the Curl-crested Aracari is a quite pretty toucan, with a red back, yellow underparts with a single red breast ban, and a quite ornately patterned, multicolored bill.

Cyanerpes caeruleus (Purple honeycreeper)

The purple honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus) is a small bird in the tanager family. It is the most common and widespread species of Cyanerpes. The South American counterpart of the Middle American Shining Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes lucidus), the Purple Honeycreeper’s main range is in Amazonia, but is also found along northern and western coasts of the continent. It is found in a wide variety of forest types, even extending to gardens, partially cleared areas, and plantations, but typically forages in the treetops, often in pairs and frequently joining other species either in roving flocks or at a flowering tree.

Ramphastos sulfuratus (The keel-billed toucan)

Copyrights Erik Alpízar

The keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), also known as sulfur-breasted toucan or rainbow-billed toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize.

Pelargopsis capensis (The stork-billed kingfisher)

The Stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis, formerly Halcyon capensis), is a species of tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in the tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. This kingfisher is resident throughout its range.

Todus Todus (The Jamaican Tody)

Found only in Jamaica, the Jamaican tody (Todus todus) is a small and colourful bird, predominantly green above, with a red throat and yellow underparts, with some pink on the sides. It has a large head and a long, flat bill. It perches on small branches, with its bills unturned and, like its Cuban relative (the Cuban tody), takes insects, larvae, and fruit. The Jamaican tody nests in burrows, which it excavates in muddy banks or rotted wood.

Lagopus Lagopus (Willow Grouse, also: Willow Ptarmigan)

The willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known as the willow grouse and in Ireland and Britain, where it was previously believed to be a separate species, as the red grouse. It is a sedentary species, breeding in birch and other forests and moorlands in northern Europe, the tundra of Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada, in particular in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the state bird of Alaska.

Aquila chrysaetos (Golden eagle)

Pure power in those eyes; nothing escapes the sharp focus of a Golden Eagle. No wonder we say someone is an eagle eye, when we mean that they see or observe with exceptional keenness.

Bombycilla Cedrorum (Cedar Waxwing)

Many birds have fantastic plumages; sometimes the patterns seem to surpass human creativity. Waxwing’s suit is elegant, with delicate yet bold details, the sleek tuft of crown feathers giving a definite air of flair. The zorroesque black mask adds some edge to the sophisticated whole.

Sterna Paradisaea (Arctic Tern)

The Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a tern in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America (as far south as Brittany and Massachusetts).

Tetrao Urogallus (Western Capercaillie)

Pine forests, preferably old ones, are Capercaillies’ domain. In spring they gather at leks to display and mate. Often the leks vary from year to year, and also the centre of the lek can shift from one day to the other, making it hard to predict the exact spot.

Tichodroma Muraria (Wallcreeper)

The wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) is a small passerine bird found throughout the high mountains of Eurasia from southern Europe to central China. It is the only extant member of both the genus Tichodroma and the family Tichodromidae.

Myioborus Pictus (Painted Redstart)

Around the end of June, beginning of July is a busy time for Redstarts as they feed their hungry offspring. The young need a lot of insects to feed on in order to grow big fast enough in the short and relatively cold northern summer – soon it’s time to leave the nest, and embark on the autumn migration.

Tringa Erythropus (Spotted Redshank)

The Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) is a wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae. The genus name Tringa is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific erythropus is from Ancient Greek eruthros, "red", and pous, "foot".

Phoebastria Irrorata (Waved Albatross)

The Waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata), also known as Galapagos albatross, is the only member of the family Diomedeidae located in the tropics. When they forage, they follow a straight path to a single site off the coast of Peru, about 1,000 km (620 mi) to the east. During the non-breeding season, these birds reside primarily on the Ecuadorian and Peruvian coasts.

Dendrocopos Leucotos (White-Backed Woodpecker)

The White-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) is a Eurasian woodpecker belonging to the genus Dendrocopos. It is the largest of the spotted woodpeckers in the western Palearctic, 24–26 cm long with wing-span 38–40 cm and has plumage similar to the great spotted woodpecker, but with white bars across the wings rather than spots, and a white lower back. The male has a red crown, the female a black one.

Clangula Hyemalis (Long-Tailed Duck)

The Long-Tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), once known as oldsquaw, is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula. This was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the long-tailed duck being placed in Harelda, but the latter is the type species of the genus.

Uria Aalge (Common Murre, Guillemot)

The Common Murre or Common Guillemot (Uria aalge) is a large auk. It is also known as the thin-billed murre in North America. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands.

Pandion Haliaetus (Osprey)

The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a medium raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.

Philomachus Pugnax (The Ruff)

The ruff (Philomachus pugnax) is a medium-sized wading bird that breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Eurasia. This highly gregarious sandpiper is migratory and sometimes forms huge flocks in its winter grounds, which include southern and western Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australia.