Adélie Penguin
In 2018, satellite images of guano stains revealed a hidden ‘supercolony’ of about 1.5 million Adélie penguins in Antarctica’s remote Danger Islands.
Bird
African Grey Parrot
An African grey parrot named Alex, studied for 30 years, learned over 100 words and could identify colours, shapes and numbers.
African Penguin
In 2024, the African penguin became the first penguin species to be listed as Critically Endangered, after its numbers fell below 10,000 breeding pairs.
American Robin
American robins find earthworms by sight, tilting their heads to spot tiny movements in the soil.
Andean Condor
A study that fitted Andean condors with flight recorders found that one bird flew for more than five hours and covered about 170 km without flapping its wings.
Arctic Tern
Arctic terns make the longest known migration of any animal; tracked birds have flown around 70,000–90,000 km in a year, following winding routes between the Arctic and Antarctic.
Atlantic Puffin
A puffin can carry a dozen or more small fish crosswise in its bill at once, holding them in place with a spiny tongue.
Bald Eagle
Bald eagles build the largest nests of any North American bird; one famous nest in Florida was about 6 m deep and weighed around 2 tonnes.
Bar-headed Goose
Bar-headed geese migrate across the Himalaya, and tracked birds have reached altitudes of over 7,000 metres, where the air holds less than half the oxygen found at sea level.
Barn Owl
A barn owl can catch prey in complete darkness using hearing alone, thanks to ears set at different heights on its head.