Osprey
The osprey is the only raptor that plunges feet-first into water to catch fish, sometimes disappearing completely below the surface.
Bird
Passenger Pigeon
The passenger pigeon was probably the most abundant bird in North America, with billions of birds, yet it was driven to extinction in just a few decades.
Peregrine Falcon
In a hunting dive, the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on Earth, with speeds recorded above 300 km/h.
Philippine Eagle
The Philippine eagle is one of the largest and most powerful eagles on Earth, and killing one in the Philippines can bring up to 12 years in prison.
Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated woodpeckers chisel large, rectangular holes into trees to reach carpenter ants, and their old holes become homes for owls, ducks, bats and other animals.
Red-crowned Crane
In Hokkaido, red-crowned cranes were reduced to about 20 birds in the 1920s; winter feeding by local people helped them recover to well over 1,000.
Resplendent Quetzal
The resplendent quetzal was sacred to the Maya and Aztecs, and today Guatemala’s currency, the quetzal, is named after it.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Many ruby-throated hummingbirds fly nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico, about 800 km, after doubling their body weight with fat.
Sarus Crane
The sarus crane is the tallest flying bird in the world, standing almost as tall as an adult human.
Satin Bowerbird
Male satin bowerbirds build elaborate avenues of sticks and decorate them with blue objects such as flowers, feathers, bottle tops and straws to attract females.