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Meet the birds

Become a bird expert with these fascinating facts about some of the many species on show in our tropical birdhouse.

	Amazilia hummingbird © ZSL Amazilia amazilia Like the name suggests, the Amazilia hummingbird is simply amazing! Conservation status: Not threatened From: Western Peru and Ecuador Diet: Nectar, insects Habitat: Tropical rainforest Physical features: Long pointed wings, short legs, long bills Did you know?: Like all hummingbirds the amazilia is an incredibly skilled flier being able to hover, fly backwards, up and down
	Toco toucan © ZSL Ramphastos toco The largest of all of the toucan family, this distinctive bird is renown for its strikingly colourful, large beak. This species of bird was made famous most recently as the star of the Guinness advertisement campaign. Conservation status: Not threatened From: South America (Guiana, Brazil, North Argentina) Diet: Fruit, insects Habitat: Open woodland, savannas with palms, riverine forests, forest islands, rainforests Physical features: Glossy black wings and body, small patch of white feathers beneath the beak, short wings, long deep red-orange beak, red patch under the tail, orange skin around a dark eye Did you know?: The internal structure of the toucan’s beak is filled with small, honey-combed structured air cavities, which make it remarkably light for the size but incredibly strong.
	Mindanao bleeding heart dove © ZSL Gallicolumba criniger So-called because of the area of red feathers on the breast of these birds, the Mindanao is one of five species of bleeding-heart dove. Endangered in the wild these forest-dwelling birds live in flocks, and stay in touch by cooing to their mates. Conservation status: Endangered From: Philippines Diet: Seeds, fruit, insects Habitat: Dry areas of forests Physical features: Large white breast with a patch of deep blood red feathers. Top of head, neck and sides are a metallic green and greyer on the sides of the breast. Cinnamon belly and black tipped wings Did you know?: You might find it difficult to find the Mindanao in the wild, as this species is known to be a secretive floor-dwelling bird. It was first bred in captivity successfully at the ZSL London Zoo over a 150 years ago, in 1864, when a pair bred five times, each occasion the female delivering a single egg
	Scarlet ibis © ZSL Eudocimus ruber This stunning national bird of Trinidad is distinctive and instantly recognizable with its vivid scarlet feathers, which brighten with age. Visually spectacular, these birds nest, feed, and fly in large groups in the wild. Conservation status: Not threatened From: South America (Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guiana, Brazil, Amazon Delta) Diet: Crustaceans, insects, small fish Habitat: Mangrove swamps, shallow lakes, fish ponds, rice fields Physical features: Deep scarlet plumage. Long, light-coloured, curved bill – the colour may differ between sexes Did you know?: The Scarlet ibis feeds on crustaceans, and other water-dwelling creatures, by wading slowly through shallow waters with the tip of its bill submerged in the water to probe through the mud. The pigment of the crustaceans consumed is absorbed, causing their feathers to become deep red in colour
	Blue-winged kookaburra © ZSL Dacelo leachii One of the smallest species of kookaburra this bird has more blue wing feathers than any other species in its family. However it makes up for its slight size by being very noisy! Conservation status: Not threatened From: Northern Australia and Southern New Guinea Diet: Insects, reptiles, fish, frogs, small birds, birds’ eggs Habitat: Open woodlands and forests, often close to wetlands and watercourses Physical features: Pale grey head and body with darker streaks, with fluffy white underparts. Large angular bill. Mostly dark blue upper wing with contrasting bright blue feathers on the lower part of the wing Did you know?: The blue-winged kookaburra behaves similarly to the well known Laughing kookaburra but is shyer and much less approachable. It will usually be found perched inconspicuously on a tree branch during the exhausting afternoon heat of Northern Australia
	Socorro Dove © ZSl Zenaida graysoni A native from the island of Socorro this unique species of dove is extinct in the wild, last seen in its natural habitat over 30 years ago Conservation status: Endangered / Extinct in the wild From: Island of Socorro, Mexico Diet: Fruit, seeds, insects Habitat: Forest, shrubbery Physical features: Deep cinnamon plumage, and body. Brown bill and head Did you know?: Now bred only in captivity, including in the ZSL London Zoo, this species of dove almost vanished completely in 1972, because of cat predation and human settlement on the Mexican island of Socorro
	Splendid sunbird © ZSL Cinnyris coccinigaster Named because of its spectacular iridescent colours, the Splendid sunbird is known to perch conspicuously on top of bushes and bare trees Conservation status: Not threatened From: West and central tropical Africa Diet: Nectar, insects Habitat: Woods, grasslands Physical features: Long, thin downward curving bill. Purple and blue head with a red breast Did you know?: The male appears to constantly change colour in the sunlight because of their highly iridescent plumage
	Lilac-breasted roller Coracias caudata An exquisite looking bird, its brightly coloured plumage stands out like a diamond in the rough in its home on the African grasslands Conservation status: Not threatened From: Eastern and Southern Africa Diet: Insects, reptiles, small birds, rodents Habitat: Grasslands, open woodlands Physical features: Large head, short neck, medium length legs and fairly long/large wings and tails. Their bill is stout and slightly hooked. Brightly multi-coloured plumage, with a lilac tuft on the chest Did you know?: This species is a remarkably skilled flier. Its name is derived from the graceful somersault aerobatics it performs when in motion
	Bali starling © ZSL Leucopsar rothschildi One of the rarest birds in the world, it’s hard to miss the stunning snow white feathers of the Bali starling Conservation status: Critically endangered From: Indonesia Diet: Seeds, fruit, insects, small reptiles Habitat: Savannas and open woodlands with grass Physical Features: White body with black tips on its tail and wings, blue patch of bare skin framing its eye. Long lacy crest of feathers on its head. Pale yellow bill Did you know?: Also known as Rothschild’s mynah, the Bali starling is regarded as a precious creature to Indonesian natives on the island Bali. Its rarity is increased by its high value on pet trading markets, encouraging poaching among local villagers. Though it’s extremely rare in the wild it is commonly bred in zoos all around the world.
	Scarlet-chested sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis An old world version of the hummingbird, this species is one of the most common sunbird species in Africa Conservation status: Not threatened From: Subsaharan Africa, East and South West Africa Diet: Nectar, spiders, insects Habitat: Dry woodlands, open country, farmland, riverine forests Physical features: Metallic green forehead and crown. Sides of head, neck and body are sooty black. Blackish brown tail. Scarlet red patch on its breast. Did you know?: While they are not as skilled fliers as hummingbirds, they may also hover in front of flowers and leaves, sometimes even feeding on spiders directly from their web
	Victoria crowned pigeon Goura victoria Spectacular in colour this vulnerable species is related to the now extinct dodo. Named after Queen Victoria it produces a distinctly unusual ‘sonic boom’ display call. Conservation status: Threatened From: Indonesia, New Guinea Diet: Fruits, berries, seeds Habitat: Tropical forests Physical features: A large sized pigeon, with a large crest on its crown. Greyish blue plumage- with white tips on the crest. Did you know?: This is the largest pigeon to exist, but it still wasn’t as big as the extinct species of pigeons, the dodo, which stood at about a metre high and weighed between 20 and 23 kilograms