Animal type
Birds
Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates with feathers, beaks and wings, and they all lay hard-shelled eggs. Not every bird can fly, but every bird has feathers, from the tiny hummingbird to the ostrich.
All 39 birds in the library, from the chicken to the zebra finch. Most of them live in Asia and North America.
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Chicken
Gallus gallus domesticus
Lives 8-10 years; commercial birds far less
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Cockatoo
Cacatuidae (sulfur-crested: Cacatua galerita)
Lives 40-60 years in the wild; longer in captivity
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Crow
Corvus (genus, about 45 species)
Lives 7-8 years in the wild; over 30 in captivity
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Cuckoo
Cuculidae (common cuckoo: Cuculus canorus)
Lives 4-6 years
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Duck
Anatidae: Anas platyrhynchos and about 120 other species
Lives 5-10 years in the wild
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Eagle
Accipitridae (several groups, about 60 species)
Lives 20-30 years in the wild
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Emu
Dromaius novaehollandiae
Lives 10-20 years in the wild
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Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (family, six species)
Lives 20-30 years in the wild; much longer in captivity
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Hen
Gallus gallus domesticus
Lives 8-10 years; commercial laying hens far less
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Hoopoe
Upupa epops
Lives about 10 years
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Hummingbird
Trochilidae (family, about 360 species)
Lives 3-5 years; some over 10
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Ibis
Threskiornithidae (family, 29 ibis species); figures from the African sacred ibis
Lifespan: Not well documented in the wild
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Kingfisher
Alcedinidae, Halcyonidae and Cerylidae (common kingfisher: Alcedo atthis)
Lives 6-10 years
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Kite
Milvus migrans and Milvus milvus, plus related genera
Lives 10-25 years
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Macaw
Ara and five other genera (scarlet macaw: Ara macao)
Lives 30-50 years in the wild; 50-80 in captivity
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Myna Bird
Acridotheres tristis
Lives about 4 years in the wild; over 12 in captivity
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Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Lives 1-3 years; ringed birds over 8
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Nightjar
Caprimulgidae (family); figures from Caprimulgus europaeus
Lives about 4 years; oldest recorded just over 12
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Ostrich
Struthio camelus
Lives 30-40 years in the wild; over 40 in captivity
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Owl
Strigiformes (order, about 250 species)
Lives 5-12 years in the wild; 20+ in large species
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Parrot
Psittaciformes (order, about 400 species)
Lives 15-50 years; large macaws and cockatoos 50-80
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Peacock
Pavo cristatus (Indian peafowl); also Pavo muticus and Afropavo congensis
Lives 15-20 years in the wild; 40+ in captivity
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Penguin
Spheniscidae (emperor penguin: Aptenodytes forsteri)
Lives 15-20 years; some reach 30
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Pesquet’s Parrot
Psittrichas fulgidus
Lives 20-40 years
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Pigeon
Columba livia (rock dove); family Columbidae
Lives 3-5 years in cities; 15+ for racing birds
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Quail
Phasianidae and Odontophoridae (about 130 species)
Lives 1-2 years in the wild
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Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
Lifespan: Not well documented in the wild
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Rooster
Gallus gallus domesticus
Lives 8-10 years
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Sparrow
Passer domesticus (house sparrow); family Passeridae
Lives 3-5 years; ringed birds past 13
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Swan
Cygnus (mute swan: Cygnus olor)
Lives 10-20 years in the wild; over 25 recorded
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Toco Toucan
Ramphastos toco
Lives about 20 years in the wild; over 25 in captivity
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Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Lives 3-5 years in the wild
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Umbrellabird
Cephalopterus (three species)
Lives 12-20 years
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Upland Sandpiper
Bartramia longicauda
Lives around 8 years; oldest recorded 13
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Vulture
Accipitridae (Old World) and Cathartidae (New World)
Lives 20-30 years; some over 50
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Woodpecker
Picidae (family, about 240 species)
Lives 4-11 years
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Xantus’s Hummingbird
Basilinna xantusii
Lifespan: Not well documented; small hummingbirds typically 3-5 years
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Yellow-Eyed Penguin
Megadyptes antipodes
Lifespan: Some individuals reach 20 years
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Zebra Finch
Taeniopygia castanotis
Lives about 5 years in the wild; 5-9 in captivity
No birds match those filters.
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