Skim so close to the water that they look like they’re slicing the air right above the waves

One of the most numerous seabirds in the North Atlantic, with huge colonies in the High Arctic

Can be black, can be grey but it’s the same bird

Preferred deep, cold lakes on the high Arctic tundra, far away from people and noise

Has one of the longest nonstop flights ever recorded for any bird

Once a sky-filling spectacle—today, most of what we have are museum skins and stories

One of the deepest-diving ducks

Has the longest bill of any wading bird

Because no one saw them nest locally, they assumed they grew like shellfish!

On busy lakes, they often feed more at night, quietly cruising around to forage while everything else has calmed down

It’s technically a duck, but it’s big, upright, and long-legged enough that it often looks like a small goose

Honestly looks like a character from an animated movie!

Often follow predators around, swooping in to feed on leftovers from seal and whale kills—plus seal placentas and even poop

Often stop to feed in freshly plowed fields, taking advantage of insects disturbed by farming machinery

Crisp-feathered, fast-flying, and fearless in icy waters

Its boom has been compared to blowing across the top of a giant bottle — a sound low enough to feel in your chest on still mornings

Under certain angles, the feathers can look almost black

More active on overcast or slightly rainy days, when amphibians are abundant and easier to catch

Superb gliders and can travel hundreds of kilometers in a day, riding winds with barely a wingbeat

Increasingly seen breeding at inland fishponds, reservoirs, and reclaimed wetlands, not just coastal areas

A heavyweight champ — elegant, yes, but you don’t want to mess with that beak

Among the most athletic dolphins, known for their spectacular leaps and spins that can reach several meters high

Sometimes called the “scars in the water” thanks to their many white markings

It’s actually moustached, not bearded!

One of the few cormorants adapted strictly to marine life, rarely venturing inland except during severe storms

One of the most admired warblers across the continent

Its flight is nearly soundless, thanks to specially fringed wing feathers that disrupt air turbulence

Defies the usual “creature of the night” stereotype by thriving in open landscapes and often hunting boldly in daylight

So specialized in moth hunting that they have been called the “ghosts of the forest”

Part hunter, part opportunist, part invader

Spend most of the year out on the open ocean, far from land, only returning to cliffs to breed

A bird that carries the rhythms of the seasons on its wings

Observed using sticks as tools to extract insects from crevices—something once thought to be exclusive to primates

Known for their intelligence—can use tools, solve problems, and even recognize human faces

Only when cornered will it burst into flight, usually low and fast, showing its striking white wing patches

In winter, they’re plain grey and white, but in the Arctic summer, they turn into a glowing rusty red

Looks ordinary—but transforms into one of the most extravagant birds during breeding season

One of the smallest wild geese in the Northern Hemisphere, only a bit bigger than a mallard

Despite the name, it’s a beaked whale—not the famous bottlenose dolphin

Can squeeze through shockingly small gaps if their head fits

One of the smallest mammals in the world, and yet it lives one of the most intense lives

Travels with nature’s GPS: a magnetic compass and a nose that never forgets home

Researchers once mistook their eerie underwater noises for a submarine!

There is more to this species than its majestic coat of thick white feathers and piercing yellow eyes

Has the body of a duck, neck of a goose, and voice of a goose having a bad day

They flip the script — literally!

The only long-distance migratory dove in Europe

Timid by nature, often flying off at the slightest sign of danger

One of the most widespread and adaptable herons in the world

In Iceland, its arrival is eagerly awaited as it signifies the end of the harsh winter

Their shape and style are closer to forest thrushes—just way more comfortable around people

Famous for stealing chips, sandwiches, and even ice cream right out of people’s hands

Not only one of the largest deer species but also among the most majestic

Introduced to many other parts of the world where some populations have become invasive

Once you’ve heard them laugh, it’s hard to forget!

These birds ride ocean breezes for miles without flapping much at all

This bird taps its feet to imitate rain to make the prey reach the surface

People rarely see it clearly because it spends so much time far offshore

Their favorite snack? Large insects like locusts and dragonflies

The gardener’s best friend, as they will eat up insect pests crawling in the vegetable beds

Renowned for their spectacular aerial displays during courtship, including steep dives and intricate flight patterns

Arguably among the most beautiful songbirds in the world — they enjoy singing after a rain shower

The flocks of this social and gregarious bird are fond of migration, flying over the horizon and creating a V-shaped formation

Its long, serrated beak, often called a “sawbill,” is perfectly adapted for catching slippery prey like fish

It is one of the most widespread and familiar amphibians in Europe

The masters of catching oysters, clams, and cockles

Brilliant mimics, they can copy bird calls and even human-made sounds like car alarms and ringing phones!

Can withstand harsh winter conditions, often remaining at sea even when the water is frozen

Sometimes called the “squirrels of the weasel family” due to their impressive arboreal abilities

Unlike many birds, their chicks can swim and dive just hours after hatching

The magnificent national bird of the United States, distinguished by a snowy white head, neck, and tail

Can hang upside down while feeding!

Amazing flyers — they can even drink water while they’re flying!

Can dive down to the bottom of a lake and rest there, safe from predators!

They might not look like much, but they have an incredible talent: singing!

Sometimes mistaken for the North American ring-necked duck — but the tuft gives them away immediately

Can be quite friendly and will often come close to humans, especially if they’re offered food

Only males possess a unique, inflatable, balloon-like nose that they can inflate into a large red shape

Unlike rabbits, they don’t live in burrows, instead, they make shallow nests in the grass called forms

A tiny bird, one of the smallest in fact!

Most common and widely distributed swallow globally

Very active and noisy, with a loud, piercing call that sounds like “pee-wit”

Often called the “singer of the night,” it produces a complex and beautiful melody that has captivated people for centuries

Have been observed remembering the locations of their impaled prey and even using tools to help them catch food

Instead of hopping like other toads, they have a funny little walk, almost like they’re running!

Known for their acrobatic leaps, twisting and turning gracefully as they jump completely out of the water

Known for their graceful movements and the distinctive “S” shape of their neck

Can switch from winter white to summer grey – truly a nature’s savvy survivors!

They spread faster than any other colonizing mammal in the world

Often lives close to humans and is sometimes seen as a pest

Very loyal partners! Once they find a mate, they usually stay together for life

The “living tractors of the East”—vital in traditional agriculture, particularly in Asia

Can walk along the riverbed using its wings to stabilize itself against the current

They have the ability to regenerate lost limbs and other body parts, a superpower in the animal kingdom!

One of the most hunted, widespread, ancient, and well-known game birds

Known for their elaborate courtship dances, which involve leaping, bowing and trumpeting