A common sight in coastal regions throughout the Northern Hemisphere

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!

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

Its imperial imagery and fierce demeanor have made it a symbol of power and nobility throughout history

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

Most common and widely distributed swallow globally

The smallest of all the crane species and is known for its elegance and grace

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

Often chasing each other in the air or amusing themselves by catching and dropping objects like sticks or leaves

Underneath this colorful beak, there’s a hidden surprise – a built-in net for scooping up a delicious lunch!

The biggest of all the hammerhead sharks, with a massive head that looks like a giant, flat hammer

A champion swimmer and a social butterfly of the warm seas

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

Often seen riding the bow waves of boats or performing acrobatic leaps out of the water

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

The direct ancestor of the domestic cat—no wonder why they look so alike!

The treasured bird of Saladin, the first Sultan of Egypt

During breeding, they transform with elegant white plumage, adorned by decorative plumes on the head, neck, and back

The males, in particular, produce a rich and intricate song that contributes to their charm

They consistently display a restless demeanor and exhibit a distinctive, tail-trembling behavior

Exhibit powerful flight, with distinctive slow wing beats and an extended neck, defining features during their aerial movements

Holds cultural symbolism in some societies, representing good luck

Adaptable raptor known for its hovering hunting technique and striking appearance

Territorial and defends its territory aggressively against other birds

These birds are quite chatty, and their sounds are like a strong and determined rattling laugh

They eat almost anything that comes their way – you name it, they’ll try to snack on it!

With its splendid plumage, it has earned its place as a jewel of the skies

Their keen vision enables them to scan vast landscapes, identifying small movements or potential prey items even from high altitudes

Fearless and formidable, these aggressive predators command respect in the waters they roam

One of the largest and strongest sea turtles in the world

Its slender frame and narrow head bear a beak curved like a hawk’s, earning this marine marvel its name

As it grows older, it undergoes a metamorphosis that is nothing short of extraordinary

Stands out with its striking ocelli, or eye-like markings, that adorn its sleek body

Helpful for the ecosystem and agriculture as it reduces the number of pests and other dangerous snakes

Known for their impressive stamina and can travel long distances in search of food and water

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the world’s most widely distributed carnivore!

A desert icon, stands tall, thriving in the sand – truly born to be wild in their extreme habitat

Possessed with special visual adaptations to catch fish

Meet the world’s smallest mammal but a fierce predator

Racing to extinction: historically ranging throughout Africa to India, now distributed in small, fragmented populations

Disappearing graceful shadows, this tree-climber is on the way to extinction

Their population distribution is often associated with human settlements as they are comfortable in both agricultural and urban habitats

This ‘mini kangaroo’ leaps up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in a single jump, thanks to its incredibly large hind legs

These ‘sloppy animals’ tend to have a strong and unpleasant odor due to accumulated wastes in roosts

Highly mobile bats that tend to roost in hundreds to thousands of whatever shelters they can find

Due to their adaptability and willingness to migrate to more favorable habitats, great cormorants are found worldwide

The most cosmopolitan of owls with home ranges extending across the globe

Aptly named after the goddesses of wisdom and war, little owls have lived alongside human civilizations since 500 BC

This bird looks like a modern mosaic art-piece

If you ever forget the tune of a song, don’t worry; this bird has your back

This cute and small bird is one of the most elite hunters below the water’s surface

The iconic and elegant bird with a curved pink bill is known for turning heads

Professional marine forecasters to optimize breeding success and prey availability

This bird is unmistakable for its namesake, spoon-shaped bill

The fossil records suggest that this species has been on this planet for millions of years

These birds seem to have lost their way to the beauty pageant

The most widely dispersed wild bird

One of the best avian vocal mimics

Like those bulging red eyes weren’t scary enough, they eat their innocent chicks when hungry

Living around smelly brackish marshes is unthinkable, but these birds love their isolated habitat or don’t have a sense of smell

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

At the speed of over 321 km/h (200 mph), this bird outraces a Formula1 car

The only member of the genus having wide distribution across Asia and Africa is sociable, unlike other members of its family

Loves trees! Only member of its family breeding in Europe

The stork with the widest geographic range

The folktale bird that brings the babies!

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

The masters of catching oysters, clams, and cockles

One of the very few birds with an upturned bill

Elegant long-legged wader, common almost worldwide

One of the bigger waders with a reptilian eye

This bird has learned how to use a spear and made it an extension of itself

This bird can give any cross-country runner a run for their money

This bird holds the record of the longest distance flown by any bird in recorded history

The most elegant of all godwit species

These enthusiastic travelers can be seen almost worldwide in different seasons

Dependable wings and a muscular build. Nope, we aren’t talking about the next Redbull ad campaign

This invasive species is the ancestor to most of the modern ducks

A highly intelligent species that is the world’s only tool-using vulture with a long migratory range

This majestic brown raptor is most widely distributed eagle species

The yellow-eyed devil

Better call the ambulance before the Sparrowhawk comes to devour all those who are injured

A magnificent migratory bird with long, broad wings and a short tail that sings in the form of musical whistles

Largest soaring vulture in the sky with extremely broad wings that assists an important role in nature as “clean-up” team

One of only six land-birds with a cosmopolitan distribution habituating all continents except Antarctica

Most social vultures with 12 distinct types of vocalization

Two out of six subspecies were hunted to extinction: the European & Syrian wild ass

Has large eyes that could cover a field of 360o to survey their surroundings before they take a nap

Well known for their ferocity, these fearless little creatures are always ready to take on an entire pride of lions

During mating, they use bark-like vocalizations as a mating call that sounds like chihuahuas

“To put the cat among the pigeons” was phrased on caracals, as they were once trained for hunting game birds for Persian and Indian royalty