One of the most endangered birds in the world and once thought to be extinct in the wild

Unlike most deer, it lacks antlers

One of the largest beaks of any eagle, perfect for tearing apart tough fish and other prey

Smaller than most dolphins, but still very smart and playful

Aren’t afraid of bigger animals, and they’ve been known to fight off dogs and even leopards!

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!

One of the rarest birds in the world with feathers that change color depending on the season

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

A tiny bird, one of the smallest in fact!

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

Most common and widely distributed swallow globally

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

Known to be fiercely protective of their nesting sites and will aggressively defend their territory from intruders, including humans

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

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

The treasured bird of Saladin, the first Sultan of Egypt

Notoriously difficult to spot due to their preference for dense, shadowy forest habitats

The toxin from their parotoid glands has potential antimicrobial and anticancer medicinal properties

Not just a pond fish but a cultural icon, especially in Japan where they are most famously cultivated

A symbol of immortality and peace in many Asian cultures

Revered in many cultures for their beauty, grace, and symbolism of love and fidelity

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

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

These owls have specialized feathers that make their flight nearly silent

They are skilled mimics, capable of imitating various sounds from their surroundings

Speed and power embodied, they rule the seas with their sleek bodies and jaw-dropping leaping prowess

Majestic ocean predators, embodying power, speed, and precision in their pursuit of prey

Uncovering the mystery of the vanished sea lion: a legend of the waves that once roamed Japan’s shores, now lost to the tides of time

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

Possessed with special visual adaptations to catch fish

A skilled predator with a unique coat and playful personality

Fiercely territorial, marking their territory with scent to communicate with other otters

In Vietnam, these bears are caught, crammed into tiny cages, have their teeth removed to extract bile – sold as “medicine”

The second largest bear, right after the polar bear. Sadly, it well might top the list soon

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

These elegant acrobats perform a perfectly timed and skilled somersault as they approach their chosen resting site

The smallest carnivorous predator in the world and so have limited fat stores and need to eat more than 50% of the body weight

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

An impressively acrobatic bird that can catch flying fish mid-jump

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

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

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

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

The songbird that occasionally eats bats

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

The most numerous wild bird species in the world

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

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

The stork with the widest geographic range

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

The masters of catching oysters, clams, and cockles

Elegant long-legged wader, common almost worldwide

The penguins that can fly

Try as you might, you will never find a hairstyle better than this bird’s

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

Looks no less than a renaissance masterpiece

The most elegant of all godwit species

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

Extinct and reintroduced – What’s the story behind these so-called ‘flying barn doors’?

This majestic brown raptor is most widely distributed eagle species

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

The only living creature that feeds on bone marrow from carcasses in high and inaccessible mountain areas

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

They are able to hold their breath for as long as 40 minutes, and the deepest dive ever recorded is 424 m (140 ft)

Able to spend long periods out in the open sea, some pups will stay up to 22 months before returning to land

Largest and fastest of all porpoises; they look like a black & white blur as they shoot past

Once called ‘devil fish’ by whalers due to their fighting behavior when hunted

The rarest of all large whales and among the rarest of all the marine mammal species on earth

Once widespread throughout most of Europe, by now extinct in most of Western and Central Europe

Extinct in Europe and North America, probably due to landscape changes during the ice age, and currently can only be found in Asia

Named after their superficial resemblance to the raccoon, however, they are not closely related to each other

The howl of each wolf is different

Male Siberian musk deer possess particularly long fangs, which it uses to fight and defend their territory

They have an elongated and elastic snout that can be used to dig out roots and bulbs

The mysterious diver of the ocean is the largest and only sea turtle without a hard shell and scales

A venomous snake native to Britain and found all across Europe

The most widespread species of snakes on earth are found throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans and from Africa to Central America

They are known for their ability to “freeze up” when facing temperatures down to -45°C or -49°F