The world’s 100 most remarkable birds. That seems like a lot. After all, the vast majority of people can’t even name anywhere close to 100 birds, period. But in fact, it is less than 1% of the more than 11,000 species across the globe. So picking just 100 isn’t an easy task.
However, Stephen Moss has undertaken the challenge, and presents his picks in Remarkable Birds: 100 of the World’s Most Notable Birds. Here they are:
- Ostrich
- Brown Kiwi
- Emperor Penguin
- Common Loon
- Wandering Albatross
- Snow Petrel
- Red-billed Tropicbird
- Dalmatian Pelican
- Northern Gannet
- Flightless Cormorant
- Magnificent Frigatebird
- Eurasian Bittern
- European White Stork
- Shoebill
- Scarlet ibis
- Black-faced Spoonbill
- Lesser Flamingo
- Bewick’s Swan
- Snow goose
- Red-breasted Goose
- Common eider
- California Condor
- Bald Eagle
- Lammergeyer
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Harpy Eagle
- Secretary Bird
- Peregrine
- Malleefowl
- Western Capercaillie
- Satyr Tragopan
- Congo Pearfowl
- Hoatzin
- Whooping Crane
- Red-crowned Crane
- Corncrake
- Takahe
- Kagu
- Sunbittern
- Great Bustard
- Ibisbill
- Black-winged Stilt
- Egyptian Plover
- Northern Lapwing
- Red Knot
- Ruff
- Spoon-billed Sandpiper
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Plains-wanderer
- Ross’s Gull
- Arctic Tern
- Atlantic Puffin
- Mauritius Pink Pigeon
- Kakapo
- Hyacinth Macaw
- Great Blue Turaco
- Common Cuckoo
- Greater Roadrunner
- Snowy Owl
- Eurasian Eagle-Owl
- Oilbird
- Common Swift
- Sword-billed Hummingbird
- Resplendent Quetzal
- Laughing Kookaburra
- Common Kingfisher
- Blue-crowned Motmot
- European Bee-eater
- Lilac-breated Roller
- Hoopoe
- Rhinoceros Hornbill
- Toco Toucan
- Eurasian Wryneck
- Ivory-billed Woodpecker
- Gurney’s Pitta
- Bearded Bellbird
- Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
- Red-capped Manakin
- Noisy Scrub-bird
- Superb Lyrebird
- Eurasian Skylark
- Barn Swallow
- Bohemian Waxwing
- Hypocolius
- Winter Wren
- Northern Mockingbird
- American Robin
- Common Nightingale
- Dartford Warbler
- Gray-necked Picathartes
- Wallcreeper
- Long-tailed Tit
- Red-backed Shrike
- Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise
- Northern Raven
- New Caledonian Crow
- Kirtland’s Warbler
- Darwin’s Finches
- Long-tailed Paradise-whydah
- House Sparrow
Posted by Grant McCreary on October 23rd, 2008.
That Ivory-billed Woodpecker is pretty odd! But I guess it’s to make sure nobody gets them all.
True, I hadn’t thought of that!
I’m happy to see the California condor on the list. In the 1980s the species hit a low of 22 birds left in the world. At the brink of extinction all birds were moved into breeding centers. We’re happy to say you can once again spot those birds flying in California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico. The population of this species is now at more than 330, with half of those flying free. Visit http://www.cacondorconservation.org to learn more about this remarkable species.
Me too, Yadira. I saw my first condor this May at the Grand Canyon. Words cannot express how awesome it was. I was a kid during their bleakest period, and it didn’t seem even remotely possible that I would ever see one free-flying in the wild.
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