The arrival of the whooper swans in their traditional winter quarters traditionally means the imminent start of winter in central Europe – if the cold didn’t arrive already. The swans in the snowy landscape are a view to behold at least once...
Symbol of elegance and majesty, it’s precisely the mute swan that inspired the tale of the ugly duckling. Clumsy and greyish as a child, as an adult it becomes a large bird with completely white plumage, bright red-orange beak and long arched neck...
Moorhen prefer to make their nest in the dense vegetation along the banks of ponds, lakes and rivers and reveal their presence only when performing their guttural calls. In winter they are much easier to observe as they abandon their sheltered...
The Cape Barren goose belongs to the Anseriformes order, in the Anatidae family, its scientific name is Cereopsis novaehollandiae, from the greek “keros” meaning “wax” and “opsis” that means “similar” as its beak is covered with a waxy looking...
The Brahma chicken is an Asian breed of controversial origins. Many people, because of the name given to this breed, believe it originates from India, others from China. Most likely it comes from a cross made in India between the Cochin (a Chinese...
The great egret’s was once very rare but fortunately its population has increased enormously in the latter half of the 20th century. Its beautiful feathers, up to 50 cm long, were extremely popular as decorative plumes in ladies’ fashion in the 19th...
The oldest fossil of animals related to the ostrich, dates back to over 55 million years ago. Since then, this large bird has been plowing the savannahs not flying, but running! The ostrich is an animal that we all know, at least for its fame, but...
The ruddy shelduck lives in the steppes and in the semi-desert regions of Asia and North Africa. Since the 1960s, this popular ornamental bird has been increasingly observed in nature; in all likelihood they are re-wild specimens escaped from...
Native to the Asian continent and now spread all over the world, the Indian Runner duck is one of the most popular breeds for many reasons. It has an upright and unmistakable appearance, a proud and always attentive look. Raised extensively as a...
In the cold season, the black-headed seagulls are regular guests on our waterfronts and are able to cheer up more than a grey winter day: how can we imagine our beaches and lakefronts without their acrobatic flights, fast as lightning, with which...