spend most of their time at sea, gliding over the open water and dipping down to snatch a meal of fish, plankton or other small marine animals. Though widespread, they reach their highest diversity in the oceans around New Zealand.

a formidable avian predator, armed with powerful talons, hooked bills and acute eyesight. Raptors generally have broad wings well-suited for soaring and greater in-flight maneuverability. Raptors hunt by day and feed on a variety of prey including fish, small mammals, reptiles and carrion.

are ground-dwelling birds that inhabit the warm grasslands, scrub-lands and croplands of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Although these birds can fly, they avoid doing so. They have three toes on each foot and no hind toe and a dull plumage that blends well with the grasses and scrubs that dominate their habitat.

are large flightless birds that have long necks and long legs. Their necks and heads are nearly bald. One of the birds are primarily fruit-eating birds but also supplement their diet with plants and small animals such as insects and small vertebrates, while the other feed on plants and invertebrates.

are known as the Gruiformes. They are varied in their size and appearance, but generally have a short tail, long neck and rounded wings.

are worldwide in their distribution, although some subgroups are more restricted in range than others. A majority of these birds are medium-sized, slender-bodied birds that feed primarily on insects and insect larvae. They mainly inhabit forests and savannas.

are highly social birds and form large colonies consisting of several thousand birds. They are filter-feeding birds with specialized bills that enable them to extract tiny plants and animals such as crustaceans such as brine shrimp which gives them their characteristic crimson or pink color feathers. These birds often stand on one leg, the other leg tucked beneath the body.

have rotund bodies and are excellent runners. They have short, rounded wings that enable them to fly short distances of a couple hundred feet. This enables them to escape predators but does not allow them to fly long distances.

are medium-sized freshwater diving birds that inhabit wetlands, lakes, ponds and slow-flowing rivers in most regions of the world. They are skilled swimmers and excellent divers. They have lobed toes, a narrow to stocky body and blunt-shaped wings and a long neck and pointed bill.

are long-legged, sharp-billed carnivorous birds that inhabit freshwater wetlands. Most members of the group are solitary hunters that stalk their prey slowly before striking quickly with their powerful bill and come in all different shapes and sizes. Most members in this group feed on fish, amphibians or insects.

have long, narrow wings and dainty little legs and feet. Their wing bones differ in proportion from those of most other birds—the elbow joint lies close to the shoulder joint and their hand bones are long. Some of these members are worldwide in their distribution, while others restricted to North, South and Central America.

are endemic to New Zealand and are the country's national bird. These flightless birds have tiny vestigial wings. They are strictly nocturnal birds that forage on the forest floor using their long, narrow bill to probe the soil for small animals such as grubs and earthworms. Their nostrils are positioned at the tip of their bill enabling them to hunt using their acute sense of smell.

are freshwater diving birds that inhabit lakes throughout the northern parts of North America and Eurasia. Their legs are located towards the back of their body, giving them optimum power when moving in the water but making them awkward when trying to move about on land. They have a long body that sits low in the water when they swim.

are known as the tallest and heaviest species of all living birds. Although its bulky body means that flying is out of the question, this bird has adapted to life on the ground with impressive agility. Both sexes have long necks and powerful legs.Hence, they are known to be superb runners that can sprint at speeds of up to 45 mph.

are medium to large birds that have strong talons, a downward-curved bill, acute hearing and keen eyesight. They are nocturnal hunters that locate their prey using a combination of sight and sound. Their eyes are large and face forward, giving them binocular vision, a characteristic that helps them sight their prey with great accuracy.

are colorful and sociable birds that in the wild often form large, noisy flocks. They have a large head, curved bill, short neck and narrow, pointed wings. They are most diverse in tropical regions throughout South America, Australia and Asia. These birds feed almost exclusively on fruit, seeds, nuts, flowers and nectar.

have webbed feet and are well adapted to catching fish, their primary food source. Many species dive or swim underwater to capture their prey. They have a pouch on their lower bill which enables them to scoop up fish. They ingest stones that weight them down and help them plunge into the water more efficiently.

have stiff wings and a distinct in coloration (black or gray feathers on their backs and white feathers on their bellies).e Their wing bones are fused to form flipper-like limbs and enable the birds to dive and swim with great skill. When on land, they hop or waddle. Those living in climates where snow persists, often slide quickly on their stomachs and use their wings and feet to direct and propel themselves.

have a unique foot structure that enables them to grip onto thin branches, twigs, slender reeds and flimsy grass stems. A plumage color pattern is highly variable among these birds, while some species are dull in color. These birds feed primarily on energy-rich foods such as seeds or invertebrates.

are medium size birds that are mostly found in open habitats such as grasslands, fields, deserts and agricultural lands. They have short legs, a portly body, short neck and small head. They have short bills which are hard at the tip but softer at the base. Their diet consists primarily of seeds and fruit which they forage on the ground or by picking food from bushes and trees.

have a small head, a short neck and a rotund body. They have a cryptic plumage with colors and patterns that enable them to blend in with their surroundings. Their tails and wings are long and pointed, making them well suited for lifting themselves into the air quickly to escape predators.

inhabit a variety of marine and freshwater wetlands, coastlines and some even on dry land. They generally have a plumage that consists of white, gray, brown or black and have exhibit strong flight abilities. They feed on a variety of prey including marine worms, crustaceans and earthworms

live in aquatic habitats such as lakes, streams or ponds, though some species live in marine habitats during the non-breeding season. They are medium to large birds including subtle variations of gray, brown, black or white and have webbed feet that enables them to swim efficiently. These birds are often prey to a variety of predator species including humans, red foxes and coyotes.

nest in holes or cavities as they chisel out their own nest-holes using their dagger-like bill. These birds have strong legs that enable them to grasp tightly to vertical surfaces such as tree trunks. They forage on tree trunks of both dead and living trees. These birds and their relatives are found in most parts the world but are absent from Australia, Madagascar and Antarctica.