Search Results for: insect

Explore 28 major insect orders under the class Insecta (diverse group of arthropods).Insects play vital roles in ecosystems, from pollination and decomposition to serving as food for other animals.

Explore all 68 types of eagles in this comprehensive guide. Learn about each species’ unique traits, habitats, and behaviors across the globe.

Types of Flowers: Explore the beauty & diversity of colorful flowers and intriguing botanical properties for all orders of flowering plants.

The Southern Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus baumstarki), native to Tanzania, is a critically endangered primate known for its speed, elusive nature, and striking coloration. Once widespread, its population now teeters between 100–200 individuals due to habitat loss and human threats. Inhabiting open acacia woodlands, these ground-dwelling monkeys play a vital ecological role in seed dispersal and insect control. Conservation efforts are urgently needed to protect this rare species and restore its shrinking habitat range.

The gray-handed night monkey (Aotus griseimembra) is a small, nocturnal primate native to Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama. Known for its large owl-like eyes and gray limbs, this tree-dwelling monkey thrives in rainforest canopies and plays a vital role as a seed disperser. Monogamous and family-oriented, it relies on both parents—especially the father—for infant care. Though adaptable, habitat loss, hunting, and the pet trade threaten its survival, earning it a Vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List. Conservation efforts are crucial to preserve this unique night-dweller and its forest ecosystem.

Schneider’s marmoset (Mico schneideri) is a tiny Amazonian monkey discovered only in 2021. Endemic to Brazil’s Mato Grosso forests, it lives in one of the most threatened rainforest regions. With a diet of fruits, insects, and flowers, it plays key ecological roles. Social and territorial, this marmoset breeds within tight-knit groups. Unfortunately, rampant deforestation threatens its survival. Urgent conservation is needed to protect this rare species and the rapidly vanishing habitat it calls home.

The gray-bellied night monkey (Aotus lemurinus) is a rare nocturnal primate found in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador. Recognizable by its red eyes, gray underbelly, and woolly coat, it thrives in dense canopies where it feeds on fruits, insects, and nectar. Its nocturnal habits reduce competition and help it evade predators like owls and snakes. As both seed disperser and prey, it plays a key ecological role—yet habitat loss continues to threaten its survival.

Nuttall’s woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii) is a small, striking bird found primarily in California and northern Baja California. It thrives in oak woodlands, riparian corridors, and even suburban areas with mature trees. Males sport a red crown patch, while both sexes show black-and-white barring that blends into tree bark. This non-migratory woodpecker feeds mainly on ants and beetles, using its strong bill and long tongue to forage under bark. Monogamous pairs raise chicks in tree cavities, and their old nests offer shelter to other wildlife, making them key contributors to healthy forest ecosystems.

The flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus) is a small, nocturnal bird native to western North America, renowned for its flame-marked plumage and soft, deep calls. Favoring mature coniferous forests, this elusive owl nests in tree cavities and feeds almost exclusively on insects like moths and beetles. Despite its broad range, it remains hard to spot due to its camouflaged appearance and secretive habits. As a key insect predator and indicator of healthy forests, the flammulated owl plays an essential role in maintaining ecological balance across its habitat.

The brown-necked raven (Corvus ruficollis) is a clever, desert-adapted corvid found across North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Recognized by its glossy black body and brown-tinged neck, this bird thrives in arid habitats, from rocky outcrops to human-altered landscapes. An opportunistic omnivore, it feeds on insects, carrion, fruit, and even trash. Known for its intelligence, aerial acrobatics, and cooperative behavior, the raven plays a crucial ecological role as a scavenger and predator. Its adaptability ensures resilience amid shifting environmental conditions.

The thick-billed raven is Africa’s largest corvid, native to the highlands of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. Known for its massive white-patched bill and glossy black plumage with a white nape, this intelligent bird thrives in both wild and urban settings. Its diet includes carrion, seeds, and small animals, showcasing its adaptability. Thick-billed ravens are monogamous, nest on cliffs or tall trees, and play vital ecological roles as scavengers and predators. Their vocal variety, tool use, and social foraging highlight their complex behavior in highland ecosystems.

The white-necked raven is a large, intelligent bird native to the highlands of eastern and southern Africa. Recognizable by its white nape and glossy black plumage, this adaptable corvid thrives in mountainous terrain, open savannas, and even urban settings. It feeds on everything from insects and carrion to human scraps, often displaying clever foraging tactics like dropping nuts on rocks. Monogamous pairs build sturdy nests on cliffs or tall trees. As both scavenger and predator, it plays a vital ecological role while showcasing striking social and problem-solving behaviors.

The Cape crow is a glossy black, intelligent bird native to eastern and southern Africa. Known for its large curved bill and deep “krrah” call, this corvid thrives in open grasslands, savannas, and farmlands. It plays a vital role in the ecosystem as both a predator and scavenger, helping control pests and recycle nutrients. Though sometimes viewed as a pest, it demonstrates advanced problem-solving, tool use, and social intelligence, making it a fascinating species among Africa’s many types of birds.

The Chihuahuan raven (Corvus cryptoleucus) is an intelligent desert-dwelling bird found in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Slightly smaller than the common raven, it features all-black plumage and hidden white neck feathers. Adapted to arid grasslands and scrub, it thrives as both a predator and scavenger. Known for its deep “kraaa” call and playful flight displays, this raven plays a vital ecological role and demonstrates impressive social behavior and adaptability in harsh environments.

The Torresian crow (Corvus orru) is a smart, adaptable bird native to northern and western Australia, as well as nearby regions in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Known for its glossy black feathers and white eyes, it thrives in rainforests, farmlands, and cities. An opportunistic omnivore, it feeds on everything from insects to carrion. Remarkably, it has learned to eat toxic cane toads safely—a skill passed down culturally within crow populations.

The gray-cheeked mangabey (Lophocebus albigena), also called the white-cheeked mangabey, is an Old World monkey found in the forests of central Africa. Gray-cheeked mangabeys belong to the same family (Cercopithecinae) and phylum (Papionini) as mandrills, macaques, and baboons.

The Common Grackle is a large, long-tailed blackbird with striking iridescent plumage-males shimmer with purple, green, or blue gloss, while females are duller and browner. Found across eastern North America, grackles thrive in a wide range of habitats, from wetlands and fields to suburbs and city parks. Highly social, they often gather in massive flocks outside the breeding season. Their varied diet includes insects, seeds, grains, and even small animals. Grackles are known for their harsh, rusty-gate calls, and their communal roosts can number in the millions.

The Black-billed Magpie is a striking, medium-sized bird with a long iridescent tail, black head and back, and bold white patches on its wings and belly. Found in western North America, it thrives in open habitats like meadows, grasslands, and near human settlements. Magpies are highly social and intelligent, often seen in noisy flocks and known for their complex social displays. They build large, domed nests and mate for life. Notably, magpies sometimes gather around deceased companions in a behavior likened to a “funeral.” Black-billed Magpies can recognize themselves in mirrors, a rare trait among birds.

The Pied Crow is a striking black-and-white corvid native to sub-Saharan Africa and nearby islands. Easily recognized by its glossy black head, wings, and tail contrasted with a broad white chest and belly, it is slightly larger than the Carrion Crow and has a robust, slightly hooked bill. Highly adaptable, Pied Crows thrive in open savannas, grasslands, farmlands, and urban areas, often seen in pairs or small groups but sometimes gathering in large flocks. Exceptionally intelligent, they use tools, cache food, and mimic sounds. Their omnivorous diet includes insects, small animals, fruit, carrion, and human scraps.

The Great-tailed Grackle is a large, striking blackbird known for its glossy, iridescent males with long, keel-shaped tails and bright yellow eyes. Females are noticeably smaller and brown with darker wings and tails. Native to the Americas, these highly social birds thrive in open areas near water, including farmland, city parks, and suburban lawns, and have rapidly expanded their range across North America in recent decades.
Great-tailed Grackles are famous for their raucous flocks and wide variety of vocalizations, from whistles to harsh rattles. They are highly flexible and persistent problem-solvers, able to adapt quickly to new environments and even solve complex puzzles.

The European Starling is a medium-sized, black songbird with short, triangular wings, a short tail, and striking iridescent plumage speckled with white, especially in winter. During breeding season, adults display a yellow bill and a purple-green sheen. Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, starlings were introduced to North America in the 1890s and now number over 200 million. Highly social, they form enormous flocks and perform mesmerizing aerial displays called murmurations. Starlings are accomplished mimics, able to imitate other birds and even human sounds. They are aggressive cavity nesters, often outcompeting native species for nesting sites.

The Hawaiian Crow, or ʻAlalā, is a critically endangered bird endemic to Hawaii, now extinct in the wild but surviving in captive breeding programs. About 19–20 inches (48–50 cm) long, it sports soft, brownish-black plumage, a thick bill, and bristly throat feathers. ʻAlalā once inhabited dry and mesic forests on the slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualālai, playing a vital role in seed dispersal and pest control. Highly intelligent, Hawaiian Crows use sticks as tools-a rare trait among birds-and have a complex repertoire of over 20 vocalizations. In Hawaiian culture, the ʻAlalā is revered as an ‘aumakua, or family guardian spirit.

Red monkeys include over 50 species of primates from Asia, Africa and the Americas that exhibit signature red coloration on their fur, skin or body parts adapted for forest camouflage and heat regulation while also communicating social moods.

Spider monkeys comprise 7 New World primate species adept at brachiating through Central and South American rainforest canopies, endangered due to habitat destruction. Their spindly prehensile tails, flexible shoulder joints, hook-like fingers and fusion-fission social groups represent unique adaptations for foraging canopy fruits.

The Red-billed Oxpecker is a medium-sized, olive-brown bird easily recognized by its vivid red bill and yellow eye-ring. Native to the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, it forms a remarkable mutualistic relationship with large mammals like buffalo, giraffe, and rhino, feeding on ticks and other parasites from their skin. Specialized claws and stiff tail feathers help it cling to moving hosts. Highly social, oxpeckers communicate with sharp, hissing calls and may even alert hosts to predators. Their diet also includes earwax and blood from wounds, sparking debate over whether they are always helpful. Nests are built in tree cavities lined with animal hair.

The Crowned Eagle, also known as the African Crowned Eagle, is a powerful raptor native to sub-Saharan Africa, favoring dense forests and woodlands. Recognizable by its striking dark crest and intense yellow eyes, this eagle boasts a wingspan of 5–6 feet and is considered Africa’s most powerful eagle pound for pound. Its massive talons and strong legs allow it to hunt large prey, primarily monkeys, small antelope, and hyraxes, though it occasionally takes birds and reptiles. Crowned Eagles build enormous nests high in emergent trees, sometimes reusing them for over a decade. Their courtship includes dramatic aerial displays and prey offerings.

The black-faced lion tamarin, also known as superagüi lion tamarin, is a small New-World primate in the Callitrichidae family. Black-faced lion tamarins are diurnal and seek refuge in hollows or tree holes at night.

The brown-mantled tamarin also called the Spix’s saddleback tamarin, is a species of saddleback tamarin native to South America. The species are considered “phyletic dwarfs,” meaning their small size is linked to their evolutionary development.

Weighing just over an ounce, Berthe’s mouse lemur is the world’s smallest primate. Endemic to dwindling western Madagascar forests, this nocturnal insectivore faces grave threats from deforestation and predation despite recent habitat protections. Learn surprising facts about its characteristics, behavior, endangered status, and the conservation efforts crucial to saving this tiny species.