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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.

Explore the world of the Eastern White Pine, a majestic tree with a rich history and diverse uses. Learn about its characteristics, its role in the ecosystem, and how to care for it. Discover why the Eastern White Pine is more than just a tree; it’s a symbol of resilience and a testament to nature’s bounty.

Rare genetic variants, albino crows reveal key insights into pigmentation, survival, and biodiversity despite the challenges posed by their bright white plumage that lacks the species’ typical protective camouflage.

The eastern lesser bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus) is a small, endangered rainforest primate found only in Madagascar. This unique species has adapted to specialize in a toxic bamboo diet other animals cannot consume. Yet habitat loss and hunting have left remaining populations highly vulnerable.

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.

Gazania is an annual and perennial plant known for its extreme tolerance to heat and drought. The flowers of this species are orange with black eyes at the base and orange-brown discs. Hybrid varieties come in various additional hues, including shades of white, bronze, orange, or yellow.

Asparagales is a monophyletic order that contains many species, including important crop plants such as Allium and Asparagus. This order has 29 families and closer to 50k flowering plants. Popular flower species in this order are day-lily, irises and lilioid monocots.

Learn about alfalfa (Medicago sativa), its flower characteristics, cultivation practices, environmental benefits, and economic importance in this comprehensive guide.

Discover the August Lily (Hosta plantaginea): a perennial with fragrant white flowers, medicinal properties, and ecological benefits, perfect for shaded gardens and borders.

Explore the enchanting Bluebell flower (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), its vibrant violet-blue blooms, ecological significance, different types of bluebells and fun facts in this comprehensive guide.

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.

Discover the vibrant world of Azaleas in our comprehensive guide. Learn about different types, ideal planting conditions, care tips, and how to handle common pests and diseases. Perfect your green thumb with our step-by-step guide to planting and propagating these stunning shrubs.

Zingiberales’ order comprises several species of great economic importance, like the banana and the ginger. Members have almost restricted distribution to tropical regions. Zingiberales species have ptyxis, large flowers, attractive colors, and inferior ovaries. Banana, Bird-of-paradise, Orchidantha, ginger, costus, and Canna lily are examples of Zingiberales order.

The Desert Sand Verbena is a native species of the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico, growing in the sandy areas of the desert. The flowers are trumpet-shaped. The flowers are fragrant with 5 lobes.

Saxifragales is a morphologically diverse dicotyledonous order of flowering plants worldwide. Saxifragales plants have hypanthium, glandular leaf teeth, serrate lamina margins, free petals, and small seeds. Most Saxifragales flowers are radially symmetrical and bisexual. The example species of Saxifragales are the Irish rose, campfire plant, and gum vine.

Liliales is the lily order of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Members of this order involve herbaceous plants, shrubs, and lianas. Liliales flowers are distributed worldwide but common in the subtropical and temperate regions. Lanzhou Lily, Chilean Bellflower, Katakuri/Trout Lily, and Wood’s bunchflower are some of the Liliales example species.

Dipsacales is a eudicotyledonous order of flowering species. Members of Dipsacales show characteristics like pubescent stems, flowers mostly in cymes, and 4-5 floral parts. The Dipsacales flowers are primarily bisexual and are pollinated by insects and/or birds. Honeysuckle, Seven-son flower, Alpine valerian, Mountain snowberry and Japanese snowball flowers are examples of Dipsacales.

Malpighiales order is a large group with species primarily distributed in tropical regions. The members of Malpighiales often have toothed and stipulate leaves, 10 free stamens, 3-5 fused carpels, a nectary, superior ovaries, and typically endospermous seeds. Most Malpighiales flowers consist of 5 sepals and 5 petals. The violets, flax, passion flowers, euphorbias, and mangroves are some of the notable species of Malpighiales.

Caryophyllales is a large and diverse order of dicotyledonous flowering plants. Members under Caryophyllales are distributed on all the continents and are notable for their morphological uniqueness and ecophysiological adaptations. The flower species of carnation, four o’clock, and cactus belong to Caryophyllales and offer great beneficial use.

Shadow, a timid highland insectivore, the Elfin Woods Warbler (Setophaga angelae), narrowly targets mature humid dwarf forest strangely resembling this tiny bird’s stunted, wind-sculpted features. Understand why accelerated warming and upslope development threaten to erase prime island refugia critical to this range-restricted species’ survival.

Discover the stunning beauty of different types of lilies. From oriental hybrids to unique lily species, learn about the diverse world of lily varieties.

Alismatales are an order of aquatic flowering plants, including some well-known species such as the water arum (Calla palustris), Nymphoides peltata, and Japanese water shield (Brasenia schreberi). They are sometimes known as the watermints.

Proteales is a part of peripheral eudicots classified together only recently. The Proteales flowers are small or large and unisexual or bisexual. The American lotus, the Indian lotus, the London plane tree, Wagon tree and large-nut sugar bush are examples of Proteales.

Order Zygophyllales contains herbs, shrubs, trees, and hemiparasites (rare) limited to tropical or temperate dry or saline regions. The members of the Zygophyllales often have swollen nodes and opposite, resinous, and stipulate leaves. The Zygophyllales flowers are bisexual, with often 5 sepals, 5 petals, 10 stamens, 5 carpels, and a superior ovary. The creosote bush, chaparral, Verawood, and the rhatany are known examples of the Zygophyllales order.

Order Vahliales are erect, branched herbs distributed in Africa and Madagascar to India. The Vahliales plants have simple, opposite, exstipulate leaves, bisexual and paired flowers, pentamerous floral parts, an inferior ovary, and numerous seeds. The Vahliales order only has a sole family, 1 genus, and 5 species.

Ranunculales is the order of angiosperms with a worldwide distribution, which are peripheral eudicots with spiral leaves, three openings (colpi) in the pollen, and spectacular floral diversity. The buttercup, Barberry, Moonseed, Chocolate vine and poppy flowers are the famous example species of Ranunculales.

Laurales is an order of flowering plants composing trees, shrubs, herbs, and vines. This order comprises seven families. Laurales species are used for lumber, medicinal extracts, essential oils, and ornamentals. Examples include Avocado, Bay Laurel, Limoncillo, Negramina, Grease Nut, Carolina Allspice & more.

Order Fagales also called the beech order, comprises dicotyledonous woody flowering plants. Example plants include Quercus (oak), Fagus (beech), Castanea (chestnut), Juglans (walnut), Carya illinoinensis (pecan), Nothofagus, and cobnuts.

The Cucurbitales are an order of flowering plants listed in the rosid group of dicotyledons. The order consists of shrubs, trees, herbs, and climbers including Begonia, Cucumber, and Squash blossoms.

Arecales, the palm order, is one of the most recognizable and significant orders of flowering plants in the tropics and subtropics. A few include the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), sago palm (Metroxylon sagu), and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).

Amborellales plant order is represented by 1 species, in 1 genus and 1 family. Amborella trichopoda is the only flower species under the family Amborellaceae. Explore distribution, characteristics, flower structure, and species details here.

Asterales is a dicotyledonous order of flowering plants that holds ten percent of the angiosperm species diversity. Common sunflower, common daisy, Toropapa, Hydrangea, Bogbean, Water snowflake, and Cobalt mound are some of the beautiful flowers in Asterales.

Potentilla anserine, also known as silverweed, goosegrass, or silverweed cinquefoil, is a prostrate perennial herb in the Rosaceae (rose) family. Silverweed is the only plant in the Potentilla genus with pinnate compound leaves and individual flowers on separate stems.

Pansy is one of the first heralds of spring in gardens, but its ability to thrive in cold climates makes it a staple for fall planting and garden beds. Garden pansy (Viola × wittrockiana) is a large-flowered hybrid plant grown as a garden flower.

Elastic Momordica is an annual, climbing, or extensive perennial, monoecious herbaceous plant, 2 to 3 meters tall. It can be slightly hairy or hairless. The golden-yellow flowers are erect individually in the axils of the upper leaves on stems 2-10 cm long.

Paeonia lactiflora is a flowering plant that can grow 20-28 inches tall. The Chinese Peony is a perennial herb of the family Paeoniaceae. Peony is named after Paeon, the Greek god of medicine and healing.