Shama thrush are categorized as “songbirds” for their ability to sing and create beautiful melodies while communicating to one another. You can hear their beautiful songs in the bamboo forests of Southeast Asia. They have long tails that allow them to change direction quickly when flying. Small insects are their meal of choice and they can be found beneath the canopy of the forest, foraging and looking for their next insect meal in the undergrowth of the forest floor.

Oriental magpie robins are small birds known for their singing ability. They are called songbirds because of their ability to sing and mimic or copy the songs of other birds. They live in the dry, deciduous forests of Southeast Asia and India, and nest in hollowed trees, walls, and buildings. Conservation scientists are concerned about their decline due to loss of habitat and illegal trade as pets, and worry about a “silent forest” as the number of Oriental magpie robins goes down. These melodious birds are also the national bird of Bangladesh and have cultural significance to the people of Southeast Asia. They can be seen in rural and urban areas across the region and because of their nesting habits, they are often seen nested in human designed buildings, walls, and rooftop ledges.

Young bald eagles are often confused with golden eagles because of their mottled brown color. Juvenile bald eagles start to develop “dirty-looking” white head feathers around three to four years of age. The iconic, crisp white head and tail feathers usually don’t develop until bald eagles are five or six years old.

Due to habitat destruction, poaching, pesticides, and poisoning, bald eagles almost went extinct in the 1970s. With aggressive conservation measures in place, they have rebounded in the decades since. In fact, the population along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border has shown the most successful recovery in the lower 48 States.