News
Waterfowl taxonomy is notoriously challenging, in part owing to morphological similarities between and within groups that can obscure patterns of divergence (Mowbray et al. 2020).
This week we have a long list of species profile updates to report. Species such as the metallic burgundy Pompadour Cotinga; the striking Sangkar White-eye; and the plump, orange-crowned Wrenthrush just received new treatments by our global editorial team.

Nobody knows raptors better than Jerry Liguori—the authority on North American hawks. Liguori has authored numerous articles and three authoritative, must-have books on raptor identification, as well as a ground-breaking video-focused raptor ID app.

First described in 1873 by Allan Octavian Hume, the Narcondam Hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) remains as much an enigma as it was when first spotted. As Hume’s ship approached the island, the large white-tailed birds seen flying from tree to tree were mistaken to be Nicobar pigeons that the party had been seeing a lot of.
A Message from the Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology June 5, 2020 I am writing today to express my indignation and sadness over the recent violence and mistreatment of Black Americans, including the senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many others. These acts have highlighted the pervasive racial injustices that have […]
This week: The smallest of North American quails; a common Accipiter from eastern and southern Africa; and a Cinclus dipper (aquatic songbird) from South America.
Recent species updates include: Gray Parrot, Javan Cuckooshrike, and Canada Warbler
We are happy to report that users can now display common names for each species in over 30 languages.
A new batch of Birds of the World species accounts is released every week. Click on each species name to open up the latest updates.
Neotropical ornithologist Tom Schulenberg recounts his first sighting of a Scytalopus tapaculo in southern Peru and discusses a long-term, collaborative project to resolve the phylogeny of the tapaculos: that is, to determine how the ever-expanding roster of tapaculos are related to each other