Feather & Bird Encyclopedia

Search and identify feathers by species — with feather type, plumage, colours, size, habitat, and how to tell them apart in the field.

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Mute Swan

An enormous, entirely white waterbird whose large, gently curved feathers are unmistakable simply by their sheer size among freshwater birds.

waterfowl

Madagascar Turtle Dove

A grey-brown dove of Madagascar and nearby islands, easily told by the neat black-and-white striped patch on the sides of its neck.

dove pigeon

King Vulture

A striking tropical vulture with mostly creamy white plumage, jet-black flight and tail feathers, and a vividly multicolored bare head.

raptor

Red-billed Blue Magpie

A long-tailed, blue-grey Asian corvid with a black head, red bill and legs, and a spectacular graduated tail tipped in white.

corvid

Pied Oystercatcher

A bold black-and-white shorebird with a long orange-red bill, found probing sandy beaches and mudflats along the Australian coast.

shorebird

Painted Francolin

A ground-dwelling gamebird of central and southern India with dark brown plumage densely marked with white spots and a chestnut nape patch.

gamebird

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

A common Central American woodpecker with a black-and-white barred back and a small patch of yellow on the nape, adaptable to gardens and open plantations.

woodpecker

Cape Gannet

A large white seabird closely related to the Northern Gannet, distinguished by a black tail and a black band crossing the secondary flight feathers.

seabird

Black-billed Magpie

A boldly patterned black-and-white corvid of the American West, instantly recognizable by its long, iridescent tail and noisy, sociable habits.

corvid

Alpine Swift

One of the largest swifts in the world, with a white belly and throat separated by a brown breast band, capable of remaining airborne for months at a stretch.

other

Wonga Pigeon

The Wonga Pigeon is a plump, ground-dwelling Australian pigeon known for the bold black chevron markings across its white lower breast and belly.

dove pigeon

Smith's Longspur

Smith's Longspur is an Arctic-breeding songbird notable for its warm buff-orange underparts and bold black-and-white head pattern in breeding plumage.

songbird

Western Kingbird

A pale gray-headed flycatcher with a yellow belly, often seen perched on wires in open country, told by white edges on its blackish tail.

songbird

Spotted Nutcracker

A chunky brown corvid covered in bold white spots, found in coniferous forests across Eurasia, where it caches nuts and pine seeds for winter.

corvid

Red-headed Woodpecker

One of the most strikingly patterned North American woodpeckers, with an entirely crimson-red head set against bold black-and-white body plumage.

woodpecker

Plush-crested Jay

A South American jay with a velvety black face, glowing yellow eyes, and a soft blue patch on the nape, its tail broadly tipped in white.

corvid

Pine Grosbeak

A large, tame northern finch with a stout bill, rosy-pink males and grey-and-yellow females, and bold white wing bars visible in flight.

songbird

Philippine Falconet

A tiny falcon endemic to the Philippines, showing glossy black upperparts and white underparts with a rufous lower belly and thighs, distinct among the region's falconets.

raptor

Olive-sided Flycatcher

A large-headed, big-chested flycatcher whose dark olive-gray flanks and white central stripe create a distinctive vest-like appearance.

songbird

Nuttall's Woodpecker

A small woodpecker largely restricted to California oak woodlands, similar to Ladder-backed Woodpecker but with cleaner white underparts and a solid black nape band.

woodpecker

New Holland Honeyeater

The New Holland Honeyeater is a boldly streaked black-and-white honeyeater with flashing yellow wing panels, common in heath and gardens across southern Australia.

songbird