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The flame robin, aka robin redbreast, is a small sized passerine bird native to southeastern Australia. While not closely related to either the European or American robins, they do appear to be an early offshoot of the Passerida group of songbirds. These birds face the threat of habitat loss due […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Indian vulture, aka long-billed vulture, is an Old World vulture hailing from India and Pakistan. Their population has dramatically declined since 1980. They face the threats of habitat loss and destruction as a result of mining and quarrying. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac, that is used to treat […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Australian pelican is touted as having the longest bill of any living bird. They hail from Australia, but have spread to Australasia as well. Because they often interact with recreational fishing areas they are highly vulnerable to swallowing discarded fishing hooks and becoming entangled in monofilament lines, which can […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Ōkārito kiwi, aka rowi or Ōkārito brown kiwi, was only recently discovered in 2003. They are part of the brown kiwi species complex. These birds can only be found in the small western portion of New Zealand’s Ōkārito forest, on the south island. They face the threats of habitat […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The whistling kite, aka whistling eagle or whistling hawk, is a mid-sized raptor found throughout Australia, New Caledonia, and much of New Guinea. They face the threat of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of wetland drainage and tree removal for agriculture. Secondary poisoning is another risk factor in […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The sulfur-crested cockatoo hails from Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. In large numbers these birds are considered pests, as they can be destructive and loud. They face the threat of habitat loss and fragmentation via the clearing of mature eucalypt woodlands which removes essential foraging […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Australian brushturkey, aka Australian brush-turkey, gweela, bush turkey, scrub turkey, or brushturkey, hails from eastern Australia. They can be found in Far North Queensland, the south coast of New South Wales, and has been introduced to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. These birds face the threat of habitat loss […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The weka, aka Māori hen or woodhen, is a omnivorous, flightless species of bird from the rail family. They hail from mainland New Zealand as well as the north island. Even though 4 subspecies are recognized, only 2 are supported by genetic evidence. They face the threats of habitat clearance […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Australian gannet, aka Australasian gannet or tākapu, is a sizable seabird from the booby and gannet family. They hail from Australia and New Zealand. These seabirds face the ongoing threat of overfishing, which can not only potentially out compete with these birds for food, but can also result in […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The little spotted kiwi, aka little grey kiwi or kiwi pukupuku, is the smallest species of kiwi. This flightless bird hails only from a few restricted small offshore islands and mainland New Zealand reserves and is protected by pest-exclusion fences. These birds face the threat of the only remaining potential […]

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