Best of the Best: Birding Around The World Quiz

Answer: Andes Mountains

The Manu National Park, located about three hours from Cuzco, Peru, encompasses a wide range of habitats from cold grasslands in the mountains to humid lowland rainforests. Only scientists and native people are allowed to watch the birds in the park, however, birders are allowed on the outer edges of the park where the same types of birds can be seen.

The Amazonian umbrellabird is usually found in wooded areas near rivers.

Answer: Yank

A bird from North America is commonly called a Yank! Cape May is a good place to see a variety of birds because of its location in a migration flyway. Although birds migrate during both the spring and fall, the autumn migration is considered the best to watch, as both landbirds and shorebirds can be seen.

The palm warbler migrates to the southeastern United States, Caribbean islands, Mexico, and Central America.

Answer: Kruger National Park

At Kruger National Park we have a great chance of not only seeing the "Big Five" (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and white/black rhinoceros), but also the "Big Six", which consists of southern ground-hornbill, kori bustard, lappet-faced vulture, martial eagle, Pel's fishing-owl and the saddle-billed stork. Actually, there are over five hundred species of birds that can be found here.

The martial eagle, as seen in the picture, is known for its especially sharp eyesight.

It is estimated that they can see over three times better than humans!

Answer: Twitcher

There are many terms associated with bird-watching. A "birder" may be either an amateur or professional who pursues the hobby of "birding". Actually, a birdwatcher is a rather loose term that can be used for anyone who watches birds for any reason. A serious birder does not want to be called a birdwatcher! In British birding lingo "twitching" means "the pursuit of a previously located rare bird", while in North America it is usually called "chasing".

The toucan barbet, seen in the picture, is considered to be a fairly common bird in Ecuador, however, it is sometimes trapped for the bird-cage trade.

Answer: Spain

The southern area of Spain has several different bird habitats, so a large variety can be seen there. The Spanish imperial eagle can be found in the wetlands, while many storks and raptors can be seen in Gibraltar. The northern harrier, also known as the hen harrier, not only can be found in North America, but also in Eurasia; it migrates to more southern areas during the winter. Believed to be the only hawk that practices polygyny, one male with mate with several females!

Answer: Dude

A "dude" can be a watcher who really doesn't know that much about birds, a newcomer to bird-watching, or someone more interested in photographing birds than studying them. Borneo is a popular destination for birdwatchers because some of the last forest habitats are protected.

The great argus is mostly brown, and a male can measure over two meters in length including the tail. Have you ever seen a North American male wild turkey display its plumage? The great argus makes a similar display that is nothing short of spectacular!

Answer: Papua New Guinea

Although it is difficult to reach the forests of Papua New Guinea, all the effort is worth it when one of the magnificent birds is sighted! When the first Europeans saw the brightly colored birds there, they that they must have come from Heaven. Many were called "Birds of Paradise".

The male flame bowerbird is known for its courtship display. It can be viewed by either taking a trip down the Fly River or hiking a ways into the rainforest.

Answer: Chook

Used in Australia, the term "chook" is used for birds that are either common or have already been seen. The red-tailed black cockatoo is typically seen in a variety of habitats in Australia, even in drier areas like the Australian outback where they can be sighted around water holes.

It is relatively easy to tell the difference between males and females; the male has two red panels on its tail, while the female has yellow-orange stripes on the tail and chest.

Answer: Grasshoppers

The rufescent tiger heron lives in wetlands that span from Central America through much of South America. Active during the twilight, it is a rather solitary creature. Because it spends so much time near water, its diet consists of fish, water beetles, dragonflies, and grasshoppers. This fellow usually hunts alone.

Answer: It is the only place where pristine habitats are easily reached.

Even though Bhutan is a geographically small country, over six hundred species of birds live there; in fact, many of the species are rare in other parts of the world. With a government that believes protecting nature is a way to insure the overall happiness of its people, Bhutan is considered by many to be the best place in the Himalayas to birdwatch. Just about everywhere we went, there were natural habitats that are filled with birds.

The lovely satyr tragopan is a species of pheasant that is also found in India, Tibet and Nepal.

These countries, however, have pristine forests that few people can reach.