- Adult Mature, Capable of breeding.
- Aerial Making use of the open sky.
- Altitudinal migrant Moving between high mountains and lower foothills.
- Apical Outer extremities, particularly of the tail.
- Aquatic Living on or in water.
- Arboreal Living in trees.
- Axillaries Underwing feathers at the base of the wings, forming ‘armpits’
- Basal Innermost extremities, particularly of the tail.
- Biotope Area of uniform environment, flora and fauna.
- Buff Yellowish white with a hint of pale brown.
- Canopy Leafy foliage of treetops.
- Cap Upper part of head.
- Carpal Bend of a closed wing, sometimes called shoulder.
- Casque Growth above bill of hornbills.
- Cere Patch of bare skin on upper base of bill of raptors.
- Colonial Roosting or nesting in groups.
- Confiding Not shy.
- Commensal Living together with man for mutual benefit
- Coverts Small feathers on wings and base of tail.
- Covey Small group of partridges and allied species.
- Crepuscular Active at dusk (twilight) and dawn.
- Crest Extended feathers on head.
- Crown Upper part of head.
- Culmen Ridge on upper mandible of bill.
- Diagnostic Sufficient to identify a species or sub-species.
- Dimorphic Having two forms of plumage.
- Diurnal Active during daytime.
- Drumming Rhythmic territorial hammering on trees by woodpeckers
- Eclipse New dull plumage after breeding season, especially in ducks.
- Endemic Indigenous and confined to a place.
- Eyestripe Stripe through eye.
- Family Specified group of genera.
- Feral Escaped, and living and breeding in the wild.
- Fledged Having just acquired feathers and ready to leave nest.
- Fledglings Young birds which have just acquired feathers.
- Flight feathers Primary and secondary wing feathers.
- Flushed When disturbed into flight at close quarters.
- Form Sub-species.
- Frugivorous Fruit-eating.
- Fulvous Brownish-yellow.
- Game birds Pheasants, partridges and allied species.
- Gape Basal part of the beak (mainly for young birds and raptors).
- Genera Plural of genus.
- Genus Group of related species.
- Gorget Band across upper chest.
- Granivorous Grain-eating.
- Gregarious Sociable. Living in communities or flocks.
- Hackles Long and pointed neck feathers.
- Hawking Capturing insects in flight
- Hepatic Rust or liver coloured plumage phase, mainly in female cuckoos
- Hunting party Group of birds usually of different species, seeking food.
- Immature Plumage phases prior to adult
- Iris Coloured eye membrane surrounding pupil.
- Irruption Mass movement of a population from one place to another.
- Jizz Essence or striking characteristics of a species;
- Juvenile Immature bird immediately after leaving nest.
- Leading edge Front edge of wing.
- Lobe Fleshy extensions to side-edges of toes of some birds.
- Local Unevenly distributed.
- Lores Area between eye and bill base.
- Malar Stripe on side of throat.
- Mandible Each of the two parts of bill.
- Mantle Back, between wings.
- Mask Dark plumage round eye and ear-coverts.
- Migration Seasonal movement between distant places.
- Mirror White spots in wing-tips, mainly of gulls.
- Morph One of several distinct types of plumage in the same species.
- Moult Seasonal shedding of plumage.
- Nape Back of neck.
- Necklace Narrow line round neck.
- Nocturnal Active at night.
- Nomadic Species without specific territory except when breeding.
- Nominate First sub-species to be formally named.
- Orbital ring Narrow ring of skin or feathers round the eye.
- Order Group of related families.
- Passerines Perching and song birds.
- Pectoral Breast area.
- Pied Black and white.
- Plumes Long, showy feathers, acquired during the breeding season
- Precocial Young hatched sighted and down-covered, e.g. ducklings.
- Primaries Outer flight feathers in wing.
- Race Sub-species.
- Raptors Birds of prey and Vultures, excluding owls.
- Record Published, or otherwise broadcast, occurrence.
- Resident Non-migratory and breeding in same place.
- Rufous Reddish brown.
- Rump Lower back.
- Scalloped Curved markings on edges of feathers.
- Scapulars Feathers along edge of mantle.
- Secondaries Inner wing feathers.
- Speculum Area of colour on secondary feathers of wings.
- Streamers Long extensions to feathers, usually of tail.
- Sub-species Distinct form that does not have specific status.
- Sub-terminal band Broad band on outer part of feather.
- Supercilia Plural of supercilium.
- Supercilium Streak above eye.
- Terminal band Broad band on tip of feather or tail.
- Terrestrial Ground living.
- Tertials Innermost wing coverts, often covering secondaries.
- Trailing edge Rear edge of wing.
- Vagrant Accidental, irregular.
- Vent Undertail area.
- Vermiculations Wavy (worm-like) markings.
- Vinaceous Red wine coloured. Warm pink.
- Waders Shorebirds. Usually, the smaller, long-legged waterbirds.
- Wattle Bare skin, often coloured, on part of head.
- Wildfowl Ducks and geese.
- Wing-span Length from one wing tip to the other when fully extended.
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