The Variegated Fairywren is a type of fairywren that can be found in many diverse habitats all over Australia. There are 4 subspecies recognised, and there is a high degree of sexual dimorphism. It was officially scientifically described by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827. It was originally thought to be a colour
A large cockatoo which is native to south-east Australia is the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo. This bird was first described by George Shaw in 1794, and its specific name is related to the its dark and sombre plumage as if one was dressed for a funeral. In fact, the famous Orinthologist, John Gould, referred to this
A euryhaline species of Oceanic dolphin is the Irrawaddy dolphin. It is found in several discontinuous sub-populations in estuaries, rivers, and near sea coasts of the Bay of Bengal and other areas in South-East Asia. It was first scientifically described in 1866 by Sir Richard Owen based on a specimen that was discovered in the
The Northern Gannet is a seabird and it is the largest member of the gannet family. Its old names include the Solant Bird, Solan, and the Solan Goose. It was first described scientifically by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. Northern Gannets are agile fliers When the Northern Gannets are young, they are ark brown in the
The Red-necked Glebe, sometimes called “helldivers” in North America, is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere’s temperate regions. It prefers to stay in shallow bodies of fresh water such as marshes, lakes, or fish ponds. This bird is a migratory creature There are 2 subspecies of the Red-necked Grebe. The nominate species
One of the Top 10 Most Endangered Species of Cetaceans is Hector’s dolphin. In fact, it is the world’s number 6 most endangered species and faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. This animal was named after Sir James Hector who was the curator of Wellington’s Colonial Museum, which is now known
The Seorsumuscardinus is a rodent that lived during the Early Miocene. It is known through its fossile dormice which was discovered in Europe. 2 species of Seorsumuscardinus are known through a number of isolated teeth. The distribution of the Seorsumuscardinus These teeth were characterised by its long transverse crests. One of these crests distinguished these
One of the most rare species of porpoise is the vaquita. It is also known as the Cochito, Gulf of California Porpoise, Gulf of California Harbor Porpoise, Gulf Porpoise, Marsouin du Golf de Californie, and the Hafenscheinswal. The word vaquita itself is Spanish for “little cow”. As its other names suggest, it is endemic to
The Rock Martin is a small bird that is a member of the swallow family. It is a resident of Africa as well as south-western Asia as east as Pakistan. This bird is part of the swallow family It was first formally scientifically described by Martin Lichtenstein in 1842 as Hirundo fuligula. However, Heinrich Gustav
The White-breasted Nuthatch is a small songbird that belongs to the nuthatch family which is found in temperate North America. This bird was first scientifically described by John Latham in 1780, in his work, Index Orinthologicus. A White-breasted Nuthatch going down a tree The White-breasted Nuthatch has a large head, short wings and a short
A small passerine bird that is native to Australia is the Red-capped Robin. It was first described in 1827 by Thomas Horsfield and Nicholas Aylward Vigors. Their specimens were found in the northern Spencer Gulf (now South Australia). Its epithet, goodenovii, is named after Rev. Samuel Goodenough who was the Bishop of Carlisle and the
Also known as the spray porpoise, Dall’s porpoises are the fastest of all of the porpoises. They were named after an American Naturalist, W. H. Dall, who was the first person to identify the species. However, it was actually scientifically described by True in 1855. They are found in the North Pacific and the South
Also known as the Long-toed Pigeon or the Madeira Laurel Pigeon, the Trocaz Pigeon is a pigeon that is endemic to the island of Madeira. A Trocaz Pigeon spotted in Madeira in 2008 It was first formally described by a German Doctor and Orinthologist, Karl Heineken, in 1829. Heineken was living on Madeira and he
The Splendid Fairywren, also known as a Blue Wren of a Splended Wren, is a passerine bird belonging to the Maluridae family. It is one of 12 species in the genus Malurus which is found in Australia and New Guinea. The nominate species of the Splendid Fairywren In 1830, the specimens were initially collected at
The harbor porpoise is one of the smallest cetaceans worldwide. It was first scientifically described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a shy creature which avoids vessels. It is one of 6 species of porpoise. Peek-a-boo! Harbor porpoises have an average length of 1.5 to 1.6 metres long. They weigh about 45 to 60
