Avibirds is a bird website where you’ll find a wealth of information about the birds of Europe and Suriname that far surpasses the average bird guide.
If you’ve ever wished for an online guide to European birds, Avibirds is the answer. The information here covers more than 550 European birds and is extremely comprehensive—each species has a page describing its physical appearance, habitat and range, with an illustration and links to similar species. Linked pages cover migration patterns (sometimes with a range map), breeding and feeding, current conservation status, and relevant literature, if any. The information given is far more detailed than that found in an average handbook of European birds.
Avibirds won’t help you identify an unknown bird—there’s no way to search for characteristics or even groups—though the links to similar species may be very helpful in narrowing down an identification. (If you’re trying to identify a European or British bird using characteristics, habitat etc., try the Online Identification Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe, then visit Avibird to find out all about the bird.) There’s also no way to search on Avibird for a bird’s scientific name, though the scientific name and the bird’s name in five other languages are given on the physical description page.
The guide to birds of Suriname is also a rare gem. The content is basically the same though it is shorter and contained on a single page. This guide is not compete yet, but already contains many bird species. Naturally, it contains many migratory birds familiar to birders in North America.
… and for the birder who enjoys a memory test, there is a “games” link that takes you to an amusing matching game – matching birds of course.
Avibird is clearly still growing – already a valuable reference site, it’s sure to get even better as more content is added. This is a good site to bookmark and keep an eye on.
Content about other great birding web sites:
