The colorful and worldly birds of the Fort Worth Zoo

The Caribbean flamingo is, by far, the most brightly colored of all flamingo species and the tallest flamingo living in the Americas; these animals can live up to 50 years in the wild

Budgerigars are found wild throughout the drier parts of Australia, where they have survived harsh inland conditions for over 5 million years; its success can be attributed to a nomadic lifestyle and its ability to breed while on the move

Hyacinth macaws are parrots native to central and eastern South America; it is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species; limited tool use has been observed in both wild and captive hyacinth macaws

Although relatively small by pelican standards, the pink-backed pelican has a wingspan of 7.5-9 ft. and can weigh up to 15 lbs; it is a resident breeder in the swamps and shallow lakes of Africa, southern Arabia, and southern India

The greater flamingo is the most widespread and largest species of flamingo (how does it sit like this?); they are found in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and in southern Europe

Male lesser birds-of-paradise have a dark emerald-green throat and a pair of long tail-wires with ornamental flank plumes which are deep yellow at their base and fade outwards into white; the males are polygamous, and perform courtship displays in leks

The galah is native to Australia and can undo stitching to access bagged wheat so is sometimes regarded as a pest by farmers; both parents incubate the eggs from August to November for 22 - 26 days

Wild turkeys claim more habitat than any other game bird in North America; TX is home to nearly 600,000 wild turkeys (more than any other state); once home to 10 million wild turkeys, North America's population had dropped to only 30,000 by 1900

Common around prairie dog towns, burrowing owls show up wherever available burrows are found; to protect the burrow, this owl (found in Texas) mimics the rattlesnake's rattle sound to ward off predators

The saddle-billed stork is one of Africa's largest stork species with adults weighing 13+ pounds and having a wingspan of 10+ feet; the eyes of males are darkly colored while females have pale yellow eyes

African penguins live off the SW coast of Africa and spend most of their day in the water feeding; these penguins can dive to 400 ft in search of anchovies, mackerel, herring, sardines and squid

The Chilean flamingo has light pink plumage (so light that it almost looks white); it may live on the coast or far inland and can survive in a variety of altitudes and climates

The heaviest living bird native to North America, the trumpeter swan is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of up to 8 ft 2 in; by 1933, fewer than 70 wild trumpeters were known to exist, and extinction seemed imminent

The rockhopper is one of the smaller penguin species with adults standing only 16 to 18 inches high; males and females cannot be distinguished visually, so a DNA test is conducted by taking a feather from the bird to determine its gender

The scarlet macaw's range extends from SE Mexico to the Peruvian Amazon, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Brazil as well as the Caribbean island of Trinidad; it is the national bird of Honduras

Native to Australia, cockatiels are prized as household pets and companion parrots throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed; as a caged bird, cockatiels are second in popularity only to the budgerigar

The military macaw gets its name from its predominantly green plumage resembling a military parade uniform; it is native to forests of Mexico and South America and though considered vulnerable in the wild, it is commonly found in the pet trade industry

Parakeets comprise about 115 species of birds that are seed-eating parrots of small size, slender build, and long, tapering tails; the green parakeet (found in South Texas) is the only species still found in North America