z is for zino's petrel

(pterodroma madeira)

zino's petrels mate for life, and pairs return to the same burrow year after year

y is for yaffle

(picus viridis)

aka green woodpecker, called yaffle after its laugh-like call

x is for xenops

(xenops rutilans)

most xenops have an unusual upturned bill tip

w is for wren

(troglodytes troglodytes)

the scientific name of the wren translates to "cave-dweller" - referring to its hunting style of disappearing into small spaces

v is for veery

(catharus fuscescens)

veerys forage on the forest floor, flipping leaves to uncover insects

u is for uguisu

(cettia diphone)

the droppings of the uguisu or Japanese bush-warbler have been used in facials for hundreds of years. 

lovely

t is for tern

(chlidonias niger)

the black tern sometimes builds its nests floating on the water

s is for swallow

(hirundo rustica)

the barn swallow is the national bird of Estonia

r is for robin

(erithacus rubecula)

robins are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders, despite their sweet appearance

q is for quail

(coturnix coturnix)

the common quail is the UK's only migrant game bird

p is for parrot

(amazona oratrix)

there are around 30 different types of amazon parrot, varying in both colour and size

o is for owl

(strix leptogrammica)

these medium-large owls eat small mammals, such as rats, mice and shrews, small birds, reptiles and occasionally fish

n is for nightingale

(luscinia megarhynchos)

the nightingale was named due to the fact that it is often heard singing during the night as well as the day

m is for magpie

(pica pica)

the magpie is intelligent enough to recognise itself in a mirror

l is for lapwing

(vanellus vanellus)

in the Netherlands there is a cultural-historical competition to find the first lapwing egg of the year

k is for kestrel

(falco tinnunculus)

a kestrel is one of the main characters in The Animals of Farthing Wood

j is for.... jay

(garrulus glandarius)

the jay is well known for its mimicry, often sounding so like a different species that it is virtually impossible to distinguish its true identity

i is for i'iwi

(vestiaria coccinea)

the i'iwi uses its long curved beak to feed on nectar from flowers

h is for hoopoe

(upupa epops)

considered sacred in ancient egypt, they were depicted on the walls of tombs and temples

g is for garganey

(anas querquedula)

a small dabbling duck, meaning it eats food by skimming the waters surface

f is for flycatcher

(muscicapa striata)

a migrant bird, the spotted flycatcher will often come back to the same nesting spot year after year

e is for eagle

(aquila chrysaetos)

golden eagles can dive at prey at over 150mph

d is for dovekie

(alle alle)

sea birds so little that they get blown by storms when migrating to unfamiliar territories

c is for crow

(corvus corone)

crows are highly intelligent, on the same level as primates and dolphins

b is for bananaquit

(coereba flaveola)

a nectar eating bird, nicknamed 'the sugar bird'

a is for avocet

(recurvirostra avocetta)

the pied avocet is the emblem of the RSPB