We hope these are age-appropriate definitions for each word, written with a young person just beginning to learn about birds in mind. We have tried to keep the language simple and engaging, with examples related to birds and nature.

abandoned – Left behind. A nest with no birds or eggs might be abandoned.
abundant – Very common. If a bird is abundant, you’ll see lots of them.
acacia gum – Sticky sap from acacia trees. Some birds eat it or use it in nests.
accomplishment – Something you’re proud of doing, like spotting your first rare bird or learning to identify 10 different bird calls.
acrobatics – Amazing moves birds make while flying, like flipping, twisting, or hanging upside down to catch insects.
active – Always moving or doing something. Birds are very active when they’re looking for food or building nests.
angle – The direction you see a bird from—side, above, or below. The angle can change how a bird looks.
appearance – How a bird looks—its color, size, shape, and markings.
barbed talons – Sharp claws with tiny hooks to help grip prey. Owls have barbed talons.
below the equator – Places in the Southern Hemisphere, like South Africa or Australia.
birding – The hobby of watching and learning about wild birds in nature. It’s like a treasure hunt, but with binoculars!
breeding – When birds mate and make baby birds (chicks). It’s how new birds are born.
breeding pair – Two birds (usually a male and a female) that stay together to raise their chicks.
breeding season – The special time of year when most birds lay eggs and raise babies. It often happens in spring or summer.
buffy – A soft, light brown or beige color—like the color of sand or a paper bag. Some birds have buffy feathers on their bellies.
bushveld – A type of habitat in Africa with lots of bushes, trees, and open spaces where many birds live.
calls – Short sounds birds make to talk to each other, like “chip” or “pee-wee.”
carcass – The body of a dead animal.
carrion – Dead animals that birds like vultures eat.
category – A group of things that are alike. For example, “birds of prey” is a category that includes eagles and hawks.
centipedes – Long, many-legged creepy-crawlies that some birds like to eat.
cere – A waxy area on top of a bird’s beak where the nostrils are. Parrots and raptors have a cere.
characteristic – A special quality or feature that helps identify something. A long tail is a *characteristic* of a drongo.
chevron pattern – A V-shaped pattern, like stripes or wing markings that form little Vs.
clinchers – Key features that confirm a bird’s identity, like a red eye or a unique call.
colonies – Large groups of birds that live close together, especially when nesting. Think of seabirds all crowded on a cliff!
conical – Cone-shaped, like a seed-eater’s beak—thick at the base and pointed.
consume – Eat. Birds *consume* insects, seeds, or fruit.
cooperative breeders – Birds where older brothers or sisters help mom and dad raise the new chicks.
crest – A tuft of feathers on top of a bird’s head that it can raise or lower.
critically endangered species – A bird that is extremely close to going extinct.
crown – The top of a bird’s head. Some birds have colorful feathers or a crest there.
curved – Bent in a smooth shape. A bird’s beak might be curved to help it reach into flowers.
delayed reproduction – When birds wait until they’re older to have babies, sometimes because they need to learn skills or help family first.
depth – How deep something is. For birds, it might mean how far underwater a diving bird goes.
described – Written or told about. A bird is “described” in a book with words and pictures.
diagnostic – A special clue that helps you identify something. A bright red beak might be a diagnostic feature of a certain bird.
display – A fancy show a bird does to attract a mate, like dancing, puffing up feathers, or singing loudly.
distinctive – Something that makes a bird easy to recognize, like a bright color, unusual shape, or special call.
disturbance – Something that interrupts or scares birds, like loud noises or people getting too close to a nest.
diversity – The variety of different birds in an area. A forest with many kinds of birds has high bird diversity.
ecological – Related to nature and how living things interact with their environment.
endangered species – A type of animal or bird that is in danger of disappearing forever.
equator – An imaginary line around the middle of Earth. Countries near it are warm and tropical.
equatorial Africa – The part of Africa near the equator, with rainforests and lots of birdlife.
establish – To set up or start something, like when a bird picks a spot and builds a nest to live there.
exceptional – Really special or unusual. An exceptional bird might be super rare or do something no other bird does.
extends – Reaches or spreads out. A bird’s range might extend from one country to another.
features – Special parts or qualities of a bird, like its beak shape, color, or song.
flocks – Groups of birds flying or feeding together.
foraging – Looking for food. Birds forage in trees, on the ground, or in water.
GISS – (Pronounced “jiss”) Short for “General Impression of Size and Shape.” It’s how a bird looks at a glance—big, small, long-tailed, etc.
gleans – Carefully picks food (like insects) off leaves or bark. Some birds slowly glean insects as they hop through trees.
habitat specific – A bird that only lives in one kind of place, like forests or wetlands.
helper – A young bird (often from last year) that helps its parents raise new chicks instead of having its own babies.
honking – A loud, deep call, like a goose makes.
iconic – Famous and easily recognized. The bald eagle is an iconic bird of the USA.
identify – To figure out what kind of bird you’re seeing by its looks, sounds, or behavior.
identify reference – A book, app, or chart that helps you figure out what bird you saw.
illustration – A drawing of a bird in a field guide that shows what it looks like.
impressive – Amazing or grand. An eagle in flight is an impressive sight.
interference structures – Tiny structures in feathers that bend light to make shiny, iridescent colors (not from pigment).
iridescent – Shiny feathers that change color in the light, like a rainbow on a hummingbird.
juveniles – Young birds that are not yet adults. They often have different colors or patterns than grown-up birds.
metallic – Looks like shiny metal. Some birds have feathers that look blue, green, or purple like polished steel.
millipedes – Round, many-legged creatures that live in soil or under logs. Some birds eat them.
mostly – Almost all the time or in most cases. A bird that eats fruit is *mostly* a frugivore.
moulting – When birds slowly lose old feathers and grow new ones, like getting a new coat.
nasal – A sound that’s a bit harsh or honking, like a goose or a grumpy duck.
nests – Homes birds build to lay eggs and raise chicks. They can be made of twigs, grass, or even mud.
nimbly – Moving quickly and lightly. A bird that hops nimbly through branches is very agile.
nonbreeding – A time when birds aren’t making babies. They might look different or live in different places.
offspring – Baby birds. All the chicks from a bird’s eggs are its offspring.
on the wing – Flying. A bird feeding *on the wing* catches insects while flying.
orange – A bright color, like a sunset or a pumpkin. Some birds have orange beaks, chests, or tails.
pair for life – When two birds stay together as a couple for many years, maybe even for the rest of their lives—like swans.
particularly – Especially. Some birds are *particularly* good at singing.
perch – A place where a bird sits, like a branch, fence, or pole.
pigment – Natural color in feathers, like black, red, or brown. It’s what gives most color to a bird’s feathers.
predominantly – Mostly. If a bird is *predominantly* yellow, it means it’s mostly yellow.
preference – A favorite. A bird might have a *preference* for eating berries over insects.
primarily – Mainly or most of the time. Birds that eat insects *primarily* focus on bugs.
productive – Successful at making babies. A productive bird pair might raise several chicks each year.
QR code – A square barcode you scan with a phone to get info—like linking to a bird’s song online.
quarries – Big holes in the ground where rock is dug out. Some birds nest on the rocky walls.
regularly – Happens often or on a schedule. Birds that visit a feeder regularly come every day.
relatively – Compared to something else. A sparrow is *relatively* small compared to an eagle.
reptiles – Animals like lizards and snakes. Some birds hunt and eat reptiles.
robust – Strong and healthy-looking. A robust bird looks powerful and well-fed.
rump – The back end of a bird, just above the tail. Some birds have a bright rump that shows when they fly.
scavengers – Animals that eat dead things. Vultures are scavengers.
scientific approach – Using careful observation, facts, and experiments to learn about birds.
scientific basis – A reason or idea that’s supported by real evidence and research.
scorpions – Small creatures with pinchers and a stinger. Some birds, like owls, eat them.
significant – Important or meaningful. Vultures play a *significant* role in cleaning up nature.
singly – One at a time. A bird that flies *singly* isn’t in a flock.
solitary – Likes to be alone. Some birds are solitary and don’t hang out in groups.
soundscape – All the sounds in a place, including bird songs, wind, and water.
south of Sahara – Another way to say *sub-Saharan Africa*.
specialised – Adapted to do one thing very well. A woodpecker is *specialised* for drilling into trees.
species – A type of bird. All white-throated robins belong to the same species, but white-throated robins and fork-tiled drongos are different species.
striking – So noticeable or beautiful it catches your eye. A bird with bright blue feathers might be striking.
sub-Saharan Africa – The part of Africa that’s south of the Sahara Desert. It’s home to many unique birds.
superficially – At first glance. Two birds might look similar *superficially*, but have small differences.
talons – Sharp claws on a bird’s feet, especially birds of prey like eagles.
territorial – Defending a space from others. A territorial bird might chase away rivals.
territory – The area a bird claims as its own, which it defends from other birds.
thickets – Dense groups of bushes or small trees where birds like to hide or nest.
typically – Usually or most of the time. Robins are *typically* seen in lawns.
underside – The bottom part of a bird—the belly, chest, and underside of the wings.
undertakers – A nickname for vultures because they clean up dead animals, like nature’s cleanup crew.
unique – One of a kind. No other bird has exactly the same feature.
unmistakable – So unique that you can’t mistake it for anything else. A flamingo’s pink color is unmistakable.
varies – Changes. A bird’s call or color might *vary* between males and females or young and old.
veld – Open grassland in southern Africa where many birds live.
vociferous – Very loud and noisy. A vociferous bird might call all day long.
wandering – Moving around without a fixed path. Some birds are wanderers and don’t stay in one place.
wild – Living in nature, not in a cage or city. Wild birds find their own food and build their own nests.
wingspan – How far a bird’s wings stretch from tip to tip when open. A large wingspan helps birds soar.
yellow shield – A patch of yellow skin on a bird’s face, like on some hornbills.