Pictures of Birds
. Common Snipe The common American snipe is one of 81 species of sandpiper, which comprises the largest family of shorebirds. All sandpipers have relatively long wings and short tails, but differ greatly in the shape of their bills. The snipe can be found in swampy marshes and other wet habitats, where it uses its long, slender bill to probe for aquatic insects, snails, and small crustaceans. Emu The emu, Dromiceius novae-hollandiae, is a large, flightless bird native to Australia. Emus roam the western half of the continent in mass movements that may involve as many as 70,000 birds. They depend on the fruits, seeds, and flowers that grow in areas of recent rainfall and must migrate once they have depleted local sources. Frustrated farmers have constructed a 1000 km (600 mi) fence barring the emus from inland agriculture. Only when the males, which hatch and raise the young, are nesting are the giant birds tied to one location. European Goldfinch The European goldfinch, Carduelis cardu