There are 15 bird species in this family. They are large birds with long necks; long legs; and large, straight bills.
The ostrich is the world's largest bird, with a wingspan of up to 6.6 feet and a height of up to 9 feet. These large flightless birds are found in Africa, where they live in dry and sandy areas. Ostrich legs aren't only long, but also very powerful.
The heron is an easily recognised, grey-backed bird, with long legs, a long, white neck, bright yellow bill and a black eyestripe that continues as long, drooping feathers down the neck.
The ostrich is the world's biggest and fastest bird. It is also a bird that cannot fly, but it can run very fast indeed – as fast as a car. Ostriches are found in the wild in deserts and savannahs. An ostrich's wings are small, but its legs and neck are very long.
The only cassowary species found in Australia is the Southern Cassowary, distinguished by its vivid blue face and neck, long drooping red wattles hanging from the throat, and tall horn-like brown helmet or casque.
The cassowary is a large, flightless bird most closely related to the emu. Although the emu is taller, the cassowary is the heaviest bird in Australia and the second heaviest in the world after its cousin, the ostrich. It is covered in dense, two-quilled black feathers that, from a distance, look like hair.
The White-faced Heron is mostly light blue-grey in colour, with a characteristic white face. In flight, the dark flight feathers of the wing contrast with the paler grey plumage, making this bird easily identifiable when viewed from below. It has a long, slim neck and a pointed grey-black bill.
Its grey-brown coloration is distinguished by dark streaks, its eyes are large and legs are long. It is capable of flight, but relies on the camouflage of its plumage to evade detection during the day; the bush curlew adopts a rigid posture when it becomes aware of an observer.
The White-necked Heron, sometimes know as the Pacific Heron, is the most common Heron found thoughout Australia. It has a white head and a long white neck with a double line of black spots running down the front, the bill is black and the facial skin is commonly blue or yellow.
There are over 60 extant species, including the well-known ratites (ostriches, emu, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwi) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the Inaccessible Island rail (length 12.5 cm, weight 34.7 g).
The long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) is a bird of prey found widely in several parts of Eurasia and in North Africa. This species ranges from Southeastern Europe down to East Africa to the northern part of the Indian subcontinent.
HERON. Long-legged, long-necked bird (5)
The flightless ostrich is the world's largest bird. They roam African savanna and desert lands and get most of their water from the plants they eat.
Great egrets live in both freshwater and saltwater habitats, and they wade in shallow water to hunt. They stand still and watch for prey to pass by, striking out quickly with their long necks and bill. Great egrets have all white feathers, but they do get dressed up for breeding season.
Common ostrich (Struthio camelus) 156.8 kg
The common ostrich, native to large areas of Africa, as well as introduced and feral in parts of Australia, is also the speediest living land bird with running speeds of up to 40mph, and it lays the largest eggs of any bird.
The southern cassowary is endangered in Queensland. Kofron and Chapman, when they assessed the decline of this species, found that of the former cassowary habitat, only 20–25% remains. Habitat loss and fragmentation is the primary cause of decline.
The grey currawong (Strepera versicolor) is a large passerine bird native to southern Australia, including Tasmania. One of three currawong species in the genus Strepera, it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian magpie of the family Artamidae.
Pied Currawongs (Strepera graculina) are large, mostly black birds, with bright yellow eyes and. small patches of white under the tail and on the tips and base of the tail feathers. Pied Currawongs look similar to the Australian Magpie and the Pied Butcherbird, but with a few key differences.
Bush stone-curlew
It is also called the Bush Thick-knee and is found all over Australia except in the most arid areas. It is unlikely to be mistaken for any other bird, with its long skinny legs and large yellow eyes with white eyebrows.
The bush stone-curlew is one of NSW's most recognisable woodland bird species, with its gangly legs and large yellow eyes.
Their scientific name is Burhinus grallarius but you might know them by their other names: Bush Thick-knee, Southern Stone-curlew, Southern Stone-plover, Weeloo, Willaroo, Angelbird and Scrub curlew. You'll often hear them calling out at night, during breeding season, or before rain.
Lyrebird in Australia perfectly mimics crying baby - YouTube. Not many birds can compare to the vocal range of the Australian lyrebird, and Taronga Zoo's lyrebird, Echo, is no exception.
Native to Australia, the flightless emu is the second-largest bird in the world. The emu is the second-largest member of the ratites and extant species of bird in the world. They stand between 59 to 75 inches tall and weigh from 40 to 132 pounds.