Best Birds in the Word 11-20

#	Species [range]	Photo/art [see credits]; all photos taken in the wild	Summary of reasons for this choice	DR seen?
11	Kakapo Strigops habroptilus [New Zealand]		It is very difficult to see the world's only flightless parrot. All remaining individuals were captured from 1980–1992 from two isolated & declining populations and taken to 4 well-guarded offshore islets in hopes that semi-natural breeding would save the species from extinction. The plan is working but only researchers, and volunteers who get on a list that will require them to work during a 2–week stay at some random future time, actually see this huge booming parrot.	No
12	Emperor Penguin Aptenodytes forsteri [Antarctica]		This is the world's largest penguin. As it breeds in the Antarctic winter well inland on that foreboding continent, and far from touristy spots in the ice & snow, few observers see adult birds. Younger Emperors wander more and are seen on some Antarctic cruises. It still has a reasonably healthy population but its huge size and unique life history warrant it a spot well up the list of the earth's great birds.	No
13	Blue Bird-of-Paradise Paradisaea rudolphi [Papua New Guinea]		Among the gorgeous canopy dwelling birds of paradise, none is so lovely and in so much danger as this species. It is limited to a few fragmented patches of lower montane forest in a single country. It has an incredible inverted display that males perform hanging upside down, and the glowing blue feathers are unworldly. There are other great BOPs in this and other genera, but this is among the very best.	Yes
14	Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus [n. Pacific Ocean]		Almost entirely wiped out by shooting, egging, and volcanic eruptions on Tori-shima I., its primary breeding grounds off Japan, today it is making a slow comeback. Nearly extinct by the end of WWII, perhaps 1200 of this huge albatross now exist, and youngsters now range the entire north Pacific. Other albatross are now rarer (e.g., Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita) but they closely resemble more common species; Short-tailed is unique in many ways.	Yes
15	Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus [east Asia]		Everyone's favorite small shorebird, the stint with the totally unique bill continues to be difficult to pin down. The world population is very small. It nests in remote Siberia, is scarce on passage on the Chinese coast, and winter in places like Vietnam or Bangladesh which have been difficult to visit, but a handful visit Thailand. For those who love migration, this has a world-class starring role. Vagrants have appeared in British Columbia and Alaska.	No
16	Crested Argus Rheinardia ocellata [southeast Asia]		There is quite an assortment of wonderful and rare pheasants. This huge argus-pheasant of tropical lowlands & foothills is my pick; even females are impressive but long-tailed males are astonishing. This species has a much more restricted range than Great Argus Argusianus argus, another wonderful bird that had been on earlier versions of my "top 50" list but is now fairly easy to see. Much of the range of Crested Argus is within Vietnam & Laos, countries that have been difficult to visit until recently.	No
17	Wallace's Standardwing Semioptera wallacii [Halmahera I., Indonesia]		Named for the pioneering naturalist and co-author of the theory of evolution Alfred Russell Wallace, this unusual bird-of-paradise is restricted to lowland forests on Halmahera and Bacan, northern Moluccas. Males display in lekking trees that are visited by females, but only males with the best display sites succeed in mating. It is such a strange bird, with such weird "standards" extending from beneath the wings, that it defies description. Incredible videos appear on the BBC series Attenborough in Paradise.	No
18	any Cassowary Casuarius sp. [Australasia]		An observer can spend weeks in forests inhabited by cassowaries but never see one. These powerful but flightless birds are exceptionally elusive. A sighting of any of the 3 species is a major highlight: Southern C. casuarius [ne. Australia, s. New Guinea], Northern C. unappendiculatus [w. New Guinea] or Dwarf C. bennetti [foothills of e. New Guinea]. For more, see my "Cassowary' page.	Yes; 1 of 3
19	any Kiwi Apteryx sp. [New Zealand]		It is absolutely wonderful to see any of the 5 species of kiwi. Brown Kiwi is now split into three — North Island Brown Apteryx mantelli, Okarito Brown A. rowi, and Southern Brown A. australis — but everywhere a kiwi is elusive & mostly declining. Little Spotted A. owenii & Great Spotted A. haastii have limited ranges. These are nocturnal enigmas that probe for earthworms; females lay unbelievably large eggs for their body size. Totally unique, they behave like mammals in many ways.	Yes; 1 of 5
20	Shoebill Balaeniceps rex [e. & c. Africa]		A rare and rather shy specialist that feeds on lungfish in vast papyrus swamps, it is still usually considered as a monotypic family although recent evidence suggests it is a relative of pelicans. For years there was no reasonable place to visit in hopes of seeing one, but the recent re-opening of Uganda to tourists now provides good opportunities. I saw it at Murchison Falls NP in 2002, but there is habitat very close to Kampala as well.	Yes