The number of words starting with X in the English alphabet is relatively low. Birds with X at the beginning of their names are even more unusual. In reality, we could only identify four species with the same starting letter as X. They’re each located on a different continent, which is intriguing. North America, South America, Africa, and Asia are all represented.
Let’s have a look!
4 BIRDS THAT START WITH X
1.XINGU SCALE-BACKED ANTBIRD
Scientific name: Willisornis vidua
Lives in: Brazil (south-eastern Amazon)
Males have a black back and tail with rows of white spots on their head and body. Females have a plain brown back and tail, with a lighter throat than males. They do not have the dark back with spots. In the forest understory, these antbirds like to congregate in pairs. They don’t just eat ants; their name notwithstanding. Their diet is mostly insects, according to what little research has been done.
Fun fact: When ant swarms are trying to flee the ants, Xingu will frequently appear and devour the insects.
2.XAVIER’S GREENBUL
Scientific name: Phyllastrephus xavieri
Lives in: central Africa
Just Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Uganda are home to Xavier’s Greenbul. Their back is olive-brown, with a yellow chest and belly. Beetles, spiders, caterpillars, and moths make up the majority of the diet of these greenbuls. Fruit and seeds are also eaten. They prefer dry tropical or subtropical woods, as well as moister lowland woods.
Fun fact: They prefer to dwell in protected locations within parks, such as Korup National Park in Cameroon and Semliki National Park in Uganda.
3.XANTU’S HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Basilinna xantusii
Lives in: Baja California Peninsula
Green backs and throats, a reddish-brown tail, and a buffy belly distinguish Xantu’s from other species. Their brilliant white eye stripe might be their most prominent feature. Although they are occasionally vagrants along the Pacific coast of the United States, their only breeding habitat is Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. British Columbia and Alberta are the only provinces with
Fun fact: Unlike the straight bill of the closely related white-eared hummingbird, the Xantu’s black-tipped red beak is slightly bent downward.
4.XINJIANG GROUND-JAY
Scientific name: Podoces biddulphi
Lives in: northwestern China
The bird family Corvidae includes the Xinjiang ground-jay, as well as other jays and crows. The Xingjiang ground-jay has a mostly tan body due to the long and slender body shape of most jays.
A black hood, black legs, and a black somewhat downturned beak. Black wings with enormous white patches. Dry open spaces and scrubland are their preferred environments. They have been listed as a “near-threatened” species since 2004, despite the fact that habitat degradation and fragmentation pose a threat.
Fun fact: Little invertebrates and reptiles can be chased down and captured by Xinjiang ground-jays, which are known to be exceptionally quick runners.