Best of Birds

BEST OF BIRDS

I have always wanted to know more about these fascinating creatures of nature. I would like to share some information, which will never let you underestimate these  life forms.

KING OF BIRDS

The strike of the eagle talon is so powerful that its force is twice that of a rifle bullet. Whenever a Bald Eagle migrates south it always goes to the same spot and when it returns north it always goes back to the same spot. Eagles have great eyesight that helps them see for one to one and a half miles away. (Thus the term eagles eye) They can dive at 100 miles per hour. Their eyesight and diving ability help them catch food. Pound for pound, an eagle's wing is stronger than the wing of an airplane. An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it. Bald Eagles are the national symbol of the United States.

WORLD’S MOST INTELLIGENT BIRD

The title of the world’s most intelligent bird goes to the African Grey Parrot. They are followed by crows, ravens, jays and magpies. Both psittacines (parrots) and corvines happens to have a brain-to-body size ratio that is comparable to that of higher primates like chimpanzees / 3 year old human baby.

FASTEST BIRD

The world's fastest flying bird is the peregrine Falcon which can swoop on its prey at speeds of up to 350 km/hr.

                   

 LONGEST LIVING BIRD

Larger parrots such as the macaws and cockatoos live more than 75 years. 

POISONOUS BIRD

The Guinness Book of World Records says that the Hooded Pitohui is the "Most Poisonous Bird". The bird, native to Papua New Guinea, "was discovered in 1990, and has puzzled scientists ever since. Its feathers and skin contain the powerful poison homobatrachotoxin, the same one secreted by the dart frogs of South America. Like many other poisonous animals, this bird also emits a foul smell and advertises its toxicity with bright colors. The venom affects the nerves of the victim, but it is not known how the species acquired it.

HEAVIEST BIRD

The Great Bustard/ Mute Swan are the heaviest bird on earth that can fly.

FLOATING BIRD

European swift is a bird which never touches ground. It eats, drinks, sleeps and even mates while flying.

                                                         

LONG FLYING BIRD

Sooty Tern can fly 3-4 years continuously. The arctic tern makes the longest migration each year, flying 20,000 to 25,000 miles (32000-40000 km) each year from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again.

TALKATIVE BIRDS

The most talkative bird is the African Grey Parrot. Parrot is the only bird that can move both the upper and lower parts of its beak.The mocking bird has the ability to imitate the songs of 40 different birds. Grackles are able to imitate human speech better than parrots.

MUTE BIRD

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills, Storks have no syrinx (= sound-producing vocal organ) and are mute, giving no bird call; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest.

VAMPIRE BIRD

Vampire Finches drink the blood of other birds and their own deads. Such a behaviour has evolved from eating parasitic insects in the bird's plumage. The vampire finch is highly endangered, and is only found on Wolf Island and Darwin Island.

VALENTINE BIRD

Male Frigatebirds have inflatable red-colored throat pouches, which they inflate to attract females during the mating season.

WINGLESS BIRD

The kiwi of New Zealand is the only bird without wings. The largest egg in comparison to the bird that laid it belongs to the Kiwi. the egg is 1/3 the size of the the bird. Kiwis are the only known bird to have nostrils located at the tip of their beak.

SMALLEST BIRD

Early Spanish explorers encountered the smallest hummingbirds they called them Joyas voladoras, flying jewels.To know more refer my article " Flying Jewels "

LARGEST BIRD

Ostrich is the largest and heaviest living bird. A female Ostrich shows remarkable ability to recognize her own eggs even when mixed in with those of other females in their communal nest. Ostriches are so powerful that a single kick at a predator, such as a lion, could be fatal. Ostriches stretch out their neck and lay their head on the ground to keep from being seen, hence the myth that ostriches hide in the sand. It is unable to fly and does not possess a keeled sternum (breastbone) common to most birds. Ostriches can run up to 70km/hr (40 mph) and can outpace most pursuers, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas.

Ostriches do not bury their head in the sand. When fully grown an ostrich has one of the most advanced immune systems known to mankind. Ostriches have the best feed to weight ratio gain of any land animal in the world. They are successfully farmed in at least 50 countries; from the coldest climates of Alaska to the equatorial areas of central Africa. Ostriches are not an endangered species; there are at least 2 million worldwide. Ostrich’s skeletons and fossils have been found which date back over 120 million years; Ostriches are a true dinosaur.