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One colourful bird
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Meet the fruit dove. These colourful, frugivorous doves are found in forests and woodlands in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Males and females of many fruit dove species look very different. For example, the female Many-coloured Fruit Dove shares the male’s crimson crown and deep pink undertail feathers, but is otherwise green, whereas the male has a crimson on the upper back and has areas of yellow, olive, cinnamon, and grey.
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4376 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Fulmars -- not your average seagul
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Babies are typically among the most vulnerable creatures in nature, but the fulmar has evolved a top notch defense system. Chicks also spit at their parents, who are immune to the effects of the oil.
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3444 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
First poisonous bird discovered
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The hooded Pitohui was one of the first poisonous birds discovered. It has a toxin on its skin and feathers that can induce tingling or numbness when touched. It is a common bird in New Guinea.
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2294 |
savio |
10 years ago |
One colourful duck
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The Mandarin duck is a sexually dimorphic species, meaning males and females differ in appearance. The male has a rich, colorful appearance, which includes brown cheeks and a long brown and white crown sweeping back from the top of the head. The chest is dark purple, with black and white strips, and the wings are brown with an iridescent blue-green edge. This striking coloration helps the male attract the less-colorful females, which display brownish-black plumage with white markings around the eyes and along the throat. ...
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3716 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Here's why birds and ants get along so well
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Some birds, such as woodcreepers and cuckoos, are known to follow army ant raids on forest floors. As the army ant colony travels on the forest floor, they stir up various flying insect species. As the insects flee from the army ants, the birds following the ants catch the fleeing insects. In this way, the army ants and the birds are in a commensalistic relationship because the birds benefit while the army ants are unaffected. ...
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5044 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Fewest feathers of all birds
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Hummingbirds, like this little golden rufous hummingbird, have up to 1,500 feathers, which is the fewest number of feathers of any bird species in the world.
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3229 |
savio |
10 years ago |
Birds with purple crowns
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These beautiful birds are called purple-crowned fairy wrens, endemic to northern Australia. The picture was taken by ornithologists (bird banders) studying the birds as part of population monitoring in Australia. The way they are holding them is called "photographer's grip" which gently secures the legs while keeping the rest of the bird free. Handling time is generally very short.
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5935 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
What it takes to find a mate
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This is a mating ritual being performed by a colony of James's Flamingoes ( Phoenicoparrus jamesi), native to Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The males will all vocalise together, sticking their necks and heads straight up in the air, and turning them back and forth in unison to attract the females. ...
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4138 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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2069 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Toxic meat
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African spur-winged geese ( Plectropterus gambensis) become so toxic after eating blister beetles that consuming their flesh can kill a human. Blister beetles (family Meloidae) are toxic due to the presence of a chemical compound called cantharidin. Cantharidin is a potent toxin that these beetles produce and store in their bodies as a defense mechanism against predators. It acts as a powerful irritant and blistering agent when it comes into contact with skin or mucous membranes. The toxicity of blister beetles serves as a deterrent to potential predators, helping them avoid being eaten. ...
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2979 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Who needs a fridge?
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Male king penguins can store food in their stomachs for three weeks to ensure a supply of food for their chicks.
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11996 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
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5166 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
This gender-bender exhibits strange behaviour
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This bird might look like a holiday ornament, but it is actually a rare half-female, half-male northern cardinal, with female plumage on the left and male on the right. A new study suggests being half-and-half carries consequences: The cardinal didn’t have a mate, and observers never heard it sing.
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16086 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
What's faster, a falcon or a skydiver?
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Watch the fastest animal in the world - a peregrine falcon - effortlessly accelerate to speeds of more than 290 km/h to chase a plummeting skydiver.
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9492 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Some birds are afraid of butterflies
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It turns out that butterflies with eyelike spots evolved to scare off predators. A recent study concluded that about 68% of the birds that were shown an image with eye-mimicking spots, flew away or showed signs of being startled such as chirping a warning call as they flew in for food (within a controlled setting). That’s on par with the 57% showing the same reactions to the owl with open eyes, the research team notes. The full study can be analyzed in the link below: Source: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/282/1806/20150202 ...
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31755 |
duddy |
9 years ago |