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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Rare and Spectacular Species of Birds


The art of bird-watching is one prized by many millions across the globe. However, in order to see the most spectacular species of birds, you will have to do a lot of traveling! Here is a summary of 15 of the most beautiful and rare species of birds that unfortunately are nearing extinction.
Take the ultimate bird watching tour right from your seat!
  
1. Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
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A bird almost too beautiful to believe, these colorful creatures reside in the Andes Mountains of South America. They nest among the rocks in order to hide their extraordinary appearance that attracts preying eagles and jaguars. These birds have a wonderful pompom-shaped crests atop their beaks which are used during the mating season to attract and impress females.
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Another bird full of stunning colors, the Turquoise-Browed Motmot can be found in the tropical areas of South America, although the origins of the bird trace back to Switzerland. They live in he thick rain forests where they try to blend in with their bright colors to hide from prey. Its plumage is extremely soft and it has a tail that can move in any direction.
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The kakapo, or the owl parrot, is one of the strangest and rarest nocturnal parrots in the world. The bird also does not fly, but happens to be one of the longest-living birds. These parrots are also very heavy and large, reaching a weight of about 7.7 pounds and a height of nearly about 24 inches. Kakapos are common in New Zealand, and they are known to be extremely smart animals, getting attached to people who are kind to it. Unfortunately, the Kakapo is nearly extinction and is considered 'critically endangered' by many bird specialists.
The Hooded Pitohui is the famous songbird of New Guinea with bright black and orange plumage. It is considered to be the only poisonous bird in the world with feathers that burn at human touch. The bird is poisonous because it eats Melyrid beetles, which are themselves poisonous. Their bright plumage is meant to warn other birds and species not to eat them! The Hooded Pitohui is the famous songbird of New Guinea with bright black and orange
plumage. It is considered to be the only poisonous bird in the world with feathers that burn at human touch. The bird is poisonous because it eats Melyrid beetles, which are themselves poisonous. Their bright plumage is meant to warn other birds and species not to eat them!
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The bird inhabits the cold mountain woods, and during the dry seasons, it perches at a height of nearly 10,000 feet!
The Quetzal are shockingly colored birds common to western Mexico and Guatemala. Historically, they were sacred to the Mayan and Aztec people, who believed that the Quetzal was the God of Air and used their green tail feathers in spiritual ceremonies. The bird inhabits the cold mountain woods, and during the dry seasons, it perches at a height of nearly 10,000 feet!
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The Great Curassow is a large, pheasant-like bird that resides in the rain forests of Mexico and Central America.
This bird can reach an astounding length of 39 inches and can weigh over 15 pounds! The Great Curassow spends most of its time in tree tops and nests at altitudes of up to 98 feet. The bird is very sensitive to human presence and will leave the area at the slightest indication of people.
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This river kingfisher is distributed in Africa throughout the southern Sahara. They have excellent binocular eyesight and can distinguish between colors, which is rare in all species of bird. The kingfisher feeds by diving into water to catch small fish and worms and it can estimate the depths of water very accurately. While underwater, the bird's eyes are covered with special protective skin that allow it to see.
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This very large and presuming bird is common in the Malay peninsula, in the areas of Sumatra and Borneo between Malaysia and Indonesia. They are the largest of the 'rhino' birds in Asia, with beaks made of pure bone that constitute up top 10 percent of their weight. The helmet on their beaks are unfortunately collected as material for handicrafts, despite the fact that they are considered 'near threatened' by most major nature authorities. They have a very unusual birdsong that resembles musical laughter.
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The Hoatzin is another pheasant-sized bird found in the swamps, mangroves and forests of the Amazon in South America.

They are also known as 'stinkbirds' because they spend most of their time lounging on branches digesting their food. These birds have two claws on each of their wings, which they use for climbing trees and catching prey.
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The Indian (or Sri Lankan) Frogmouth lives in India and Sri Lanka in the depths of the tropical forests. The bird is known for its ability to blend into its surroundings and has remarkable camouflage abilities. This kind of bird is called a 'frogmouth' because it has a very wide mouth and feeds on small insects, animals and frogs.
11. Ribbon-Tailed Astrapia
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Sometimes called the black bird of paradise, the Ribbon- tailed Astrapia's existence was discovered in 1939 when  
researchers spotted its unusually thin and long tail feathers on the hat of an aborigine of New Guinea. The length of their tail feathers can reach up to 39 inches and are always white in males, posing a strong contrast against their velvet black bodies and olive green/turquoise frontal plumage. Because the species is hunted for its feathers, it is considered 'near
threatened' by the nature specialists.
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The Umbrella bird can be found in very limited areas of Western Columbia and Ecuador and reaches an impressive size of about 20 inches, making it easy prey for hunters. Males have an unusual 14-inch throat sack covered in feathers that resemble scales. During the mating period, the sack is inflated to attract females with a low cry that sounds similar to a growl and bleat. They are also considered a 'vulnerable' species by conservation specialists.
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The Long-Tailed Widowbird is a common species in the savannahs and plains of South Africa. Males have a very long tail feathers that reach a length of about 20 inches (half a meter). During flight, they spread their plumage to attract females.

The birds are polygamous, and on average there are about five females per family group.
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Common to southwest New Guinea and the Aru Islands of Indonesia, the Greater Bird of Paradise is an extraordinary bird that is also known as the 'legless bird-of-paradise'. This is because in the 18th and 19th centuries, their skin were set to Europe without legs, leading to the misconception that the birds were visitors from paradise that never touched the earth until their death. Fortunately, the bird is protected today and is ranked as 'least concern' by conservation agencies.
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This fabulous bird can only be found in south west Asia, in Russia's Far East during the summer and China and Japan in the winter. The bird is a fast, maneuverable flyer that takes off almost vertically. This kind of duck rarely dives, and usually these ducks perch on tree branches or relax on rocks. This special bird is highly respected and prized in Asia society.

The amazing facts which we do not know



Glass takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!
 
Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years.
 
Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.
 
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
 
Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals.
 
Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.
 
The song, Auld Lang Syne, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year.
 
Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent.
 
Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn't smoke unless it's heated above 450F.
 
The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
 
Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean.
 
The banana cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man.
 
Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.
 
The University of Alaska spans four time zones.
 
The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.
 
In ancient Greece , tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.
 
Warner Communications paid $28 million for the copyright to the song Happy Birthday.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
 
A comet's tail always points away from the sun.
 
The Swine Flu vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent.
 
Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines.
 
The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.
 
If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.
 
When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight.
 
In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.
 
Strawberries are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.
 
Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.
 
The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year.
 
The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.
 
Due to earth's gravity it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters.
 
Mickey Mouse is known as "Topolino" in Italy .
 
Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.
 
Everything weighs one percent less at the equator.
 
For every extra kilogram carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off.
 
The letter J does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements.