The symbol of absolute freedom is best depicted by none other than the loving, feathery, colourful creatures- Birds. Known particularly for their flying ability, these pretty creatures’ take up their flight high, matching up to the great skies. Here are some interesting facts about birds that would make you wanna fly.
1. The Oldest Bird was discovered during Jurassic period
The oldest bird ever known to humans lived about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. Known as Archaeopteryx, this magnificent bird was a size of Raven.
2. The Lovey-Dovey birds
Birds like dove, parakeets and lovebirds which are kept as pets love to stay in pairs for companionship. On the other hand flamingos pair for a lifetime and some of them stay with their mates for more than 50 years.
3. Birds are last surviving lineage of Dinosaurs
Scientists have believed that birds have evolved from theropod dinosaurs. This is just amazing, don’t you think?
4. Complicated and Efficient lungs
Birds are supposed to have complicated and efficient pair of lungs and take up more space than humans or any other mammals.
5. Birds are everywhere
There are nearly 10,000 different bird species making them most widespread creatures around the world. Scientists group them into 30 categories.
6. Roadrunner is Real
As kids we all loved watching Road Runner and Wile E Coyote. Well our beloved cartoon character of Roadrunner is a real bird found in deserts of Southwest America. They can hardly fly but surely know how to run.
7. Smarty Pants
Some birds like weaver and crows are so smart that they can make and use tools. It is found out that crows have largest cerebral hemispheres (brains), relative to body size.
8. Bird’s heart doesn’t skip a beat
The heart of bird beats 400 times per minute while resting and up to 1000 beats per minute while flying.
9. Female birds are choosy in finding their mate
It was known that the male birds tend to have more glamorous feather shape, coronation and sing and dance. The females choose their mate on the basis of their looks and how attractive they look. Well nothing new there!
10. Birds have hollow bones
Well for all those who thought birds have no bones, well they do have bones, but hollow ones. Hollow bones help them to fly.
11. Migrate for thousands of miles
Many birds fly thousands of miles when they migrate without stopping. Many birds migrate to higher altitudes to breed during spring and summer season.
12. The smallest bird can fly backwards
Hummingbird being the smallest bird which measures around 5 cm and weighs 3 grams can fly backwards.
13. Not all birds can fly
Birds, which are mainly characterized for their flying also constitutes few kinds which don’t really fly. They include Ostrich, Penguins and dodo birds.
14. Birds eat too much
Most of the birds eat twice their body weight in food every day. It is because the flying takes away lot of their energy.
15. Chicken is most common bird species found worldwide
It was known that chickens are the most widespread species of birds. There are more chickens than any other birds in whole world.
16. Whale hunting gulls
Do you remember Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “The Birds”. Well off Argentina Kelp Gulls are more than living up to their scary depiction in the movie. We think of Seagulls as a fish eating species but these Kelp Gulls are targeting Giant Whales which are 50 feet in length.
17. The chatter box
Yes! parrots are talkative but the African gray parrot is the most talkative bird in the world. It could learn over 800 words, where most of the species of parrots can say only 50.
18. The Unrealistic Truce Between Alligators And Herons
Wetland vegetation grows rapidly in the open water of the highly productive wetland environments. Alligator foraging activity creates open pools by crushing this vegetation. As a result, fish can be easily captured in these pools, which contributes to the foraging needs of herons. Alligators do take some young herons as prey on occasion, when the latter fall from their nests. However, it is thought that the alligators’ presence benefits the herons enough to outweigh the costs.
19. Osprey’s Fish Transportation Tactics
Osprey plunges into the water and seizes rather large fish in its specially padded, extra-long, “grip assist” piercing talons before flying off to a perch. Anyone can get struck by how perfectly aligned the fish is when carried: Ospreys resemble an airplane with a bomb or fuel tank in profile.
In fact, ospreys almost always carry fish parallel to their bodies to improve aerodynamics and in-flight handling, despite the handicap of the heavy and awkward load. Unlike most birds, the osprey has a reversible outer toe, which allows the bird to carry prey with two toes facing forward and two facing backward. This makes aerodynamic carrying a lot easier.
20. Blue T*ts Steal Milk
In certain UK towns, blue t*ts developed a novel feeding strategy at the expense of humans. Following milk delivery people, blue t*ts puncture the foil lids with their bills before extracting small amounts of milk from the bottles filled nearly to the top.
Although the amount of milk taken is minuscule, serious contamination can easily result.
