Birds

BIRDS
Bird - Vertebrate - Omnivore

GREEN PARROTS

NEW ZEALAND KEA

THE SIX-WIRED BIRD OF PARADISE, thought to be extinct until rediscovered in 2006 in the Indonesian jungle

BIRDS
For the following birds, click on the button below ...

Auks

Emus

Geese

Owls

Swans

Hawks

Ducks

Jays

Wrens

General:

Male: Cock

Female: Hen

Young: Chick

Bockwhite Quails:

Male: Bob

Female: Betty

Young: Chick

Cranes:

Male: Crane

Female: Crane

Young: Chick, Colt

Doves:

Male: Cock

Female: Hen

Young: Chick, Squal

Ducks:

Male: Duck

Female: Duck, Hen

Young: Duckling

Eagles:

Male: Eagle

Female: Eagle

Young: Eaglet, Fledgling

Falcons - Hawks:

Male: Tierce, Tercel

Female: Falcon

Young: Eyas

Gulls:

Male: Cock

Female: Hen

Young: Chick, Scorrie

Guinea Fowl:

Male: Cock

Female: Hen

Young: Chick

Owls

Male: Owl

Female: Owl

Young: Fledgling, Owlet

Patridge:

Male: Cock

Female: Hen, Chantelle

Young: Chick

Peacocks:

Male: Peacock

Female: Peahen

Young: Peachick

Puffins:

Male: Puffin

Female: Puffin

Young: Pufflings

Quelea:

Male: Cock

Female: Hen

Young: Chick

Turkeys:

Male: Torn, Gobbler, Slag, Jake

Female: Hen

Young: Poult

BIRDS . Omithophobia is the fear of birds.

Are warm blooded, like mammals.
Can be found everywhere in the world, including Antarctica.
Live in trees, on the ground, in forests and in the deserts.
Most eat twice their body weight each day.
Eat plants and insects. Some eat only fish (kingfishers), whilst others eat only seeds and fruit (parrots).
Usually sleep standing up, unless in a nest.
Will tuck its head under its wing to sleep.
Walk, if they are mainly ground birds.
Hop, is they are mainly tree birds.
Can drink salt water.
Can recognise landmarks.
Cannot burp.
Keep their nests clean by eating their chicks' poo
Urban birds have learned to line their nests with cigarette butts. Nicotine is a powerful insecticide that wards off mites, lice and fleas.

The remains of birds hit by aeroplanes are known as 'snare'.

The fastest known muscle in nature is found in the throats of songbirds.
There are 40 different muscle in a bird's wing.
The Antpitta Avis Canis Ridgley bird barks like a dog
Some birds use ants to clean their feathers, as the ants squirt formic acid which kills parasites.
Birds can recognise landmarks .
Birds practise their songs quietly in private before they perform them in public.
Birds are immune to the heat of chilli peppers.
Before chicks hatch, they communicate with each other and their mother through a system of sounds.
Baby birds growing up without a father present, will never learn to sing properly.

Budgerigar

The bird with the largest vocabulary was Puck the Budgie, who died in 1998. He knew 1,728 words (the same as a 4 year old child).

Buzzards

Buzzards can see small rodents from a height of 15,000 ft.

Crows

Five years of research at the University of Washington has shown that crows can remember faces - especially those who pose a threat to them. They also invite other crows to join them to take revenge upon their attackers.
Crows can remember individual human faces for year after an encounter.
If in danger, its friends will come and offer support.
Love playing tricks on one another.

Eagles

The Bald Eagle became America's national symbol when it was placed on the great sealing in 1782. One member of Congress, Benjamin Franklin, did not support the Bald Eagle selection. He thought that they should have selected a more uniquely American bird, such as the Turkey.

Falcons

The fastest flying bird is the Peregrine Falcon, flying at a speed of between 168-217 miles per hour.

Flamingoes

Flamingoes are naturally white in colour - their diet of brine shrimp and algae turns them pink.
Because of their uniquely shaped beaks, flamingos turn their heads upside down to find food and water.

Hornbills

Known fo their remarkable beaks - large, curved beaks with a casque on top (an enlargement of bones of the upper mandible or the skill - either on the front of the face, or the top of the head, or both), which ishollow and varies in shape and size.
The beaks help them find food, attract mates and amplify their calls.

Hummingbirds

Are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Their wings can beat at up to 80 times per second.

Jays

Blue Jays mimic the call of a Hawk in order to scare away other birds.

Keas

Was featured on the reverse side of the New Zealand $10 note between 1967 - 1992.
The youngest section of the New Zealand Scouts (known as Beavers in the UK) are known as Keas.
Keas usually play alone by tossing an object using their beaks or their feet.

Kingfishers

Are very skilled fisherman.
Have lovely fibrant colours - shades of blue, orange and green.
Are excellent divers and hunters, capable of plunging into water to catch fish with their sharp teeth.

Kiwis

Kiwis are the only known birds to have nostrils at the tip of their beak.
Kiwi eggs are a quarter of the size of the female's body - so large that eating and breathing is difficult.

Penguins