Birds | Worldwide Animals

Birds

The turkey is a very popular bird, especially around the holiday season. Before sitting down to enjoy that holiday meal, I believe it is appropriate to pay tribute to this splendid bird by discovering some interesting turkey facts. The wild turkey is the only type of poultry native to North America and is the ancestor of the domesticated turkey. Although wild and domesticated turkeys are related, there are some differences between the two. While wild turkeys are capable of flight, domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys typically have dark colored feathers, while domesticated turkeys are commonly bred to have white feathers. Domesticated turkeys are also bred to have large breast muscles. The big breast muscles on these turkeys make it too difficult for mating, so they must be artificially inseminated. Turkeys are a good, low-fat source of protein. They have become an increasingly popular choice of poultry because of their taste and good nutritional value.

The Toco toucan is at home in South America's tropical forests but recognized everywhere. The toucan's oversized, colorful bill has made it one of the world's most popular birds. The 7.5-inch-long (19-centimeter-long) bill may be seen as a desirable mating trait, but if so, it is one that both male and female toucans possess. In fact, both sexes use their bills to catch tasty morsels and pitch them to one another during a mating ritual fruit toss. As a weapon, the bill is a bit more show than substance. It is a honeycomb of bone that actually contains a lot of air. While its size may deter predators, it is of little use in combating them. But the toucan's bill is useful as a feeding tool. The birds use them to reach fruit on branches that are too small to support their weight, and also to skin their pickings. In addition to fruit, Toco toucans eat insects and, sometimes, young birds, eggs, or lizards. Toco toucans live in small flocks of about six birds. Their bright colors actually provide good camouflage in the dappled light of the rain forest canopy. However, the birds commonly keep up a racket of vocalization, which suggests that they are not trying to remain hidden. Toucans nest in tree holes. They usually have two to four eggs each year, which both parents care for. Young toucans do not have a large bill at birth—it grows as they develop and does not become full size for several months. These iconic birds are very popular pets, and many are captured to supply demand for this trade. They are also familiar commercial mascots known for hawking stout, cereal, and other products. Indigenous peoples regard the bird with a more sacred eye; they are traditionally seen as conduits between the worlds of the living and the spirits.

Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants (typically blue and green) known for their iridescent tails. These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird’s total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains. The term "peacock" is commonly used to refer to birds of both sexes. Technically, only males are peacocks. Females are peahens, and together, they are called peafowl. Suitable males may gather harems of several females, each of which will lay three to five eggs. In fact, wild peafowl often roost in forest trees and gather in groups called parties. Peacocks are ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures. There are two familiar peacock species. The blue peacock lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the green peacock is found in Java and Myanmar (Burma). A more distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests. Peafowl such as the blue peacock have been admired by humans and kept as pets for thousands of years. Selective breeding has created some unusual color combinations, but wild birds are themselves bursting with vibrant hues. They can be testy and do not mix well with other domestic birds.

Psittacidae is the family name of the Lovebirds, and their tribe is called Psittaculini, with an Agapornis genus. Currently, there are nine species of Love Birds who mainly come from Africa. However, it was the Europeans who gave them popularity since they wrote about them during visits to Africa. In fact, sources tell us that Lovebirds have been around for over a hundred years. If you recall the movie, “The Birds,” Lovebirds were utilized to either throw off the viewer that they had something to do with the bird attacks, or perhaps they represented good versus the evil surrounding this particular town. In any case, whether you own lovebirds or not, they are well-loved by anyone who is an aviculturist by nature. Their characteristics include an inquisitiveness and playful demeanor, and make wonderful pets especially from infancy. Typically, they are about five inches in length, with a short, thick body.Gain your lovebirds love and trust in several simple steps found in our training methods.Out of the nine species which include: the Madagascar Lovebird, the Red-Faced Lovebird, the Abyssinian Lovebird, the Swindern’s Lovebird, the Peachfaced Lovebird, the Nyasa Lovebird, the Black-Checked Lovebird, the Fischer’s Lovebird, and the Masked Lovebird; only three are kept as pets. They are: The Peachfaced lovebird, The Fischer’s Lovebird, and the Masked Lovebird.

When new birders are learning the bird songs, Northern Mockingbirds can be very annoying! Each bird will sing 10-15 different songs and both the female and the male sing. These rather plain gray birds sing endlessly, even at night. To add more confusion for new birders, Northern Mockingbirds continue to add sounds and songs to their repertory throughout their lives. It has been estimated a male mockingbird may learn about 200 songs and sounds during its life. Because of this musical talent, they were nearly extirpated from parts of the east coast in the early 1900s. People took fledglings and trapped the adults to sell in cities like New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis. In 1928 these talented singers could bring as much as $50.00. The Northern Mockingbird is found in shrubby areas with open grassy spots. Shrubs that form thickets and produce berries are their favorites. You can find Northern Mockingbirds in parkland, cultivated land, suburban areas and in second growth habitat at low elevations. Northern Mockingbirds eat mainly insects in summer but switch to eating mostly fruit in fall and winter. What this means for you is that you must create a backyard bird habitat to attract them to your yard. Start by planting shrubs and hedges that produce fruit and will become quite thick. Try to pick native plants, although mockingbirds will eat ornamental berries. The mockingbirds that clean off the pyracantha berries from our thickets are already establishing territories although the berries are still green.

The Northern Cardinal gets its name from the red robes used by cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals have become increasingly common in northern areas, perhaps as a result of global warming. This adaptable bird breeds and winters in the same place. The northern cardinal is so well loved that it has been named the official bird of no fewer than seven U.S. states. Bright red cardinals are easily identified by even casual bird watchers, and are often seen frequenting backyards and bird feeders. When foraging elsewhere the birds eat insects, seeds, grain, fruit, and sap.

Kingfishers live both in wetlands and woodlands worldwide, feeding mainly on fish but also insects, frogs and crayfish with those kingfisher species that live in the woodlands occasionally eating reptiles, birds and even small mammals. There are three main types of kingfisher around the globe which are the river kingfishers, the tree kingfishers and the water kingfishers all of which have large heads, long sharp pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. The smallest species of kingfisher is the African Dwarf Kingfisher, which gets to an average of 10.4 g in weight and just 10 cm (4 inches) in length. The largest kingfisher species is the Giant Kingfisher, which gets to an average of 355 g (13.5 oz) and grows to 45 cm (18 inches). However, the familiar Australian kingfisher known as the Laughing Kookaburra may be the heaviest known kingfisher species, since large adult Australian kingfishers exceeding 450 g in weight are quite common. Kingfishers nest in tree hollows and holes dug into the ground, which tend to be in river banks or at the sides of lakes. Kingfishers dig small tunnels with their nest at the end, which can range in length depending on the species. The giant kingfisher is known to dig tunnels that are over 8 meters long! Female kingfishers lay up to 10 eggs (although normally less), and both the male and the female kingfishers help to incubate the eggs, which hatch in between 3 and 4 weeks. Kingfishers are well known for their brightly coloured feathers which range in colour from black to red to green. Some species of kingfisher have tufts of feathers on their heads which stick upwards, although many species of kingfishers have smooth, flat feathers covering their bodies. Due to their generally small size, kingfishers have a number ofpredators wherever they exist around the world. The mainpredators of the kingfisher are foxes, raccoons, cats andsnakes, but kingfishers are also preyed upon by other smallmammals and large birds. The eggs of the kingfisher are also preyed upon by many of the kingfisher's predators.