My Science School

        The takahe was once thought to be extinct. By 1898, ornithologists had come to the conclusion that the last bird had died due to introduced predators and grazing animals. However, in 1948, a small Population of the bird was discovered in a remote valley in New Zealand.

       The takahe bird is also known as the South Island takahe or notornis. It is a flightless bird, endemic to New Zealand. The Colour of the bird is mainly purple-blue with a greenish tinge on its back and inner wings. It has a broad and powerful bill. Its length is about 63 centimetres and weighs about 2.7 kilograms. Today the species is under Close watch and is managed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Picture Credit : Google

       Commonly spotted India, the Himalayan monal is the national bird of Nepal.

       The bird has a blue back and green neck. It has other colours too, such as orange and yellow, all shining in metallic splendour.

       The male bird of the Himalayan monal is about 70 centimetres long. The female tends to be shorter in length. Their plumage is not as brilliant as the males; they are streaky brown in appearance.

       As their name suggests these birds are found in the Himalayas especially in the open forests and meadows. They can live in high altitudes even up a height of 4500 metres. They are well adapted to the cold climate and snow.

       Their legs are equipped to dig into the ground through snow. They eat roots, seeds, berries, shoots and invertebrates.

Picture Credit : Google

        A reticent and shy bird, the Narina trogon spends much of its time perching motionless in an upright position amongst high branches of trees. They are found in pairs. They relish insects, particularly caterpillars. They usually snatch their prey from a branch and return to their perch to eat.

      It does not socialize much with other birds. The bird is sometimes so absorbed in itself that when it is disturbed, it might just turn around to conceal its crimson belly. Largely green and red in colour, the Narina trogon is a medium-sized bird found across Africa. It is considered of least conservation concern as it is found in abundance.

Picture Credit : Google

       Many birds perform important functions that help to sustain life on earth. The green broadbill is one such bird. It plays an important role in the ecosystem by disseminating seeds in its droppings.

       The green broadbill is a small green bird with three black bars on each wing. The bird tends to remain camouflaged in the green canopy of trees. It prefers to inhabit dense rainforests.

       The bird comes down to the lower branches for foraging. Although they eat insects and worms, their diet primarily consists of soft fruits such as figs and other vegetation.

       Also known as the lesser green broadbill, it is distributes in broadleaved evergreen forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula where it frequents lowland and lower Montana rainforests.

Picture Credit : Google

        The cockatiel is a prized pet throughout the world. The bird belongs to the cockatoo family Endemic to Australia; they prefer to live in wetlands, scrublands and bush lands.

       Cockatiels are easy to breed. Therefore, their popularity among pet owners is only second to that of the budgerigar birds, otherwise known as lovebirds. These birds have a distinct erectile crest; experts say that the crest can express the bird's emotional state. When the bird is startled or excited, the crest goes dramatically vertical.

       The long tail feathers of the bird measure up to half the length of its body. The cockatiel is the smallest among the cockatoos with a maximum length of about 33 centimetres.

Picture Credit : Google

       The western capercaillie is the largest bird of the grouse family. The bird is also known as the wood grouse, heather cock or just capercaillie. It is a non-migratory sedentary bird found across northern parts of Europe and western and central Asia. They are usually found in coniferous forests.

       The males of the species have distinct physical features. A male bird typically ranges from 74 to 85 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 90 to 125 centimetres. They have an average weight of about 4.1 kilograms. They have a range of colours on the plumage such as black, brown, green and grey. On the other hand, the female is much smaller, almost half the weight of a male.

       The western capercaillie is common and falls in the category of ‘least concern’.

 

Picture Credit : Google

       Animals help each other in various ways. The cattle egret lives close to cattle and feeds on their Parasites. You may have seen one perching on the back of a cow or a buffalo. Due to its habit of following cattle and other large animals, the bird has several names such as cow crane, cow bird, and elephant bird or rhinoceros egret. Cattle egrets are often found close to water, or in marshy areas. However, the bird is not very fond of water and feeds from the ground.

      The bird's diet includes worms, spiders, crickets, and moths. It is sociable and feeds in large flocks and roosts in large colonies often alongside other heron species. The bird has the ability to adapt to its surroundings quickly; this quality has helped it to expand its population in the entire world.

Picture Credit : Google

 

       One of the best-known birds of prey, the golden eagle is a large raptor with a length of about 102 centimetres and a wingspan of 2.35 metres! It tends to hunt in rugged, isolated areas.

      The golden eagle is a skillful diver in the air. It can swoop down on to its prey at speeds of up to 320 km/h. The bird skillfully combines its agility and speed with its powerful feet and sharp talons to snatch its prey. Sometimes, it hunts close to the ground.

       The golden eagle builds large nests in cliffs or peaks of mountains, which are used for many years. The bird is highly sought-after in falconry. In some indigenous tribal cultures, it is bestowed divine powers and is regarded with great mystic reverence.

Picture Credit : Google

        Some birds are skilled artisans. They can model, build or weave their homes with an exquisite aesthetic sense, just like humans.

       Weaver birds, as their name suggests, can weave large and elaborate nests in great style! There are many species in the weaver family and all of them are adapt at weaving.

       The village weaver bird probably makes the most spectacular nests. Their nests are made of grass and twigs all clustered in trees. The nests are oval or pear-shaped, with a long tubular entrance below. They are generally found suspended near the tips of branches in thorny trees, deterring most predators including snakes.

       The weaver birds are commonly found in open or semi-open habitats, including woodland and human habitation.

       They form large noisy colonies in towns, and villages. Their diet consists of seeds and grain. They are often treated as pests in farmlands.

Picture Credit : Google

       The saffron finch is not saffron in colour. It is a medium-sized yellow bird with an orange face which distinguishes it from other finches. It is fairly common in the open and semi-open lowland areas of South America.

       The saffron finch is a melodious singer; its repetitious song has made it a highly sought after pet. The bird prefers to nest in cavities, found in rocks and cliffs. It sometimes makes use of abandoned nests of other birds or branches of trees or bamboos close to houses. They are not too scared of human presence. Therefore, they are found in suburban areas and are classified as of 'least concern'.

Picture Credit : Google

       The population of the Bali myna is under 100 and the species is classified as critically endangered.

       When the Bali myna is soaring in the sky, it looks like an artist's white brush stroke that has come to life! A medium sized bird with a length up to 25 centimetres, it is found only in Bali where it inhabits the woodlands and savannahs.

       The Bali myna is sometimes called Rothschild's myna from Lord Rothschild, the British ornithologist, who discovered the bird in 1912. It is also known as Bali starling and jalak Bali. Its diet consists of invertebrates such as caterpillars, termites, ants, as well as seeds and fruit.

Picture Credit : Google

       The Asian fairy-bluebird looks like a fairy. It is a medium-sized bird about 24 to 27 centimetres long. It feeds on fruits, nectar and some insects.

      The Asian fairy-blue-bird lives in the rainforests. It forages mostly in the green canopy of trees. It has a particular affinity for figs, insects, spiders and nectar.

       Generally seen in pairs or small flocks, they sometimes gather in large numbers when fruits or flowers are abundant.

       The male has a glossy, iridescent blue and black back. The tail feathers too are black. The female, on the other hand, does not have such prominent features. Their nest, which is made of twigs and straw, is roughly shaped like a cup.

Picture Credit : Google

     

  The great hornbill has a striking plumage and an imposing bill. Its bill is large and has a huge bony casque over the forehead.

      With a vulture-like appearance in flight, the bird flies powerfully and steadily over the forests canopy in pairs or small groups. Sometimes, the bird is seen hopping around among the branches as it forages for food.

      The great hornbill is also known as the great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill. It has broad wings and a wide tail. Its impressive appearance has given it a cult status among the people if India.

       The bird has a length of about 130 centimetres and a wingspan of 152 centimetres. It weighs about 4 kilograms.

       It likes to feed on a variety of food, such as fruits and seeds, large insects, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals.

Picture Credit : Google

 

       The evening grosbeaks are social birds. They are usually found in flocks, especially in winter. Their diet varies according to seasons. They forage on treetops for insect larvae during the summer, buds in spring, and seeds, berries and small fruits in winter. They build their nests on horizontal branches or in the fork of a tree. They prefer to breed in coniferous and mixed forests across Canada and the western mountainous areas of the United States and Mexico.

        The evening grosbeak is a finch. It is bulky and heavy built with a large bill and short tail. The bird has a thick neck and full chest. The length of the bird comes to about 22 centimetres and it has a wingspan of about 35 centimetres.

Picture Credit : Google

       The marvellous spatula tail is a hummingbird with blue crest feathers, a brilliant turquoise gorget and black line on its breast. The bird is unique because it has only four features in tail. The male bird has two long racquet-shaped outer tail feathers that cross each other.

       The bird can move them independently.

      The marvellous spatula tail is about 15 centimetres in length and has a range of colours on its plumage. It is endemic to Peru. The species is found on the edges of forests of the Rio Utcubamba region. The renowned ornithologist Andrew Matthews reported about the bird for the first time in 1835. The bird is an endangered species today.

Picture Credit : Google