My Science School

       Some birds are distinct due to size. Gyrfalcon is a bird of prey that belongs to the falcon species and is the largest among falcons.

       Though the bird is big, its size varies from region to region. Gyrfalcons in continental Europe are smaller than those in Iceland and Greenland. It feeds on the ptarmigan and waterfowl, which it may take in flight. A skilled diver in the air, a gyrfalcon catching its prey is a sight to watch. The bird is commonly found on Arctic coasts and tundra, and the islands of northern North America, Europe, and Asia.

       Gyrfalcons are falconers’ favorites’. They have been caught and trained by Man from 600 AD onwards. They have been traded as prized treasures throughout the ages. In the 18th century alone, more than 4800 gyrfalcons were exported from Iceland, just to name one country!

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       Juncos are a pretty widespread species and they are also known as snowbirds. Small in size and light in weight, these birds are brown and green in colour. Their plumage helps them to hide in bushes and forests.

      The name, junco, comes from the Spanish term for the plant genus, Juncos, which means rushes that resemblance long grass. However, these birds are seldom found among rush plants as these plants prefer wet ground, while juncos like dry soil. They like to forage on the ground.

      They search for food in flocks in winter they feed mainly on insects and seeds.

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       The bold pattern and colours design of the plumage makes the Gouldian finch a piece of art.

       The species was first discovered by the English naturalist and explorer John Gould in 1844. He named the bird in honour of his wife.

      Gouldian finches acquire a length of 125-140 mm and their crowns may be red, yellow low or black.

       They feed primarily on seeds like other finches. An average Gouldian finch eats almost four grams of food a day, which is 30% of their body weight.

       It inhabits grasslands, scrubs and open woodlands in Australia, usually close to water where it forages in large flocks which it often number several hundred birds.

       The number of Gouldian finches is dwindling mainly due to poaching. This species also suffers high rates of predation. Nowadays, it is hard to find them. They are bred in captivity and probably, that is the only way to preserve the species. Gouldian finches are classified as endangered.

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          Have you heard of the famous poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ by Coleridge and the curse of the Albatross? An albatross is a large seabird found commonly in live Southern Ocean and the North pacific. There’s another bird which looks like an albatross – the southern giant petrel.

          The southern giant petrel is also known as Antarctic giant petrel, giant fulmar, stinker and stinkpot. People often confuse this bird with the albatross for its large size and habit of following ships. Unlike an albatross, the bird has shorter wings and looks hunchbacked while flying. It also likes to feed on shorelines where it scavengers for carrion such as carcasses of penguins and seals. The bird attacks smaller birds, particularly chicks and hunts at sea for fish and squid. It is a large bird with a length between 86 to 100 centimetres and a wingspan of 185 to 205 centimetres.

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          The Bohemian waxwing is a medium sized bird. Measuring between 19 and 23 centimetres in length, the bird has a wingspan of 32 to 35 centimetres.

          The bird is commonly found in the northern forests of Europe, Asia and North America. It is a passerine bird, meaning a perching bird that has a very distinct arrangement of toes, enabling it to sit comfortably on tree twigs.

          The bird likes to build its home in coniferous forests, usually near water. Although the movements of the bird are not predictable, a Bohemian waxwing has the ability to travel considerable distances to wintering areas.

          They live on berries and fruits. They have a particular linking for rowanberries. Their population is large; and therefore, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies them as being of least concern.

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          The blue-and-yellow macaws are popular pets. People are interested in them primarily due to their striking colours. These birds love to bond with humans too. Parrots are unique in terms of their behavioural features and appearance.

         Some species are of vibrant colours. Bright red, yellow, blue and green are abundantly splashed on their bodies!

          Macaws are the giants of the parrot world. The blue-and-yellow macaw, also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot. It has a blue back, a light orange breast and a green crown.

          They can reach a length of 76 to 86 centimetres and weigh0.900 to 1.5 kilograms. This bird, in fact, is one of the biggest species of the family.

          Generally, the blue-and-yellow macaw is found in forests near water bodies. However, they are also found in some deciduous forests far from water, and in savannahs.

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          A capuchin bird’s song is an interesting feature. It is very difficult to describe its odd song accurately. Some say it is akin to the sound of a chainsaw from a distance.

          However, some others have reported that the sound of the bird is like the mooing of a cow and it is thus called ‘calfbird’.

          Some animals and birds get their names from their appearance. Have you seen a Capuchin monk, with a brown cloak and hood? The capuchin bird looks like such as monk!

          Capuchin birds are large birds usually found in humid forests of South America. They prefer to stay deep inside the forest. Adult birds typically weigh between 340 and 420 grams.

          They have the ability to dive from heights to reach for fruits that are otherwise impossible to get.

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          The Egyptian vulture does not look much like a vulture. It has a peculiar feather cover over its head. The adult birds are generally white in colour with a yellow bill and a leathery patch on their faces.

          The young birds are often brown, with a strange combination of white and grey feathers. The Egyptian vultures are silent birds, seen in small groups in the premises of villages and towns. Adding to their shabby image, these birds are commonly seen near garbage dumps which happen to be their usual roosting sites. The search for food would cover large areas, flying high in the air. They can be seen perching on ruins, high roofs and tombs.

          They build nests atop buildings, tall trees or cliffs where the females lay white eggs. These birds can be seen in large numbers throughout India except in the Northeast. They are also common in South-western Europe and North Africa.

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          While there are many beautiful birds in the avian world, there are some that invoke in us fear and repulsion. The Andean condor is one such bird.

          The Andean condor belongs to the vulture family. A South American bird generally found in the Andes Mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, this bird is the largest among flying birds on account of its combined measurements of weight and wingspan. The bird weighs about 15 kilograms and has a maximum wingspan of 3.2 metres! Another characteristic feature of the bird is it; long life span. The average life span of the Andean condor is 50 years!

           It is a scavenger bird, feeding almost exclusively on carrion. However, it occasionally attacks live prey such as small rodents and reptiles, or newborn and dying animals.

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          Generally, ducks are not particularly attractive. How-ever, the Mandarin ducks are strikingly beautiful. One would even wonder if an artist had accidentally dropped his palette over the bird!

           The males have a bushy brown crest and cheek ruffs, large white eye patches, dark neck and back with black and white markings, and greenish flanks. Females, on the other hand, are mainly grey-brown in colour.

          Mandarin ducks are 41-49 centimetres long with a wingspan of 65 to 75 centimetres. Their population was high in East Asia once. However, large-scale exports and the destruction of forest habitat have reduced their population in eastern Russia and China to below 1,000 pairs. These ducks are closely related to the wood ducks of North America. They love wooded watercourses as they spend much of their time perching and nesting in trees. They feed at dawn and dusk.

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          Some birds are very few in number and could be found only in a particular area. The Montserrat oriole survives only in two areas; its population ranges between 200 to 800.

          The Montserrat oriole is endemic to the island of Montserrat in the Lesser Antilles. Its name is derived from the name of the island. It is impossible to find this beautiful bird beyond a small range of about 16 square kilometres.

          The Montserrat oriole is black and yellow in colour. It feeds mainly on fruits and insects. It lays two spotted eggs. The binomial name of the bird is Icterus Oberi, which is derived from Frederick Albion Ober, an American naturalist.

          Both natural calamities and human interventions have adversely affected its habitat. The volcanic activity between 1995 and 1997 and a hurricane called Hurricane Hugo that struck the South East United State adversely affected the bird.

          Deforestation is another reason for the dwindling number of these birds.

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          Have you seen some talented people mimicking other’s voices? Some are exceptionally good at it. In nature, there are some supreme mimics such as the superb lyrebird, an Australian songbird. One of the world, it is also noted for its elaborate tail and exquisite appearance. It can mimic a range of voices. In fact, the bird has the ability to reproduce any sound it happens to hear!

          The bird looks like a large brown pheasant. It has black legs, feet and bill. The colour of the wings is rufous. The males of the species are typically 100 centimetres long and females are about 80 centimetres. They weigh about one kilogram. The species is found only in the south east regions of Australia. However, it has been introduced to Tasmania. It lives on small invertebrates found on the forest floor or in rooting logs.

          They do not move about much, preferring to stay in one place for long. Therefore, they are known as sedentary birds.

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          Puffins are birds with brightly coloured beaks. They live off fish from the open sea; therefore they are known as pelagic birds. The tufted puffin is a medium-sized puffin. Its thick red bill and yellow tufts make it distinct from other members of its family.

          The size of a tufted puffin comes around 35 centimetres in length and three quarters of a kilogram in weight. The bird has the ability to dive into the deep waters and swim through the sea using its wings. It can rapidly swim through schools of small fish by spreading its tail. The webbed feet help it to steer through water.

          They prefer to inhabit islands or cliffs that are relatively inaccessible to predators and high enough so that they can take to the air successfully.

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           The Philippine eagle is a giant forest raptor, found only in Philippines. Once upon a time, the bird was known as the monkey-eating eagle. Do you know why?

            The people who discovered the bird erroneously thought that the eagle fed exclusively on monkeys. However, it was discovered later that the bird’s diet include colugos, large snakes, monitor lizards and even large birds, such as hornbills.

            The bird is considered as one of the three largest and most powerful eagles in the world. Its nest is enormous and is usually built at the top of a tall tree. It is a predator.

            The Philippine eagle is one of the world’s rarest and certainly among the most critically endangered vertebrate species. Incessant deforestation of the Philippine lowlands has confined this glorious bird to hills and mountains. They are hunted down by man, too

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          Splendid colours, unusual plumage and other distinct body features make some birds unique. The Eurasian hoopoe is such a bird. Its appearance is so striking, especially when its crest is up. When the bird files, it shows off its broad, tropical butterfly-like wings. These birds are good at camouflaging too.

          The Eurasian hoopoe is about 25 to 32 centimetres long. Its wingspan comes to about 50centimetres. A medium-sized bird weighs between 46 and 90 grams. The bird feeds mostly on insects. However, small reptiles, frogs and plant matter such as seeds and berries become part of its diet as well.

         The bird is abundantly found in Europe, Asia, North Africa and northern Sub-Saharan Africa. They move from one place to another seasonally, in response to rain, in some regions such as Sri Lanka and India.

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