Which is the heaviest flying bird in the world?


       Some say the males of the great bustard are possibly the heaviest flying birds. An adult male is 90 to 105 centimetres tall. The bird typically weighs about 7 kilograms; however, a male bird can weigh up to 18 kilograms!



       Their breeding takes place in open grasslands and farmlands of southern and central Europe and across temperate Asia. While the great bustards in Europe do not migrate from one region to another, their Asian counterparts move farther south in winter.



       These birds are considered vulnerable, as their population is rapidly decreasing. In fact, the bird became extinct in Great Britain.



       The last bird of the country was reportedly shot dead in 1832. Another 60 per cent of its population is found in Portugal and Spain. These birds are omnivorous, relishing different foods in different seasons.



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What makes greater flamingos distinct from the others?


        The greater flamingo is one among the most easily distinguishable birds on account of its intense colouration.



       Other than their characteristic pink colour, the most striking aspect of the bird is its unusual bill. While the bill is short and straight in young birds, it becomes hooked as the bird mature. They are very sociable birds and from breeding colonies of many thousands of individuals. They construct their nests with mud.



      The largest species in the flamingo family, the greater flamingo is found in Africa, India, the Middle East, and southern Europe. Greater flamingos have a height of 1.1 to 1.5 metres. They can weigh up to 3.4 kilograms. The largest male flamingo has been recorded to have a height of 187 cm and weighed 4.5 kg.



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What makes the crimson chat unique?


       A crimson chat can fake an injury to distract a predator such as cat, snake or fox from discovering its nest and eggs. With crimson colour all over its body, it looks as if someone had sprayed a red pichku while celebrating holi. It is small bird with a short bill that curves downwards. It is usually 10 to 13 centimetres in length and 10 to 11 grams in weight. The crimson chat is also known as the tri-coloured chat, saltbush canary, and crimson-breasted nun. Endemic to Australia, they feed on the ground. Their diet consists mostly of insects.



        Both males and females help in the building of the nest which is in the shape of a cup. They are usually located close to ground. The female bird lays 2 to 5 pink and white eggs, with brown-red-spots.



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Where does the burrowing owl nest?


      A burrowing owl’s name comes  from its nesting habits. The burrowing owl is a small owl, commonly found in the grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other pen dry areas with low vegetation in North and South America. One of their distinctive features is their long legs that were developed because of their living in open grasslands. Their legs help them to sprint as well as fly while hunting.



      They nest and roost in burrows, excavated by prairie dogs. While other owls are comfortable getting out during the night, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the midday heat. Their hunting usually take place from dusk to dawn. They measure 19 to 28 centimetres in length and have a wingspan of 50 to 61 centimetres. They weigh between 140 and 240 grams.



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What makes the blue-footed booby distinct?


       A bird with ordinary white and brown feathers becomes distinct because of its blue feet. Their name booby is derived from ’bobo’ the Spanish word for stupid. These birds re popularly considered stupid because they are quite fearless of Man and do run away there is an enemy nearby. However, they can fly very well and are capable of swimming underwater in search of prey.



       These birds usually lay one to three eggs at a time. Unlike many other species, these birds wait for the last egg to be laid to start incubation. This phenomenon is known as asynchronous hatching. This practice helps all the eggs to hatch together. When chicks hatch together, there will be fight for food among them. Such fights may even lead to killing each other. For scientists, the blue-footed nobody is an important model for studying parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry.



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Which is the smallest bird in the world?


          Hummingbirds are very small birds. The bee hummingbird is the smallest among them. As their name suggests, they are almost the size of a bee. The male may weigh about 1.95 grams! Now, compare the bee hummingbird with an ostrich that weighs about 145 kg.



          Hummingbirds are swift, flitting through the air like a flash. They are generally found in Cuba and the Isle of Pines. The nectar form flower is their main food. However, they also prey on insects occasionally. The colouration of the bird is so brilliant that its iridescence makes it look like a tiny jewel. A lot of research is being done in determining the movement of the bird; for now, we do not know much about it. Ornithologists consider the birds sedentary, as they seem to spend a long time in one place.



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Why the angel tern is called so?


       The angle tern, also known as white tern, fairy tern and white noddy, is an all-white bird. The eyes of the bird are black which gives the bird another worldly appearance.



       The bird is found across the Pacific Ocean from the coasts of Chile and Colombia to New Zealand from china to India, the islands of the Indian ocean and the coast of South Africa. And wherever it stays, it chooses to stay in places with perfect sunshine and coral beaches. However, the bird is occasionally found in Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, and on some islands in the Atlantic Ocean.



       It feeds on ordinary fish and squid. It procures them by swooping down and snatching them from the water surface. The white tern has a wingspan between 76 and 87 centimetres and a long black bill. It was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Andres Sparrman in 1786.



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Can the pheasant-tailed jacana walk over water?


       Have you heard stories of fairies that fly or can talk on water? These imaginary beings were probably conjured up after man had sighted some exquisite birds like the pheasant-tailed jacana.



       The pleasant-tailed jacana has long pheasant-like tail feathers, which, incidentally give it its name. They are water bids and spend considerable time in water, looking for food. They have long legs with stretched-out toes and claws. These features enable the bird of defy gravity and walk through the leaves of water lilies. In facts, the leaves would submerge in water due to the weight of the bird and the onlooker gets an illusion that the bird is trotting on water. Due to this, the bird is sometimes called ‘fairy walking over water’.



       The pheasant-tailed jacana is a shy bird. It loves to spend time in undisturbed ponds where there is abundant vegetation, such as lotus and water hyacinth.



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What makes the vermilion flycatcher attractive?


       The vermilion flycatcher is a small bird popular among birders. The colour of the bird is predominantly vermilion, from which it derives its name. The bird is also known as the common vermilion flycatcher.



      Its vibrant colour has made the bird a favourite of pet owners. The male birds tend to lose their colouration when they are in cages or in confinement.



      The vermilion flycatcher is probably the most distinctive of the flycatchers on account of its vivid plumage.



       The bird tends to remain perched on an exposed branch for long periods, making short flights in order to catch passing insects.



       Sometimes, the bird re-sorts to eating little fish too! This little bird measures about 13 to 14 centimetres in length and weighs about 11 to 14 grams.    



Pink



       The flamingos have pink colour because of the beta-carotene in their crustacean and plankton diet.   



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Can the southern cassowary kill humans?


       Do you know that some birds can kill humans? Of course, we are not talking about birds from the Jurassic Era! The southern cassowary is probably the world’s most physical dangerous bird. In fact, it has killed many humans with its blade-like claws when provoked.



      The southern cassowary is a black flightless bird. They are tall birds, and can reach about the height of an average human being. They are very secretive; they do not come out of their habitat unlike other flightless birds such as emus and ostriches. They like to live a solitary life and avoid human contact. It is perhaps the largest member of the cassowary family and is considered as the second heaviest bird on earth, its maximum weight estimated as being 8 kg. They are found in Indonesia, New Guinea and northeastern Australia.



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Why the greater sage-grouse is named so?


       Found in North America, grouses are a group of birds that resemble chickens. The greater sage-grouse is also known as sage-hen its name derives from Sagebrush Country in the western United States., where it is commonly found. The bird has sacs on its neck that can inflate during courtship.



       A full grown greater sage-grouse has a long, pointed tail and legs with feathers that reach the toes. The male has a yellow patch over each eye, a greyish crest and a white breast. It has a dark brown throat and a black belly. These birds love to stay idle.



       The greater sage-grouse is in decline due to loss of habitat. The bird is recognized as threatened or near threatened by several national and international organizations.



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Why is the red-crested turaco special?


       Red-crested turacos are sometimes considered as pests because they cause considerable damage by destroying crops in cultivated areas. However, they do a great service to nature by dispersing seeds.



       Its calls are peculiar as we may mistake them to be the calls of a jungle monkey. The red-crested turaco is a beautiful medium-sized bird, found only in Angola. The bird has a characteristic red and green pigmentation, typical of the genus. The red-crested turaco weighs between 210 and 325 grams and is 45 to 50 centimetres long.



       Other bigger birds and animals like the African goshawk, blue monkeys and snakes prey on them. Deforestation and other human activities also pose a threat to this species. However, these birds are relatively safe as they are preserved in captivity.



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Is the Nicobar Pigeon a relative of the extinct dodo?


      The Nicobar Pigeon is probably the most beautiful among pigeon species. And yes, it is the closest living relative of the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire, two birds that went extinct due to human intervention. The Nicobar Pigeon is slightly larger than other pigeons with a length of 40 centimetres. It is a noisy bird which repeatedly makes a low-pitched call. It is commonly found in the Islands of Nicobar, southwest peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Palau.



      However, their numbers are declined due to human intervention. They are captured to be kept as pets and hunted down for food. 



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Why is the common flameback special?


       The common flameback is a medium sized woodpecker generally found in the hilly areas of the Western Ghats and North-east India. Their back is beautifully golden, with the lower back being red in colour.



      The crown of a male common flameback is bright red while females have a black crown. Its nape has black and white stripes and the tail is completely black. Its bill is comparatively small. It has only three toes on its feet and it is also called the common goldenback.



      The common flameback chooses to live in dry forests, moist lowlands, and mangrove cultivation in the tropical or subtropical regions. They make tree-holes and build nests in them.



      These birds are very common in India and other south East Asian countries.



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Why is the lesser bird-of-paradise is called so?


       These birds are so unimaginably charming that one would wonder if they were from paradise! Medium-sized birds with a length up to 32 centimetres, the males of this species have an emerald-green throat and a pair of long tail-wires. The lesser birds-of-paradise are adorned with ornamental flank plumes which are deep yellow at their base and fade outwards into white.



       These birds are abundantly found across the forests of northern New Guinea and 0- nearby islands of Misool and Yapen. The lesser birds-of-paradise do not migrate and prefer to stay where they are comfortable. They are evaluated as animals with least concern of extinction in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The bird is depicted on the flag of Papua New Guinea.



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