The Basic Information About Sparrow

Sparrow is a brown, chunky bird that is about 15 cm long and very common in human- occupied habitats. A small bird, it has a stout body, rounded wings and broad head. The bib is deep, conical and very well adapted for seed eating. The males have a distinctive black bib, white cheeks, a chestnut mantle around the grey crown and chestnut-colored feathers on the upper wings. The females and the young ones have a plain, dingy-gray breast; a distinct, buffy eye stripe; and a streaked back. Sparrows love to be in gardens with lots of seeds, insects and berries. Unfortunately, their number is fast declining, putting them under the threatened birds list. Here are some interesting facts and amazing information about these small, chunky creatures.

Sparrows are loosely monogamous. Both the female and the male take care of the young ones, though the female does most of the brooding. These birds are aggressive and social, which increases their ability to compete with most native birds. They can swim to escape from predators, although they are not considered to be water birds.

The difference between a male and a female sparrow is that the former has a reddish back and a black bib, whereas the female has brown back with eye stripe.

Sparrow nests are bulky, roofed affairs. They are haphazardly built and without good workmanship, unlike what is displayed by other weaver finches. The nest building is initiated by an unmated male, who begins the construction while displaying it to the females. The females do assist in nest building, but are less active than the male. In cool season, sparrows build specially created roost nests or roost in streetlights, to avoid losing heat during the winter.

Sparrows are generally not territorial, but they are quite aggressive when it comes to protecting their nest from intruders of the same sex. They prefer to live near human dwellings, especially if there are bird feeders. They are generally found in farming areas, cities and suburbs.

Sparrows are around 14-16 cm long. They are chirpy, with grey and brown color. They have the ability to fly at the speed of 38.5 km/hour and can even reach a speed of 50 km/hour. These birds usually nest in cavities, but some may nest in bushes and trees as well. They build untidy nests of grass and assorted rubbish, including wool, feathers and fine vegetative material.

Manmade environments have always been a source of food and shelter for sparrows. They usually nest under the eaves of homes and in holes in the walls of buildings or in climbing plants that grow on walls. Sparrows raise three nests of 3-5 eggs. Both male and female helps to incubate the eggs for 12-15 days. The fledglings usually fly out after 15 days. The population of sparrows has been declining, as there is less food for them, because of fewer gardens. They are now on the threatened birds’ list in many parts of the world.

There Are A few Advices For The New Pet Birds Keeper

There are a few advices for people who are considering purchasing their first pet bird or for people who are new to birdkeeping. There is quite a lot to learn about the proper care of birds and even those of us who have kept birds for years continue to learn new things. There is so much to write about and so little room, so I'll attempt to touch on just a few of the fundamental topics.

First of all, I would recommend buying a few books about bird care and also subscribing to one of the magazines devoted to bird care. You can get the basic knowledge online or buy the related books online. From a breeder's perspective, as much as we all want to sell you our birds, we also want them to go to good homes where they will be well-cared for. Parrots require interaction with their household. Their behavior is a bit different from that of a cat or a dog. Birds are highly social creatures and bonds of trust must be forged for a good relationship between you and your bird.

Birds have the intelligence of a 2 or 3-year old child. They need boundaries and they need an established routine. Many people make the mistake of lavishing hours and hours of attention on a new bird when they first bring it home, only to decrease the time they spend with it when the novelty wears off. This can cause behavioral problems such as feather picking or screaming. It is necessary to spend time with your bird for they have been known to "go crazy" sitting alone in a cage day in and day out. Never underestimate the intelligence of these creatures. Ask yourself how you would react under similar circumstances.

Consistency is the key. If you let your bird out for 45 minutes in the morning, and an hour or several hours each night, then it is best to stick with this routine. Sometimes our birds will watch TV with us or eat a bite of our meal, and other times your bird may be happy just to play on top of his or her cage, on a playgym or on a T-stand. Remember, your 2-year old can get bored easily and will enjoy a change of scenery and a variety of activities.

In the wild, birds wake up at sunrise and usually forage for food soon thereafter. If you are able to do so, it is best to give them their fresh food at this time since they will tend to eat their healthy foods first. Then that food bowl must be removed before bacteria can grow. If you have your birds on a good pelleted diet, the fresh food isn't all that necessary. However, there are many that feel the birds enjoy the various textures and tastes of a varied diet. You will learn more about nutrition and diet from reading and talking to other experienced bird owners like those in your local bird club.

Parrots need toys to chew on. It is an instinctive psychological need for them to play and chew and it also keeps the tips of their beaks dulled. Should you acquire one of the larger parrots, such as a cockatoo or macaw, be aware that you must keep them supplied with wooden toys. Perches can be made from dowel wood or from branches of trees that are non-toxic to parrots. They should be of varying thicknesses in order to prevent foot problems from developing. PVC pipe for perches is not recommended. Yes, it is easier to keep clean and it is indestructible, but it will not make for a contented bird.

Playtime should be fun for both you and your parrot. They love toys or sharing a healthy snack with their owners. Most pet birds love music or the soothing sounds of new age music or natural sounds such as an ocean surf or the calls of songbirds. Amazons are known to be particularly fond of all kinds of music ranging from Aretha Franklin to opera to C&W. Birds enjoy being talked to and some owners even read their pets stories! Which brings us to the fine art of teaching them to talk and training them to do tricks.

Grooming your parrot is also an important part of responsible ownership. Keeping the wings and nails properly clipped can be done by you or by an avian veterinarian. Baths are also very important to the psychological well-being of pet birds. If exposed to baths at an early age, parrots will enjoy this special time with you. Many owners shower with their birds, while some birds prefer to bathe in a dish of water or in a kitchen sink, and still others love to be misted with lukewarm water. The baths are necessary for your bird's skin and feather quality. Feathers will last longer and look prettier while the skin will be less prone to dryness and flakiness. Simply said, the bird will feel better after a good bath.

It is a privilege and joy to own a parrot, but it is also a great responsibility which requires not only a long-term commitment from you but also a willingness on your part to learn all you can about these wonderful creatures. Enjoy your parrots and they will enjoy you. Happy bird keepers keep happy birds.

These Facts About Birds

Birds are the sixth group of animals. They are known for their ability to fly. No other living being then birds and few insects can fly as their natural ability. But not all birds have this ability, some birds, like penguin, ostrich etc are the species of birds because of their build like birds but they cannot fly. Birds know some of the best aerobatics. Humming bird can stay still in the air, eagles can attack on their prey pin point by coming down at great speeds from height. Some more facts about birds are given below.

1. Groups

Birds belong to sixth group of animals and there are further 30 groups of birds. These groups are not subgroups but contain 30 different natures of birds.

2. 9865 species

There are total 9865 species of birds alive today. According to experts, after year 1500, 133 species vanish from earth and there may be more about which we do not know. 1227 species are threatened with extinction and there are 4 species that have gone extinct from wild and only few of them are surviving in captivity.

3. Earliest known bird

The earliest known bird lived in Jurassic period 150 million years ago. The archaeopteryx is the first known bird. Its first fossil was found in 1861 and kept in London. It did not have basic features of flight so experts are uncertain about its flight.

 
4. Evolutionists

The supporters of evolution theory are still confused about the evolution of birds. They are uncertain about the origin of the birds. They believe that birds evolved from a dinosaur named theropods but not all the characteristics of both are similar.

5. Feathers

Feathers are the uniqueness of the birds. No other living being has feathers. The main function of feathers is to help birds fly. The other functions are waterproofing, protection from UV rays and protection from other harmful elements.

6. Not only birds can fly

Other than birds, only one mammal can fly, the bats and insects too can fly but not same as birds.

7. Laying eggs

All birds produce by laying eggs. Their eggs vary in size, too big birds lay big sized eggs while small birds lay small sized eggs. Similarly their nests and the new born are also different in size shape and nature.

8. Seasonal migration

There are many species of the birds that migrate to great distances from the wintering ground. Many species follow similar routes to migrate. These routes are called flyways.

9. Birds do not have teeth

Birds do not have teeth but instead they have bills. These bills are according to the food intake of birds.

10. Ostrich

The largest of all birds is ostrich. Its body has long legs, small head and a heavy body. they are able to run at 45 miles half an hour.

These Basic Knowledge About Woodpeckers

With the mention of woodpecker, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is the long-billed bird that pecks woods rapidly. But, there is more to the pecking ability of this unique bird that separates it from other different types of birds. Here are some interesting facts about woodpeckers.

There are more than 180 species of woodpeckers worldwide, but none of them are found in Australia, Madagascar or New Zealand. A woodpecker's tongue is up to 4 inches long depending on the species, and it wraps around the skull. Many woodpeckers have barbed tongues that help them extract bugs from trees and holes.

Woodpeckers don't get headaches from pecking. Their brains are tightly cushioned and protected. The average life span of a wild woodpecker can last from 4-11 years, depending on the species. The most common plumage colors for all woodpeckers are black, white, red and yellow. A few species also have orange, green, brown, maroon and gold in their coloration.

Most woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet, which means they have toes facing the front and toes facing the back to help them grip trees and poles vertically. They use those toes with their stiff tail feathers to brace on trees as they climb. Woodpeckers eat bugs, sap, fruit, nuts and seeds. In the backyard, they are often attracted to suet feeders or nut feeders.

The two largest woodpeckers in the world are the imperial woodpecker and the ivory-billed woodpecker, but both may be extinct. The largest confirmed woodpecker is the great slaty woodpecker of Southeast Asia, which measures 20 inches long. The piculets are a type of woodpecker found South America and Asia and they are the smallest woodpeckers, measuring only 3-4 inches long depending on the species.

Woodpeckers do not have vocal songs, and instead they drum on resonant objects such as hollow trees and logs, utility poles, chimneys, rain gutters and trash cans. Woodpeckers drum to attract mates, establish territories and otherwise communicate, and both genders are known to drum.

Most woodpeckers have a distinct undulating flight consisting of a few rapid wing beats followed by a quick glide when the wings are tucked against the body rather than spread like many other birds. The greatest threats to woodpeckers include habitat loss through urban development and population sprawl, insecticide use that eliminates food sources and natural disasters such as forest fires that eliminate dead wood for feeding and nesting.

What You Must Know If You Want To Breed A Swan

Before becoming a swan breeder, it is required that you first do your research on swans, specifically raising swans. The Internet has various resources, articles, etc that concentrate on all about swans. It is a great idea to first read and understand those resources before you actually buy swans for sale.

One of the very first things you should know before you even think of breeding or caring for the above mentioned birds is that they need to live in a body of water. Unless you have a pond that's big enough or a lake beside your property, you can't really make yourself into a swan breeder. Before even purchasing these birds, you should take steps to create a pond, or a man-made lake, as having no pond or body of water where swans can live will really make you a failure in raising swans.

Most resources that discuss all about swans will also mention the need for barricades or for fences that can serve as protection for the above mentioned birds. A swan, after all, is a gentle creature, and though it can fight other creatures to protect itself or its family, it won't stand a chance against wolves, foxes, etc, thus before you take home swans for sale, make certain that aside from a lake or a pond, you have built in fences or structures that will keep predators away.

As a swan breeder, you should also ensure that your birds have a place to nest. You should make sure that their habitat has some bushes and trees wherein they can form nests. Remember that these birds lay eggs and if you want to succeed in getting hold of cygnets, in other words, baby swans, when your males and females mate, one of the steps of raising swans is to create areas where nests can be built.

A lot of all about swans books and guides will also teach you that the adult birds will usually be the ones to care and guide their babies. If there's a sick cygnet, however, you'll notice how it is left alone or ignored by its mom and dad. As the owner or swan breeder, you’ll have to be the one to give the cygnet its needs, care for it, feed it, and the like. The parents may seem cruel, but this is a reality that you should know before you even purchase swans for sale.

When raising swans, remember, as well that you have to ensure that your birds will always have clean water to drink, and of course, good food to eat. The usual foods that swans eat are: leaves and stems and even roots from water plants, small aquatic animals, insects, and for the domesticated birds: grain and corn.

There Are Several Different Types Of Bird Feeders Available

To start, all you need is a bird feeder filled with seed that's attractive to the birds in your area. There are several different types of bird feeders available:

Hopper feeders are usually made of metal, wood, or plastic. A large hopper or container holds the seed, with holes or levered dispensers to allow the birds to access the seed on a small tray or spout. Hopper feeders will accommodate many types and sizes of birds and are a good choice for beginning bird watchers. The downside is that the seed is exposed to the elements and to plundering critters.

Tube feeders have perches and feeding ports around a hollow tube. They're designed for smaller perching birds and may be geared for specific types of birds. For example, finch feeders have small openings to dispense tiny thistle seeds and short perches that discourage other birds. Since birds have to reach in the tube for seeds, they are more squirrel-resistant than open feeders.

Platform feeders are open and flat, sometimes with a roof to shield rain and drainage holes to prevent flooding. They can accommodate large crowds of birds and can either be placed high, for perching birds, or near the ground, for ground-feeding birds. Platform feeders can be used with any kind of bird food, such as seed, peanuts, or even bits of fruit or suet.

Suet Feeders are usually made of wire mesh and designed to hold cakes of suet or other fatty food. Suet cakes are made from rendered beef fat mixed with seed or fruit and allowed to harden. They may be purchased premade, or you can make them yourself. Suet feeders are particularly useful during the winter when birds need to increase their fat intake in order to stay warm.

Mesh Feeders come in various shapes and sizes and can be made of wire, plastic, or fabric. Birds feed by pulling seed through holes in the mesh. Peanut feeders are wire mesh tubes with large openings for dispensing shelled peanuts. Sock-shaped fabric feeders often come prefilled – just hang and enjoy. Other feeders are designed for specific proprietary seed or food cakes.

Nectar feeders are different from other feeders in that they use a liquid, rather than solid, food and are specifically designed to attract either hummingbirds or orioles. Nectar feeders consist of a reservoir which is filled with a liquid solution of sugar and water, with small perches and feeding openings for hummingbirds' long bills or larger openings to accommodate oriole beaks.

Top 10 Things We Can Do To Protect Wild Birds

In 1976, following the last in a series of five oil spills in the Delaware River where thousands of animals died, Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research was founded to explore the effects of oil on wildlife and to develop research and treatment procedures.

Today, Tri-State Bird Rescue, whose facility is located in Newark, operates a federally licensed, nonprofit avian rehabilitation clinic and cares for 3,000 injured and orphaned native birds annually. The agency staffs a professional 24-hour oil spill-response management team.

If no oil spill occurs, Tri-State's most likely customers are baby birds. They might have an injury if they have fallen from a nest, or they might have been picked up by a cat or a dog, causing soft-tissue injuries. From the incubator, the little birds graduate to a laundry basket or a screen cage, depending on the species, and from there they go to an outside cage.

 Top 10 things to protect wild birds:

• Keep your pets under control, and keep cats indoors.
• Hang hawk silhouettes, decals, or other ornaments in windows to reduce the chance of impact injuries.
• Look before you lop! Check for nests before you trim bushes or cut down trees. Better yet, do your pruning in the winter – it is better for the plants!
• Keep your bird feeders clean.
• Drive carefully and watch the roadsides for wildlife, especially at dawn and dusk.
• Cap your chimney and install an approved clothes-dryer vent cover.
• Use natural or organic alternatives to chemical pest control or lawn care. Many birds die every year from exposure to these chemicals.
• Pick up litter, especially fishing line and plastic six-pack rings.
• Dispose of hazardous household products properly.
• Educate children to respect wild birds and not capture them.

The Important Ideas About Raising The Parrot

Parrots are one of the most intelligent pets. Not only are they simple to practice, but they are very excellent at placing you in a excellent temper on even your worst day. There are numerous sorts of parrots, and all of them have different desires. 1 main facet of having any pet is what you feed them. Parrot feeding is not tough to do. You just require a schedule of what your hen will consume and when it will eat.

To get care of any pet, you require to have information on the variety of animal that you are dealing with. For illustration, prior to purchasing a dog, you need to know that canines will need lots of physical exercise, time outdoors, and lots of potty instruction. If you feel you are just going to purchase the ideal animal that does anything correct as soon as it gets to its new residence, you far better begin dreaming.
Animals, specially parrots, require plenty of interest or they will be extremely misbehaved and lonely. The worst factor you could do is neglect your chook or neglect to depart it the proper meals at the correct time. This is a positive way to get your animal on the wrong track. You want to commence off by supplying your bird a range of meals and often make sure they have sufficient to fill them up.
Nutritious foods are a key component in raising a parrot that can thrive like it would in the wild. They want much more than just a handful of seeds. Any skilled will inform you that parrots want a assortment of clean fruits, vegetables, and also seeds. That doesn't imply you can feed it just fruits, or just veggies, or just seeds. You want to have loads of assortment and plenty of alternatives. If the parrot gets bored with its foods it will screech or peck at itself. This can be really hazardous to the bird's health.
Parrots require to eat adequate meals so that they are material. Just as meals is really essential, h2o is a key aspect in any residing thing's existence. There need to often be h2o in the parrot's cage, no excuses. You require to do anything you can to avoid your bird from becoming dehydrated. A dehydrated animal will swiftly grow to be quite unhealthy, and it could undergo a horrible dying.
One more issue that your hen ought to eat loads of is meat. You may even want to share your leftovers from dinner with your parrot. Just make certain you don't have any desserts or sweet. 1 issue that men and women have a tendency to do is overfeed their parrot. If you locate that your pet is consuming quantities that appear overly carried out, you really should slowly lighten the meals supply. Also, if your fowl is leaving leftover meals in its cage, you may possibly be giving it too a lot. Decrease that sum if essential.
If you keep your parrot nicely-fed and give it loads of attention, you will certainly observe a alter in its health. Your parrot will be content, and so will you.

Seagulls Are An Incredibly Successful Inland Species

Why are we talking about seagull damage in a city that’s about as far from a sea as you can get? The term seagull is actually a misnomer, biologically speaking they should simply be referred to as gulls, and they are an incredibly successful inland species. In fact, the great lakes ring-billed gull population increased from 3000 nesting pairs in 1930, to over 300,000 pairs in 1967 and has continued to grow at a rate of over 10% per year! This huge population explosion has resulted in an increase of conflicts between gulls and humans.

Excessive gull populations can cause numerous problems at various types of properties including severe damage and reduced lifespan of roofing materials due to nesting colonies, water quality degradation and swim bans due to e. coli loading from gull droppings, unsightly build-up of droppings on vehicles, buildings and light fixtures from loafing gulls in parking lots, and potential liability risks from people being attacked by aggressive nesting gulls or gulls looking for food. Wild Goose Chase and Migratory Bird Management can help prevent or minimize all of the risks associated with an overabundant gull population on your property.
　　
Sea gull control is essential for many businesses and owners of properties with various types of water and open areas. These areas are often gathering places for the intrusive presence of sea gulls and can be detrimental or hazardous to the public as well as prove to be a liability risk requiring time and monetary investment in clean-up efforts.
　　
Our years of experience in wildlife management has taught us that each wildlife conflict is unique and an integrated approach to solving wildlife problems results in a successful outcome. That's why Wild Goose Chase/Migratory Bird Management offers customized sea gull control programs to fit the need of each individual customer.
　　
The term gull refers to members of a group of 23 North American bird species that belong to the family Laridae, subfamily Larinae. Gulls are robust birds with webbed feet, long wings and a slightly hooked beak (Fig. 1). They all possess exceptional flying ability. They are often seen swimming, and occasionally dive underwater. Adult gulls are white, with varying patterns of gray and black over the back, wings, and head. The young of larger species are often gray and take several years to develop adult plumage. The sexes are similar in appearance.
　　
Most gulls nest in colonies on sand-and gravel-covered shorelines and islands. They build nests on the ground and produce 3 to 5 eggs per nest. In the Great Lakes region, the number of ring-billed gulls has been increasing at about 10% per year since the early 1970s. Bent (1947) said of it, “the ring-billed gull yields readily to persecution, is easily driven from its breeding grounds and seems to prefer to breed in remote, unsettled regions far from the haunts of man.” However, a colony on Leslie Spit on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario, increased from 20 pairs in 1973 to 75,000 to 80,000 pairs in 1982 (Blokpoel 1983). It appears that ring-billed gulls have changed some of their habits in recent years and have adapted to humans in their environment. A colony of laughing gulls in the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, New York, increased from 15 pairs in 1979 to 7,600 pairs in 1990 (Richard A. Dolbeer, pers. commun.).

　　
"We share very few migratory birds with Europe and Siberia. There are ducks and geese that winter in Siberia and molt in Alaska, but they don't come down here," said research scientist A. Marm Kilpatrick, co-author of the study.
　　
The U.S. has also been trying to keep the disease at bay by testing and quarantining all poultry imported from infected regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
　　
But there is very little poultry trade between Asia and Europe and the U.S., Kilpatrick said, so the risk of the U.S. getting infected that way is very low.
　　
Furthermore, few birds migrate between Europe and the Americas, Kilpatrick added.A far greater risk is that many countries in Latin America import poultry from infected regions of Europe and do not have strict testing and quarantine systems in place, Kilpatrick said. In addition, more than four million birds migrate annually between the U.S. and Latin America.
　　
"If your neighbor gets the virus and birds migrate, you're at risk,'' he said.

Magpies Serve A Very Important Purpose In Nature

The magpie has many characteristics to admire. Magpies mate for life, sharing the domestic duties of nest building and feeding and raising their young. After laying six to eight eggs, the female magpie incubates the clutch for 16 to 21 days. Both parents are attentive to the nestlings, and they fledge when 25 to 29 days old. Magpies raise a single brood each year. They build their nests in loose colonies, keeping their siblings and young close.

Graceful in flight, these large members of the crow family are long tailed, black and white birds, approximately 20 inches in length. In the soft sunlight, their black wings and tail appear iridescent bluish-green in bold contrast to gleaming white wing patches.
　　
Magpie nests are large for the size of the bird - often measuring in excess of three feet across. The nest is a spherical mass of sticks and twigs, often adorned with found bits of colorful thread, paper or string. Built for comfort with a mud cup lovingly lined with soft wool, hair or moss, the nest also has side entrance holes. They nest in bushes and trees at low elevations 10 to 20 feet from the ground.
　　
Like other corvids, magpies are omnivorous and opportunistic. Small rodents, other birds, bird eggs, snakes, insects, berries, nuts and seeds are favorite fare. Magpies are not picky eaters. Magpies are not timid and can be trained to feed from the hand. In their brave journey across Montana, this behavior was mentioned by Lewis and Clark in the chronicles of their adventures in 1804.
　　
Magpies serve a very important purpose in nature in that they consume large quantities of ticks gleaned from the bodies of deer, bison, moose and elk, especially in the early spring. Ticks are a tiresome irritation to the host animals, so they most willingly submit to the magpies grooming attention.
　　
Historically, magpies frequently followed Native Americans and lived on the refuse of their hunts. A born thief and scavenger, magpies will also often follow predators to clean up after their kill, feasting on maggots as well as carrion. Native American folklore tells of the magpie leading the wolf to wounded or weak prey so that the wolf may finish the kill and together they may feast on the bounty.
　　
Because of their aggressive intelligence, year-round residency and handsome plumage, magpies have long been admired favorites. In early Indian tribal lore, a warrior who wore two magpie feathers woven in his hair was considered both fierce and fearless. The magpie also features prominently in many Indian myths and legends as both a doer of good deeds as well as a crafty mischief-maker.
　　
A pair of Magpies nested in a neighbour's tree in 1998, after much fighting between rival pairs. The nest building took several attempts over six weeks, and when finished did not have a domed roof. Given the time it took to build, and the absence of the roof, we think they were an inexperienced couple. We never saw the juveniles, so we do not know whether they were successful in rearing young. The gales at the beginning of February 1999 demolished the previous year's nest, but the Magpies started to rebuild it during March and April, but after several failed attempts they gave up and flew away. They nested somewhere close by and the bird with the passion for dunking its bread was a regular visitor. The Magpies' attempts to build a nest in 2001 - 2004 were abandoned after continued attacks by Carrion Crows. In 2005, they nested successfully in a neighbour's tree, but the juveniles were not seen.　　

Many winters ago the people received a gift called the talking feather. I will share with you the story of how this came to pass. When the call came to the young mothers in the village to take their baskets and gather the fruit and berries, the old grandmothers, whose legs had lost the fast walk and sure foot of the doe, were left to care for the young children. The mothers honored the grandmothers by giving them this responsibility on those days.
　　
It is believed that the young children have many dreams and visions to collect before they are grown. They were given a bit of sleep in the warmth of a darkened lodge before Sun has traveled his full path each day. Now let me tell you what happened on one of these days.
　　
Crow and Magpie, two of our noise making winged ones were having a terrible argument outside the lodge of the sleeping children. "Caaaw-caaaw" screamed Crow. "Kaaack-Kack" yelled Magpie. They were both speaking at once and they could not hear each other's point of view on the subject of which tree belonged to which bird.

The Satyr Tragopan Is A Bird That Will Not Easily Be Forgotten

Just about every person in the world knows about the fact that there is a bird whose name is pheasant; most people associate it with the common ring-necked pheasant. However, I bet that most people do not know about the Satyr Tragopan this is also a pheasant, one that is not so common; they are rare enough so that you don't ever hear about them and you never see them, one might ask if they even exist! They do exist and they are a pheasant so mysterious and beautiful that it makes the common ring-neck look like nothing more than a chicken.

The Satyr Tragopan also goes by the name crimson horned pheasant- this is a bird which not surprisingly (because of the name) belongs to the Tragopan pheasant family. One other name that people like to call these birds is the Horned Pheasant. This is because when they are going through their little courtship rituals in the hopes that their mate will accept them, the males erect two little colorful fleshy horns that are on the top of their heads.

This wonderful beautiful bird can be found in the Himalayan area, places like India, Nepal and Bhutan. The Satyr Tragopan is a bird that loves to live in the forest under the trees, a good play with a lot of cover from predators and on the other hand a rather pretty place to live if you ask me. They live in forests that are 8,000 to 14,000 feet high in the summer and right around 6,000 in the winter.

These are strange birds that always have a little surprise for you if you do not know them very well; they have lappets and horns that they inflate with air. The Satyr Tragopan is a bird that can grow up to reach about 68 to 72 cm and they can weigh up to 4lbs, that's big enough. The male is gorgeous, he has a back that is almost all brown, a black head and a black tail. The thing that makes him beautiful though is his deep ruby red chest, the red starts on his neck and covering the base of his wings and going all the way down to cover his belly. One other thing that makes him stand out is the ocelli (eyelike markings) that cover his whole body. His head is picture perfect, with a crown of red feathers and just a little bit of royal blue showing through, this is the face of one bird that you will not easily forget!

You know how with some birds it is considered almost impossible to breed them and get a healthy brood of chicks from them? I know a person that has been trying to breed different kinds of birds for years and has never really succeeded, not because she is not doing everything that needs to be done, just because the birds are way too hard to breed and raise. But anyway, just so you know the Satyr Tragopan is not that way, this is one bird that is rather easy to breed and raise.

I mentioned earlier that the male has just a showing of blue on his head, well this blue will become more and more obvious as the breeding season comes closer. When the courtship ritual begins, the cock will shake his head and go into a dance that any female watching will not be able to resist, the male will bow over and over again with his wings spread and all his lappet and horns inflated...it is quite a sight and you'll surely remember such a show if you have the chance to see one!

Unlike other pheasant hens, the hens of the Satyr Tragopan clan will lay her eggs in a nest that has been elevated; I guess they did this in the wild to keep the babies safe from predators. She will lay about four eggs in one setting and being a good mom, will set them and raise up a bunch of happy healthy chicks.

The Satyr Tragopan is a bird that will not easily be forgotten, once you see one you too will become a slave of its mysterious beauty and fall under their spell.

Kookaburras Are Known To Cackle In A Merry Manner

My first brush with the Kookaburra was the kiddy song I heard in nursery school. When we sung the popular Kookaburra Sits On The Old Gum Tree, probably many of us were completely unaware what the bird actually looked like! The Kookaburras are large kingfishers that are native to Australia and New Guinea. Kookaburras are easily distinguished because of their loud calls; at times it sounds like a loud, echoing human laughter whereas in some cases, Kookaburras are known to cackle in a merry manner! So, what is it that really tickles their funny bone? I am sure one may never really know the joke, but you can definitely read on, to know more such interesting facts about the Kookaburra.

Facts about the Kookaburra:
There are around four known species of the Kookaburra. The Laughing Kookaburra and the Blue winged Kookaburra are at times, direct competitors when they inhabit common areas. The Laughing Kookaburra is known for its human laugh and the Blue winged Kookaburra has a deep cackle.

There is an interesting story about this extraordinary laugh of the Kookaburra bird. This bird was first spotted during the era of the Australian aborigines. It is said that when the sun rose for the first time, the God Bayame ordered the Kookaburra to utter its loud laughter so that it can awaken mankind and they would witness the beautiful and magnificent sunrise. There was also a myth associated with the Kookaburra; any child who insulted the Kookaburra would end up having a slanted tooth.

The Kookaburras are known to occupy woodland territories in family groups. These are territorial and are also known to live with their young for a marked period of time. The Kookaburras use their high-pitched laugh to demarcate their borders as well. These calls are more frequent shortly after dawn. There is also a particular pattern to these calls as well. When one Kookaburra starts with a low chuckle which ends up in laughter, several other Kookaburras join in as well. At times, another group of Kookaburras may also reply. The effect of all these Kookaburras laughing and chuckling together, may be quite terrifying to people who are not quite accustomed to it.

The diet of the Kookaburras consists of mice, large insects, small birds and even snakes as well. The surprising fact about Kookaburras is that they can take on preys that are larger in size including deadly, venomous snakes. When bred in captivity, these can be fed with meat and dead baby chicks. Kookaburras being quite noisy by nature need spacious cages to fly around and feel comfortable. The hunting habits are quite similar to the robins as well. Kookaburras perch on a convenient branch or even a wire to wait for a possible prey.

The Kookaburras use hollows in tree trunks and excavated termite nests to lay their eggs. The eggs of this bird range from two to four and are pure white in color. The females as well as the male Kookaburra bird help to incubate the eggs. The young birds stay in the nest for a period of 30 days and then begin actual flight. Even then, the parents generally feed them for a period of 40 days.

Golden Oriole Distribution, Behaviour And Lifestyle

The Golden Oriole (also known as the Eurasian Oriole), is a small species of Bird found throughout Europe and western Asia. The Golden Oriole's name is thought to have arisen during the 18th century after the classical Latin word meaning gold. Although almost indistinguishable in appearance, some believe that the Golden Orioles found in Europe, are actually a separate sub-species to those found in Asia. They are also known to be the only member of the Oriole family that breeds in the more temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.

Golden Oriole Anatomy and Appearance
The male Golden Oriole is an incredibly coloured Bird, with striking yellow and jet black plumage, and fully black wings. As with many other Birds, the female of the species is more dull-looking being slightly greener in colour. Both however, are hard to spot in the canopy as they are perfectly camouflaged amongst the leaves. Golden Orioles tend to be between 20 - 24 cm in height and are often mistaken for Thrushes and even green Woodpeckers when in flight. They have dark red eyes, and a fairly thick, pink beak that is curved slightly downwards at the end.

Golden Oriole Distribution and Habitat
The Golden Oriole is predominantly found throughout Europe and western Asia but also in parts of Africa. The Golden Oriole is a summer migrant meaning that it migrates north for the cooler summer climates, and flies back south to the tropics when the winter begins to emerge. The Golden Oriole is nearly always found in well-timbered forests and woodland, along with parks, orchards and gardens. They spend the majority of their time high in the tree canopy where their distinctive plumage helps them to remain hidden from lurking predators.

Golden Oriole Behaviour and Lifestyle
Due to it's excellent camouflage amongst the leaves, and it's shy nature, the Golden Oriole is an almost impossible Bird to spot. However, it is it's unmistakable song that alerts all around to it's presence, which is said to sound very fluty and can be heard over considerable distances. Their basic calls however are often compared to the screech of a Jay, but both are used to communicate with other Golden Orioles inhabiting the surrounding forest. The Golden Oriole is a migratory and generally quite solitary Bird, but can be seen migrating, often under the cover of night, in large flocks.

Golden Oriole Reproduction and Life Cycles
The Golden Oriole breeds in the more temperate northern regions during the summer months, where courtship displays involve them chasing one another from tree to tree and through the canopy. The female Golden Oriole builds her nest, generally in the fork of a tree out of plant fibres and stems, in the shape of a shallow cup. She lays between 3 and 6 eggs which hatch after an incubation period of between 15 and 18 days, that is predominantly conducted by the female. Once hatched, both Golden Oriole parents help to feed and look after their young, which will have left their nest (fledged) within 20 days. Golden Orioles usually live to be around 9 or 10 years old.

Golden Oriole Diet and Prey
The Golden Oriole is an omnivorous animal that primarily feeds on insects, fruits and seeds high up in the tree canopy. The relatively thick, slightly curved beak of the Golden Oriole is the perfect shape for picking Insects out of holes and plucking fruits off the branches. The Golden Oriole also has wide, clawed feet which assist the Bird in holding onto the more tricky branches when it is trying to gather food. They also play a vital role in re-distributing the seeds from the fruits, throughout their native eco-systems.

Golden Oriole Predators and Threats
Despite their shy disposition, the Golden Oriole can become incredibly aggressive towards any animal that tries to go near it's nest, swooping and diving at the invader to try and intimidate it. Due to it's tree-top lifestyle, the Golden Oriole is safe from numerous predators lower down the trees, but it is still vulnerable to larger Birds such as Crows, and Birds Of Prey including Eagles, Hawks and Raptors. They are also threatened by deforestation and therefore habitat destruction in their native environments.

Golden Oriole Interesting Facts and Features
The people living in the northern parts of Europe, are known to be able to predict the start of spring with the coming of the Golden Oriole. The Golden Orioles inhabiting more western European regions, are known to migrate as far south as Namibia and South Africa when the winter begins to set in. Despite that the Golden Oriole was thought to have been properly named in the 18th century, it is thought that the Romans could have been calling them Orioles as early as the 12th century.

Golden Oriole Relationship with Humans
The Golden Oriole is an incredibly shy Bird and very hard to spot high up in the canopy. Without the use of binoculars, the greener females particularly, are commonly mistaken for Green Woodpeckers, although their flight after a time is noticeably different. Humans have however, always been awe-struck by their beautifully distinctive, floaty song. The biggest impact that Humans have on the Golden Oriole is the deforestation of their native forests, meaning that their range is quite rapidly decreasing in size as they are losing more and more of their natural habitat.

Golden Oriole Conservation Status and Life Today
The Golden Oriole has been listed as being an animal that is of Least Concern of imminent extinction in the wild, as even though their territories are shrinking, populations generally seem to be stable. The Golden Orioles found across Asia are known to be decreasing slightly in number, but it is thought that those found in Europe, actually seem to be on the rise.

Magpie Is Seen As A Symbol Of Good Luck And Good Fortune

The magpie is a small to medium sized bird that is found across the globe. The magpie is most closely related to the crow, but the magpie has highly distinguishable black and white feathers which make magpies easy to spot.

There are thought to be around 15 different species of magpie spread across Europe, Asia and parts of Australia and Africa. The magpie is generally around 50 cm long with a slightly larger wingspan, although the exact size of the magpie is dependent on the magpie species.

In China and Korea, the magpie is seen as a symbol of good luck and good fortune. In the United Kingdom however, one magpie is said top be bad luck and seeing two is good luck (one for sorrow, two for joy).

The European magpie also has the notorious reputation for taking and stashing shiny objects. It has been known for magpies to be attracted to ladies jewellery, along with plastics and even the windscreen wipers from cars. The magpie will often take the wonderful objects is has found and collect them in it's nest.

Magpies mate for life and mating partners are usually together for their entire lives. Magpies mate in the spring time when the weather begins to get warmer and build large nests in the trees. The female magpie lays up to 8 eggs (usually around 5), which are a surprisingly small size in comparison to the size of the magpie itself. The magpie chicks hatch out of their eggs after an incubation period of around 3 weeks, and the magpie chicks are normally able to fly when they are between 3 and 4 weeks old.

Magpies are noted to be highly intelligent birds and are often able to sense approaching danger relatively quickly. Magpies are known to be dominant and curious birds but are relatively secretive when they feel they are in danger. Magpies are also known to mimic the calls of other birds and have fully taken advantage of new food sources created by the presence of humans.

Despite their large wings, magpies are not particularly keen on long flights and tend to stay close to cover. Magpies hide in trees and thick bushes to hide from predators and to catch their prey.

Magpies are omnivorous birds and eat a range of fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, eggs and small mammals and reptiles. Magpies have a number of predators within their natural environment including dogs, foxes and cats.

Talking Bird Parrot

The King’s flight call is a scratchy brassy ‘Chack! Chack!’ and only the male lets out a long drawn out ringing ‘creee’ or sweee’. Both the male and female let out a harsh screeching alarm call if predators are around or if they get a scare. These are shrill double notes and a high pitched shriek. Despite this, these parrots are not noisy and can be peacefully kept in a suburban backyard. This is in stark contrast to other similarly sized parrots, particularly those from South America.

As well as their unmarked bright scarlet red head and body, a particular feature that I look for in a King Parrot are the “zeds” (iridescent light green stripes) that appear on their wings. These provide a great contrast in the wing colour and I endeavour to obtain and breed Kings that display this attractive marking larger than normal. These “zeds” are most prevalent in the cock bird, however, a number of my hens also show this striking feature. Another aspect of the King’s appearance is that some have a flatter shaped head than the more rounded head which is much more appealing to the eye.

Parrot Jungle Island in Miami was the brain child of Franz Scherr. Scherr moved to America from Austria in 1911 and worked as a carpenter throughout the country. He always loved nature and when the opportunity to move to Homestead, Florida during the land boom of the 1920’s came along he and his family moved and began living off the land. Eventually Franz bought a feed and supply store and he began to collect a few birds in the store. He grew to love the friendly nature of the birds and an idea was born.

The birds are obviously the biggest draw to Parrot Jungle Island but it’s not just parrots anymore. One of the most unexpected creatures that you’ll see at Parrot Jungle Island are the African Penguins. These cute little guys are not cold weather birds and are incredible swimmers and divers. In addition to the African Penguins you’ll also see Blue and Gold Macaws, Black Palm Cockatoos, Double-Wattled Cassowaries, Chinese Silky Chickens, Eclectus Parrots, Emus, Caribbean Flamingos, Hyacinth Macaws, Lories, Sarus Cranes, Scarlet Macaws, Yellow-Naped Amazons, King Vultures, Great Horned Owls, Andean Condors and more. There are food dispensers throughout the park and most of the birds enjoy being fed by visitors. Make sure to stop and take advantage of this opportunity.

In keeping with Franz Scherr’s love of all nature the park doesn’t only feature birds, the native and imported plants are an important part of the experience in the park. One of the more interesting plants on the island is the Sausage Tree, its fruit looks a lot like really big sausages hanging down by strings. The fruit is woody and not good to eat but it can be used to ferment beer, cure snake bites and some skin problems. In addition to seeing the Sausage Tree you’ll get to see Bo Trees, Cycads, Coconut Palms, Red Bougainvillea, Calabash Trees, Bromeliads, Bananas, Crotons, Banyan Trees, Platycerium, and Crodia Lutea among many, many more.

But Parrot Jungle Island is more than a walk in the wild, the park has grown and now serves a variety of different age groups, interests and activity levels. La Playa is a private beach at Jungle Island that is open to guests to the park. Relax on the beach or play in Biscayne Bay. Let your kids go wild on the water slides, bouncy house and swim area. Or enjoy a tropical drink and snack from the snack bar. One thing to remember is that La Playa requires footwear at all times, so if you don’t have aquatic shoes you’ll need to pick up a pair at the Island treasures and Gifts Shop.

Believe it or not, that is not all the Parrot Jungle Island has to offer. In addition to the incredible birds, the beautiful flora and the private beach at La Playa there are a number of exhibits and events that are open to visitors and happen throughout the day.
Tiger tales is a brief 10 minute instruction and discussion on the proper care and handling of the exotic tigers on the island, led by a trained professional who works with these magnificent creatures daily.

The Magpie Is Most Closely Related To The Crow

The magpie is a small to medium sized bird that is found across the globe. The magpie is most closely related to the crow, but the magpie has highly distinguishable black and white feathers which make magpies easy to spot.

There are thought to be around 15 different species of magpie spread across Europe, Asia and parts of Australia and Africa. The magpie is generally around 50 cm long with a slightly larger wingspan, although the exact size of the magpie is dependent on the magpie species.

In China and Korea, the magpie is seen as a symbol of good luck and good fortune. In the United Kingdom however, one magpie is said top be bad luck and seeing two is good luck (one for sorrow, two for joy).
The European magpie also has the notorious reputation for taking and stashing shiny objects. It has been known for magpies to be attracted to ladies jewellery, along with plastics and even the windscreen wipers from cars. The magpie will often take the wonderful objects is has found and collect them in it's nest.

Magpies mate for life and mating partners are usually together for their entire lives. Magpies mate in the spring time when the weather begins to get warmer and build large nests in the trees. The female magpie lays up to 8 eggs (usually around 5), which are a surprisingly small size in comparison to the size of the magpie itself. The magpie chicks hatch out of their eggs after an incubation period of around 3 weeks, and the magpie chicks are normally able to fly when they are between 3 and 4 weeks old.

Magpies are noted to be highly intelligent birds and are often able to sense approaching danger relatively quickly. Magpies are known to be dominant and curious birds but are relatively secretive when they feel they are in danger. Magpies are also known to mimic the calls of other birds and have fully taken advantage of new food sources created by the presence of humans.

Despite their large wings, magpies are not particularly keen on long flights and tend to stay close to cover. Magpies hide in trees and thick bushes to hide from predators and to catch their prey.

Magpies are omnivorous birds and eat a range of fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, eggs and small mammals and reptiles. Magpies have a number of predators within their natural environment including dogs, foxes and cats.

Varieties And Species Of Finches

There are many varieties and species of finches in many countries of the world. The Zebra Finches, Gouldian Finches and Spice Finches are the main types of finches which can be great pets. Let us discuss how finches as pets is an exciting concept.

 

Finches are birds which are believed to be found mostly in the Southern Hemisphere and are known to be song singing birds who eat seeds. The finches belong to the family of Fringillidae-a name which has been derived from the Latin word-fringilla. Generally, one can find finches in the areas which are well-wooded. However, many finches have been found in some remote mountains and desert like regions. The lifespan of a finch can be anything between five and fifteen years.

Zebra Finches

The  Zebra Finches are very beautiful, cute and a delight to watch. These finches need a bigger cage to live well even though they are small because, they need to be comfortable flying in a horizontal direction. It will be good if you can have a thirty inch long and twenty inch high cage for the Zebra Finches. These birds are very social and they love to interact and be in company of other finches. So, when you consider having Zebra Finches as pets, you should ideally have a pair or a small group of the finches. Your Zebra Finch, which gets along well with the other birds may not get along well with you - at least during the first stages. You should make sure that the cage in which the finches are kept, is not cluttered and causing problems for the finches to fly to-and-fro supplying kinds of perches. Swings, ladders, toys and bells can also be included for the complete entertainment of the Zebra Finches. The cage place should be such that the place where it is should be quiet and peaceful, and away from air conditioning ducts and sunrays. This will satisfy your Zebra Finches to a great extent.

Gouldian Finches

The Gouldian Finches are very popular in countries like United States, United Kingdom, Holland, South Africa, etc. However, Australia is the country where this finch was breaded first. The characteristic feature of these finches is that they need warm and dry conditions to live well, as cold conditions and places which have damp weather do not suit them.

This kind of finches can be kept in a cage, having a size of a room which is most probably inside the home. If at all it is kept outside the home, make sure that it is far away from sunrays and bad weather. The cage length should be at least twenty inches for having Gouldian finches. The diet for these finches should not be an only seeds diet, as this will not give them all the essential nutrients. These finches love fresh fruits, vegetables, live insects, spinach and romaine. As said for Zebra Finches, these finches too need clean and pure drinking water.

Spice Finches

The Spice Finches need the same kind of care and nutrition which the Zebra Finches and Gouldian Finches need. The size of these finches is around twelve centimeters, and they are found in countries like India, South Asian countries and in Malaysia. Nutmeg Mannikins is the other name given to Spice Finches. Having Spice Finches as pets is a cool idea, because of their personality traits - they are playful and very exciting birds. Care should be taken while trimming the Spice Finches because if you clip into their vein by mistake, it can cause a lot of bleeding.

While owning finch as pets, you have to be fully ready to give them good living conditions and food. The water which you give your finches should be clean and pure to drink. The food dishes in which food is served should be cleaned daily and attached to the cage, so that the finches can easily have their food. Provide water in a shallow dish which is clean to the finches for bathing. Feeding good quality seeds, dandelion greens, spinach, lettuce along with millet sprays, fresh vegetables and fruits is very essential for good health and well-being of the finches.

Serving pellets which are very high in nutrition, and foods from eggs, after studying the various recipes available, is the right way of keeping finches. Make sure that there is calcium containing foods in the diets of these finches.

I hope you must have liked this article about finches as pets. So, when are you getting a finch for yourself!

The Kingfisher Are Brightly Coloured Birds

The kingfisher is a small to medium sized colourful bird generally found close to water.There are nearly 100 different species of the kingfisher bird found around the world.

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 of predators wherever they exist around the world. The main predators of the kingfisher are foxes, raccoons, cats and snakes, but kingfishers are also preyed upon by other small mammals and large birds. The eggs of the kingfisher are also preyed upon by many of the kingfisher's predators.

Many species of kingfisher are considered to be threatened species as their numbers have been declining mainly due to habitat loss. These threatened species of kingfisher tend to be the kingfisher species that inhabit woodland and forests as their habitat is being destroyed due to deforestation which occurs in many areas around the world.

Pileated Woodpeckers Prove To Be Adaptable To Changing Conditions

Another Washington State bird, the Pileated Woodpecker is a large bird (up to 19"), and prefers mature trees in heavily forested areas. As first growth forests dwindle, these birds have adapted themselves to life in second growth forests, as well as heavily wooded parks. They make nests in hollows of dead trees, and will dig further in, tunneling and excavating to create the nest space, sometimes taking as long as six weeks to finish building. They tend to make new nests each year, leaving the old nest as a home for other cavity-dwelling animals.

 Insects are their primary food, along with fruits, berries and nuts, easily found on San Juan Island. They will search for insects by ripping or digging into the bark of trees, methodically moving across the tree trunk and leaving behind a unique pattern of pock marks in straight columns and rows. When digging into the bark, they can also create 3 - 6" holes in trees, a telltale sign that they are in residence. The Pileated taps at tree bark with its beak, looking for insects.

It can then drag out the bugs with its sticky tongue. The loud hammering sound made by this bird is often thought to be the sound made when their beak hits the tree in their search for food. Actually, though, the sound is their call both to attract mates and to establish territorial boundaries.

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest of the common woodpeckers found in most of North America. These crow-sized birds present a memorable sight with their zebra-striped heads and necks, long bills, and distinctive red crests.

Pileated woodpeckers forage for their favorite meal, carpenter ants, by digging large, rectangular holes in trees. These holes can be so large that they weaken smaller trees or even cause them to break in half. Other birds are often attracted to these large openings, eager to access any exposed insects.

Pileated woodpeckers do not discriminate between coniferous and deciduous trees—as long as they yield the ants and beetle larvae that make up much of the birds' diet. Woodpeckers sometimes access these morsels by peeling long strips of bark from the tree, but they also forage on the ground and supplement their diet with fruits and nuts.

The enthusiastic drumming that creates such holes sounds like a loud hammering, and is audible for a great distance. Woodpeckers also drum to attract mates and to announce the boundaries of their territories. Pairs establish territories and live on them all year long.

The birds typically choose large, older trees for nesting and usually inhabit a tree hole. In eastern North America, pileated woodpeckers declined as their forest habitats were systematically logged in the 19th and 20th centuries. In recent decades, many forests have regenerated, and woodpecker species have enjoyed corresponding growth. The birds have proven to be adaptable to changing forest conditions.

Colorfu Hummingbirds Are Among The World's Most Popular Birds

Colorful, combative, and energetic, hummingbirds are among the world's most popular birds. They are found only in the New World. People across North America attract them to their homes through hummingbird feeders and flowering gardens, and can be rewarded with bright migratory species, such as a male Rufous Hummingbird (left). Yet the true center of trochilid diversity is in the Neotropics, home to a dazzling array of species that range from tiny to surprisingly large, and with an assortment of head plumes, tail streamers, and bill shapes.

Their ability to hover and fly backwards makes them unique. Further, their interdependence on and co-evolution with flowers provide a fascinating correlation and field for study. Because the sources of nectar are constantly changing as flowers bloom and fade, most hummingbirds live solitary lives, aggressively defending nectar sources from rivals.

Despite the strong pressure to gather nectar rapidly, studies have shown that 70% of a hummer's time is spent doing little else than singing, self-preening, and sunbathing (Schuchmann 1999). In the two shots below, a male White-necked Jacobin sits near its favored feeder in Trinidad (below left) but immediately reacts when a White-chested Emerald tries to approach. Such interactions can lead to dramatic interspecific aerial chases.

Despite the many species of hummingbirds, they are divided into just two subfamilies (Schuchmann 1999). The Trochilinae include all the colorful species (nearly 300 in all) while the Phaethornithinae is composed of the six genera and 34 species of hermits. Brown, long-tailed hermits forage in the understory; some short-tailed species weigh only 1.6 gram (the same weight as the tiny Bee Hummingbird Mellisuga helenae of Cuba, often termed the "world's smallest bird").

All hermits that have been studied display in noisy leks, their clicking dominating a patch of jungle. Hermits often have a species affinity for Heliconia plants and it can be rewarding to "stake-out" a patch inside the forest. This Rufous-breasted (or Hairy) Hermit (right) was sitting right next to 'his' Heliconia. Unlike many other hummingbirds, hermits are generally not territorial and few species have iridescence. When present, it is limited to the throat or crown. Nonetheless, it is obvious that hermits are hummingbirds, and even the most jaded "I can't tell one bird from another" non-naturalist can identify a hummingbird as such.

The flight mechanisms of hummingbirds allow them to hover almost indefinitely and scientists have wondered for ages about how the bird is able to move so quickly, like an insect, but still has the body structure of a bird.  Researchers have believed for decades that hummingbirds used the same flight mechanisms as insects; but studies conducted within the past decade have proven that hummingbirds have their own unique flight characteristics, different from insects or other birds.

A hummingbird must compete with the force of gravity, which pushes down on the bird.  By flapping its wings, the hummingbird is able to create lift (which pushes the bird upward) and thrust (which helps the bird maintain forward movement).  Drag is the force that conflicts with thrust, air resistance or friction slows down thrust.

Although the hummingbird's flight mechanisms have been compared to those of insects, the hummingbird has all the capabilities and limitations that birds have.  An insect has wings that are almost flat and they gain their lift to fly using two mirror image half strokes, moving their wings back and forth in a figure eight pattern.  This allows the insect to produce nearly equal lift on thier up stroke and down stroke.

A bird however, produces virtually all of its flying lift on the downstroke.A hummingbird is unique in the fact that it can produce 25% of its weight support during its up stroke and 75% of its weight support during the down stroke.

Scarlet Macaw Are The Largest Parrots In The World

Scarlet Macaw are the largest parrots in the world–the body of the scarlet macaw from beak to tail can be as long as 33 inches. This beautiful macaw has a creamy white, almost featherless face,with bright red plumage covering most of its body, wings and long tail. Brilliant blue and yellow feathers also adorn the lower wings. The bird’s strong beak is adapted to breaking hard nuts found in the rainforest.
Habitat The scarlet macaw can be found from southern Mexico to Peru, as well as Bolivia, eastern Brazil and the island of Trinidad. They prefer to spend their time in tall, deciduous trees in forests and near rivers, usually in large, noisy groups. Macaws also mate for life, nesting from January through April in the holes of dead canopy trees. Mated adults lay up to two eggs per year, and preen each other and their offspring for hours, cleaning bugs from their feathers.
Diet
Nuts, leaves, berries and seeds from the rainforest make up the bulk of the scarlet macaw’s diet. It’s strong, hooked beak is perfect for breaking nuts and seeds. Interestingly, the scarlet macaw can eat fruits toxic enough to kill other animals. This could be because they also eat large amounts of clay, which is thought to neutralize plant poisons.

Threats
The primary threats to the scarlet macaw are habitat loss from rainforest destruction and heavy exploitation for pet trading. In Costa Rica, these birds, which are frequently stolen from their nests, can be sold on the black market for $200. In the United States, baby birds smuggled into the country can be sold for as much as $4,000. Because tourists bring in almost $14,000 a year to see birds like the scarlet macaw in the wild, biologists hope that local governments will devote more attention to the protection of these magnificent birds.
Scarlet macaws have been kept by the Pueblo Indians since 1100 A.D. They are extremely sociable and are popular because of their looks, clear speech, gentle nature and affectionate dedication to their caregiver. Specialized pelleted diets are highly recommended and should consist of 60–70% of the diet; use fortified seeds in moderation as they are higher in fat and less nutritious than pellets Fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, berries, pears, grapes, broccoli, and carrots Clean, fresh, filtered and chlorine-free water changed daily.

Do not feed birds fruit seeds, avocados, chocolate, alcohol or caffeine as these can cause serious medical problems. If your bird is used to a seed diet, convert to pellets gradually; fresh pellets or seeds and fresh, clean, chlorine-free water should always be available Fresh fruits and vegetables should be given daily and discarded when not eaten within 24 hours; macaws appreciate quality and variety in their food.
Scarlet macaws Birds acclimate well to average household temperatures; be cautious of extreme temperature change;cage should be placed off the floor in an area that is well-lit and away from drafts. A cage approximately 36" W x 36" D x 60" H, with metal bars spaced no greater than 1" apart, makes a good home for your Scarlet macaw; as with all animals, it is best to provide the largest habitat possible; a flight cage is strongly recommended. A variety of appropriate perch sizes, including a parrot perch outside the cage, to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with cage paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning; to avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches.

Scarlet Macaws Are Large Colorful Parrots

Scarlet Macaws are large colorful parrots that originate from Central and South America.Their diet consists of fruits, seeds, nut, flowers and nectar. In the wild they are also known to eat clay although no one seems to know why.Scarlet Macaws are a large macaw that is between 30 to 35 inches long from head to tail.
They have a bright red plumage with yellow bands on blue wing feathers. There is blue on the upper part and the tip of their tails.The Scarlet Macaws have a white, featherless ring around their eyes. Their upper beak is white and the lower beak is black.These parrots normally live between 30 and 50 years, but some have lived as long as 75 years.Macaws can be taught to say a few words, but they aren't near as good as some of the otherparrot species.
Scarlet Macaws as pets
Scarlet Macaws are very social and love learning tricks, however they tend to be nippy and must be trained at an early stage to not nip or it could lead to biting
They are a high maintenance parrot that needs daily interaction, socialization and time out its cage to prevent it from developing bad habits such as feather plucking, screaming or becoming aggressive.
Keep in mind that Scarlet Macaws have very loud voices and can get extremely noisy, especially if they get bored.
It's a mistake to give your macaw bird, or any parrot for that matter, what it wants when it starts squawking, that just teaches it to make more noise.
These parrots will chew anything they can get a hold of and if not watched they can quickly destroy everything in the room.
Scarlet are playful, loving pet parrots as long as they get the proper attention and handling, but they are not the bird for anyone that doesn't have the patience or time to keep it tame and friendly.

Scarlet Macaw care
You should use pellets as the main diet for your macaw and supplement it with a variety of fresh, cooked or preserved fruit and vegetables. Seeds and nuts are high in fat content and should be used as a treat rather than it's main diet.
You need to let your bird out of its cage to exercise for at least 2 hours a day. Be sure you keep an eye on it while it's out. It can and will chew on your favorite furniture, plants and everything else that catches it's eye.
You also need to provide it with daily play and socialization. Without it your Scarlet Macaw will soon revert back to being a wild, aggressive parrot.
Scarlet Macaw Cages
Scarlet Macaws are big birds, and they need big, strong cages.
The bigger the cage the better, but it will need to be at least 3 X 4 feet and 5 feet tall. Your parrot needs room to move around, climb and play.
You will need a variety of different sized perches, strong toys and wood for it to chew on.
Try to avoid painted or galvanized cages. Your bird will chew on the bars and the paint or zinc could poison your macaw.