Since it is the middle of summer for me and my Northern Hemisphere friends I figured we could all use a break from the heat and humidity. Actually, I don’t really need a break since the Yukon hasn’t been unbearably warm but that is not the point. In order to get some relief from the pesky summer sun we are heading to Antarctica to learn about one of the most fascinating birds, the Emperor Penguin. You can’t tell me you are not excited to learn about the largest penguin species.
The Emperor Penguin is endemic to Antarctica and can weigh anywhere between 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lbs). I am sure we can all see the problem with living in Antarctica, which is how the heck do you deal with the cold. Just so you know these flightless birds will often have to put up with temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius (-76 degrees Fahrenheit). Maybe taking a field trip here wasn’t such a good idea. I am getting a chill just thinking about all of the snow and ice. Luckily the Emperor Penguins are smart and will all huddle together to keep warm and block out the frigid wind chill. Usually they will form a circle and they will take turns standing in the middle to warm up from the cold. It is interesting how they realize the importance of helping each other so they can all survive.
The crazy thing about these penguins is they will even breed during this harsh season. Talk about uncomfortable! The female will usually lay a single egg and immediately leave it behind while she goes out on an extended hunting trip. In some case she may have to travel as far as 80 km (50 miles) just to reach the open water so she can feed on fish, squid and other aquatic animals. While she is out hunting the male will stay home and protect that single egg. Unlike most birds he will not sit on the egg. Nope he prefers to stand and protect the egg from the harsh elements by balancing it on his feet and covering it up with his feathered skin, also known as the brood pouch. There is no question that the male Emperor Penguin should win father of the year as they will do this for about 2 months without eating anything. Once the mother returns with a belly full of food for her young the male will then take off for his own hunting trip. I can imagine it would be a nice break after spending two months babysitting an egg. The moral of this Wild Fact is to be grateful that we are humans and don’t have endure the harsh life that the Emperor Penguin has been forced to deal with.
Emperor Penguin Fast Fact – The Emperor Penguin is able to dive up to 565 m (1850 feet) which makes them the deepest diving bird. As well, they are able to stay under water for about 20 minutes.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Diving Emperor Penguin - Photo by Glenn Grant, National Science Foundation
This post is for all of the women out there that have a tough time convincing their husbands/boyfriends to renovate the house. I want you to go and wake them up from their nap so they can read about the Bowerbird with you. I know they will be grumpy but trust me it will be worth it. Before we get into the details of their unique mating behaviour I guess I will tell you a little about this bird.
The Bowerbird is a medium-sized passerine bird, which doesn’t help since more than half the birds in the world are passerine birds. This particular type though can be found around New Guinea and Australia. As I alluded to the Bowerbird is best known for their unique mating behaviour so lets take the rest of the fact to explore this, sound good?
The male Bowerbird is the ultimate bachelor and should probably try out for a certain reality show. Come on what does Pilot Jake have that a male Bowerbird doesn’t, they can both fly! I am just not sure that this male bird would be able to live in such a hum-drum mansion during the taping. You see the houses they build are much more extravagant. That’s right, the Bowerbird is often called the “Avian Architect” since they build a lavish bachelor pad called a “Bower”. They use twigs, moss and leaves to construct the nest but then decorate it with shiny baubles, berries, feathers, shells, and anything else they can find. These beautifully built bowers are not at all like the nice house in the country with the white picket fence that is perfect for raising a family. No, they are more like the Penthouse suite in downtown New York. They are the ultimate bachelor pad designed to attract as many females as possible.
The Ultimate Bachelor "Bower"
Once an interested female bowerbird arrives to check out the finely constructed nest the male will begin to strut and sing hoping to convince her to stick around for a little bit. You know, it is eerie how similar the bowerbird is to the human bachelor. I just picture the male “dumb-dancing” while trying out cheesy pick up lines on the potential mate. After mating the female will fly off and build a nest close by while the male will work on convincing another female into his sweet bachelor pad. You know, I am starting to think that it may not have been a good idea to wake up your husbands/boyfriends for this Wild Fact. Sorry ladies, my bad!
Well folks I am off to collect some shells and feathers for my home. I will check back in with you a little later.
Today’s Wild Fact was suggested by my brother, Clayton. Thanks buddy for recommending such an awesome bird. So what bird are we looking at today? Well my friend we are going to explore the world of the Blue-Footed Boobie which as you can see are aptly named after their bright blue feet. The Blue-Footed Boobie can be found in Central and South America with half of the breeding pairs located on the Galapagos Islands. As if I needed another reason to check out the birthplace of evolution.
Believe it or not the blue feet are actually a status symbol. The males with the brightest feet are the most attractive. During courtship the males will show off their feet with a nice little strut. The feet aren’t just for fashion as they play an important role during the brooding period. These birds will use their feet to keep their eggs warm until they hatch. Once the one to three babies are born, both parents will take care of them. Awww, one big, happy, blue-footed, family.
Incubating the Eggs. Photo By RJ Hall
With so much emphasis put on these birds feet, I find it funny that they are incredibly clumsy and awkward looking on land. For this reason they usually only come to nest on land at night. Once that sun rises these birds hit the sky for some exciting hunting. Their food of choice just happens to be fish and will fly out to sea in order to find large schools. Once they spot their prey the dive is on. The Blue-Footed Boobie is an exceptional diver and will often plunge into the ocean from heights as high as 24 m (80′). I guess they wouldn’t have a problem jumping off the high diving board at the local pool.
Blue-Footed Boobie Fast Fact: The term “Boobie” is believed to come from the Spanish word “bobo”. In English this term means “Stupid”. Not the nicest name for these animals and it is believed they received this name for their lack of grace on land.
Yesterday we talked about the Six Plumed Birds of Paradise which have some pretty impressive colouration and dancing skills. After finishing that post I felt like talking about another impressive bird. You can’t tell me that you didn’t think of a Peafowl after watching that video. You have never heard of a Peafowl you say? Perhaps you know it better by its more commonly used name, Peacock. Technically only the males are termed Peacock while the females are called Peahens. Together they are known as Peafowl.
The Six Plumed Birds of Paradise may have had a pretty impressive show for the ladies but when it comes to showing off the Peacock wrote the manual. They may not have the dancing skills but they definitely make up for it with their colours.
Photo by: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos
The Peahen will choose her mate based on the size, colour and quality of the Peacocks
large feather trains. This is why you will find the males with blue, gold and red “eye” markings. And just to make sure the ladies are able to see how impressive their colours are the Peacock is able to fan these feathers out in such a large arch that it will come across their neck and touch the ground on either side. Come on, how do you say no to that?
In fact it must be fairly irresistible since the proficient males are known to have harems containing several Peahens. Each Peahen will lay about 3 to 5 eggs and generally roost in the forest with other Peahens. The forest offers protection from predators so it is an ideal place to hide out while laying eggs.
Well that is all I have on the Peafowl for now so go and grab your brightest shirt you can find and head out on the town to do a little “Peacocking”. Have a great weekend everyone!
You are all very lucky that my family was watching the BBC Special, Planet Earth tonight. Otherwise this post would be about the “Cat in the Hat” instead of the Six Plumed Birds of Paradise. You see nobody made any suggestions but luckily my brother called while he was watching the incredible video and asked if I had completed a Wild Fact on this awesome dancing bird. After thinking about it I realized that I hadn’t talked about this bird yet so here it is.
As I mentioned the Birds of Paradise made it big time when they were featured on Planet Earth. It was the wicked dancing skills of the males that landed the Six Plumed Bird of Paradise on this hit documentary. As usual, it is only the mature males that are flashy. These guys are usually black with some bizarre plumage. For example they have 3 wire-like feathers protruding from behind each eye. If that isn’t weird enough for you than how about that iridescent patch of feathers on their chest? Still not impressed? Geez, you are harder to impress than the female bird that shot down the dancing male on Planet Earth. Well, the last thing they have to impress you with is the unusual feathers they have on their sides that extend past their torso. I don’t know how the women aren’t impressed by this since the females (and juvenile males) are boring in comparison with a typical brown colour and lighter coloured breast. Yaawwwn!
Unfortunately the women Birds of Paradise aren’t just interested in looks when they are selecting a mate. They want a man that can dance! What is it with women judging men on their dancing skills? Okay, I know the answer to this but I don’t think we should get into that here. If you have watched the above mentioned video (or the short clip posted below) than you will know the males have a very complex courtship dance. Before the dance starts the male will clear an area so it is free from leaves and debris. This display territory will usually have at least one horizontal perch such as a stick or a vine. This is basically a front row seat for the female to sit on while watching the show. Once the dance floor is cleared and the pretty lady is comfortable in her seat then the show can begin. All of a sudden an rather ordinary bird is transformed into an awesome looking dancing machine. I was going to try and explain their dance but I think it is best if you just refer to the video clip below. Trust me, you will like it.
Welcome back to another fun filled week of interesting animal facts. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Today’s fact is going to be about another one of our feathered friends. My loving mother wanted to know about the Sandhill Crane and what is the point of having a son who runs a wildlife blog if he doesn’t answer your questions, right? So today we are discovering the most common of all the crane species.
The Sandhill Crane can be found in North America and as far south as Mexico and Cuba. If you happen to live in the wonderful area of Siberia then you will also have a chance to see these beautiful birds up close. Interestingly enough a 10 million year old fossil was found and was identified to be structurally the same as today’s Sandhill Crane. This just means that if I lived 10 million years ago, I could still be writing a Wild Fact about this bird. I don’t think blogging was that popular back then but who knows.
The Sandhill Crane is a large bird that can weigh up 6.5 kg (14 lbs) and has a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet. For the record their wingspan is about as long as me! If you are trying to catch a glimpse of these magnificent birds then I recommend you check out some local wetlands since they usually hang out there feeding on plants, insects, mice, worms and even snakes. Unfortunately, you can also find them in fields where they like to dig into the lush soil looking for food. Believe it or not, farmers don’t care for these large birds digging up their fields.
If you are bored one night, I highly suggest you find a pair of cranes. I can guarantee you that they will provide plenty of entertainment. During mating season the two cranes will come together and perform an amazing duet. They will throw their heads back and put everything they can into their beautiful love song. To go with the singing they will also dance, run and leap high in the air. For the record, they will practice their dance moves all year long. Just to show you how much fun they are to watch, I have included a 5 minute video of a couple of dancing cranes. ENJOY!
I am going to end this week of Wild Facts with a post inspired by my niece, Taylor. She sent me some photos of a bird that has been living in her backyard so I thought I would share some facts about this little bird. Before we get into the facts though, I am requesting some help from my readers. I have included several photos of the bird in case any of you are birders. I believe I have correctly identified it has a House Sparrow but I am personally not much of a birder. What can I say, mammals intrigue me a lot more. Well, lets get on with the House Sparrow.
Growing up in Canada, I am quite familiar with sparrows since they are fairly common. The thing about the House Sparrow though is it is not related to our native North American sparrows. Nope, this one actually comes from Europe and is related to the African Weaver. The house sparrow didn’t exist in North America until 1850-1852 when they were introduced to control insects in New York. Fast forward about 160 years and the house sparrow can be found across Canada and the USA. Not only that but they can be a problem since they out compete our native bird species. This is just one more example why humans shouldn’t mess with Mother Nature.
This seed-eating bird will generally create bulky, domed shape nests made from grass. They will nest in trees, buildings or cute bird-houses like above. The female house sparrow will lay 2 or 3 clutches of eggs from April to August. Each clutch will usually contain about 3 to 7 eggs. What I find interesting about the house sparrow is that some of them will actually nest in small groups. I don’t believe Taylor has a group of them nesting in her backyard so I guess she has one of the birds that nest all by themselves.
House Sparrow Fast Fact: The nesting and feeding areas of the house sparrow are very seldom more than 100 m (300′) from a human dwelling. For the record these birds will generally feed on seeds, grains and green vegetables such as lettuce and peas. So if you have a nice little garden growing in your backyard you had better watch out for these little thieves.
Again, I invite all of you to look at the pictures below to confirm my identification of this bird. The link below helped me identify the bird. Let me know what you think. Thanks and have a great weekend.
As usual, I enjoyed writing yesterday’s fact so much that I wanted to talk about another African bird today. These birds may not have different coloured wattles or really long eye-lashes but they are still pretty cool looking. Oh yeah, I completely forgot to tell you the name of the bird. We are going to learn about the Guinea Fowl, which some species have been introduced around the world for breeding purposes. Although you can find them on farms around the world, the Guinea Fowl is native to Africa.
The Guinea Fowl generally weighs about 0.7 – 1.6 kg (1.5 – 3.5 lbs) and can grow as long as 71 cm (30″). This larger bird is a ground dwelling creature that spends the majority of its time digging to find scrumptious insects and worms. We may not find them delicious but the Guinea Fowl sure does. But even they will grow tired of insects and consume some berries, seeds, small reptiles from time to time. The fowl is just a cog in the food web though. It may eat numerous animals but it is also prey to many larger predators such as dogs, wolves, humans and even crocodiles.
If you have looked closely at the picture above then you may have thought that this bird looks bald. If you did notice this, Congratulations! The Guinea Fowl resembles a vulture in that regard, which is why one species is called the Vulturine Guinea Fowl. Don’t be fooled though, they have no relation to the vulture. I am still scratching my head to try and figure out why these birds need to be bald. I understand that vultures have featherless heads so they don’t carry bacteria from the roadkill they eat, but the Guinea Fowl doesn’t feast on carrion. The only thing I can think of is the fact that these birds are constantly digging in the sand. Perhaps they are bald as a result of this foraging behaviour. I would love to hear all of your ideas on why the Guinea Fowl is bald so please leave a comment below. I am looking forward to your input to help solve this riddle.
Welcome to another new week of Wild Facts. We are going to start the week off discovering an interesting bird. This is another animal that was recommended by my brother, Clayton. Enough of the idle chit chat, let’s head over to Africa to learn about the Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill.
This large bird can be found hanging out in the grasslands and savannas of Africa, just north of the equator. There are several things that we will notice first about this unique bird. A few of their characteristics include the casque on top of their head, stubby legs, an inflatable throat pouch and of course incredibly long eyelashes.
So where should we start? Well, I guess we can begin with the odd looking casque on the top of their head. This is believed to help with enhancing their vocalizations so all of their friends can hear them. The bare legs of this bird are perfect for walking and running throughout the grasslands of Africa. Let’s move onto the more interesting features of this particular hornbill.
You will notice that this bird as a blue or red throat pouch, also called a wattle. This wattle is used in courtship with the males puffing it out to impress the ladies in the area. Interestingly enough, both males and females have this throat pouch but the women have a nice blue coloured wattle while the males are red coloured. At least this makes it easy for us to tell the males and females apart.
I guess now is a good time to solve the mystery that was bugging my brother so much. What is the purpose of the long eyelashes? Well first of all, these eyelashes that most women would kill for are actually modified feathers. I doubt women would want feathers growing on their eyes. The purpose of these eyelashes are to protect the hornbill’s eyes from elements such as sand. I wonder how much mascara these birds go through in a year?
I hope you all enjoyed today’s fact and stay tuned for another fun fact tomorrow!
I found out today that one our young readers really likes ducks, so today’s Fact on the Ruddy Duck is for my friend Emma. Actually, one of our old readers, my dad, also really likes ducks so this fact is for him as well. In order to learn about them we need to explore some marshes throughout North America. Luckily the Ruddy Duck was accidentally introduced into Great Britain and has consequently spread across Europe. I say “luckily” since now our European friends don’t need to travel all the way to North America to see these beautiful birds.
The ruddy duck is a diving duck that feeds mainly on the seeds of aquatic plants, leafy plants and of course, invertebrates. These particular ducks are very abundant during the summer, however, you will hardly get to see them. They tend to be very shy and spend most of their time hiding in the cattails surrounding the edges of wetlands. Now we know where to find these colourful, little ducks so it should make our expedition a little easier.
Speaking of colourful, you will notice that the male ruddy duck has a nice rust coloured body, blue beak and a black cap. As with most ducks, the female tends to be dull and boring. The lady ducks have a gray-brown body and grayish coloured head. I suppose the males are brightly coloured in order to gain the attention of their female friends. If you look at the picture again, you will notice that the duck has its tail feathers sticking straight out of the water. I am not exactly sure why they do this but it is an interesting characteristic of the little duck.
Ruddy Duck Fast Fact: The ruddy duck loves the water and is one of the most aquatic ducks out there. In fact, they have a tough time on land since their feet are placed so far back on their body. The placement of their feet helps them dive but they are not going to win any sprinting competitions anytime soon.
I hope you enjoyed today’s fact on the Ruddy Duck!
Welcome to my ongoing project to provide you with 1000 Animal Facts. Every week-day I will provide a new and interesting animal fact counting down from 1000. My goal is to hopefully educate the young and old alike about the interesting adaptations of the animal kingdom. As well, I am hoping people will gain a greater appreciation of the animals we share earth with. If you have any questions, please feel free to use the Contact form or leave a comment.
