Category Zoology

       Have you seen a kingfisher? This remarkable bird has the ability to swoosh down to a water body and return with a priced fish. The stork-billed kingfisher is one of the largest among the kingfisher species. A tree kingfisher, the bird inhabits larger, well wooded lakes, rivers and forest streams. These birds can be seen in wooded coasts and mangroves too. They are commonly found across India except the Northwest regions. The stork-billed kingfisher is also found in other parts of Southeast Asia, form Pakistan to Indonesia.

       A stork-billed kingfisher has a fairy long tail. It prefers to stay hidden in vegetation for long periods. It feeds on fish, but also eats crustaceans, reptiles, rodents and young birds. It is territorial and will chase away eagles and other large predators from its habitat .adults dig their nests in riverbanks, decaying trees, or termite nests.

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The ostrich is the largest among the living bird species on Earth. An ostrich can attain a height of 2.1 metres and can weigh up to 145 kilograms! The bird is also the fastest biped on Earth, meaning a being that walks on two legs.

The ostrich is a flightless bird. The strength of the bird reacts in its large and powerful legs. It can hit a speed of over 60 kilometres per hour while running. The feat is not for a few minutes; it can sustain the speed for about half an hour! The ability to run at high speeds is necessary for an ostrich as it lives in open habitats. It helps it form potential predators such as the big cats. It is also capable of inflicting fatal wounds with its huge feet. While food is scarce in such environment, swift running also helps it to move quickly in search of food supplies.

The ostrich is well adapted to desert life; the bird has keen eyesight and ability to live without water for long periods. The bird absorbs moisture from the plant matter that comprises most of its diet.

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       Probably North America’s most colourful bird, the painted bunting has various colours on its plumage such as yellow, blue, red, green and orange which looks like a painted canvas.

       However, it is very difficult to spot it as this bird has a tendency to remain hidden amongst dense vegetation. The bird likes to forage amongst low branches and relishes seeds, insects, insects’ larvae and spiders. It sometimes steals insects from a spider’s sticky web without getting stuck!

       The male bird is aggressive during the breeding season. They can be spotted fighting with other males of the species at times. These fights can even lead to death! The bird was a favourite of pet lovers and was once widely kept as a cage bird on account of its beautiful plumage. Even today, hundreds of birds are caught and kept in cages. Human interventions like this have adversely affected the population of the bird.

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The golden oriole has a bright yellow plumage that is easily noticed. The most distinguishable aspect of the bird may be its flute-like melodious call. The bird rarely descends to the ground because it has short, weak legs, which are poorly designed for walking. It makes a hammock-like nest, which is intricately woven and is suspended from a horizontal tree fork.

The bird is shy and likes to remain solitary. It spends considerable time high up in the trees amongst foliage and, therefore, it may be difficult to locate the bird easily.

The diet of the bird consists of fruits and insects.

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       Who would win if there was a beauty pageant contest among birds? Although there may be many contenders for the most colourful bird in the world, not many can claim the title of the most graceful, beating the peacock!

      The peacock is a gorgeous bird, familiar to many as a semi domesticated or feral species or even as a pest in some areas. It is native to parts of Asia where it is commonly found in deciduous tropical forests. A blue peafowl spends most of its time on the forest floor, in clearings or adjacent open ground where it forages for food.

       The males in the species have very long tails, which are usually around 1.2 metres in length, made of large green feathers with blue eyes on them. A peahen, on the other hand, is plain and ordinary.

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       Do you know that some birds can change colours with changing seasons? The plumage of the rock ptarmigan undergoes dramatic changes throughout the year; its feathers moult from white in winter to brown in spring or summer. The rock ptarmigan is a bird that comes in the order of Galliformes, which includes chicken, turkey and grouse. it is 34 to 36 centimetres long with a wingspan of 54 to 60 centimetres. These birds live primarily birds can change colours on the Arctic tundra and on alpine slopes where plant cover is minimal.

       The bird is simply known as ptarmigan in the UK and Canada. The rock ptarmigan is the official bird of the territory of Nunavut, Canada and the official game bird of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

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