Category Amazing Birds

          The males of the ribbon tailed astrapia carry their long white tail feathers wherever they fly just like a jet plane leaves a smoky white trail in the sky. The male ribbon tailed astrapia has the longest tail feathers in relation to the size of its body. A medium sized bird is around 32 cm long and its tail measures up-to 1m.

          The females appear rather dull with brown plumage in comparison to the males who have glossy reddish brown feathers and white tail feathers. The tail feathers do not provide any survival aid. Often, it gets tangled on the braches when the birds swing into action. The tails are rather used to attract females for mating.

          The female ribbon tailed astrapia enjoy the privilege of choosing their partner, a compensation for their dull appearance indeed! Also known as Shaw Mayer’s astrapia, this bird belongs to the bird-of-paradise species. It was discovered recently in Papa New Guinea.

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          The shoebill is unique because taxonomists find it hard to classify it into any of the existing groups.

          The bird does not have any obvious connections to any other bird species, living or extinct. The giant of a bird is endemic to Africa and is mostly found in the northeastern swamps. A full grown shoebill is usually 1-1.4 m tall with a wingspan of 2.3-2.6 m. they are named after their beaks which look like a shoe.

          They are skilled hunters and lungfish is their preferred prey. Young shoebills are often eaten up by crocodiles. Ironically, young crocodiles are sometimes eaten up by shoebills though they prefer fish. Because of its huge size and colour, shoebills are sometimes compared to Hippogriff, a mythical creature that appears in J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It doesn’t have four legs, though!

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          How would it look if a bird has claws on its wings? Wing claws were a common feature of prehistoric birds. Hoatzins have managed to maintain their wing claws even after generations of evolution. Baby hoatzins are born with wing claws that are shed as they mature.

          Flying is a difficult task for hoatzins and walking impossible. Even a 300m long flight would be a huge achievement for them. They usually prefer to live in swamps and waterside homes though they cannot swim well. However, young hoatzins can jump into water and swim when faced with danger. Their maroon eyes pop out of their blue, featherless skin around their head and their brown plumage is largely kempt.

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          Bird sounds have influenced music time and again. Legendary musicians including Beethoven and Vivaldi are said to have been inspired by bird sounds.

          The bird sounds range from soft whistling to rough grunts and trills. Here is a bird with a call that resembles the rings of bells! Three-wattled bellbirds are known for their distinctive bell-like call. They are often heard than seen since these birds are very shy and rarely come out of their dwelling. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed their status as vulnerable, making us doubtful if we could hear bell-like calls in future.

          The bird hails from Latin America and is usually found in high mountain forests. Its migration pattern is not clearly understood. During winter, it migrates to lowland forests and goes to Costa Rica, Western Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama to bread. The size of the three-wattled bellbird ranges from 25 to 30 cm.

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          Cities and monuments are often named after kings. Ever heard of a bird which is named after a king? King of Saxony bird-of-paradise enjoys the royal privilege of being named after King Albert of Saxony.

          Its scientific name “Albert” too is in honour of the king just like its local name. The bird is also known as “Kiss-a-baa” in New Guinea, where it is originally from. This name comes from a human interpretation of the male’s loud call. Too many names. Isn’t it?

         The adult King Saxony bird-of-paradise is approximately 22 cm long. Male Alberta’s have two long feathers that stick out from their head almost as long as their body. It was so bizarre that when the first specimen was brought to Europe, people took it for a fake head gear.

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          The kakapo is an extraordinary bird with an extraordinary story. These nocturnal birds belong to the flightless parrots. Endemic to New Zealand, these birds are critically endangered and demand the attention of conservationists.

          Plenty of kakapos lived in New Zealand’s landscape be-fore humans arrived there. The animals that humans brought along preyed on kakapos which put them on the brink of extinction. Thanks to the New Zealand Wildlife Service for their interventions including transferring them to predator-free islands, there is a steady increase in the number of kakapos.

           It is also known as owl parrot as its face is shaped like an owl. It is one of the heaviest and possibly longest-living birds. A full grown kakapo weighs up to four kg. They have small eyes and a well-developed sense of smell that helps them to track down their favourite plants for food.

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