The Most Exotic Birds

Exotic Birds OF THE WORLD There are over 10,000 species of birds in the world. The variety in size, color, and behavior is almost endless. Here are some interesting facts about some of the most exotic birds. BIRDS OF PARADISE Southeast Asia There are 41 species of the birds of paradise native to Southeast Asia. ENDANGERED SPECIES Males are known for their brightly Many birds of paradise species are very colored and dramatic feathers, rare. They can only be found in very including very long tail feathers specific habitats and have very small ranges. BIRDS OF PARADISE ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR ELABORATE MATING RITUALS. Males create “arenas" or clearings on the When a female comes near, the male forest floor - they keep their arena clear performs an elaborate dance to attract her. of all twigs, leaves and other debris. PARROT There are over 350 parrot species native to tropical areas around the world. Pygmy Parrot Hlyacinth Macaw The smallest parrot is the pygmy parrot which The largest parrot is the Hyacinth Macaw is only about the length of a human finger. which can be up to 40 inches from beak to the end of the tail feathers. 00 100 15 Smaller parrot species live 10-15 years. Large parrots live a long time - one parrot in England is thought to be over 100 years old. PARROTS ARE VERY INTELLIGENT Some African grey parrots have been taught to count and recognize colors, shapes, and objects. Some parrots fly over 500 miles a day while foraging for food. COCKATOO Australia All cockatoos are native to Australia SIBLINGS Cockatoos are part of the parrot family - The oldest recorded Cockatoo lived there are 21 species of cockatoo. to be 80 years old Most cockatoos are black and white because their feathers don't reflect light in the same way that other parrots do. Cockatoos are very noisy. They are the loudest of all the parrots. PEACOCK India The peacock is the national bird of India. The "eyes" in the tail feathers symbolize The male peacock is one of the largest the eyes of the gods in the Hindu religion. flying birds - they can be up to 6 ft. long. The male's tail contains over 200 PIECES OF 3FT. LONG IRIDESCENT FEATHERS The colorful tail display is thought to be used for both attracting mates and intimidating predators. CARDINAL Unilėd Statés Bright red cardinals are very popular song birds and are the official birds of 7 US states. Cardinals can sing several different melodies Only the males are bright red, and, unlike many song birds, both sexes sing. females are a tan/gray color. CARDINALS ARE NOT MIGRATORY AND STAY IN THE SAME AREA ALL YEAR ROUND. Go away!. Male cardinals are very aggressive in defending their territory. They've even been known to attack their own reflections, thinking there was an intruder. TOUCAN Toucans have the largest bill (compared A toucan turns it head around and rests to body size) of any bird. its bill on its back to sleep. THE LARGE BILL IS AN ADVANTAGE IN EATING it allows the Toucan to reach fruits and crack open nuts. Both males and females have large, colorful bills. They participate in a mating fruit toss ritual. LIKE PARROTS, TOUCANS ARE EXCELLENT MIMICS AND CAN Good mornig! IMITATE HUMAN SPEECH. PUFFIN Northern Allanlic Puffins are native to the Northern Atlantic. Puffins are nicknamed "clowns of the sea" because of their brightly colored Puffins nest in underground burrows and bills, red and black eye markings, and gather in huge colonies. orange legs. PUFFINS SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIVES AT SEA AND ONLY RETURN TO LAND ONCE A YEAR TO BREED. Puffins "fly" underwater and can dive as deep at 200 ft. HUMMINGBIRD Hummingbirds eat every 10 minutes and eat twice their body weight every day. Humming birds flap their wings about 80 times a second. THE SMALLEST HUMMINGBIRD IS THE BEE HUMMINGBIRD it's only 2 inches long from the tip of its beak to the tip of its tail. It only weighs 2 grams or about the same as 2 dimes. A hummingbird's brain is proportionally Hummingbirds can't walk. the largest of any bird. SOURCES: 1800 PETSUPPLIES http://animals.nationalgoographic.com/animals/birds/ Any:hing and Everything for all your pets http://stuff4kids.hubpages.com/hub/Top-Ten-Interesting-and-Fun-Facts-About-Birds http://www.arkive.org/birds/ http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/resources/funfacts/ http://birds.about.com/od/livingwithabird/a/birdfacts.htm http://weirdfacts.com/Animal-Facts/bird-facts.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird-of-paradise http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/parrot.html http://a-z-animals.com/animals/parrot/ http://birds.about.com/od/largebirds/tp/Facts-About-Cockatoos.htm http://www.thejunglestore.com/cockatoo http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/birds/peacock