There’s a story behind every bird. There’s a reason why they’re the way they are. Think about these before you become confused about any bird.
1. 6 birds for every human
There are over 50 billion individual birds in the world, which equates to approximately six birds for every human on the planet.
2. Death punch
The Peregrine Falcon hunts by diving vertically down at 230+ mph and killing its prey on impact with its foot. It literally punches other birds to death.
3. Birds can see magnetic field
A protein called CRY4 in their eyes allows birds to see and use the Earth’s magnetic field for migration. The Earth’s magnetic field appears to them as a bright haze in the sky, pointing North or South. During the migration season, their brain produces this protein.
4. Rainbow Lorikeets!
The rainbow lorikeet is a brightly coloured parrot native to eastern Australia’s forests. According to reports, they enjoy showering and sometimes sleep upside down. They get bored easily as intelligent birds and enjoy playing with noisy toys. They can get quite drunk when they consume fermented fruit.
5. Hummingbird can marathon 20 times
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds can fly 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico in a single 20-hour nonstop flight. This requires more calories than the bird’s weight, so they double their fat mass to prepare. During the flight, they use up their entire caloric reserve.
6. Inferno
There are ‘Firehawks’ in Australia, which are birds that intentionally start forest fires as a hunting technique.
7. ZW Chromosomes
In contrast to mammals, birds, some fish, crustaceans, and insects have a ZW system, with males typically having ZZ and females having ZW chromosomes.
8. Birds in 12 days of Christmas
The 12 Days of Christmas contain a total of 184 birds. The five golden rings in ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ could be birds.
9. Eggs are edible
Except for the Hooded Pitohui and the Ifrita kowaldi, both of which are found in Papua New Guinea, all bird eggs are edible.
10. Bird calculations
Birds exhibit jerky movements primarily for depth perception — quickly switching which eye is looking at something allows comparison between viewpoints, similar to how humans constantly compare views from their two eyes, which the brain uses to create a 3D picture.
11. Innovative cleansing
Some bird species, such as jays, allow ants to access their feathers through a process known as “anting”. The ants secrete formic acid, which acts as an insecticide and fungicide, keeping their feathers healthy.
Would you be interested in weirdest looking birds?
