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Those Amazing Birds

10 things you might not know about our avian friends...

Story by Scott Bourne January 9th, 2015

1. Birds don't sweat

Birds aren’t like us. They never sweat. Like dogs, they thermoregulate. When you see their beaks open but hear no sound, they are actually panting to cool themselves off.

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2. There are more of them than us

On any given day, up to four hundred billion individual birds may be found flying, soaring, swimming, hopping, or otherwise flitting above the earth. That‘s more than 50 birds for every human being, 800 birds per dog, and at least a half-million birds for every living elephant.

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3. feathery friends

Depending on the bird, they might have anywhere between 1,000 and 25,000 feathers. Lined up end on end, the feathers of the world would stretch past the moon and past the sun to some more distant celestial body. Their exact number is unknowable.

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4. sometimes birds work together

The Harris‘ hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) formerly known as the bay-winged hawk or dusky hawk, is one of the only known bird species that hunts cooperatively in packs consisting of tolerant groups, while other raptors often hunt alone. It is the Harris‘ Hawk‘s intelligence which leads to a social nature which results in easier training and has led to the Harris‘ hawk to become a popular bird for use in falconry.

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5. SOME ducks DON'T actually quack

Most male ducks are silent and very few ducks actually “quack.” Instead, their calls may include squeaks, grunts, groans, chirps, whistles, brays and growls.

By the way there are at least twenty-eight types of ducks living in North America, not included in these water birds are the eiders, loons, mergansers, smews, scoters and teals.

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6. male birds work for their mates

A common mating ritual involves male birds flying back and forth with twigs to present to potential mates. If the female likes the twigs and thinks that they will make suitable nesting material, the female will accept the male and the two will mate. If the male bird doesn’t bring the right twigs or enough of them, the female says “no thanks.”

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7. Birds don't need gps

Scientific studies have shown that birds can use a variety of methods to navigate. One way involves using landmarks. Birds sense magnetic fields to create a natural version of the global-positioning system. Some species use the sun and others the stars. For instance, in 1957 Franz and Eleanor Saur collected data from a series of experiments in which birds were placed inside an enclosed planetary dome. The Saurs were able to demonstrate that birds do use the stars for migration.

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8. Eagles don't fly - they soar

A bald eagle’s wingspan ranges from 72 to 90 inches. Bald eagles can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet. During level flight, they can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph. Several eagles soaring in a thermal together is described as a kettle of eagles.

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9.Raptors are classified into 2 groups

Birds of prey, also known as raptors, are divided into two main groups, the diurnal (day flying) birds of prey and the nocturnal (night flying) birds of prey, better known as the owls.

Raptors are fierce hunters and can typically fly faster than most birds. The peregrine falcon is amongst the fastest animals on earth.

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10. Why birds matter

The next time you see a bird, remember, as the birds go, so we go. Birds are fundamentally important to nature.

They act as agents of dispersal, helping to spread seeds so we can grow enough food to eat.

They act as biological control agents eating pests like mosquitoes.

They are biological indicators. Without birds, the effects of pollution would not have been as visible in the 1950s and 1960s.

Birds help keep the world in balance and as a bonus offer us a beautiful reminder that some day we may all soar like angels. It’s always an honor to speak for the birds.

Thank you.

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Footnote: To learn more about photography, visit Photopodcasts.com - All photographs by Scott Bourne - For information on ordering prints, print licensing, workshops please email [email protected]
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