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Facts About MammalsDid you know there are 21 groups of mammals ? Or that there are nearly 5,000 species of mammals? Find out these facts and more in this article about mammals.
about.com | 28-Apr-2012 20:51
All About Amphibians
Amphibians are a group of animals that includes newts, salamanders, caecilians, frogs and toads. There are between 5,000 and 6,000 species of amphibians alive today. The following articles will introduce ...
about.com | 28-Apr-2012 20:50
Monotremes
Monotremes are a unique group of mammals. Unlike placental mammals and marsupials, monotremes lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Monotremes consist of two subgroups, the echidnas ...
about.com | 28-Apr-2012 18:46
Pinnipeds
Pinnipeds are marine mammals that include three groups, the eared seals (also known as the fur seals), the true seals, and the walrus. This group of mammals are sell suited ...
about.com | 28-Apr-2012 12:50
Study Reveals Jellyfish on Rise
Jellyfish numbers are on the rise worldwide according to a global study conducted by scientists from the University of British Columbia. The research team examined data for several species of jellyfish and found that jellyfish populations were increasing in 62 percent of the locations they analyzed. Areas with booming jellyfish populations included the coastal waters of East Asia, the Black Sea, the Northeastern United States, Hawaii and Antarctica.
This study represents the first of its kind done on global scale. Plenty of anecdotal evidence exists for increasing jellyfish populations but this is the first survey that quantifies the trend.
Jellyfish impact humans in a number of ways. They pose a threat to swimmers (their stings can be very painful and depending on the species can even be life threatening). They also clog water intakes for power plants and interfere with commercial fishing.
Photo © Casper Tybjerg.
about.com | 27-Apr-2012 14:07
New Fishing Technology Reduces Threat to Seabirds
Conservationists have introduced a new fishing technology that will help to reduce the threat of bycatch to critically endangered waved albatrosses. The technology, dubbed the Medina System, is aimed at making small-vessel bottom-set longline fishing safer for birds.
Current technology poses the greatest threat to seabirds when it is being set and when it is being hauled in. Birds attempt to grab bait and in doing so become ensnared on the line. They often die due to drowning or injury.
By helping to sink lines and bait more quickly, the new fishing technology reduces the chance for seabirds to grab onto bait and become hooked. Since the new aparatus does not weigh much and creates minimal drag, the lines are still easy for fishing boats to haul out of the water.
The new fishing technology was developed through the joint efforts of the American Bird Conservancy and their Ecuadorian Partner, Equilibrio Azul.
Photo © Dan Lebbin / American Bird Conservancy.
about.com | 27-Apr-2012 13:34
Rare Parrot Receives Increased Protection
The critically endangered Fuertes's parrot is to recieve additional protection thanks to the combined efforts of Fundacion ProAves, World Lands Trust, the American Bird Conservancy and several other conservation organizations. These organizations recently acquired more than 350 acres of habitat critical to the Fuertes's parrot and eleven other threatened species of birds, mammals and amphibians.
Columbia's Fuertes's parrot is among the world's most endangered birds. The species consists of a population of fewer than 250 individuals. The bird is so rare that it was thought to have been extinct for 90 years. It was rediscovered in 2002 by ProAves biologists working under an American Bird Conservancy grant. The ProAves biologists discoverd a small population of about a dozen birds surviing in the high-elevation cloud forest of the Columbian Andes.
Gold mining and deforestation pose the greatest threat to the Fuertes's parrots and their habitat. To protect the rare birds requires constant funding and commitment on the part of conservation organizations. Their efforts have resulted in the establishment of the Threatened Parrot Corridor, a collection of reserves that blend both municiple and private reserves. The corridor covers some 18,000 acres of crucial habitat and now protects about 70 percent of the Fuertes's Parrot population.
Photo © Fundación ProAves.
about.com | 27-Apr-2012 13:12
Komodo Dragon
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world. These giant reptiles are dull brown, dark grey, or reddish in color, while juveniles are green with yellow and black stripes. ...
about.com | 30-Mar-2012 17:31
Red Fox
The red fox is a charismatic carnivore that inhabits a widespread range throughout the Northern Hemisphere. This canine occurs as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south ...
about.com | 30-Mar-2012 13:27
Newts and Salamanders
Newts and salamanders are a group of amphibians that include about 10 families that include some 470 species. All salamanders and newts are carnivorous. They feed on small invertebrates ...
about.com | 29-Mar-2012 15:57
European Badgers
The European badger is a mammal native to Europe noted for the extensive tunnels it builds. These tunnels, also known as sets or dens, are as much as six feet ...
about.com | 29-Mar-2012 15:50
Sharks, Skates, and Rays
Sharks, rays, and skates form a group of boneless fishes called the elasmobranchs (Elasmobranchii). There are about 800 species of elasmobranchs, of which over half (between 450 and 500 species) ...
about.com | 18-Mar-2012 17:43
Intertidal Zone
The intertidal zone is a gradient that stretches between land and sea and one in which there is constant change as sea water moves with the tides, alternately submerging and ...
about.com | 18-Mar-2012 17:20
Bivalves
Bivalves (Bivalvia) are a group of molluscs that include clams, scallops, oysters, mussels, razor shells, cockles, venus shells, borers, trough shells and many others (some of which have yet to ...
about.com | 18-Mar-2012 17:19
Falcons
Falcons are a group of birds of prey that includes 37 species. Falcons fall into several general groups including the kestrels, the hobbies and their relatives, the peregrine falcon and ...
about.com | 28-Feb-2012 22:47
Facts About Amphibians
Amphibians are a group of vertebrates that include three groups: newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecilians. Find out more about amphibians .
about.com | 28-Feb-2012 12:30
Communities and Ecosystems
Nature is a mosaic of complex interactions and relationships between animals, plants, and their environment. Individual organisms belong to populations, species, communities, and ecosystems. Energy flows from one organism to ...
about.com | 28-Feb-2012 12:20
All About Mammals
Mammals are a group of vertebrates that includes some 21 groups. These groups include animals such as anteaters, bats, carnivores, aardvarks and their relatives, cetaceans, elephants, hoofed mammals marsupials, primates, ...
about.com | 26-Feb-2012 14:03
Older Male Sparrows Not Threatened by Younger Males
Older male white-crowned sparrows don't see younger male sparrows as much of a threat. When vying for mates or squabbling over territory, older males don't often bother challenging their younger rivals because they pose little credible competition. Instead, they only pick a fight with other older males that could pose a significant threat to their superiority.
It turns out, the way these birds figure out each others' seniority is based on their songs as well as their plumage. Male white-crowned sparrows use song for multiple purposes including attracting a mate and claiming their territory. Since young male white-crowned sparrows sing differently than older males, song can be used to distinguish age.
After mapping the territories of 16 male white-crowned sparrows, the research team was able to observe how males of different ages responded to songs made by intruders.
They found that older birds did nto react as strongly when they heard the song of a younger bird in their territory.
Photo © Douglas Nelson / Ohio State University
about.com | 15-Feb-2012 15:57
Tiny Tarsier Produces Ultrasonic Calls
Scientists have discovered that tarsiers, a group of tiny primates native to Southesast Asia, produce ultrasonic calls that are well beyond the audible range of humans. The frequency of the tarsirs' calls is among the most extreme of all animals, and is comparable to the ultrasonic calls made by dolphins and bats. The team of scientists, led by Nathaniel Dominy of Dartmouth, focused their study on a species of tarsier native to the Phillipines.
Tarsiers are a group of primates that diverged from monkeys and apes some 60 million years ago. The group has changed little during the past 45 million years and are considered to be living fossils. They measure a mere 5 inches from head to tail and live on a diet of small animals such as insects and reptiles.
Dominy and colleages noticed that the that tarsiers of Borneo and the Philippines were quieter than species elsewhere. This observation led them to inquire whether the vocalizations of the Borneo and Philippine tarsiers were outside the range of human hearing. They recorded sounds of 35 wild tarsiers on special equipment that captures sounds well outside the range of human hearing. They discovered that the tarsiers were producing ultrasonic calls that were otherwise similar to calls produced by tarsier species that call in the audible range. Further tests showed that tarsiers could indeed hear the ultrasonic calls.
Their findings reveal that tarsiers can both send and receive vocal signals in the ultrasonic range.
Photo © Nathaniel Dominy / Dartmouth.
about.com | 13-Feb-2012 17:27
Rare Bird Rediscovered in China
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a reclusive species of bird was discovered in China. The bird, given the common name of "blackthroat", was rarely sighted for over a century after its initial discovery. Now scientists working in the Quinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province in north central China have announced the rediscovery of a breeding site of blackthroats nestled in the dense bamboo, coniferous and broadleaf forests that blanket the mountain slopes above 2400 meters.
The research team, which included scientists from China and Sweden, discovered seven males in Foping National Nature Reserve. An additional seven males were located in Changquing National Nature Reserve.
Blackthroats (Luscinia obscura) bear some resemblence (size and shape) to European robins. But instead of a rusty red breast, blackthroats have a jet blakc throat and breast. Females are thought to have a brown throat and breast, but so far only males of the species have been definitely identified.
The species is classified as vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List due to its small and presumably declining population. It faces threats from habitat destruction as a result of widespread logging and agricultural land use throughout its range.
Photo © Per Alström / Foping National Nature Reserve, Shaanxi, China.
about.com | 07-Feb-2012 16:14
Arachnid Pictures
Arachnids are more than just spiders. Browse our new Arachnid Pictures to get a close-up glimpse of arachnid diversity.
about.com | 27-Jan-2012 13:51
Sea Turtles Coping with Climate Change
The gender of a baby green sea turtle is determined by the temperature the egg experiences during incubation. Warmer temperatures lead to more females being born while cooler temperatures lead to more males being born. This means that if temperatures increase (due to climate change, for example), sea turtles risk having populations that are composed of nearly all females. If this happens, they may experience a reduction in genetic diversity since few males will be available with which to breed.
Scientists from the University of Exeter, University of Lefke (Turkey) and North Cyprus Society for Protection of Turtles have been studying green sea turtles in Northern Cyprus to assess how diverse the population is and to estimate the impact rising temperatures have had on the turtles thus far.
The research team conducted genetic tests and found that, counter to what they had expected, the green sea turtle population was surprisingly diverse. The data enabled them to estimate how many males were mating with nesting females in the population and they found that there was an average of 1.4 males for every female. Satellite tracking data revealed that males swim vast distances, sometimes thousands of miles during a single breading season. This means that males could be mating between populations that were previously thought to be more genetically isolated.
The study offers hope for sea turtles in the face of the uncertainties posed by climate change. Although rising temperatures remain a threat to sea turtles, there is cause for optimism that green sea turtles can cope with fluctations in temperature better than expected.
Photo © Kimberley Stokes / University of Exeter.
about.com | 25-Jan-2012 23:33
Crustaceans - Mobile Swiss Army Knives
Crustaceans are one of four basic groups of arthropods (the other three being the myripods, arachnids and insects). The group includes crabs, lobsters, shrimp, krill, crayfishes, wood lice and barnacles.
Crustaceans are by no means as diverse in species number as the insects or even the arachnids, but they do come in a mind-boggling array of shapes and sizes. Since crustaceans are with few exceptions aquatic species, they have escaped the demands of life on land (demands which place limitations on the ornateness of body form that can develop).
Crustaceans are an old group of animals, dating back some 500 million years to the Cambrian. Their body plan is simple yet elegant and adaptable. In his book, The Variety of Life, Colin Tudge likens crustaceans to mobile Swiss Army knives—composed of up to 32 segments each equipped with its own pair of appendages that are modified for a variety of tasks: locomotion, defense, communication, feeding, hunting, reproduction. Each segment and its appendage is like a separate took in an ancient, well-adapted toolkit.
Crustaceans are also important to humans. Many species serve as food: crabs, lobsters and shrimp.
Photo © Ben Cranke / Getty Images.
about.com | 25-Jan-2012 17:11
Arachnids - Not Simply Spiders
Although scientists don't know exactly how many species of arachnids there are alive today, their best guess puts the species count in the ballpark of 100,000 of which, more than 40,000 are spiders. Since that means nearly half of all archnids are spiders, it's easy to forget the other lesser-known eight-legged creatures that belong to the group.
about.com | 25-Jan-2012 14:29
Rare Langur Discovered in Borneo
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown population of Miller's grizzled langurs (Presbytis hosei canicrus), an endangered primate thought to be on the verge of extinction. The rare langurs were discovered in the Wehea Forest of East Kalimantan, Borneo. Wehea Forest is a 38,000 hectare patch of undisturbed rainforest that is home to nine species of primates including gibbons and the Bornean orangutan.
about.com | 21-Jan-2012 21:43
Thailand's Anti-Poaching Efforts Paying Off
Anti-poaching efforts are successfully helping to protect many rare species in Thailand, according to a recent report by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Videos and images collected from WCS camera traps provide park rangers much needed data that can be used to arrest and convict poachers. Additionally, camera trap information is used by Wildlife Conservation Society scientists to measure and track population sizes of numerous local species.
The camera traps, placed in multiple locations within Thailand's Western Forest Complex, have capture footage and pictures of a variety of species including wild pigs, leopards, tigers, gaurs, Asian elephants, sun bears, clouded leopards, banteng and many others. Camera trap data indicates that there are between 125 and 175 tigers living within the 18,000-square kilometer Western Forest Complex.
Thailand serves as a critical front in the battle against poachers. The WCS has joined forces with the Thai government to train park rangers how to protect the region's rare animals from illegal hunting. Many park rangers and wildlife guards from other Asian countries are trained in Thailand, so they can learn how to best protect the rare wildlife from poaching in their own countries.
Photo © DNP-Government of Thailand / WCS Thailand Program. Camera trap image of an Asian elephant calf in a heard of adults, photographed in the Western Forest Compex, Thailand.
about.com | 17-Jan-2012 17:02
New Bush Viper Discovered in Tanzania
Scientists working in the remote montane forests of southern Tanzania have recently discovered a new species of bush viper. The new snake, named after the daughter of one of the scientists involved in the discovery, is called the Matilda's horned viper (Atheris matildae).
The discovery was made by a team of experts that included Michele Menegon of Museo delle Scienze of Trento, Italy, Tim Davenport of the Wildlife Conservation Society and Kim Howell of the University of Dar es Salaam.
Matilda's horned viper is similar to (and larger than) the Usambara bush viper (Atheris ceratophora). Genetic analysis has revealed that the two species diverged about 2.2 million years ago.
Scientists expect the Matilda's horned viper to be classified as critically endangered by the IUCN due to the species' restricted range. It is thought that the Matilda's horned viper survives within a fragment of montane forest no larger than 100 square kilometers.
Since illegal wildlife trade presents a serious threat to many reptiles in the region, the exact location of the new snake's habitat has not been publicized.
Photo © Tim Davenport / Wildlife Conservation Society.
about.com | 17-Jan-2012 13:19
Waved Albatross - Also Known As the Galapagos Albatross
The waved albatross is another of the four species of albatrosses that inhabit the Northern Hemisphere (other albatrosses of the Northern Hemisphere include the Laysan albatross, black-footed albatross and the short-tailed ablatross).
The waved albatross breeds on Española Island in the Galapagos Island and spends the rest of tye year at sea, foraging over the waters off the coast of Peru and Ecuador. Due to its presence in the Galapagos, the waved albatross has also earned itself another common name: the Galapagos albatross.
Although the Galapagos Archipelago straddles the equator and is therefore well within the tropics, the islands are bathed in the cold Humboldt Current from the south. So in some ways, despite the fact that waved albatrosses forage in the Northern Hemisphere, their range is, what you could say, just barely northern.
Photo © D. Gordon E. Robertson / Wikipedia.
about.com | 22-Dec-2011 14:28
Black-Footed Albatross - Not Your Average Albatross
The black-footed albatross, like the Laysan albatross, is one of the oddballs of the albatross family due to the fact that it inhabits the Northern Hemisphere (only three out of twenty-one species of albatrosses lives outside of the Southern Hemisphere). The black-footed albatross (also like the Laysan albatross) breeds in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It nests in colonies on Laysan Island, Midway Island, Kure Atoll, French Frigate Shoals and Kaula Island.
Unlike the Laysan albatross, which is considered to be common and not at threat from extinction, the black-footed albatross population is declining. Consequently, the species is classified as endangered. Today there are fewer than 120,000 mature adult black-footed albatrosses, and longline fishing currently poses the greatest threat to the species.
Black-footed albatrosses are notable for their distinct coloration. They are the only entirely dark-colored albatross to inhabit the northern Pacific Ocean. They have a halo of white feathers around the base of their bill and as the bird ages, the white fringe of feathers grows more prominant.
Black footed albatrosses feed on the eggs of flying fish as well as fish, squid and crustaceans. They use their keen sense of smell to pinpoint the location of prey when foraging over the open sea.
Photo © Daisy Gilardini / Getty Images.
about.com | 22-Dec-2011 14:03
Laysan Albatross - Hawaii's Albatross
As I mentioned in my previous post, albatrosses and their relatives tend to be a group of birds that resides for the most part in the Southern Hemisphere. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule and the Laysan albatross is one such exception that's worth mention.
The Laysan albatross is a small, gull-like albatross that breeds in the Northern Hemisphere. More specifially, it forms vast nesting colonies on various Hawaiian Islands (including Laysan and Midway Islands), the French Frigate Shoals, the Bonin Islands (off the coast of Japan) and Guadalupe Island (off the coast of Mexico). Unlike many albatrosses, the Laysan is not considered to be threatened or endangered. In fact, it is among the most common seabirds that inhabit the Hawaiian Islands. Conservationists estimate that there are in the ballpark of 1.1 million Laysan albatrosses.
Photo © Sylvain Cordier / Getty Images.
about.com | 22-Dec-2011 12:54
Albatrosses and their Relatives - Total Tubenoses
Albatrosses and their relatives, also known as the Procellariiformes, are one of those lucky groups of birds that share a single, rather obvious characteristic and, in doing so, make it easy for taxonomists to declare what a Procellariiform is and what a Procellariiform isn't.
In the case of Procellariiformes, this distinguishing characteristic is the tubelike structure of their nostrils—their nostrils are contained within tubes that run along the top of the beak. In some Procellariformes, the nostrils are fused within one tube but in one group of Procellariiformes, the albatrosses, the nostrils lie within separate tubes on either side of their bill. Thus, although Procellariiformes are highly varied in their body shape and overall appearance, their tube-like nostrils unite them as a group as well as inspire the common name for the group: tubenoses.
Another common thread within the Procellariiformes is their preference for the Southern latitudes. Although there are some members of the group that do inhabit the Northern Hemisphere (namely petrels and shearwaters) most Procellariiformes remain within the stretches of the Southern Hemisphere where they spend most of their time at sea, feeding on the marine life—fish and squid—that blossoms in cold, nutrient-rich southern currents.
Photo © Marco Simoni / Getty Images.
about.com | 22-Dec-2011 12:12
Secretary Bird - One Tall Raptor
The secretary bird is in many ways Africa's version of the roadrunner. Like roadrunners, secretary birds have a fondness for dry, open habitats such as deserts, grasslands and scrublands. They also have a knack for running around on the ground catching their prey by stunning and stomping on it (since they feed on snakes, some of which are venemous, they can't be too careful when subduing their prey).
But secretary birds and road runners differ in many ways too. Despite some apparant similarities between the two groups, they are not closely related (the similarities are due more to the workings of convergent evolution than to a recently shared ancestry). In fact, secretary birds are classified amongst the birds of prey and are therefore closer cousins to the eagles, hawks, vultures, falcons and the osprey than to roadrunners.
From the hips up, secretary birds resemble their raptor cousins. Their head and body resemble those of a hawk and they have a bare face (a characteristic common to many raptors). But below the hips, secretary birds differ markedly from other raptors. Their greatest oddity is their legs which are not just long, they are comically long. From head to toe, adult secretary birds stand at an impressive meter or more tall.
Photo © EcoPic / iStockphoto.
about.com | 15-Dec-2011 17:01
Golden Eagles - North America's Mightiest Avian Predator
Golden eagles are the mightiest of all avian predators in North America (and perhaps the world). To begin, these are no small birds. They weigh as much as 10 pounds and measure some 33 inches long with a wingspan in the ballpark of 86 inches. Their prey mainly consists of small mammals such as rabbits, haris, ground squirrels and such.
But there are stories of golden eagles having taken down much larger quarry such as foxes, coyotes, pronghorn and deer. Of course, many of the larger prey taken are often animals that have been incapacitated in some way, either through injury or the trials of long hard winters and lack of food. Additionally, golden eagles only attach large prey if they too are under stress to find food and if more suitable (smaller) prey is not present. The energetic requirements needed to kill large prey make it a last resort option for even these mighty birds.
Photo © Tracy Williams Photography / iStockphoto.
about.com | 12-Dec-2011 13:53
The Osprey - One Widespread Bird of Prey
Ospreys are among the most widespread of all birds of prey—they inhabit every continent except for Antarctica. Their distribution is so vast that taxonomists commonly split the species up into four subspecies based on range and on variations in their appearance.
Ospreys are not only notable for their expansive range, they are also expert fishers. They live on a diet of almost exclusively fish. To catch their prey, they fly over the water and plunge feet-first, snatching their prey from just beneath the surface. They carry the fish they catch back to the nest to eat (their strong feet, scaly toes and sharp talons enable them to hold onto their prey while flying).
Although ospreys are widespread and are not currently classified as threatened or endangered, they once suffered drastic declines due to pesticide poisoning. Fortunately in 1970, pesticides such as DDT were banned and the osprey population has since recovered.
Photo © James Michael Kruger / Getty Images.
about.com | 10-Dec-2011 21:39
Merlins - The Unexpected City Birds
The merlin—a small, long-winged falcon that normally breeds in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska—has become increasingly more common in urban environments in recent decades.
The trend, seen in parts of Canada and the western United States, began in the 1970s and 1980s. It was during these years that a suite of pesticide bans (such as DDT) went into effect. This improved the survival of many species of birds at that time, the merlin included. As their numbers grew, they expanded their range.
Merlins started to find prey-rich havens within man-dominated landscapes. They also found suitable nesting sites such as the abandoned stick nests built by other city-dwelling birds like the American crow or the black-billed magpie. Such nests were often built in spruce trees, a convenient favorite of merlins (and, as it turns out, a favorite of humans who use them as ornamental trees in suburban and urban gardens).
Photo © Iculizard / iStockphoto.
about.com | 05-Dec-2011 12:55
Perching Bird Pictures
If you would like to browse pictures of perching birds, don't miss the new perching bird picture album .
about.com | 28-Nov-2011 16:19
Endangered Parrots of Australia
In a recent post, I mentioned that many species of wild parrots are threatened or endangered. While researching that post, I came across a pair of articles in Australian Geographic that profile some of the most endangered parrots of the region.
...about.com | 27-Nov-2011 14:30
Woodpeckers - The Most Arboreal of Birds
Although many birds exhibit a fondness for life in the trees, it is the woodpeckers that deserve top rank as the "most arboreal" of birds. From head to tail, woodpeckers boast a wide range of adaptations for a vertical, tree-clinging existence.
Most woodpeckers spend a lot of time on tree trunks where they forage for insects and excavate nesting sites. Not surprisingly, such a lifestyle involves a lot of hammering and drilling. As a result, woodpeckers are equipped with a powerful tool: their chisel-like bill. The bill is strong and reinforced with specialized bones and muscles that absorb shock (and thus prevent brain damage). In some species, the nostrils are heavily feathered to prevent sawdust from clogging them.
Woodpeckers also have strong, zygodactyl feet, with two of their four toes pointing forward and two pointing backwards. Such an arrangement provides the stability needed to grasp onto vertical surfaces. Additionally, in many species, one of the backward-pointing toes can be rotated to the side, thus adjusting and increasing the grip strength as needed to climb along tree trunks. The woodpecker's strong feet are complimented by a stiff, supportive tail that provides added stability when pressed against the tree trunk.
Photo © Dario Sanches / Wikipedia.
about.com | 27-Nov-2011 08:56
Sandgrouse
At one time, taxonomists placed the sandgrouse among the pigeons and doves due to perceived similarities in the way the two groups of birds drink. Pigeons and doves are unique among birds in that they can drink water without lifting their head (all other types of birds must take water into their mouth and then lift their head to swallow it). For a while, it was thought that sandgrouse also drank in this way, but closer investigation revealed that sandgrouse are not able to drink like pigeons and doves. Consequently, sandgrouse have been moved into their own separate group of birds.
about.com | 22-Nov-2011 14:39
Pigeons and doves
A handful of species of pigeons and doves are extremely common and for this reason many people take them for granted. Yet the group includes several members that are among the world's most endangered birds such as the pink pigeon of Mauritius and the Grenada dove of the island of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles.
In addition to these endangered birds, pigeons and doves also include several well-known extinct species such as the dodo and passenger pigeon.
about.com | 22-Nov-2011 14:35
Perching Birds - The Most Specious of Birds
Perching birds, also known as passerines, form the largest of all the basic bird groups. There are somewhere in the range of 5,200 to 5,500 species of perching birds alive today. This means that some 60 percent of all living birds are perching birds.
Perching birds include wrens, jays, crows, warblers, sparrows, tits, finches, pipits, wagtails and swallows, nuthatches and shrikes to name just a few. Perching birds are highly diverse, in both numbers of species and in their many different shapes and sizes. But most perching birds are small and, like other groups of small organisms within their respective animal classes (take the rodents among the mammals, for instance) the world is a spacious, niche-rich place.
about.com | 22-Nov-2011 14:32
Sandgrouse - Not Pigeons, Not Partridges
Sandgrouse are one of those groups of birds that has been shuffled around the bird family tree for quite some time until taxonomists finally decided they deserved their very own branch on which to sit upon. At one time, sandgrouse were placed amongst the gamebirds (a group that includes chickens, pheasants, quails, turkeys, grouse, currasows, guans chachalacas, guineafowl and megapodes). This classification was based on the superficial resemblance sandgrouse shared with partridges. But as is the case with many similar-looking animal groups, the likenesses ran just skin deep and reflected no true close kinship.
Taxonomists also attempted to classify sandgrouse with the pigeons. They based this classification on perceived similarities in the way sandgrouse and pigeons drink. Pigeons are unique among birds in that they can drink water without lifting their head (all other types of birds must take water into their mouth and then lift their head to swallow it).
For a while, it was thought that sandgrouse also drank in this way, but closer investigation revealed that sandgrouse are not able to drink like pigeons. Sandgrouse are like most other birds: they must lift their heads to gulp their water.
This was the last straw. Sandgrouse were deemed unique and were christened with their very own order: the Pteroclidiformes.
Photo © Physi28 / Dreamstime.
about.com | 20-Nov-2011 14:39
Pigeons and Doves - From Rock Pigeons to Dodos
Pigeons and doves are a group of birds that include Old World pigeons, American pigeons, bronzewings, quail-doves, American ground doves, Indopacific ground doves, crowned pigeons and many other groups. Yet despite their diversity (there are about 312 species of pigeons and doves in total) one species of pigeon is far more familiar to most people than all the others put together: the rock pigeon, Columba livia.
The rock pigeon, also known as the rock dove or the domestic pigeon, is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Clues gleaned from Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets and Egyptian hieroglyphic texts have revealed that rock pigeons were domesticated more than 5,000 years ago. Today, numerous varieties of the rock pigeon exist. Homing pigeons, for example, were bred to be able to fly long distances and find their way home. This skill was highly useful during World War I and II, when homing pigeons were used to carry messages back and forth for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
Other rock dove varieties include the acrobatic Birmingham roller (which can do backwards somersaults while flying) and release doves (doves used for release during ceremonies such as weddings, birthdays and funerals).
Although rock doves are plentiful, there are many species of pigeons and doves that are endangered or have gone extinct. The Grenada dove, for example, is a critically endangered dove endemic to the island of Grenada. Extinct pigeons and doves include the dodo and the passenger pigeon.
Photo © Chris Hepburn / Getty Images.
about.com | 19-Nov-2011 14:35
Storm Petrels - The Tiny Tubenoses
Storm petrels belong to a group of birds that are known for their rather nifty nostrils. The group, referred to as the "tubenoses", includes more than 100 species that are classified into a handful of subordinate taxa: diving petrels, gadfly petrels, albatrosses, shearwaters, fulmars and prions.
Tubenoses are so-named for their long, tube-like nostrils. The nostrils extend from the base of their bill towards its tip and help the birds extract and expel excess salt from the briny sea water they drink.
Storm petrels, like most tubenoses, spend much of their lives at sea and return to land only to breed. They main way storm petrels differ from other tubenoses is in their size—although many tubenose seabirds boast an impressive size and wingspan (the wandering albatross measures a jaw-dropping 12 feet from wingtip to wingtip), the storm petrels are petite, measuring measuring a mere 5 to 10 inches in length. Small they may be, but they are no less successful than other groups. Storm petrels are found throughout most of the world's ocans and seas. They are absent only from the Arctic ocean.
Photo © Aviceda / Wikipedia.
about.com | 19-Nov-2011 12:56
Parrots - Colorful, Threatened Birds
Although parrots are remarkably diverse in color shape and size, they are also among the most easy-to-recognize birds. Their brightly colored plumage, large head, short neck, long tail and curved bill are all hallmarks of the group.
about.com | 15-Nov-2011 11:00