With an estimated more than 10,000 species of bird in the world with the United States and Canada having seen a little over 900 of these species. In this article, you will find out what helps some birds find their way home and where you’d have to plan a trip to see the largest concentration of birds.
Birds
According to a study published in Animal Behaviour, some species of birds, like the pigeons may use recognizable landmarks as a way to find their home. This certainly comes in handy for our feathered friends who make lengthy trips from point A to point B. The pigeon can cover thousands of miles just to return to their previous roosting spot. During their travels, they face no difficulties finding the location. Every year, the Arctic tern sets off on a 25,000-mile round-trip.
The chatter of parrots is much more than a mating call, as research conducted over the past 30 years suggest that parrots have the ability to conquer “linguistic processing tasks” just as good as a child of 4 to 6 years old. It seems that parrots can understand concepts such as “same” and “different”, “bigger” and “smaller”, as well as differentiate between different numbers.
Overall, birds are a pretty interesting species with many interesting facts surrounding their existence, such as the following:
11 Bird Facts
1. We already know from the penguin that not all birds fly. Out of the 40 or so known species of birds that live today, other flightless wonders include the emu, ostrich (the largest living bird), rhea, kiwi, and cassowary.
2. Equipped with short wings, the Auk family of birds (including murres and puffins) is flying seabirds that must move quickly in order to achieve flight. When it comes to chasing their prey, this group of birds rapidly flaps their wings to propel through the water , much different than other birds that feed at sea where they plunge from up in the air or use their webbed feet for diving.
3. If the average man were to possess the same kind of metabolism as a hummingbird, he would have
to eat 285 pounds of hamburger every day just to maintain his body weight.
4. When compared to humans (who have 9,000), chickens possess 250 to 350 taste buds.
5. The largest concentration of bird species in the world resides in South America with more than 3,200 species. Travel to Colombia, Bolivia and Peru to see the most diversity.
6. When looking for something to feed a pet parrot, they can eat nearly any common food except for avocados, chocolate, and fried foods , which are toxic to their bodies and can cause death.
7. Female blackbirds are a grayish brown color unlike the color their name states.
8. To find the largest population of peregrine falcons in the world, head for the Big Apple (New York City).
9. According to a study conducted by the University of Chicago, birds dream , about their songs and how they will sing the same songs better the next day.
10. When it comes to bird eggs, the hummingbird has the smallest (the size of a pea) with the ostrich produces the largest of all bird eggs , roughly the same size as a medium cantaloupe.
11. The woodpecker’s tongue is five times the length of its beak, which certainly comes in handy when they are investigating holes for food. If your wondering where the tongue is stored on such a small body, it is part of a flexible system comprised of bones and tissues that make up ‘the hyoid.’ Starting at the top of the beak, the tongue is anchored close to the right nostril of the bird and moves about the body in a curling motion.
Source: Life Science