Photo by dominic sherony (Wikimedia)

As a child growing up in Northern Ontario, one of my favourite animal names was undoubtedly the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. Go ahead and say it out loud without smiling…I bet you can’t do it. You have to admit, it is just plain ol’ fun to say. As much as it is to say their name, we are going to have even more fun learning about these unique birds. The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker is found throughout North America, however, they have different ranges depending on the season. For example, this bird is smart enough not to brave the cold Canadian winters so they tend to head south to the States and Mexico during the colder months. Considering we want to study this animal on February 21st, 2012…this means we need to take a trip to the sunny south.

An Integral Role in the Ecosystem

The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker is actually a type of Woodpecker and just happens to play a major role in their ecosystem. In fact, some people have indicated that if you were to remove this little bird, the ecosystem would collapse (or at least radically change). Why are they so important? Well, when these birds feed, they will drill holes into a tree before sucking out the sap, hence their name. These holes provide a valuable source of food for other critters in the area, mainly birds that love exploiting these sap producing holes.

John Harrison at http://flickr.com/photos/15512543@N04/

The Complex Driller

Interestingly enough, the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker will actually drill two different types of holes. The first are small, round holes that extend deep into the tree, in which the sapsucker will stick their beak all the way in to remove the sap. The second is a rectangular, shallow hole that needs to be constantly worked in order to reap the benefits. It is typically these holes that other animals will exploit for food. As well, this little sapsucker will typically make new holes that are in line with older holes. I guess it is sort of like prospecting for gold….well, for sap in this case. Who would have thought that the feeding habits of the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker would be so complicated?

A Sign of Intelligence?

You may have seen this woodpecker banging its beak against a sign or some other man-made structure. No, this bird isn’t confusing that structure for a tree. In fact, these intelligent birds have recognized that artificial structures such as metal signs will amplify their sound. Therefore, they will return day after day to this amplifying structure in order to get their message out to as many birds as possible. Luckily, we have not yet documented any harmful effects from this practice but you would think the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker would at least get a headache from all that racket.

Photo by Doug Janson (Wikimedia)

Currently in the Northern hemisphere we are battling the dreary days of winter, so to help brighten up your day, we are going to learn about a colourful bird known as the Temminck’s Tragopan. As well, a nice trip to India, Japan or China to find this bird may also help with the winter blues. I should probably wait until we get to Asia before telling you that these beautiful birds prefer living at an altitude between 914 and 3,657 meters (3000 and 12000 feet) so it is going to be quite the hike. But I promise it will be worth it. So let’s grab our hiking boots, binoculars and oxygen tanks so we can start our trek to find one of the most stunning birds you will ever see.

Fashion Statement

You may be able to tell by looking at the Temminck’s Tragopan that they are a member of the pheasant family and probably the most beautiful pheasant species roaming the earth. The males are mostly a reddish-orange colour with the abdomen being brighter than their rump. For me, it is the fluorescent blue face that grabs my attention. Similarly, the male has a nice blue lappet (a flap on their head), however, this it is usually tucked away unless he is trying to impress a female friend. Like many other birds, the female tends to be a little more boring than their male counterpart. The colouring of the female is typically a dull brownish-grey with black marks.

Photo by Mat?j Ba?ha (Wikimedia)

Mating Display

So we found out that the male Temminck’s Tragopan will use a decorative head piece to show off for the ladies but it doesn’t stop there. This bird actually has a whole dance routine and surprisingly, they are much better dancers that I am….okay, maybe it isn’t that much of a surprise. Instead of explaining their mating display, I am going to show you. Check out the short video below to see some pretty nifty dance moves.

Not too bad, eh?

Temminck’s Tragopan Fast Fact

You would never know from watching the video but the Temminck’s Tragopan is typically a solitary bird, with the obvious exception of mating season. As well, they are more arboreal (likes trees) than most other pheasants.

That does it for today’s Wild Fact. I hope your dull winter day is a little brighter!

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arudhio/98171881/

Congratulations for making it to the middle of the week. The weekend is just around the corner and to help make the ride there a little easier, we are going on a trip to learn about a passerine bird known as the Bulbul. So where exactly are we going? Well, you get to decide since this bird can be found in a variety of locations including Africa, Middle East, tropical Asia and where I plan on going, Indonesia. What are you waiting for? Get your passport and your binoculars and let’s get going.

What’s That Noise?!?

There are about 130 species of the Bulbul but instead of going through all of them, we are just going to focus on the general characteristics of the entire family. As mentioned, the Bulbul is a passerine bird that has a long tail and short wings. Although the Bulbul is known to be quite vocal, this isn’t necessarily a good thing as one author described their nasally calls as “the most unattractive noises made by any bird”. With a description like that, you know we are going to find a call to judge for ourselves. Follow the link below to hear the “most unattractive noise”.

Brown-Eared Bulbul Call

I don’t know, I find the shrill to be quite soothing. I think it would be a great sound to fall asleep to.

Photo by Shiva shankar (Wikimedia)

Family Ties

For the most part the Bulbul is a monogamous bird species and in some cases, a very tight family. The male will typically feed the female as she incubates her eggs, which takes up to 12 days, on average. In some species, the past chicks will stick around to help raise their new brothers and sisters, which is awfully nice of them. In on species, the Bulbul is actually polygamous and as a result these tight family bonds don’t exist. It would be interesting to see which method is more successful for the Bulbul.

A Noisy Pet

If you have been reading this Wild Fact trying to figure out why you have heard of this bird before, perhaps you know someone that has a pet Bulbul. The Red-Whiskered and Red-Vented Bulbul have been captured and widely distributed in the pet trade. Hopefully these birds have a nicer song than the Brown-Eared Bulbul, otherwise I would think there would be some unhappy pet owners.

Thanks for reading today’s Wild Fact. Enjoy the rest of your day and I will see you back here tomorrow.

Photo by Scott Meyer (Wikimedia)

Yesterday we had the opportunity to head back in time to learn about the extinct Elephant Bird. Today, we are going to learn about a bird heading towards extinction, the Kagu. This almost flightless bird can be found scurrying through the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It would be unfortunate if the Kagu becomes extinct for many reasons but the fact that they are so unique would make the loss even more heartbreaking. The Kagu is the sole representative of its family, which means their family reunions would be very quiet. I know we are getting ready for Christmas but let’s take a quick trip to New Caledonia to see what else we can learn about this bird. I promise we will be back in time for Christmas.

Kagu Teamwork

As mentioned, the Kagu is pretty much flightless and as such spends the majority of their time on the ground. This would be why they build stick nests on the ground, which provides a home for a mated pair of birds along with a single egg. Both parents share the responsibility of incubating and raising the young Kagu. Isn’t it nice when a family works together to properly raise their children?

Photo by Frank Wouters (Wikimedia)

A Nosey Bird

I mentioned that the Kagu is an unique species of bird and I meant it. For instance, no other birds species have nasal corns like the Kagu does. So what is the purpose of these “nasal corns”. Well, the accepted theory is they cover the nostrils of the bird to prevent soil and debris from entering the nose while they are rooting through the soil looking for tasty worms and insects to eat. I guess it is similar to constantly wearing nose-plugs!

Importance of the Kagu Wings

Unlike other flightless birds, the Kagu actually has full-sized wings which still server a purpose. They use their patterned flight feathers for displays, which I am sure drives the ladies wild (and makes them look bigger when predators come looking for a snack). If the display doesn’t do the trick, the Kagu can use their wings to glide away from the dangerous situation. Finally these full-sized wings help our ground-dwelling bird move quickly through the forest. I guess their wings are more similar to arms then anything else.

That does it for this week of Wild Facts. Enjoy your weekend with family and friends. I will see you on Monday with a brand new Wild Fact.

Photo from Wikimedia

After spending the last few days traveling around the world, I thought we could kick it up a notch by traveling back in time. We pretty much need to in order to learn about the extinct Elephant Bird. I know, we don’t usually talk about animals that are no longer in existence but I thought this bird was pretty cool so I wanted to share it with all of you. Back in the day, this large flightless bird was only found on one little island…..yep, you guessed it, Madagascar. I am telling you that island has/had all of the coolest animals. Let’s fire up the DeLorea and head back in time to explore the life of the Elephant Bird, shall we?

World’s Largest Bird

As mentioned, the Elephant Bird was a large, flightless bird. Just how big was it? Great question! Well, they were considered to be the world’s largest bird with an average height around 3 metres (10 feet) and an average weight of 400 kg (880 lbs). That is one large bird! No wonder they figured birds came from Dinosaur lineage. As you can impinge, a bird this big would lay incredibly large eggs. The truth is, their eggs ware no bigger than a tiny chicken egg. Okay, I am just messing with you, their eggs were gigantic. Usually their eggs would have a circumference of over 1 metre (3 feet), so they would probably make a pretty tasty omelette.

Photo by Acrocynus (Wikimedia)

Why Did The Elephant Bird Go Extinct?

So what caused these animals to disappear from the planet? There are two main theories and both of them cite human activity as the cause of extinction. I know this is shocking but let’s find out exactly how humans kicked this huge bird off of the planet. The first theory is simple enough – humans hunted the birds into oblivion. Researchers have found evidence indicating that humans regularly ate the eggs of the Elephant Bird. I guess I was right when I said they would make for a good omelette. The second theory is more of a bi-product of human activity. Some researchers believe that humans brought hyper-diseases with them when they settled on the island, which caused the gigantic Elephant Bird to die out. No matter which theory you choose, the end result is the same: an amazing animal went extinct at the hands of human beings. I wonder how many times we will here this same story over the next 100 years!

That does it for our trip to the past. Enjoy the rest of your day and I will see you tomorrow for the last Wild Fact of the week.

Photo by Stephen Wolfe (Wikimedia)

I hope all of you enjoyed your last weekend leading up to Christmas. Today’s Wild Fact is another animal suggested by Jamie, who recommended that we learn about a beautiful bird known as the Northern Cardinal. If you live in the USA, you may be quite familiar with the Northern Cardinal considering they are the state bird for 7 different states. You know you are a pretty impressive bird when that many different places wants to make you their official bird! So lets grab our birding binoculars and find out some more about this magnificent bird, shall we?

A Dazzling Fashion Statement

As alluded to, the Northern Cardinal is a popular bird found in backyards throughout North America. To be more specific, they are found in woodlands, swamps, gardens and scrublands from Southern Canada all the way down into Mexico. These beautiful birds are well known for their stunning red colour and the distinctive crest on their head. Only the males have the brilliant red colouring while the females are a dull reddish brown colour. As with many other animal species, the brighter the colour, the better it is for attracting a female companion.

Photo from Wikimedia

The Defenders

Not only are these birds beautifully coloured but they are also very proficient singers. In fact, I believe it was a Northern Cardinal that won the second American Idol contest. Obviously, this isn’t true but I am certain this bird is a better singer than most of those contestants. They have a variety of melodies that they use for many different occasions such as mating and defending. What are they defending? Well, the Northern Cardinal happens to be very aggressive in defending their home territory and the males have no issues with attacking other males trying to enter their zone. In fact, this behaviour causes the Northern Cardinal to crash into many windows as they mistake their reflection for an intruding male. I guess this is a good excuse to keep your windows dirty .

Cardinal Population on the Rise as a Result of Human Activity

The population of the Northern Cardinal is actually on the rise. In fact, this bird used to only be found in the warmer regions of North America but have recently started expanding their range to the more northern sections. Scientists believe that the number of winter bird feeders has allowed for the expansion of the Northern Cardinal. It isn’t too often that I get to write about humans actually aiding the expansion or success of an animal species. Perhaps, this is an early Christmas present!

That does it for the first Wild Fact of the week. Enjoy the rest of your day and I will see you again tomorrow for another fun and exciting animal.

Photo by s shepherd (Wikimedia)

So we find ourselves back at the beginning of another week of Wild Facts. I hope you all had a great weekend and are prepared to learn about the amazing Red-Headed Vulture on this beautiful Monday. This particular bird has a few other names including the Asian King Vulture, Indian Black Vulture and my personal favourite, the Pondicherry Vulture. Historically this bird species was found all throughout southern Asia, however, their range has diminished dramatically as today they are found primarily in Northern India. The good news is they are still around, even if they were classed as Critically Endangered in 2007 by the IUCN. Well, let’s learn a little more about these vultures before they disappear entirely.

Flying in Style

The Red-Headed Vulture has a sense of style with their dark black feathers and bright red head. The adults tend to be a little flashier than the juveniles, which is the complete opposite with humans (I still don’t understand those baggy pants kids wear these days). Typically, the adults will have a bright red or orange head devoid of most feathers while the juveniles tone it down with a pale red head. Young or old, the Red-Headed Vulture has an unique look.

Photo by chinmayi s k (Wikimedia)

Sneaky Vultures

Like other vultures, they typically feed on carrion and can often be found around the carcasses of large mammals. In these instances, they are often sharing the food with a variety of vulture species. Despite the gaudy appearance of the Red-Headed Vulture they tend to be quite timid when other vultures are feeding off of the same animal. This just goes to show that there is a hierarchy around every dinner table. Although they may be timid, the Red-Headed Vulture can still be sneaky and has been known to steal food from their dinner mates. Perhaps the timidness is just a ploy so the other birds drop their guard!

Two is Better Than One

When they aren’t sharing a meal with other vultures, the Red-Headed Vulture tends to spend their time alone or in a pair. They are rarely seen congregating in a group. When a male and female meet they will typically perform a variety of aerial acrobats to impress the other. Once this pair forms they will become a team and work together to defend their territory. I guess two is always better than one.

That does it for today’s Wild Fact. Enjoy the rest of your day and I will see you tomorrow.

Photo by Patko erika (Wikimedia)

After hanging out in the ocean yesterday, I figured we could dry off by taking to the air. The Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock is a beautiful South American passerine bird that is pretty easy to identify. Normally, I like to share how animals get their names, however, I have absolutely no idea why this stunning bird is referred to as the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock. But it is definitely an interesting name! So let’s grab our binoculars and head to the mountainous regions of South America to see if we can spot one of the most spectacular birds on the planet.

All in the Mohawk

Like I said, even the most amateur birder will have no problems spotting this bright orange bird with a half-moon crest on their head. Although, only the males have these stunning colours. The females are a duller blackish-brown colour with a grey head. Although the males are quite colourful, their vibrant colouring and crest are more than just a fashion statement. The male uses these two distinct features to help him attract a lovely lady during mating season. The males will generally gather in groups of 5 to 25 (but have been known to gather with as many as 50 individuals) and each bird will get a small area for their mating purposes. When the females come into the area, the males will puff up and remain motionless, except for their tail filaments which will move back and forth to entice the female. The males are polygamous and don’t share any of the nesting duties with the female after mating occurs. I guess the male Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock is not much of a romantic.

Photo by Marc Chretien

Taking Flight

The Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock is a strong flier that will rely on their short but powerful wings to escape any potential predators. The wing tips of this magnificent bird will make a loud hissing sound as they coast through the air. When they aren’t mating or escaping predators, the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock enjoys a healthy diet of fruit. Although, they will supplement this diet with reptiles, frogs and large insects. Now that is the diet of champions!

It looks like we have come to the end of another interesting Wild Fact (well, I thought it was interesting). Have a great day and I will see you again tomorrow.

Thank You To Our Brave Soldiers!

Before we get into today’s Wild Fact, I would like for all of us to take a moment of silence to remember the courageous, valiant and honourable soldiers that have put their lives on the line so we can live in freedom. The sacrifices made by our soldiers should not go unnoticed. They constantly leave their loved ones behind, travel to an unfamiliar and hostile country where they defend our way of life by putting their own life in danger.  On this day of Remembrance I offer my heartfelt gratitude to all of the soldiers and their families who have made so many sacrifices in life so we could continue living ours. Thank You!

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The Most Ferocious Eagle

The Eagle is associated with courage, so in honour of our soldiers and their families, we are going to learn about the Crowned Eagle. This magnificent bird of prey is found in the sub-Saharan portion of Africa and is often referred to as the Crowned Hawk-Eagle. Although they are the second largest Eagle in Africa, behind the Martial Eagle, they are considered to be the most powerful and ferocious Eagle in all of Africa. This is a result of the prey species the Crowned Eagle will feast on, which generally include monkey’s, antelopes and other medium sized mammals. Although 98% of their diet is composed of mammals, they will also take birds or large lizards.

Death Defying Courtship

The courtship display of the Crowned Eagle is spectacular and would be quite the sight to witness. The male will typically perform a series of ascents and dives, while waiting at the top of each ascent to call out for the female. The fun really starts when the female accepts the males invitation. At this point the two Crowned Eagles will lock talons and plummet to the ground, letting go just before they reach the end of the line. It seems like the Crowned Eagle is a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

Photo by Roberts Multimedia Birds (Wikimedia)

Only One Survives

After their near death experience, the Eagle will rest in their incredibly large nest which may be larger than 1.8 m (6 feet) in diameter. This mansion of a nest will be used by the same pair of Eagles year after year. I wonder who takes care of it during the winter? For the most part the Crowned Eagle will only have one chick to take care of. Unfortunately,  when two eggs do hatch, the stronger sibling will usually kill their brother or sister. This bully of an Eagle will usually keep their parents attention for 3 or 4 months before leaving home. Although, some have dependency issues and will remain with their parents for over a year.

Thank you for checking out today’s special Wild Fact dedicated to all of the soldiers who have put their lives on the line so we can live in freedom.

 Lest We Forget!

Photo from Wikimedia

To celebrate this being the last Wild Fact of the week, I thought we would take a nice trip to a tropical location. More specifically we are heading anywhere between southern Mexico and western Panama to observe one of the most beautiful birds on the planet. That’s right, many people consider the vibrant coloured Resplendent Quetzal to be one of more stunning birds out there. That is a pretty impressive designation and I am sure the Quetzal is very proud of this honour. So what do you think? Are they the most breathtaking bird you have ever laid eyes on?

Although these birds are beautiful at any given time, they are most impressive during mating season. In an attempt to impress the ladies, the male Resplendent Quetzal will grow two long tail feathers that can reach a length up to 1 m (3 feet) long. Not only that but both males and females will have their incredibly vibrant shades of blue, red and green splashed all over their body, with the males being just a little bit brighter. There are so many possible jokes that could be made regarding that last sentence but I think it would be best if I kept them to myself.

Photo by Dick Bos (www.bosfoto.nl)

These colourful birds typically hang out by themselves during the year, with the exception of breeding season in which a male and female will come together for a few months. Unlike other bird species out there, the Resplendent Quetzal is monogamous, which is nice to see since it is always important for the chicks to grow up in a happy home. Speaking of their home, the pair of birds will typically use their incredibly strong beaks to hollow out a nice nest in an old tree or rotting stump. The female will then lay her eggs and each parent will take turns incubating the eggs. It probably looks a little funny when the male is taking his turn since their amazingly long tail feathers are usually hanging out of the nest.

Resplendent Quetzal Fast Fact – The skin of the Resplendent Quetzal is incredibly thin and can rip quite easily. To accommodate for this characteristic the Quetzal has a very thick coat of feathers. Luckily these feathers are strong enough to protect their sensitive skin. So not only do they have a cool helmet-like crest but they apparently have the rest of the body armour as well.

Thanks for reading the last Wild Fact of the week. Enjoy your weekend and I will see you on Monday.