It has long been known that migrating birds embark on particularly long and grueling journeys when they cross the oceans. What hasn’t been known for sure is whether or not they somehow stop along the way – until now that is. A Bar-tailed Godwit has been bestowed with the title ‘endurance champion of the animal kingdom’ after completing his epic 7,200 mile flight across the Pacific Ocean nonstop.

It’s no secret that Bar-tailed Godwits undertake an annual migration from Alaska to Australia and various islands in the southern hemisphere each year to breed. What scientists really wanted to know was if they made pit-stops along the way. That was the goal behind a recent study wherein nine Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica baueri) were fitted with electronic tags before setting off into the sunset on their mammoth migration flights. The birds flew between 4,355 miles and 7,258 miles, depending on which route they chose to take, with their journeys lasting 6-9 days correspondingly. What makes the research particularly interesting is that the flight paths reveal the birds were unlikely to sleep during the time and even more significantly – that they did not feed along the way. That means that their wings did not stop flapping from their point of departure to their point of arrival! This makes their journey even more remarkable, since it sets new precedents for endurance in animals. According to scientists, the energy required to complete this sort of migratory journey is the greatest in the animal kingdom.

The international scientific team, under the leadership of Bob Gill of the US Geological Survey, has said: “These extraordinary nonstop flights establish new extremes for avian flight performance and have profound implications for understanding the physiological capabilities of vertebrates.” According to Theunis Piersma of the University of Groningen (Netherlands) who worked on the study, the energy requirements of the birds was the greatest known energy requirement in the animal kingdom. During their week-long, non-stop journey, the birds would have been consuming energy at around eight times their resting basic metabolic rate (BMR). This is in sharp contrast with other measurements, such as a professional cyclist who may manage to function at around five times BMR for just a few hours. Piersma appropriately summed up the results with this remark: “There is something special going on here. For a vertebrate this kind of endurance is just extraordinary.”

Related posts:

1. The Wonders of Migration
2. Night Migration Mysteries Revealed
3. The Amazing Migration of the Arctic Tern

The Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is a large flightless bird found in the Seram Islands of Indonesia and the tropical rainforests of Aru, as well as New Guinea and northeastern Australia. Cassowaries have a reputation for being bad tempered and dangerous, a reputation that has been reinforced by the 2004 edition of the Guinness World Records, which lists the Cassowary as the most dangerous bird in the world.

Reaching a weight of 85 kgs, the Southern Cassowary is the second largest bird in the world (after the Ostrich), and is the largest of the three-member Cassowary family. It has hard, stiff plumage, a blue face and neck, a brown casque (horn-like crest) and a red nape. Because of the two red wattles hanging down its throat, the Southern Cassowary is also referred to as the Double-wattled Cassowary or Two-wattled Cassowary. The plumage of the Southern Cassowary is sexually monomorphic, but the female is larger than the male, is dominant and has brighter colored bare parts, as well as a longer casque. The plumage of the immature Southern Cassowary is plain brown.

This solitary bird only pairs in the breeding season, which occurs in late winter or spring. The male Southern Cassowary is a stay-at-home dad. He builds the nest, incubates the clutch of three to six eggs and raises the chicks. The nest, which is a mattress-like structure made out of herbaceous plant material, is built on the ground in a sheltered area, such as among tall grass.

The Cassowary is an elusive bird, preferring to hide out in dense foliage and long grass, avoiding contact with humans. But when disturbed, and especially when cornered or threatened, Cassowaries are known to lash out with their powerful legs, and are fully capable of inflicting a fatal blow to an adult human.

The Cassowary’s prehistoric-looking casque is the subject of much debate among avian experts as to what its purpose is. One possibility is that it serves as an identifying feature for determining the sex of the bird, with the female’s casque being longer than the males. Other suggestions are that the casque is used by the bird to batter its way through thick underbrush; is used as a tool for pushing leaf litter aside when foraging; or it may be used as a weapon in dominance disputes. Research indicates that it is very likely that the Cassowary uses its casque in some form of acoustic communication.

Fruit on low branches, or fallen fruit, is the mainstay of the Cassowary’s diet. In rain forests they serve an integral role in the ecosystem as they swallow the fruit whole and distribute seeds in the excrement across the jungle floor. They are also known to eat fungi, insects, snails, frogs, insects and even snakes.

Sadly, loss of habitat has caused a drastic decline in Southern Cassowary numbers. In the Mission Beach area of Australia alone, Cassowaries have lost around 50 percent of their vital habitat over the past decade. With the encroachment of man, hand feeding the birds has become a problem, as the food offered is seldom good for their state of health. Southern Cassowaries are listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red List of Threatened Species, which means that avian conservationists are aware of the problem and will no doubt take whatever steps are necessary to stop the decline, and even reverse the current situation.

Related posts:

1. Flightless Birds
2. The Fascinating Kirtland’s Warbler
3. Birding in the fascinating Republic of Malta

There are two species of the ground-dwelling Australian Lyrebird: the Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) and the Albert’s Lyrebird (Menura alberti). The Superb Lyrebird is the larger of the two species and is found in the wet forest areas of New South Wales and Victoria, as well as in Tasmania where is was introduced by man in the 19th century. The Albert’s Lyrebird is found exclusively in a small area of rainforest in Southern Queensland. Albert’s Lyrebird was named in honor of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.

Australia’s Lyrebirds are wary creatures which dodge and run through forest underbrush in an attempt not to be seen. Although they do not fly as such, their wings assist them in running and jumping up onto rocks and into low branches where they roost at night.

The male lyrebird’s tail, when it is displayed, resembles a lyre (harp-like musical instrument) with the two outer large brown and white feathers forming the frame and the thinner inner feathers resembling the strings, resulting in the name of Lyrebird. Apart from the male’s unusual tail feathers, the lyrebird is a rather unremarkable looking bird, about the size of a chicken and brown in color. In mating season, however, this feathered suitor puts on a display that his prospective mate finds irresistible. In order to be seen clearly, he piles up a small heap of soil, which he stands on. Then he spreads his tail up and over his head in the distinctive lyre shape at the beginning of his courtship dance. As he is dancing about he sings his own song, as well as mimicking other birds and various surrounding noises.

This ability to mimic just about anything, from the call of any other bird to artificial sounds, is what really sets the lyrebird apart from the other birds in their area. It is not uncommon for people to be fooled into thinking that they are enjoying the singing of many species of birds, only to find that it is the lyrebird going through its very impressive repertoire. The lyrebird’s vocal chords (syrinx) are the most complex of all songbirds, facilitating its vast vocal range. Lyrebirds have been heard to mimic all the bird species in their surroundings, including flocks of birds. It has been reported to successfully mimic chain saws, car alarms, car engines, fire alarms, dogs barking, camera shutters, rifle shots, crying babies and songs played on various musical instruments. The male lyrebird is the more vocal of the sexes, although the female does have the same ability to mimic.

Clearly, this elusive bird is a marvel and should you be fortunate enough to hear one, you will surely remember it forever.

Related posts:

1. The Marvelous Mechanics of Flight
2. The Lesser Known Pionus Parrots Make Marvelous Companions
3. Marvelous Work of The Raptor Foundation

The largest bird nests of all, however, may be those of the megapodes of Australia and New Guinea. These chicken-sized birds use their giant feet (megapode means “great-footed”) to scrape sand, dirt and vegetation into a giant mound on the ground.

The mound-nest of the Scrubfowl, an Australian megapode, can be 15 feet (4 meters) high and an incredible 35 feet (12 meters) wide! Several birds work together to build it; then they bury their eggs several feet deep inside the mound.

In such a huge nest, how can the Scrubfowl possibly keep her eggs warm with her own body heat? The answer is: she doesn’t have to. The mound-nest itself act like a giant incubator.

The birds bury vegetation deep in the mound- they may even let the plants get rained on before covering them up with layers of dirt. As tropical sunshine warms the mound, this buried plant matter ferments, creating plenty of heat. The birds carefully regulate the composting in the mound, keeping its heat at a stable 35-39 degrees Celsius. To cool the mound, they remove layers of dirt; to warm it, they add more vegetation or sun-warmed layers of sand.

Some lucky birds living near volcanoes in New Guinea don’t have to work so hard- they build their nests where volcanic heat can keep their nest warm.

Incubated in this cozy nest, the chicks hatch fully feathered and ready to fly. But first they have to dig their way to the surface, through several feet of dirt – a process that may take several days.

Related posts:

1. How Penguins Stay Warm (and cool!)
2. Spectacular Birding on the Isle of Mull
3. Giant Penguin Fossils Found in South America

One popular Australian bird is the 6-foot tall, flightless Emu. Another, a favorite of Aussie residents, is the much-smaller Willy Wagtail- this cheeky black-and-white songbird is found in most towns.

In forests, listen for the loud song of the Superb Lyrebird. This gracefully-plumed bird mimics other birds’ songs. Its mimicking abilities are so adept, that near urban areas they’ve been heard mimicking car alarms and camera shutter clicks.

In the drier country, look for the native yellow-crested cockatoos, Cockatiels, Budgerigars and Zebra Finches. These birds have become popular pets, around the world.

Visitors may be surprised to learn that many of Australia’s birds, like its wrens and rose-breasted robins, are not closely related to their European or Asian look-alikes. Australia’s birdlife evolved separately from Europe and Asia- the first English colonists here named these birds for the ones they missed from back home.

Ready to bird-watch in Australia? Visit the many National Parks, or the surprising number of wild areas near big cities like Sydney, Darwin, and Perth.

Cairns is a great place to start. The Esplanade, a cement walkway bordering the downtown beach, is one of the best places in the world to watch shorebirds like sandpipers or curlews! Just inland from town, the bird-rich Atherton Tablelands offer tropical rainforest habitats. And just off-shore, in the Great Barrier Reef, tropical seabirds coexist with snorkeling tourists.

Related posts:

1. Costa Rica: A perfect bird-watching holiday
2. Remarkable Bird Watching in Egypt
3. Fair Isle Bird Watching Delights

The male bowerbird builds an elaborate structure out of twigs, and decorates it with colorful items. He spends up to nine months each year in building and maintaining it.

In truth, this structure is not a “nest”: it’s not meant to protect eggs or chicks. The bower’s purpose is to woo the female bowerbird. Once the female mates with the male, she takes off on her own to build a small nest and raise the chicks. You will rarely see a female’s nest. But the male’s bowers are meant to be noticed, and are among the most spectacular structures built by any bird.

In some species, the male may simply do a bit of landscaping, clearing an area of forest floor of all leaf litter to create a “court bower”. But others, after clearing a court, will build spectacular structures inside it. For the Satin Bowerbird and Great Bowerbird of Australia, it’s a yard-long “avenue bower”, two walls of sticks arching towards each other, or meeting to form a tunnel.

For others, like the Vogelkop Gardener of New Guinea, it’s a “maypole bower”, a gigantic 2-meter-high house of twigs, big enough for a human to crawl inside. It may even contain rooms- all this built by a bird the size of a robin.

These amazing birds will then start decorating their bower. The Gardener decorates the bower entrance, first laying down moss, then piling stacks of colorful items like flowers, fruits or beetle-wings in color-coded stacks. The Satin Bowerbird chooses blue items exclusively. Satin Bowerbirds near towns have been known to steal blue bottle caps, bits of blue glass, blue candy wrappers, or even blue keychains – keys still attached – to decorate its bower.

When the female arrives to take a look, the male bowerbirds will perform specific calls and dances to woo and attract her. If she is impressed, she will mate with him and go off to lay eggs on her own.

The male will remain at the bower, in hopes of wooing more females. They’ll keep fixing up the place, and keeping the “court” around the bower clear. In outback Australia, this latter task is particularly important – in case of a bush fire, the cleared area can act as “defensible space” and may keep his hard work from being burned.

Related posts:

1. The Fascinating Flightless Cassowary
2. Scrubfowl and their Spectacular Nests
3. A Brightly Colored and Lively Courtship Display