Grooming

Birds in the wild with take care of their own grooming needs. However, your pet bird will require some assistance from you. Birds will keep their feathers in good condition by preening. Preening is the process whereby birds keep their feathers smooth by running their feathers through their beaks thus “zipping” the sections on the [...]

Winter Wings Festival, Oregon

The 2008 Winter Wings Festival, sponsored by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society and the Klamath Wingwatchers, is set to take place from 15 to 17 February 2008 at Klamath Falls, Oregon. The purpose of the Winter Wings Festival is to increase awareness of wildlife resources in the community with the focus on birds and bird-watching.

The Marvelous Mimicry of the Lyrebird

There are two species of the ground-dwelling Australian Lyrebird: the Superb Lyrebird Menura Novaehollandiaeand 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.

The Silent Flight of Owls at Night

The Owl is a fascinating nocturnal bird and one of the quietest flying bird species in the world. The Owl’s ability to keep completely silent while in action is based on the Owl’s unique feather design, which is unlike any other bird species.

How Do Hummingbirds Hover?

Hummingbirds are a bird species well known for their amazing aerobatic skills. You may see a hummingbird hovering at a flower having a drink of nectar. Its wings are a misty blur either side of it. In an instant, it might dart forward, sideways, backwards or even upside down, wings beating furiously at 50 to 80, or even more, beats per second. The number of beats per second varies according to the size and species of the bird. It has been reported that a hummingbird can travel at speeds of 30 to 60 miles per hour (50 to 100 km/h) and then abruptly stop and hover in one position. How do they accomplish these amazing aerobatic feats?

The Marvelous Mechanics of Flight

Although airplane wings may be somewhat modeled after the wings of birds, the mechanics of bird flight are far more complex. A number of forces act on the flexible wings of a bird and are very different from those on the fixed wings of an airplane. Birds are highly specialized creatures and adapted for flight. They dominate the skies and occupy a unique niche in the environment.

Sleepy Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds have incredibly busy days. Their heart is beating 1000 times a minute. This gets even mo repaid after the hummingbird starts flapping its wings 10-80 beats a second! In addition to buys days, hummingbirds need to keep their body temperature as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit (or 40 degrees Celsius).

Amazing Albatross – Birds

Travel far from land, and you may be lucky enough to see an Albatross. These huge seabirds have the longest wings in the bird species world – the Wandering Albatross’ skinny wings reach over 11 feet from tip to tip.