The Wild Parrots of Brooklyn – New York’s Cutest Immigrants
Among the brightest of Brooklyn’s diverse inhabitants are Quaker parrots – tropical green birds with blue wing tips, measuring about 12 inches from beak to tail. Although they’re native to the generally hot regions of central and southern Argentina, they’ve successfully managed to colonize the relatively colder New York borough over the past four to five decades. No […]
Danish Artist Travels the World Building Thousands of Scrapwood Birdhouses for Urban Birds
Thomas Dambo, an artist from Denmark, is using his sculpting skills to help thousands of urban birds around the world. Fueled by the belief that humans should coexist peacefully with other species, he makes use of scrap wood to build houses for birds everywhere he goes. “Over the last 7 years I have made more than […]
Man Takes Perfect Photo of Diving Kingfisher after Six Years and 720,000 Tries
It’s a trite saying, but ‘Try, try until you succeed’ does hold true even today. Case-in-point is Scottish photographer Alan McFadyen, who spent six long years trying to get the perfect shot of a kingfisher diving into water. 720,000 tries later, he finally succeeded! Alan, 46, was adamant about getting the shot in memory of […]
Connecticut Turkey Farm Always Colors Its Birds for the Holidays
Every holidays season for the past six decades, Gozzi’s Turkey Farm in Guilford, Connecticut, has been drawing visitors young and old with its host of decorative turkeys dyed in bright hues of purple, orange, yellow and green. Bill Gozzi, the farm’s third generation owner, says that the tradition of putting live colored turkeys on display […]
The Birdman of Chennai – Indian Man Feeds 4,000 Parakeets Every Single Day
62-year-old Sekar has earned himself the nickname ‘Birdman of Chennai’ for his remarkable generosity towards thousands of parakeets. Every day, he hosts a grand feast for 4,000 of the exotic birds at his home in Chennai, India. Sekar’s unusual interaction with the birds began after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. He had noticed a pair […]
Tiny Bird Mimics Other Birds’ Warning Calls to Confuse Predators
Despite its tiny size, the brown thornbill is quite capable of protecting itself in the wild. Its survival strategy is simple yet effective – it scares other birds away by ‘crying hawk’! It seems that most birds use certain calls to warn their kin of impending danger, especially when hawks and other birds of prey are […]
Rare Vietnamese Chicken Breed Has the Weirdest Legs You’ve Ever Seen
You might find its freakishly butch legs rather repulsive, but believe it or not, the Dong Tao chicken is incredibly popular in Vietnam. Once reserved for royalty and ritual offerings, the rare breed is now prized by chicken breeders and its meat is served in exclusive restaurants that cater to the wealthy. An adult Dong Tao […]
This Illinois Family is Being Harassed by a Swarm of Turkey Vultures
For the past month, a Southern Illinois family has been struggling with an unusual infestation of turkey vultures. Dozens of vultures are visiting their rural Buncombe home every single day, disturbing the family at odd hours and damaging their 2015 Chevrolet Silverado. The scavenging birds are also staining the entire area with their feces, and have completely ruined a newly […]
Alleged Pakistani Spy Pigeon Arrested in India
In a puzzling turn of events, Indian authorities have arrested a pigeon on the suspicion of spying for the Pakistani government. The dubious bird is believed to have landed on the terrace of a barber’s home in the village of Manwal, four kilometers away from the India-Pakistan border. The barber’s 14-year-old son noticed an Urdu […]
This Famous Dutch Owl Loves to Land on People’s Heads
A strange owl in the Dutch town of Noordeinde has become famous for its penchant for landing on people’s heads. It seems that the bird simply lands on people who happen to be walking by, for no apparent reason! Apparently, a fence or a tree just isn’t good enough for the beautiful European eagle owl, […]
8-Year-Old Girl Feeds Neighborhood Crows, They Thank Her with Gifts
8-year-old Gabi Mann, from Seattle, has some very unusual friends who shower her with gifts almost every day. Ever since she started feeding her neighborhood crows, they began returning the favor and bringing back all kinds of trinkets. Gabi’s unique relationship with the neighborhood crows began in 2011, when at age four, she was prone to […]
Fascinating Amazonian Bird Mimics Toxic Caterpillar to Fend Off Predators
While most young birds rely on their parents for protection, the chicks of the Amazonian Cinereous Mourner have their own survival tactic. In order to avoid being eaten by predators, they actually mimic poisonous caterpillars! On hatching, the chicks are covered with bright orange, spiky feathers that make them look like massive caterpillars that use […]
This Adorable Bird Is Apparently a Vicious Brain-Eating Zombie in Disguise
The Great tit might seem like just a cute little bird, but don’t let its appearance fool you for. In reality, it is one of the most vicious creatures in the world. Also known as ‘The Zombie tit’, this chirping ball of feathers is a killing machine with an insatiable hunger for brains. Scientists generally agree […]
Hatebeak – A Death Metal Band Whose Lead Vocalist Was a Parrot
I suppose nothing complements the loudness of heavy metal better than ear-bleeding screeches. And when those sounds come from a bird instead of a human, it’s bound to make an impression. Meet Waldo, a Congo African Grey Parrot, a heavy metal prodigy and the lead vocalist of a Baltimore-based band, ‘Hatebeak’. The band was formed […]
California Town Is Home to Hundreds of Free-Roaming Wild Peacocks
The residents of Rolling Hills Estates, a small community on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in southwestern Los Angeles, have been sharing their home with dozens of beautiful wild peacocks for almost 100 years. The exotic birds have always added a rustic charm to the upscale suburb, but as their population continues to grow uncontrollably, many […]