The most interesting facts about birds

Birds live almost on every centimeter of the planet, their homes can be found in the frozen open spaces of Antarctica and in the humid tropical forests of South America. We see birds every day and usually do not pay attention to them. But these beautiful feathered creatures are amazing and full of mysteries. We present to you top-10 most interesting facts about birds.

10. Birds do not have a bladder

In order to reduce the weight of the bird body, nature deprived him of urinarythe bubble. Instead of producing liquid urine, the birds produce a white pasty substance. However, the ostrich, although not having a bladder, differs from all other birds in that there is a special compartment for feces and urine in its body.

9. Feathers and dinosaurs

The main types of living things can be distinguished from each other by such criteria as skin: animals have fur, fish have scales, arthropods have exoskeleton, and birds have feathers. You might think that feathers are needed for birds to fly, but this is not true for two reasons: first, feathers first appeared in the ancestors of birds, dinosaurs, and secondly, feathers were needed mainly as a means of keeping the body warm, and onlyin the course of evolution allowed the birds to fly into the air.

8. Birds and Olympic Games

For millennia, pigeons delivered messages, including important military information, as well as the results of the first Olympic Games. The last time pigeons were used as mail couriers during the Second World War.

7. Penguin coloring is camouflage

Underwater, black and white coloring of penguins helps them to remain hidden from both predators and victims. When the penguins swim their black backs merge with the dark water beneath them so that they are difficult to detect from above. And the white areas meanwhile help them to merge with the lighter surface of the water, so that from the bottom they are almost invisible. But on land black backs of penguins can stand out sharply against the background of a snowy landscape, but on the ground they have fewer enemies than under water.

6. Who has the largest beak

The Australian pelican has the longest bill, its length is almost 0.5 meters. But in a tiny bird-hummingbird, the beak is only 10 cm, but this is the only bird with the beak longer than the body.

5. Kiwi with nostrils, but without wings

The only bird with nostrils at the end of the beak is Kiwi. This arrangement of nostrils helps her to sniff out food on earth - worms and insects. She snorts often to clear her nostrils. It is also the only bird in the world that does not have wings.

4. Chatterbox - a find for the ornithologist

The fifth number of our bird rating is the most talkative bird in the world - an African gray parrot. It is one of the most beautiful species of parrots in the world. One parrot of this species could say more than 800 words. And most parrot species can only say 50 words.

3. Nearest relatives of birds - crocodiles

As creatures, vertebrate birds are associated with all other vertebrates that live, or have ever lived on the planet. But you may be surprised to learn that the family of vertebrates with which modern birds are most closely connected are crocodiles. They, like dinosaurs, developed from a group of reptiles called "Archosaurs" at the end of the Triassic period. Dinosaurs, pterosaurs and sea bastards have died out, but crocodiles somehow managed to survive. Despite the kinship with the birds, they gladly eat any close relatives who will risk landing near their muzzle.

2. Parrots yawn together

Wavy parrots are the only known species of birds that are susceptible to the infectiousness of yawning. People, dogs, chimpanzees, laboratory rats, and a number of other creatures can "pick up" yawns from each other, but budgies are the first non-mammal species to exhibit behavior. Many scientists believe that an unconscious, instinctive response to yawning can be a primitive way to show empathy. Or, perhaps, it is a sign of group combat readiness.

1. Who has the longest

The Argentine lacustrine duck( Argentinean duck) is on the first place in the list of the most interesting facts about birds. Her penis, twisted spiral, reaches a length of 45 cm - longer than all other known birds( and many even do without a penis).The length of the duck itself is about 40-46 centimeters. The base of the penis is covered with coarse spines, and the tip is soft, like a brush. Perhaps this is necessary in order to remove the sperm of the previous "groom" from the genital tract of the female. When the genitals of the drake are not used, he is drawn into his stomach.