Tag: birds
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The colorful King Vulture is a striking bird of prey
The King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) inhabits Central and South America as a large bird of prey. It’s one of the most colorful and striking vulture species. It features a vibrant mix of orange, yellow, blue, and red on its head and neck. It also boasts black and white feathers on its body and wings. King…
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Get up close with a jaguarundi, the otter cat
The jaguarundi is a small cat species native to Central and South America, extending from Argentina to the southern United States. It has a narrow head, a slender body, and a long tail. The wild cat can grow up to 2.3 feet and weigh as much as 20 pounds, roughly double the size of a…
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Puya Raimondii, the flower spike that’s “Queen of the Andes”
Puya Raimondii is a bromeliad species (flowering plant) native to Bolivia and Peru. That’s the same family as pineapples, which the inflorescences (a collection of flowers arranged on a stem) resemble in full bloom. The so-called “Queen of the Andes” stands up to 50 feet high, with a trunk stretching to heights of 16 feet…
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The Potoo bird may be the scariest bird you’ve ever seen
The Potoo bird, or Ghost bird from Central and South America, gives off a startling expression. The strange-looking bird possesses a hooked snake-like bill with a massive gape the animal uses to swallow moths and other insects. But even more freaky are their yellow googly eyes that glow up at night. Potoo birds control pupil…
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The satanic leaf-tailed gecko wears nature in disguise
The satanic leaf-tailed gecko (uroplatus phantasticusis) wears many disguises. It has superior camouflage — special skin that evolved to look like plants — and can also scare away predators by opening its bright red mouth and hiss like a cat. These geckos can even shed their tail to deceive predators and lick their corneas to…
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The ghost of the rainforest: inside the hidden life of the Agami Heron
Hidden in the dense, waterlogged forests of Central and South America, the Agami Heron is a bird that even experienced ornithologists may never see in the wild. Known to many as the “ghost of the rainforest,” it slips along shadowy creeks and under mangrove canopies, more often heard than spotted. For those who do encounter…
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The bone-crushing bearded vulture
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is the only known animal that lives on an 80-90% diet of bones. That’s right — this intimidating-looking bird specializes in feeding on bone marrow. The Bearded Vulture is a bone eater and bone crusher This bird of prey is so desperate for bone that it’ll fly a dead carcass as high…
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The cassowary is living proof that birds are living dinosaurs
The cassowary, a modern echo of its dinosaur ancestors, casts a mystical aura through its territory. Native to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, the flightless Cassowary bird can grow up to a whopping 7 feet tall and weigh as much as 120 pounds. It’s the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird. Its deep and resonant…
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Gorgeous eyelashes of the Secretary bird
The Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is your new favorite bird. Endemic to Africa and the national bird of Sudan, the Secretary bird looks like a combination of an eagle and a crane. Its snake-stomping legs can deliver up to 43 pounds of force. The raptor is also known for its speed, earning the nickname “devil’s…