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Having the right gear for bird watching can some times
make or break a trip. As we all know a nice sunny day
can quickly change into to rainy day and like most die
hard birders… Rain or Shine. So make sure you go out with
all the gear you need for any kind of condition.
We have compiled a list of gear any avid birder should
invest in, so weather doesn't have to dictate whether
you have a good trip or not.
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Ostriches are the largest living birds in
the world. Native to Africa, ostriches are
flightless.
A male ostrich stands between 6 and 9 feet
at maturity, while females will range between
5.5 and 6.5 feet tall at maturity. Adults
usually weigh between 150 to 330 pounds.
Domesticated ostriches reach maturity at
2 to 3 years of age. Females mature about
6 months earlier than males. Ostriches normally
live from 30 to 70 years in captivity.
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Pelicans soar in the air looking for fish
near the surface of the water. When a fish
is spotted, the Pelican goes into a dive,
plunging 30 to 60 feet bill-first into the
water. The impact of hitting the water would
kill an ordinary bird, but the Pelican is
equipped with air sacs just beneath the skin
to cushion the blow. The loose skin on the
underside of the bill extends to form a scoop
net with an amazing capacity of 2.5 gallons.
The Pelican drains the water from its pouch
and tosses its head back to swallow the fish
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The tallest and arguably most handsome member
of the family, this elegant bird lives in
monogamous pairs which are attached to a large
home range. The Saddle-billed Stork does not
adapt well to alteration of its habitat, so
is today restricted to large wilderness areas
and wildlife reserves. Fishes crabs, frogs
and large water-beetles are the favoured prey,
and it is known to pirate fresh catches from
cormorants and other aquatic birds. The pair
nest in a tall tree, where up to three young
may be raised in the large stick nest.
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Cranes are large, long-legged birds with short,
straight bills. Of the 15 species world-wide,
six live in Africa. The West African crowned
crane eats grass, seeds, corn, rice, insects,
small reptiles and amphibians, fish, and crustaceans.
It sometimes stamps its feet to flush insects
and will join grazing animals for the same
purpose. Usually seen in pairs or groups of
up to several hundred, the cranes perform
a colorful dance involving bowing, jumping,
flapping wings, and circling.
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The yellow-billed hornbill is black and white
with spotted patterns on the wings, white
on the outer tail, and a large orange-yellow
bill with only slight casque. It forages mainly
on the ground and picks up most food items,
but it feeds regularly in trees to take fruit.
Both the male and female Eastern Yellow-billed
Hornbill play primary roles in the nourishment
of their young. The female will break out
of the nest when the young are roughly half
grown
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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November
19, 2004