Pelican Species of the World: Australian Pelican with the Longest Beak of any Bird in the World P. philippensis Southeast Asia In the United States the Brown Pelican along with the American White Pelican is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 . *Listed on the IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species both species having a signficant downward drop in breeding pairs (recent counts show only 250-400 pairs remain) and under special effort “recovery programs” to try to reestablish healthy colonies. As always, we hope you enjoyed this article featured as part of TigerHomes Sanctuary's continuing Educational Series . We also hope you will take this opportunity to visit our world renowned Animal Cams . You are invited to take your own snapshots and enter your pictures into our Viewer Gallery Contest for a chance to win monthly prizes! The SANCTUARY is a permanent home to Rare White Tigers , Golden Tigers , Bengal Tigers , Siberian Tigers , African Lions and Lemurs . Our residents are quite the characters and simply amazing to watch in their natural habitats. It is our Mission to preserve and protect these many Endangered Species.

You can help save Endangered Species right now by visiting our Gift Shop . Many animals of the Everglades can be seen first-hand in our TigerHomes Educational DVD Series , Florida's Wild Future. Become a proud Sponsor ! Please help us by sponsoring the animals & our work. TigerHomes Sanctuary welcomes and needs your support! More on Florida Everglades: Smallest Bird, Largest Bird, Fastest Bird, Slowest Bird | Birds of a Feather B&B Birds of a Feather B&B We had a wonderful time! The dogs were great. We will certainly come again! - Kim & John Beautiful... great experience and hospitality ! - Karen 'Thank you for the nice stay. We enjoyed our short trip to Vancouver Island and now know a fine place to stay for our next trip to... - Andrea & Sven Thanks so much, your B&B was much more than advertized. We chose the right place for our last night in B.C. The 5km run to Royal... - Sarah My recent stay at Birds of a Feather was a great experience. As a new student to Royal Roads University I found the location to the... - Dianne Appleby We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Everything from the views, our room, the comfort, the company, and Dieter's generous hospitality was... - Sonia We had an amazing time here on the island for our honeymoon! This room was perfect! It was our first experience at a B&B, and... - Ryan & Christine Holst This place is magical!! I loved eveything from the wildlife and the scenery to the full moon that took my breath away!! Thank you... - Diane Todosychuk Lovely place to stay! Dieter gave us the best advice about how to spend our limited time here. We are in awe of the beauty of the... - Patricia Bender & Judy Kelly Thank you for welcoming us into your home, everything absolutely perfect - not often I am left speecless but.... WOW! We have found... - Helena & Ray Farmer Smallest Bird, Largest Bird, Fastest Bird, Slowest Bird Best Price Guarantee Smallest Bird Male bee hummingbirds (mellisuga helenae), which live in Cuba, weigh 0.056 ounces and are 2.75 inches in length. The bill and tail account for half of this length.

Smallest Bird of Prey The black-legged falconet ( Micrphierax fringlius ) of southeast Asia and the white-fronted or Bornean falconet ( M. latifrons ) of northwestern Borneo both have an average length of 5.5-6 inches, including a 2 inch tail, and weigh approximately 1.25 ounces. Smallest Parrot [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws] The Pygmy parrots of Papua and nearby islands. Genus Micropsitta. There's six different sorts - Yellow-capped, Buff-faced, Finsch's, Geelvink, Meek's, Red-breasted - all around 3" long (8cm). Thought to eat lichens and mosses but not much is known about their lifestyles. Fastest Swimming Bird Gentoo Penguin found on the Antarctic Islands can swim 40 km per hour. Large populations are found at South Georgia, Falkland Islands, and Iles Kerguelen although their breeding distribution is circumpolar. An orange bill and a white stroke behind its eye distinguish the black and white gentoos from the smaller adelie and chinstrap species.

Long stiff tail feathers stick out behind as they walk, often cocked up in the water, no other penguin has such a prominent tail. They breed in winter at the more northerly sub-Antarctic islands, laying two eggs as early as July. Can dive over 300' though most prey dives are shallower. Most dives last only half a minute. Largest Carnivorous Bird (contribution by Christoph Kulmann) Titanis Walleri. This bird is known from the early Pleistocene (Ice Age) of Florida. It is the last known member of the family Phorusrhacidae, a group of large, flightless birds which evolved in South America. This creature had an estimated body height of 3 meters (if it stood fully erect, and 2.5 meters in more normal situations). Titanis really had arms instead of wings. Tallest Flying Birdscrane The largest cranes (family Gruidae) can be almost 6 ft. 6 in. tall.

Heaviest Flying Birds The Kori Bustard or paauw (Ardeotis Kori) of northeast and southern Africa and the great bustard (Otis tarda) of Europe and Asia weigh about 40-42 pounds. There is a report of a 46 lb. 4 oz. male great bustard shot in northeastern China. It was too heavy to fly. Heaviest Birds of Prey Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) are the heaviest species of bird of prey. Males weigh 20-27 pounds and have a wingspan of at least 10 feet. A male California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) preserved in the California Academy of Sciences is reported to weigh 31 pounds. It is rare for the species to exceed 23 pounds in weight. Heaviest Parrot Flightless Kakapo around 7lbs in weight; New Zealand [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws] SinbadA flightless nocturnal bird, which was described by early European settlers as " the most wonderful bird on Earth, " the Kakapo parrot was once endemic throughout New Zealand.

Today only 50 birds remain, some of which live on Little Barrier Island (Hauturu) as part of a Department of Conservation endangered species recovery programme. The name "Kakapo" is Polynesian (Maori) for "parrot of the night." Moss green, like Kakapo "Suzanne's" foster brood, Codfish Island, 2002. Photo by Don Merton/DOC.the foliage of the native trees and grasses in which it evolved, funny and cuddly, with a wonderful spicy fragrance, this unique bird has small wings, useless for flight but handy to steer with when you're jumping down a bank, and a rudimentary keel in its sternum. It browses forest trees, ferns, herbs, moss and lichen and grinds its food between a powerful lower mandible and a grooved pad in the upper mandible, a method of mastication which is thought to be unique. Longest Feathers The phoenix fowl or Yokohama chicken (a strain of the red junglefowl Gallus is bred in Japan for ornamental purposes. A rooster with a 34 ft. 9.5 in.

Tail covert was reported in 1972. Longest Bills The bill of the Australian pelican (Pelicanus conspicillatus) is 13-18.5 inches long. The longest beak in relation to body length is that of the sword- billed hummingbird ( Ensifera ) of the Andes. At 4 inches, the beak is longer than the bird’s body (excluding the tail). Only Nostrils on tip of Beak The Kiwi is the only bird with nostrils at the tip of its beak. Whereas other birds hunt by sight or by hearing, the national bird of New Zealand uses its beaky nostrils to sniff out food at night. Although the Kiwi is roughly the same size as a chicken, it lays an egg which is 10 times larger than a hen's. It also has wings but cannot fly. Biggest Eyes The ostrich has the largest eyes of any land animal. Each eye can be up to 2 inches in diameter.

Largest Field of Vision The eyes of the woodcock are set so far back in its head that it has a 360 degree field of vision, enabling it see all round and even over the top of its head Best Talker The African Grey Parrot has been called "the perfect mix of brains and beauty" (Bird Talk, Aug. 92) and the "cadillac of parrots" (Bird Talk Sept. 93). Much of the notoriety of this species stems from the phenomenal gift of speech members exhibit. While many parrots learn some words or phrases, many cases have been documented of African Greys learning multiple lines of songs, prayers, or plays. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the best talking parrot or parrot like bird as a African Grey named Prudle. Prudle was captured near Jinja, Uganda in 1958 and when "he" retired from public life in 1977 had a vocabulary of nearly 1000 words. Many owners have been surprised (and sometimes shocked) when their Grey learned a new word or phrase after hearing it only a few times. One of our favorite stories in this respect was one related by a priest that had a pet Grey.

While hanging some pictures in his office, the priest hit his hand with a hammer. He let out a stream of obscenities that his Grey learned (from this one occurrence according to the priest). The priest's embarrassment was compounded by the other aspect of greys gift for mimicking, that is they often sound exactly like the person that spoke the words or phrase. [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws] Most Airborne Bird The sooty tern (Sterna fuscata) leaves its nesting grounds as a youngster and remains aloft for 3-10 years, settling on water from time to time. It returns to land to breed as an adult. Longest Flight A common tern (Sterna hirundo) that was banded in June 1996 in Finland was recaptured alive 16,250 miles away at Rotamah Island, Victoria, Australia in January 1997. It had traveled at a rate of 125 miles a day. Slowest-Flying Birds The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and the Eurasian woodcock (S.

Rusticola) have both been timed lying at 5 mph with out stalling during courtship displays. Slowest Wing beat The slowest wing beats recorded during true level flight averaged one per second. They were by several species of the New World vulture ( family Cathartidea) Largest Wingspan The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) has the largest wingspan of any living bird. As a result, it is an expert glider and it is capable of remaining in the air without beating its wings for several hours at a time. The largest known specimen was an extremely old male with and 11 ft. 11 in. wingspan. It was caught in the Tasman Sea in September 1965. It has also been known to sleep while it flies! Largest Ever Wingspan The South American teratoron ( Argentavis magnificens), which existed 6-8 million years ago, had an estimated wingspan of 25 feet.

Parrot with largest Wingspan Hyacinth Macaw, around 1100 mm - Brazil [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws] The Hyacinth macaw is the most majestic of all parrots. Although the Hyacinth Macaw and Green Wing Macaw are both commonly referred to as the "gentle giant" of the macaw species. The Hyacinths are truly the "dream bird" of all bird lovers. The Hyacinth macaw can attain the total length of up to 42 inches and have a beak pressure that can easily disassemble a welded wrought iron cage bar by bar in a very short time. In spite of their tremendous strength, this is one of the most laid back and easy-going of all of the macaws. Fastest Flying Bird The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the fastest living creature, reaching speeds of at least 124 mph and possibly as much as 168 mph when swooping from great heights during territorial displays or while catching pry birds in midair.

Fastest Wing beat The horned sungem (Heliactin cornuta), a hummingbird from South America, beats its wings up and down 90 times a second. Flying Backwards While hummingbirds are probably the champions of backwards flight they are by no means the only birds that can fly in this way. When two herons or egrets fight, periodically one of them caught at a disadvantage in the dispute will flutter backward. Occasionally warblers fluttering at the tip of a branch as they pick off insects will flutter backward when they overshoot some flying insect. It is probable that any bird which uses fluttering flight can move backward when pressed to do so. Fastest Land Bird Despite its bulk, the ostrich can run at speeds of up to 45 mph if necessary. Highest-Flying Birds A Ruppell’s vulture (gyps rueppellii) collided with a commercial aircraft over Abidjan, Ivory Coast, at an altitude of 37,000 feet in November 1973. The impact damaged one of the aircraft’s engines, but the plane landed safely. The species is rarely seen above 20,000 feet.

In 1967, about 30 whooper swans (Cygnus were spotted at an altitude of just over 27,000 feet by an airline pilot over the Western Isles, UK. They were flying from Iceland to Loch Foyle on the Northern Ireland/republic Ireland border. Their altitude was confirmed by air traffic control. Longest Stride The stride of an ostrich may exceed 23 feet in length when the bird is sprinting. Highest G-Force Borne The beak of the red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) hits the bark of a tree with an impact of velocity of 13 mph, subjection the bird’s brain to a deceleration of approximately 10 g when its head snaps back. Other woodpeckers may experience and even higher g-force. Most Food Consumed Hummingbirds (family Trochilidon) requires at least half their own body weight in food (mainly nectar and tiny insects) every single day. With the possible exception of shrews, they have the highest metabolic rate of any known animal.

Strangest Diet An ostrich living at the London Zoo, England was found to have swallowed an alarm clock, a roll of film, a handkerchief, a 3-foot long piece of rope, a cycle valve , a pencil, three gloves, a collar stud, a Belgian franc, four halfpennies and two farthings. Longest Fast The male emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) spends several months without feeding on the frozen wastes of the Antarctic sea ice. It travels overland from the sea to the breeding colony, courts the female, incubates the egg for 62-67 days, waits for the female to return and travels back to the open sea, going without food for up to 134 days. Largest Prey The wild animal known to have been killed and carried away by a bird was a 15 pound male red howler monkey killed by a harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) in Manu National Park, Peru in 1990. The harpy eagle is considered the world’s most powerful bird of prey, although it weighs only 20 pounds.

An incredible video of a Golden Eagle taking a small Mountain sheep or goat and carrying it off to it's nest. The largest documented prey taken by a Philippine eagle is a 14 kg (30.8 lbs) Philippine deer Cervus at a nest studied by Kennedy in 1985. also on records; a mature female monkey taken and carrying it in one foot in Cagayan; and a large python. The African crowned eagle is Africa's most powerful and ferocious eagle in terms of the weight and nature of prey taken. Mammalian prey, especially duikers, may weigh up to 34 kg (75 lbs) and still be preyed on by these eagles. Sharpest Vision The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is believed to be able to spot a pigeon from a distance of more than 5 miles under ideal conditions. Biggest Nest The incubation mounds built by the mallee fowl (Leipoa ocellata) of Australia are up to 15 feet tall and 35 feet wide. A nest site is estimated to weigh 330 tons. A 9 ft. 6 in.

Wide 20 foot deep nest was built by a pair of bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and possibly by their successors, close to St Petersburg, Florida. When examined in 1963, the nest was estimated to weigh in excess of 2.2 tons. Smallest Nests The vervian hummingbird ( Mellisuga minima) builds a nest about half the size of a walnut shell. The deeper but narrower nest of the bee hummingbird (M. Helenae) is thimble sized. Smallest Egg The smallest known bird’s egg were tow vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) eggs less than 39/100 inch long. They weighed 0.365 g.

(0.0128 oz.) And 0.375 g (0.0132 oz.) Biggest Eggs (contribution by Christoph Kulmann) The extinct giant elephant bird (Aephornis maximus) - picture below under heaviest birds - laid 1 foot long eggs with a lElephant Bird egg compared to chicken eggliquid capacity of 2.25 gallons- the equivalent of seven ostrich eggs and more than 12,000 humming bird eggs. When early Arabian and Indian explorers started returning from their journeys along the coast of Africa with stories of gigantic birds many times the size of a man, they brought evidence...huge eggs, up to three feet in circumference. They were the eggs of a bird that would later come to be known as the Elephant Bird, or Vouron Patra (Aepyornis maximus). The eggs that the Elephant Bird laid were larger than the largest dinosaur eggs, and, in fact, they were as large as a structurally functional egg could possibly be...the largest single cells to have ever existed on Earth. The ostrich egg is 6-8 inches long. 4-6 inches in diameter and weighs 2 lb. 3 oz.

- 3 lb.14 oz.. It is equal in volume to 24 chicken eggs. The shell is 3/50 inch thick but can support eh weight of an adult human. The largest on record was laid in 1988 by a two year old northern/southern hybrid (Struthio c. camelus x s. c. australis) at the Kibbutz Ha’on collective farm, Israel. Ti weighted 5 lb. 2 oz. Heaviest Bird Ever Alive - 2 candidates (contribution by Christoph Kulmann) Elephant BirdThe Elephant Bird (shown above under biggest eggs) is thought to have been the inspiration for the Roc (or Ruhk) made famous in the stories of Sinbad and the accounts of Marco Polo. While Aepyornis was by no means as large and terrible as the elephant-eating Roc, it WAS one of the largest birds that ever lived. The flightless bird grew to around ten or eleven feet tall, and is estimated to have weighed up to 1100 pounds. By comparison, a BIG Ostrich will go eight feet and 300 pounds.

The home of the Elephant Bird was the island of Madagascar, off the eastern coast of Africa. The island was first populated by African and Indonesian peoples that are thought to have arrived around the time of Christ, about 2000 years ago. They were, in turn, visited by Muslim traders from East Africa and the Comoro Islands in the ninth century. The first Europeans to visit the island were the Portuguese in 1500, but Europeans didn't really establish a foothold on the island until the French settled there beginning in 1642. The Elephant Bird was probably still around at that time but it had already become very rare. One of the only contemporary European accounts of the bird was written by the first French Governor of Madagascar, Étienne de Flacourt, who wrote, in 1658, "vouropatra - a large bird which haunts the Ampatres and lays eggs like the ostriches; so that the people of these places may not take it, it seeks the most lonely places." The natives' histories of the Elephant Bird, however, rarely describe it as an aggressive bird, and more often portray it as a shy, peaceful giant.

Most likely the Vouron Patra was driven to extinction by people raiding their nests. The eggs and egg shells were both very important items to the tribal Malagasy, who used them for food and all kinds of stuff. The fossil record shows that maximus was not the only species of Aepyornis that ever lived. It is thought that between three and seven different types of Elephant Bird have lived since the Pleistocene although only one, the smaller Aepyornis mullerornis is thought to have survived into historic times along with the Elephant Bird. Only the giant is known to have co-existed with humans, and by 1700, it too was gone. Only the largest of the New Zealand Moas were taller, some reaching thirteen feet, but they weren't as massively built. Moa were large flightless birds that went extinct in the late 1700's or early 1800's. These huge, bulky birds lived in lowland forests on the islands of New Zealand. The word moa comes from the Maori language, in which the plural of moa is moa (we are using that convention).

The oldest-known moa fossils date from 2.4 million years ago. The last of the moa (the smaller species) lived on the South Island of New Zealand until the 1700's. On its native New Zealand, there were no large mammals to prey on the moa or its eggs; its only predators large birds, like the Haast eagle (which is now extinct). When the Maori people moved to New Zealand over 1,000 years ago, they destroyed much of the moa's lowland forest habitat and introduced mammals, including dogs and rats. These mammals ate the moa's eggs. The Maori people also hunted and ate the moa. These forces probably contributed to the extinction of the moa. The moa had a large body, a small head, a long neck, short, thick legs, and a large beak. There were 11 species of moa. The largest was almost 11.5 feet (3.5 m) tall and weighed perhaps 700 pounds (320 kg); the smallest of the moa were turkey-sized. The moa's nest was located on the ground (leaving the eggs vulnerable to predators).

The moa was an herbivore (plant-eater); it ate fruit and some plant material (like leaves). These birds swallowed stones (which went into gizzard) that helped digest the food. Classification: Kingdom Animalia (animals), phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata (vertebrates), class Aves (birds), order Dinornithiformes, family Anomalopterygidae (the lesser moa) and family Dinornithidae (the greater moa). There were 11 (or possibly 13) different species of moa, including Dinornis, the biggest moa and the biggest bird that ever lived. In ancient Australia, until 50,000 years ago, there was a group of birds called the Dromornithids. By far the largest of them was "Dromornis stirtoni", a massive creature that stood 3 meters tall and must have weighed more than half a ton. They disappeared rather abruptly, and there is still much debate about the reasons. But the Australians seem to have kept a memory of these giant birds.

In some legends, there is a creature called "mihirung", and most likely this means a dromornithid bird. Smelliest Bird The south American hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) has an odor similar to cow manure. Colombians call it pava hedionda ("stinking pheasant"). The cause of the smell is believed to be a combination of its diet of green leaves and its specialized digestive system, which involves a kind of foregut fermentation. Large Flocks Flamingoes, with their long necks and legs, have a height range of 3-5 feet and are the biggest bird to form large flocks. Of the four species, the lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) of eastern and southern Africa has been seen in flocks of several million birds, particularly in the Great Lakes of eastern Africa. Biggest Bird The largest and strongest living bird is the North African ostrich (Struthio camelus . Males can be up to 9 feet tall and weigh 345 pounds, and when fully grown the have one of the most advanced immune systems of any animal.

South Africa was the first country to see the commercial potential of ostrich products - the creature are prized not only for their large soft white feathers and their meat but also for their skins, which are made into the strongest commercially available leather in the world. Ostrich farming is believed to have begun in the Karoo and Eastern Cape c. 1863. By 1910 there were more than 20,000 domesticated ostriches in the country, and by 1913 ostrich feathers were the fourth most important south African export product. Demand began to dry up soon afterwards, but there was an ostrich revival in the 1920's when farmers started to produce biltong ( dry strips of ostrich meat) commercially. Biggest Seabird (contribution by Jacob Casson) The Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora sanfordi) with a wing span 3 metres, flight speed up to 115 km/h. 80% of life spent at sea. White body, black on backs of wings. Feeds on surface shoaling fish and squid. Male and female equal share in rearing chick, raising one chick every two years.

Mature at six years, live about 45 years. Mate in October, one egg laid in November, incubation 79 days. Chick guarded for first six weeks, young depart late September. Biggest Cockatoo Sub-species Proboscigar Aterimus Goliath. The weight of the female Palm Cockatoo is between 500-950 grams, and the males weigh between 540-1100 grams. Both females and males height range from 49-68 centimeters. The wings are about 35.1 centimeters, the tail about 23.8 centimeters, the bill about 9.1 centimeters, and the tarsus about 3.5 centimeters. These Palm Cockatoos are very large birds. They are the largest of all parrots. The scientific name is derived from both Greek and Latin. Proboscis is Greek for nose, gero is Greek for carry, and atterimus is Latin for black. Most Palm Cockatoos are dark gray and black with a cheek-patch of bare red skin .

The cheek skin color may change according to their level of stress, it may change pink or beige if it is stressed, or if it is excited it will turn yellow. Palm Cockatoos have a very strong mandible, which they use for cracking nuts. Most Abundant Bird The red- billed quelea (Quelea quelea) of Africa has an estimated adult breeding population of 1.5 billion. The slaughter of at least 200 million of them each year has no impact on this number. Rarest Bird With 168 birds on the list of the world's most critically endangered creatures--and many of them from remote, inhospitable places--researchers cannot say for sure which species is the rarest. But that dubious distinction may belong to the po'ouli (pronounced "poh-oh-U-lee"). This Hawaiian honeycreeper, whose name means "black-faced," survives only in a few hundred acres of nearly impenetrable rain forest on the windward side of Maui's Haleakala Crater. At last count, the known po'ouli population was six. And with time running out, experts are scrambling to find a way to save the species from extinction.

Rarest Parrot Spix's Macaw. Endemic to one small area of northeastern Brazil, in a habitat known as the "caatinga" (an arid region of flat savanna scrubland interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests), the Spix's Macaw was considered to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Despite concerted efforts of the Brazilian government and an international committee whose members include the aviculturists that hold this endangered species, government officials, conservationists and ornithologists the last one died in 2001. The conservation of this species is now dependent on the success of the captive-breeding and field program. The global captive population has grown significantly from a low of 11 known birds to 60 (54 of which are captive-hatched); new holders are participating in the program, the field research program has collected valuable data on the natural history of this species and the ecology of the region, a strong community outreach program is in place, habitat protection and restoration projects are ongoing, and basic research on psittacine reintroduction techniques has been successfully completed.

[contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws] Bossiest Bird The kea ( Nestor notabilis) from New Zealand is the only bird known to have a society in which the higher status individuals force others to work for them. Most Unusual Birds The home of the Great Indian Hornbill is a prison. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she hides in a hole in a tree. The male then seals up the hole, leaving her just a narrow slit through which he passes her food. The female stays in there until the chicks are a few months old, when she breaks out and helps the male with feeding duties. The Secretary Bird may have long legs but it can't run. Instead it hops along the African scrublandin search of its staple diet of snakes and lizards. The bird gets its name from the 20 black crest feathers behind its ears which are reminiscent of the old quill pens once favored by secretaries. The Quetzal from central America has such a long tail (up to 3 feet) that it can't take off from a branch in the normal way without ripping its tail to shreds.

So instead it launches itself backwards into space like a parachutist leaving an aircraft. The Quetzal nests in hollow trees but has to reverse into the hole. Once inside, it curls up its tail over its head and out of the hole. The Male Bower-Bird from Australia attracts a female by building an elaborate love bower. After building a little hut out of twigs, he decorates it with flowers and colorful objects such as feathers, fruit, shells, and pebbles or sometimes glass and paper if the nest is near civilization. One particular species (the Atlas Bower-Bird) actually paints the walls by dipping bark or leaves into the blue or dark-green saliva he secretes. The entire bower-building procedure can take months and the bird will often change the decorations until he is happy with them. When finally satisfied, he performs a love dance outside the bower, sometimes offering the female a pretty item from his collection. The Young Hoatzin of the Amazon forests has claws on its wings to help it clamber through the dense undergrowth. The bird is a throwback to the prehistoric archeopteryx, which also had three claws on each wing.

The Little Tailorbird uses its sharp beak to pierce holes along the edges of two leaves. It then constructs a nest by neatly stitching the leaves together with pieces of grass. What advantage do many birds gain by flying in V-formation? As a bird flap its wings it disturbs the air and leaves whirling eddies behind. Some gregarious species take advantage of the upward sections of these whirls and each bird in the V-formation stations itself at the correct place so the inner wing obtains support from the wake of the bird immediately ahead. Thus every bird in the flock except the leader saves energy by using the V-formation type of flight. Pelican Australian Birds "The pelican - its bill can hold more than its belly can!" The Australian Pelican has the longest beak of any bird in the world What a wondrous majestic bird is the pelican! It is said that the Pelican can take in his beak enough food for a week! Now that's a statement! People over the centuries have admired the bird and have wondered how do they do it. In fact the pelicans history stems as fare back as 40 Million years according to fossils that have been found so we guess they have been doing something s right!

The birds may live between ten and up to 25 years or more. It is true that Pelicans are famous for their large beaks, which they scoop up and fill with gulps of water, then they are able to strain out the fluids, retain the food, fish or squid and eat or swallow it. Interestingly the Australian Pelican has the longest beak of any bird in the world. The Australian Pelican's bill is 40 to 50 cm long and it is smaller in the females to the males. Pelicans are among the largest and heaviest birds in the world, and as such are very impressive in flight, however they are able to sit on the water with ease because of there very light frames; there bones are hollow and full of air plus they have air sack in there bodies which all assists them float, take off and in flight. When in flight the Pelican are not able to sustained flapping there wings, However they are able to remain airborne for hours, covering great distances sometimes hundreds of kilometres. You would say they are excellent soarers and use warm thermals airs to rise higher and higher all with minimum effort.

There are a known 7 species of pelican and they are all sociable, it very rear indeed if you ever see a baby pelican because they nest on smallish isolated coastal islands where they are safe from predators. The Female birds unusually only produce two or three eggs and they incubate for 30 to 40 days. The chicks leave their nests to form crï¿½ches of dozens and dozens of birds. They remain with the group around two months and in this time they have learnt to fly and are looking much like mature adults. The Pelican courtship is very interesting, the female seeks out potential mates and leads around the colony, on these walks they sort of threaten each other by swinging their open beaks trying to attract the female's attention. The male's birds often pick up small objects, which they flick into the air and catch again. The males do tire and finally, there is only one male is left so the female leads him to a potential nest site. The simple nest is established by the female scratching the ground with her bill and feet, she lines the nest with feathers and other bit of local vegetation.

The Australian Pelican is found widespread on freshwater, wetlands and waterways including lakes, swamps, rivers, coastal islands and shores throughout Australia on just about all coast lines, they are very mobile and continue to search for adequate food supplies. The bill and pouch of pelicans play an important role in feeding. It has a small but very usable hock right at the end and is used for gripping slippery food items. 99 Colorful Facts about Birds | FactRetriever.com 99 Colorful Facts about Birds By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer Published August 20, 2016 There are over 9,500 species of birds in the world. Scientists typically group them into 30 categories. Birds are the most widespread of all animals around the world.[12] Approximately 2/3 of all the bird species are found in tropical rain forests.[1] Hoatzin chicks have two claws on each wing. When they climb out of the nest, they use their claws to hold on to mangrove trees. They lose their claws once they mature, but they remain poor flyers.[6] The longest feathers ever seen were on a chicken in Japan.

Its tail feathers measured 34.7 feet (10.59 m) long.[12] Birds crystallize their urine and excrete it, along with feces, out their cloacas To make them more lightweight, most birds do not have bladders to store urine. Rather than producing liquid urine to get rid of wastes, they produce a white, pasty substance. However, while an ostrich does not have a bladder like a mammalian bladder, it is unique among birds because it does have a complete separation of feces and urine.[1] A bird’s lungs are much more complicated and efficient and take up more space than those of mammals, such as humans. A human’s lungs compose about 1/20 of its body, but a bird’s takes up 1/5.[10] The Australian pelican has the longest bill of any bird in the world. It is nearly 2 feet (0.5 m) in length. The sword-billed hummingbird, with its 3.9-inch (10 cm) bill, is the only bird with a bill that’s longer than its body.[6] Owls cannot swivel their eyes.

Instead they move their heads completely around to see straight behind them. They live on every continent except Antarctica. Soft fringes on their wings make their flight essentially silent.[1] Famous birds include Ba in Egyptian mythology, Bar Juchne in the Talmud, The Cu Bird in Mexican folklore, the Firebird in Native American mythologies, Harpies in Greek mythology, the Phoenix in Egyptian mythology, Quetzalcoatl in Aztec mythology, and the Raven in Native American religions.[12] Famous birds in literature include the Albatross in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Archimedes in The Once and Future King, Chicken Little, Chanticleer in Chaucer’s Nun’s Priest’s Tale, Fawkes and Hedwig in Harry Potter, Mother Goose, the Raven in Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven,” Owl in Winnie the Pooh, Thorondor (the king of eagles) in J.R.R.

Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and The Ugly Duckling.[12] Famous birds in cartoons, comics, and films include Big Bird in Sesame Street, Buzz Buzzard in Woody Woodpecker, Disney’s Darkwing Duck, Footloops cereal’s Toucan Sam, Woodstock in the Peanuts comic strip, Woody Woodpecker, and Iago in Aladdin.[12] Cats kill billions of birds per year In the continental U.S. alone, between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds are killed by cats annually.[11] The only bird with nostrils at the end of its beak is the kiwi. This placement helps it sniff for food, such as worms and insects on the ground. It often snorts to clear its nostrils.[6] Unlike most birds that sing, a woodpecker will drum its beak against a tree. Other woodpeckers can identify which bird it is by the sound of the drumming.[6] The most talkative bird in the world is the African gray parrot. One parrot could say over 800 words.

Most species of parrots can learn only 50.[1] Many birds, such as starlings, sing notes too high for humans to hear.[10] The chicks of large bird species often take the longest to hatch. Emu chicks, for example, take 60 days to hatch. Small songbirds take just 2 weeks.[10] A green woodpecker can eat as many as 2,000 ants per day.[12] The Japanese crested ibis is one of the rarest birds in the world. Probably fewer than 50 crested ibises are alive today.[1] The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska polluted approximately 1,180 miles of coastline and killed up to 100,000 seabirds.[1] Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards The bird with the most feathers is the whistling swan, with up to 25,000 feathers. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, are so small that they have fewer than 1,000.[1] Falconry was developed more than 4,000 years ago in eastern and central Asia.

Birds were used because they could kill animals beyond the range of a hunter’s weapon. Genghis Khan reportedly had 10,000 falconers.[12] Coalminers often used canaries to detect poisonous levels of carbon monoxide gas. Miners knew that if the canary passed out, they were in danger, too. The phrase “Canary in a Coalmine” derives from this history.[12] The marsh warbler can mimic more than 80 different birds. Other renowned mimics include mockingbirds and lyrebirds.[1] A pelican’s pouch-like beak can hold up to 2.5 gallons of water at a time. The beak will shrink to squeeze out the water before the pelican swallows its food.[1] A vulture named the Lammergeyer will fly with bones high in the air and then drop them onto rocks. It will then eat the smashed bones, like a circus sword swallower.[6] The bird that lays the smallest egg in the world is the bee hummingbird.

Its egg is just under 0.5" x 0.25" and weighs a mere 0.02 oz.[6] Though it looks like a bird’s knee is bending backwards, what is bending backward is actually its ankle. Below its ankle is an extended foot bone, leading to the toes. A bird’s real knee is usually hidden by feathers.[12] A bird’s real knee is usually hidden by feathers The ostrich lays the biggest egg in the world. It measures 7" x 5" and weighs 3 pounds. However, the biggest egg for the size of the mother is laid by the kiwi and is a third of the weight of the bird. It is 5" long and can weigh as much as 1 lb. This would be the equivalent of an ostrich laying an 88 lb. (40 kg.) egg.[6] The Malleefowl is famed for making a huge compost pile for its nest. Its eggs are incubated by the heat given off by the rotting vegetation.[6] Social weaverbirds live in huge communal nests that look like a huge haystack spread across a treetop.

Some nests can weigh a few tons, have over 400 birds living in them, and may be 100 years old.[6] The heaviest bird of prey is the Andean condor. It can weigh up to 27 lb. (12 kg.).[1] The most common wild bird in the world is the red-billed Quelea, with an estimated adult breeding population of 1.5 billion pairs. It mostly lives in sub-Saharan Africa and thousands of birds can be in a single flock. The most common nonwild bird is the chicken.[1] Many scientists believe that birds evolved from dinosaurs during the Mesozoic Era about 150 million years ago.[10] The flamingos' pink color is from the beta-carotene in their crustacean and plankton diet Flamingos pair for a lifetime.

Some stay with their mates for 50 years or more.[10] In the United States alone, there are over 40 million pet birds.[10] A bird’s feathers weigh more than its skeleton.[12] The type of diet a bird eats in the wild is directly related to the shape of a bird’s beak.[1] While most male birds do not have a penis, the Argentine Lake Duck’s penis can extend 17", the longest of any bird known. The duck itself is only about 16 inches tall. The base of the penis is covered with coarse spines, and the tip is soft and brush-like, perhaps to clean sperm that may have been deposited in the female’s oviduct by another suitor. When not in use, the corkscrew shaped penis retracts into the duck’s abdomen.[5] Approximately 75% of wild birds live for less than a year. The larger the bird, the more likely it is to live longer. The large wandering albatross, for example, can live for up to 80 years.[10] Gentoo Penguins are the fastest swimming birds, reaching speeds of 22 mph (36 kph).

Emperor Penguins can stay under water for up to 18 minutes.[12] Arctic terns have the longest annual migration of any bird. They fly 25,000 miles (40,000 m) from the Arctic to the Antarctic and then back again.[10] The bird with the greatest wingspan of any other bird is the Wandering Albatross at up to 11.8 ft (3.63 m).[12] Bar-headed Geese fly across the Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world. They fly nearly 5 miles (over 8,000 m) up in the sky, almost as high as jet planes. The highest-flying bird is the Griffon Vulture. In 1973, one collided with an airplane more than 6.8 miles above the Ivory Coast in Africa.[10] The largest, tallest, and heaviest bird in the world is the ostrich. Male ostriches can reach up to 9 ft. tall (2.7 m) and weigh up to 350 lb. (160 kg).

Their eyes are bigger than any other land animals' eyes and are even larger than their brain.[10] For such a tiny bird, the wren has a surprisingly loud song The song of a European wren is made of more than 700 different notes a minute and can be heard 1,650 feet (500 m) away.[1] The ostrich is the only bird that willingly takes care of other females’ eggs.[12] Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand when danger is near. But they have been seen to lie on the ground with their long neck stretched out flat if they want to hide.[12] The biggest bird that ever existed on Earth is the flightless elephant bird, which is now extinct. It weighed about 1000 lb. (450 kg.). Seven ostrich eggs would fit inside one elephant bird’s egg. Elephant birds died out 400 years ago, but people still find pieces of their tough-shelled eggs.[1] The Emperor Penguin is the only bird that lays its eggs in the middle of winter. By laying its eggs so early, it gives its young a head start.

The babies need all spring, summer, and fall to grow big enough to survive the next winter.[1] Oilbirds eat oil palm fruits, which make the birds oily too. People near the caves where the oilbirds lived used to trap the oilbirds and boil them down for the oil.[12] The fastest flying bird in a dive is the Peregrine Falcon. It averages speeds of over 110 mph (180 kph).[1] Oilbirds are the only birds that use echolocation the way that bats do. However, bats are much better at it. A bat can even fly through the blades of a moving fan. Oilbirds are also the only nocturnal fruit-eating birds in the world.[12] Birds have three fingers on each wing. The first, the thumb, supports a small part of the wing called the alula (a.k.a bastard wing). The second and third fingers support the main flight feathers.[12] Birds typically have two, three, or four toes. A typical perching bird has three pointing forward, and one back. Birds that run on hard ground have only three, all pointing forward.

Ostriches only have two toes, which are shaped like the hoof of an antelope.[12] Sooty Terns can even sleep in the air The Sooty Tern spends more time in the air than any other bird. It takes off over the ocean and flies for at least 3 years without settling on water or land. Swifts also spend most of their lives in the air. They can even sleep in the air by gliding on air currents with their wings outstretched.[10] Birds don’t fall off of a branch when they sleep because their toes automatically clench around the twig they are standing on. Because the grabbing action is done by tendons rather than muscles, the birds can sleep without danger of falling.[12] The wishbone (or “merrythought” bone) is a bird’s fused collarbone. The strongest fliers have the widest angles in their wishbones. They are the only vertebrate animals to have a fused collarbone.[10] Not all birds have equally hollow bones.

Those that dive into water—like gannets, terns, and kingfishers—and those that fly very fast, like swifts, have less air in their long bones than other birds.[10] The linear flight formations of migratory birds are called echelons, with the most common shapes being the “V” or the “J.” In fact, a true V-shaped formation is less common than a J formation. Birds fly in formation a) because it saves energy and b) to facilitate orientation and communication among the birds.[12] An albatross can soar for as long as six hours without moving its wings.[1] The heaviest bird in the air is the Kori Bustard, from East and South Africa. It weighs about 31 lb. (14 kg.), with the largest on recorded being 40 lb. (18 kg.).

Because it is such hard work to fly, it flies only in emergencies and for only short distances.[10] A Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which weighs less than 0.2 oz., has to beat its wings more than 52 times a second to hover in front of a flower.[12] What keeps a bird up in the air is the shape of its wings. The first humans to discover how birds stay aloft were Australian Aborigines when they invented the boomerang.[12] If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes. - Charles Lindbergh The fastest level flight by a bird has been seen in both the Spine-tailed Swift and the Red-breasted Merganser (a duck). They have flown at 100 mph (161 kph) in level flight.[10] The slowest flying bird is the American Woodcock. It can fly at just 5 mph (8 kph). When hummingbirds hover, they move at 0 mph. Additionally, hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards under power, registering a negative speed.[10] The Rufous hummingbird is the smallest migrant bird.

It is less than 4 in. (9 cm) long and flies every year from Alaska to Mexico, a round trip of 3,800 miles (6,400 km).[10] Lighthouses are dangerous for birds. The beams attract birds, especially in misty conditions, and many are killed when they fly into the glass.[12] Birds sense winter is coming by 1) changes in hormones that cause them to put on fat, 2) the changing length of the day, and 3) sensing small changes in air pressure, which is important in predicting weather changes.[12] A group of crows is a called a murder A group of crows is called a murder or congress. A group of owls is called a parliament, wisdom, or study. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.[10] The Bald Eagle builds the largest tree nest of all birds, measuring about 9.5 ft. (2.9 m) across. The largest nest ever found was nearly 10 ft.

wide and weighed close to 3 tons.[10] Woodcocks and many ducks have their eyes placed at the sides of their heads so that they have a 360-degree field of vision.[10] A special arrangement of blood vessels cools the blood going out to the feet and warms the blood coming back, so even when standing on the ice, birds don’t lose too much heat.[10] Both the Bee and the Vervain Hummingbirds build the smallest nests of all birds, measuring 3/4" across and 1.2" deep.[6] The most dangerous bird in the world is the Cassowary. With one kick it can kill its enemy.[6] Birds that are raised for meat and eggs (poultry) are the largest source of protein eaten by humans.[12] To attract a mate, a male Frigate bird will blow up its red throat pouch. The pouch can be as big as a person’s head.[6] Over time, a surprising number of birds have lost their ability to fly. Being flightless has several advantages. For example, a flightless bird doesn’t need to develop and carry large flight muscles or burn up the energy that flying requires.

A flightless bird can also get by with less food, which means it can survive in places where food is scarce.[1] Depending on the species, a woodpecker’s tongue can be up to 4" long. It stores this long tongue by curling it in and sticking it through a specialized opening at the back of its neck, where it can then put it between the skull and skin.[14] The seagulls in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds (1963) were fed a mixture of wheat and whisky so they would stand around and not fly too much.[13] The Fieldfare bird's feces can kill an enemy bird The Fieldfare birds have a special way to attack an enemy bird. They gang up on it and make it fly to the ground. Then the Fieldfares fly into the air and drop poop on the bird.[6] In the movie The Birds (1963), the scene where actress Tippi Hedren is attacked took a week to shoot. The birds were attached to her clothes by long nylon threads so they could not fly away.[13] Birds play a central role in many creation myths.

Birds are also often associated with the journey of the soul after death or as mediators between the dead and living. They can also appear as oracles or tricksters.[12] The game Angry Birds has sold more than 7 million copies on Apple’s iPhone. The game was made by a team of just four people. It was such a low priority for the company that it took over 8 months to finish.[8] Wind farms kill approximately a half-million birds per year in the United States, according to a 2008 Fish and Wildlife study. Nearly 10,000 birds, almost all of which are protected by the migratory bird acts, are killed every year at the wind farm in Altamont Pass, CA, alone.[2] Approximately 200 people have died since 1988 because of airborne collision between airplanes and birds. Bird strikes cause $300 million of damage each year to aircraft.

The first recorded bird strike was in 1905, when Orville Wright’s plane hit a bird and killed it.[9] In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), author Harper Lee used the mockingbird to symbolize innocence.[12] The smallest flightless bird is the Island Rail. This tiny bird lives on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean and is just 5" long, about the same size as a hen chick.[10] The earliest known bird is the Archaeopteryx. It lived during the Jurassic period 150 million years ago. Because it did not have the basic features of flight, scientists are uncertain if it could fly.[1] Vulture stomach acid is 10 to 100 times stronger than human stomach acid Vultures have stomach acid so corrosive that they can digest carcasses infected with anthrax.[3] No other living being other than birds have feathers. The main function is to help them fly. They also waterproof birds and protect them from UV rays and other harmful elements.[1] Only one mammal can fly: the bat However, it flies differently from the bird.

Insects also do not fly the same as birds.[10] A Bald Eagle is called “bald” because it is piebald (black and white), not because it doesn’t have any feathers.[12] Eleven percent of the world’s bird species is endangered. Draining wetlands and felling forests are the main causes of damage, but pollution and pesticides also play a part.[1] Before 1840, there were thousands of millions of passenger pigeons in North America. However, they were slaughtered for food until only one was left, a female called Martha. She died when she was 12 years old in 1914, in a zoo in Ohio.[1] More than 150 kinds of birds have become extinct since 1600, though many more may have died out that scientists don’t know about. It wasn’t just European explorers that killed bird species.

Archeology shows that when people first arrived in ancient times in Hawaii and on islands in the South Pacific and Caribbean, they killed many birds Europeans had never seen before.[12] Though the term “eagle eyed” implies that eagles have keen vision, only the Wedge-tailed Eagle can see better than humans (2½ times better). Kestrels and falcons have about the same power of sight as we do.[12] Names for Groups of Birds[1][10][11] Birds of prey (hawks, falcons) Cast, cauldron, kettle Herd, chime There are more fake flamingos on Earth than real ones.[7] Someone who suffers from "anatidaephobia" believes that somewhere, somehow a duck or goose is constantly watching them. The word "anatidaephobia" is from Greek word anatidae, which means ducks, geese or other water fowls, and phobos is Greek for fear.[4] Pinnable Facts References 1 Burnie, David. 2008. Bird. New York, NY: DK Publishing.

Australian Pelican Australian Pelican The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is found all around Australia and is the biggest of the 8 species of Pelicans found worldwide. DESCRIPTION Pelicans as a whole are big birds with a very large wingspan, large beaks and are very well known One of the reason such a big bird can fly is that its skeleton is very light (10% of their weight). Australian Pelicans are white in colour with black wingtips and black markings on their tail. Behind their head and part way down their neck there is a "streak" of grey Their bill and very large bill pouch are pink and is the longest beak/bill of any, of all the types of Pelicans in the world , whilst their legs and feet are blue-grey in colour. They are so buoyant they cannot sink under water, though unlike most water birds they do not have a lot of water proof oil on their feathers etc so they can get wet and cold Vital Statistics Wingspan 2.5 meters to 3.4 meters. Length 1.6 to 1.9meters. Weight 4 to 6.8 kg up to 8.2 kg.

Australian Pelicans eyes are brown and white. The female is slightly smaller than the male. Pouched bill 40 to 47cm and can hold 9 to 13 litres of water. They have 4 webbed toes. There vocalisation is a chesty rumbling or deep growling. In the wild they can live between 10 and 25 years. LOCATION & HABITAT On a world scale The Australian Pelican is found throughout Australia, except in the very dry middle (desert region), Papua New Guinea and parts of Indonesia (eg Sulawesi) and sometimes in New Zealand and some Pacific Islands close to Australia In Australia itself, wherever there is water you can possibly find Pelicans, ranging from wetlands to swamps, rivers, estuaries, lakes (fresh and salt), coastlines, mudflats, lagoons etc. They live in large flocks or colonies and will travel large distances to find suitable water, breeding grounds etc FEEDING Pelicans favourite food is fish.

They normally fish together "herding" the fish into a central position, and then plunge their bills into the water and capture a fish with a mouthful of water then "squeeze" the water out by pushing their bill against their chest region so they are left with just the fish in their bill pouch. They will then turn the fish around in their bill pouch so it goes "longways" down their throat and then they swallow the fish whole with a "jerk" of their head. There bills have a slight hook on the end and are serrated to help hold onto slippery fish. They will feed from Humans, either stealing from fisherman or accepting handouts, and have been know to also eat small turtles, tadpoles, shrimp and other crustaceans FLYING It is fantastic to see a Pelican take off, running across the water to build up speed and flapping its huge wings. Once in the air this big bird relies on thermals and soars to great heights and for long distances.

When it lands it is like an amphibious aeroplane landing on a watery runway, finally gilding to a stop with the help of its wings spread out acting like brakes It has been reported that Australian pelicans have soared to a height of 3,000 meters (3 Kms) and when flying in a flock often form a rough V formation MATING, BREEDING & NESTS Pelicans breed together in large colonies, at any time of the year depending on conditions like rainfall A complex courting dance by males competing for females occur, with the winning male and his female going off to their nest site. The nest usually a grass, twig and feather lined scrape in the ground is prepared by the female 1 to 3 eggs are then laid in the next week. Both parents help out sitting on the nest, with the eggs hatching after 32 to 37 days. The young are born naked and blind At first they are feed regurgitated food obtained by thrusting their bills down the parent's gullet.

After a month or so the young chick can leave the nest and join a "creche" of other young pelicans where they are cared for the next couple of months, until they learn to fly and become independent DANGERS The biggest problems for Pelicans is man and his fishing hooks, and lines, as their pouches can be easily torn by sharp fishing hooks LINKS BBC - Earth - The wonderful world of bird beaks About us The wonderful world of bird beaks From the impossibly large and showy to sharp and deadly, each of these bird beaks is superbly designed for purpose Share by Email 24 February 2015 A bird’s beak, or bill, is not just for gathering food. They can be used for grooming, fighting, courtship display, feeding young, nest-building, manipulating objects and even regulating temperature. All in all, beaks are quite the multifunctional tool. Here are some of the world's more bizarre beaks and their specialisations.

Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) by Anna Kwa View image of The toco toucan’s large beak can help it to keep cool in the heat (credit: Anna Kwa) The toco toucan’s impossibly showy beak constitutes one-third of the bird's total length. But it is not just for show, this multi-purpose appendage can be used to collect and skin fruit, frighten predators, attract mates and defend territory. Recent research has also shown that it also helps to keep the bird cool in the heat of the tropical day. Anna took this superb example just after the toucan had been happily chasing butterflies. See Anna’s original image on Flickr . Oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) by Chan Boon Hong View image of The oriental pied hornbill has a casque on the top of the beak (credit: Chan Boon Hong) It would be difficult to miss this mighty beak, which has to be supported by powerful muscles and fused vertebrae. It is used to catch prey, fight and preen.

However, the most recognisable feature of most hornbills is the hollow structure along the top of the bill, called a casque. This reinforces the beak and may be used by males to fight, attract females and resonate sound. Chan photographed this Oriental pied hornbill in Singapore when it perched just 5m away from him. He said, “I'm lucky to have a close encounter with this beauty.” Chan’s original image is on Flickr . Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by Claudia Daniels View image of A bald eagle’s sharp beak tears flesh into bite-sized chunks (credit: Claudia Daniels) The wicked-looking beak of the bald eagle is typical for a bird of prey: it is strong and sharply curved for tearing flesh into easy-to-swallow chunks from fish, mammals and other birds. These beaks can also pierce and remove fur and feathers from prey. This eagle flew out of the nest and landed very close to Claudia from Venice in Florida, “I just had enough time to point my camera at its head before it flew away,” she said. Here is Claudia’s original on Flickr .

Sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) by Richard Orr View image of Getting nectar from deep flowers is no problem for sword-billed hummingbirds (Credit: credit: Richard Orr) The sword-billed hummingbird's beak is remarkable because it is longer than the rest of its body. The extraordinary length of the hummingbird's beak and tongue, are adaptations to feeding on nectar from flowers that have long petals, such as species of passion flower. It is a nice example of co-evolution. Richard photographed this individual on a foggy day in the Reserva Yanacocha, Ecuador. See Richard’s original image on Flickr . Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) by Christian Brysch View image of The enormous pouch of the Dalmatian pelican acts like a net (credit: Christian Brysch) There are big beaks and then there are pelican beaks. Pelican feed almost entirely on fish that they scoop out of the water into the enormous throat pouch – the water is then drained out and the fish swallowed. The hook at the end of the top mandible is used to spear fish, which are tossed into the air before being swallowed.

This Dalmatian pelican was captured by Christian Brysch at Lake Kerkini in Greece when it landed on the edge of a fishing boat. See Christian’s original image on Flickr . American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) by Steven Reynolds View image of Flamingos filter feed with their head upside down in water (credit: SDR 2015) It's a flamingo's one-legged stance that it is widely famed for, but flamingo beaks are equally remarkable. Unlike most birds flamingos filter feed, in a similar manner to whales. When filtering, a flamingo's head is held upside down in water for long periods, and consequently the jaw is reversed with the lower bill larger and stronger than the upper one. Steven Reynolds took this image in wetlands outside Orlando, USA. “Because of their long necks, interesting beaks and continual preening, the birds take on many interesting and varied shapes,” he said. Here is Steven’s original image on Flickr .

Red-necked avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae) by Heather Thorning View image of Red-necked avocets sweep their long, slender and curved beaks from side to side (Credit: credit: Heather Thorning) All four species of avocet have peculiarly shaped beaks that are long, thin and curve upwards. They sweep these slender bills from side to side, skimming mud and surface water. This action stirs up small invertebrates and the birds then use their beaks like tweezers to pick out individual prey. This red-necked avocet was photographed by Heather feeding in a waterhole in Western Australia, a popular location for waders. See Heather’s original image on Flickr . Southern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) by Rob Weaver View image of The formidable-looking beak of the yellow-billed hornbill is used to forage for seeds (Credit: credit: Rob Weaver) The formidable-looking, heavy beak of this hornbill is used to forage for seeds, small insects and spiders on the ground. The birds then jerk their head to toss the food to the back of the throat.

In this species, the casque on the top mandible is not as obvious as in many other hornbills, such as the Oriental pied hornbill above. Rob captured this one on Canon 40D camera in Botswana in February 2015. See Rob’s original image on Flickr . Spoonbill (Platalea) by Mohammed Swidah View image of Spoonbills’ distinctive bill snaps prey out of the water (credit: SwidahPhotography) The shape of a spoonbill's beak shouldn’t come as any surprise. They wade through shallow water, stirring up mud and debris, swinging the partly open beak from side to side through the water. When the long, flat, spatulate bill touches prey it snaps shut, before the prey is pulled from the water and swallowed. This feeding behaviour was beautifully captured by Mohammed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Here is Mohammed’s original on Flickr . Black skimmer (Rynchops niger) by Jerry Swain View image of The larger lower mandible of black skimmers skim for fish in shallow water (Credit: credit: Jerry Swain) The large and unequal red and black beaks of the skimmers are both unusual and unique.

The skimmers fish by dragging, or skimming, the longer lower mandible through the water as they fly low and fast over the surface of shallow water. The lower mandible snaps shut on any small fish that are caught. There are three species of skimmer. This black skimmer, on the beach at Fort Pierce, Florida was taken by Jerry Swain who was initially looking for an oystercatcher: “I found a wide variety of shore/sea bird species but did not find an oystercatcher that day,” he said. See Jerry’s original on Flickr . Red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) by Tony Varela View image of A red crossbill’s crossed beak tips prise seeds out of closed pine cones (Credit: credit: Tony Varela Photography) Crossbills have one of the most peculiar and specialised beaks in the bird world. The crossed bill tips may look odd, but it is in fact a clever adaptation to getting seeds out of closed pine cones. The bird inserts the tips of its bill under a cone scale and bites down. The result is that the scale is prised open, exposing the seed.

Interestingly, each species' bill shape is optimised for opening seeds from different species of conifer. This red crossbill image was taken by Tony in his garden in Washington, USA. See Tony’s original image on Flickr . Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) by Eve Boulanger-Grondin View image of Australian pelican’s large throat pouch changes colour during breeding season (Credit: credit: Eve Boulanger-Grondin) Pelicans have some of the longest beaks in the avian world, with sizes approaching half a metre in length. Acting like a net, a pouch can hold up to 13 litres of water. When not feeding, the enormous pouches are folded and can be quite colourful, particularly during the breeding season. Eve took this photograph on a trip to a water park in Bali, Indonesia. She told BBC Earth, “They were very easy to approach so it was a nice opportunity for me to photograph them.” Here is Eve’s original image on Flickr .

Long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) by Mick Thompson View image of A long slender bill makes probing for worms easy for a curlew (credit: Mick Thompson) As far as long thin bills go they don’t get any more impressive than the curlew. The remarkably long and slender beak curves downward and is the perfect adaption for probing mudflats, and very soft ground, for worms and other invertebrates. The beak can measure 20 cm or more in length. This fine example of a long-billed curlew was taken after sunrise by Mick in wetlands where the San Diego River empties into the Pacific, just a few miles from downtown San Diego, California. See Mick’s original image on Flickr . Collared aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus) by Jim Cumming View image of An aracari's large beak is lighter than it looks (credit: Jim Cumming) The large showy beaks of aracaris, like all toucans, look very heavy and not suitable for flight. They are, in fact, extremely thin and aerodynamic, re-inforced with a crisscross of lightweight rods made of bone.

The widely spaced tooth-like protrusions on the upper mandible of the collared aracari help them catch and grasp fruit. This image was taken by Jim in Costa Rica. “We just watched a small flock pig out on bananas,” he said. See Jim’s original in Flickr . You can follow BBC Earth on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . Thank you to all the photographers who gave BBC Earth permission use their images.

Question: The Australian species of what bird has the longest beak in the world?
Answer: Pelican