Tag Archives: Birds

Animal Picture of the Day:
Bald Eagle

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The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. The emblem bird of the United States, the bald eagle is majestic in its appearance, but it is not always so majestic in its habits. It is an opportunist: it often feeds on carrion, including in garbage dumps and dead fish washed up on shore, and it steals food from smaller birds. At other times, however, it is a powerful predator.

The bald eagle has a body length of 70–102 cm (28–40 in). Typical wingspan is between 1.8 and 2.3 m (5 ft 11 in and 7 ft 7 in) and mass is normally between 3 and 6.3 kg (6.6 and 13.9 lb). Females are about 25% larger than males, averaging as much as 5.6 kg (12 lb), while males’ average weight is 4.1 kg (9.0 lb).

Bonus Photo

Animal Picture of the Day:
Squacco Heron

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The squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides) is a small heron, of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East. The squacco heron is a migrant, wintering in Africa. This is a stocky species with a short neck, short thick bill, and buff-brown back. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Its appearance is transformed in flight, when it looks very white due to the color of the wings.

Animal Picture of the Day:
Kiwi Bird

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kiwi bird

Photo by Allie Caulfield

The kiwi, an endangered flightless bird, is a national symbol of its native New Zealand. About the size of a chicken — three to nine pounds — the kiwi’s feathers are hair like, its wings are useless, and it has whiskers. Also, unlike any other species of bird, its nostrils are at the end of its long slender beak and it can literally sniff out food. Despite its size and awkward appearance, the kiwi can outrun a human and has sharp claws for defense.

The kiwi is related to the ostrich of Africa, the emu of Australia, and the now-extinct moa of New Zealand. Females are larger than males, and with brown kiwi the male does most of the egg incubating. Kiwis live in pairs and mate for life, sometimes as long as 30 years. The kiwi’s body weight-to-egg ratio is the highest of any bird (except maybe hummingbirds), with the chicken-sized kiwi laying a nearly ostrich-sized egg!



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