Winged Record Holders: Mother Nature's Birds

                About a week ago, I was out and about running my weekend errands when I happened to pass by the big spruce on the corner. From somewhere deep within the tree, I heard the sweet, clear, unmistakeable chirp, chirp, chirping. I peeked inside the cavern created by all the thick, tangled branches, and there, on a branch about two feet above me, stood a beautiful gray and rusty little sparrow, celebrating a sunny February day by sharing his song with the world.

                He was a very welcomed sight to a nature enthusiast such as myself, but it was hardly a very unusual one. You can see little gray birds sitting on branches all over the place.

                But here are a few birds how are far from the every day. These guys can do things no other bird in the world can do!

Biggest: Everyone knows the largest bird on earth today is the impressive Ostrich. The males can get to be over 9 feet tall (2.8 m) and weigh up to 345 lb (156 kg). Now that’s a big bird! However, history has seen bigger. The fossil record tells us that the most astoundingly huge bird was the long extinct Giant Moa of New Zealand. These birds could grow to be as much as 12 feet (3.7 m) tall! He wouldn’t even be able to stand up straight in your house!

Smallest: The title of smallest living bird goes, hands down, to the adorable little Bee Hummingbird. With a length of about 2.4 inches (6 cm) and a weight that’s measured in ounces and grams, this itty bitty fella is easily the smallest member of the bird family. If you just have to see it for yourself (and I don’t blame you), click here to see a picture of the bird in comparison to the human hand.

Highest Flyer: The name that seem to come up most in this category is Ruppell’s Vulture. Either way, there is evidence of each of these birds leaving the tallest mountain ranges (including the Himalaya’s and Mt. Everest) far below them. They have neared heights of 37,000 feet (11,300 m), apparently quite comfy at altitudes that would destroy a mere human!

Deepest Diver: According to this article, not long ago, scientists performed an experiment by attaching a little cameral to an Imperial Cormorant to see where it would go. Well, the little creature hopped into the water and began to dive – and dive – and dive! Scientists were shocked to watch the bird dive to a depth of 46 meters (150 feet)! To give you some perspective, that’s about as deep as the Statue of Liberty is tall!

Longest Migration: This is another question which has been amply answered through the wonder of modern technology. A transmitter shows that the Arctic Tern, a small and unassuming bird, holds the impressive record of being the longest migrator of any creature (not just birds) in the world! On their route between Greenland and the Antarctic every year, they cover 44,000 miles (71,000 km)!

Ugliest: This is kind of a scary category, not just because of the aspect of it, but because of how many candidates there are! It’s hard to offer a definitive answer for these appearance-based categories since they’re based largely on subjective opinion, but it’s hard to deny that the Potoo bird could at least make a “Most Unusual Looking” list. Click here to see pictures and judge for yourself.

Most Beautiful: This could, quite easily, be the most impossible category to try and define. What qualifies a bird to be “beautiful”? Is it a great flashy array of colors like so many parrots? Or is it a more subtle and elegant color scheme like the common robin? Is it a graceful shape? A particular size or shape of bill? Should the feathers be long and flowing, or shorter and streamlined? Should he be soft and fluffy, or slick and glossy? Click here and choose for yourself.

                Wow! Birds truly are some of Mother Nature’s most amazing creatures!

                So, the next time you see a common little gray bird sitting on a branch, take a moment to doff your hat. That ordinary little guy comes from a very impressive clan!
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Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK

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