birds

Noddy bird not a Noodle bird

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Noddy bird not a Noodle bird

We are meeting our first animal here in Hawaii. We headed to the beach to meet this shore bird. Come join us on the sand!

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Brown Noddy Fun Facts: 

  • These 18 inch birds are related to gulls and terns.
  • They are the largest member of the noddies.
  • They are carnivores. They nab fish from the ocean as they fly above it.
  • Brown noddies nest together in large colonies.
  • Males and females have a courtship ritual that includes bowing to each other and flying together.
  •  Both parents incubate the eggs and help raise the chicks.
  • They are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

 

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It was fun to watch these birds around the beach. We had never heard of the noddy bird, but it makes sense that they are related to seagulls!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, oceans, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Red Crest

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Red Crest

We have northern cardinals at the HQs! They are such colorful songbirds! It turns out there are cardinals here in the Pantanal. These birds don’t have a full body of red, but they are gorgeous! Let’s learn more about them.

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Red-crested cardinal fun facts:

  • Red-crested cardinals have red heads, white chests and black wings and bodies.
  • These little birds grow up to 7 1/2 inches and weigh up to 1 1/2 oz.
  • They are omnivores. They eat fruit, seeds and insects.
  • A pair of cardinals is very territorial, especially during breeding season.
  • They are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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We loved meeting this little bird who looks like one of our favorite backyard species! We had no idea there were other kinds of cardinals out there!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, camp, Children, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What did you say birdie?

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

What did you say birdie?

We were exploiting the area and all of the sudden heard a loud funny call! We dissolved it was a bird called the great kiskadee! And yes, they get their name from the funny call they make!

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Great Kiskadee Fun Facts: 

  • These little birds grow up to 10 inches long  and weigh about 2 oz.
  • They are members of the flycatcher family.
  • These common birds sit and wait for their insect prey to come by, when they fly out to catch it! They are also known to eat some small vertebrates and fruit.
  • They are territorial and will even attack raptors.
  • Male and females build the nest. Females incubate the eggs.
  • They are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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These gregarious little birds are spotted all around here! We have never met a member of the flycatcher family. Who else pictures a bird with a fly swatter in the wing? Hehehehe!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

That is a Falcon!

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

That is a Falcon!

We met one gorgeous bird today! This big member of the falcon family is known to hang with vultures and look more like a hawk!

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Southern Crested Caracara Fun Facts: 

  • Crested caracaras can grow up to 22 inches and weigh up to 3 lbs.
  • Their wing span is almost 50 inches.
  • These carnivores eat incsects, small reptiles and fish. They are also known to push vultures away from carion.
  • They have long thin legs.
  • They are mostly solitary.
  • It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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These gorgeous birds have a northern cousin that lives in Mexico and in Arizona and Texas. We love these raptors!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello Birdie!

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Birdie!

We are meeting a little bird of the Pantanal today! Come join us!

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Chestnut-bellied guan fun facts: 

  • These birds prefer higher ground.
  • They resemble turkeys, but are not.
  • They have chestnut brown bellies and red waddles.
  • They have a rough crow like call.
  • They are about 21 inches long.
  • They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.

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These funny looking birds remind of us of a turkey and a roadrunner. They are super cool!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Meet the King!

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Meet the King!

We met the king of Antarctica today! Most people think that all penguins call the South Pole home, but only 8 species live in this harsh environment. Today though we are meeting the King penguins. Sadly they don’t wear crowns.

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King Penguins Fun Facts: 

  • These birds are the 2nd largest penguin species in the world. Do you remember the largest?
  • Kings are easy to spot with their oranges spots on their heads and beaks and chests.
  • Both parents incubate the egg on their feet and brooding pouch, switching the egg every few weeks.
  • These efficient carnivores can dive as deep as 950 feet. More commonly they go around to 164 feet deep.
  • The chicks look very different than the adults. They are fluffy and brown! Scientists first thought they were a separate species when they first saw them.
  • Chicks stay with their parents and the colony for almost a year. This means king penguins only have one to two chicks every two-three years.
  • They are currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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We love these gregarious birds and their bright orange colorations. They always make us and laugh and of course we always practice our waddling after seeing them.

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Flying Snowbird

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Flying Snowbird

After meeting two marine loving animals, we wanted to find one that calls the air and ocean home. We were so excited to find the Snow Petrel.

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Snow Petrels Fun Facts: 

  • Snow petrels can vary in size, but can grow up to 1 lb.
  • They spend most of their lives alone, they come together in early November to breed in large colonies.
  • They are carnivores. They eat krill, fish and carrion.
  • They are highly territorial during breeding season.
  • Snow petrels spit an waxy stomach oil at predators to keep them away.
  • They have small dark beaks and eyes.
  • Snow petrels prefer packed ice and icebergs when they land. They nest on rocky areas where they make their nests of small pebbles.

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These gorgeous birds are so neat. When you think of Antarctica- you usually only think of penguins, but other birds call these cold islands home too.

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Emperors of the South Pole

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Emperors of the South Pole

We put on our warmest coats, gloves, hats and boots and headed out to the meet one of Antarcticas most iconic animals- the Emperor Penguin. These tall flightless birds live in a harsh climate, but they are built to survive.

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Emperor Fun Facts: 

  • These penguins can grow up to 45 inches and weigh up to 85 lbs! They are the largest penguins on earth.
  • These birds huddle together for warmth. The birds rotate from the interior of the group to the center.
  • They can dive 1,800 ft deep and stay under water for up to 20 minutes. They can dive deeper than any bird on the planet.
  • Females lay one egg. The males incubate the eggs on top of their feet. They cover the eggs with their brood pouch.
  • Females head out to the open ocean to gorge on food while the eggs are incubating.
  • When the chicks hatch, the females and males switch duties.
  • These big gorgeous birds are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

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We had fun watching these birds. They are very curious. We can not imagine living in the frigid temps though or swimming so much time in that cold ocean. This horse & elephant miss the warm weather.

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Toucan Toucan!

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Toucan Toucan!

What better animal to meet in the rainforest than the iconic toucan! These bright beaked birds were on our list and we were thrilled to find a few! Come meet them with us!

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Keel-billed Toucan Fun Facts: 

  • Those large colorful bills make up a 1/3 of their body length. The bills are not heavy as they are made up of hollow bone.
  • The bills are covered in keratin- the protein that makes up your hair & nails.
  • These jazzy looking birds have blue feet! Those feet have two toes facing front and two facing backwards to help them grip on branches.
  • Keel-billed toucans are very social. They live in family groups of around 12 individuals.
  • They are omnivores. Fruit makes up most of their diet, but they occasionally eat insects and eggs.
  • Both females and males help rear the chicks. They are born with no feathers and can not see til they’re around 3 weeks old.
  • They are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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It is so fun to watch the toucans eat fruit they find. They may dissect the fruit first, but often they throw it back whole! They are even known to play ball with fruit- throwing to each other. And just like those howler monkeys- they weren’t sharing! Bummer.

 

 

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All About Acorns!

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

All About Acorns!

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, bears, birds, Children, conservation, elephants, nature, science, squirrels, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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