Green Earth Facts » Birds

Moth that drinks bird tears

Green Earth Facts — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:32:15 +0000

Tears have several important functions. In all land animals, they clean and lubricate the eyes. And in some places, they are also a source of nutrition. A German scientist has discovered that a moth on the island of Madagascar drinks the tears of sleeping birds.

The moth (Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica) is about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long and has a proboscis about half that length. A proboscis is a tubelike structure that moths and butterflies use like a drinking straw to sip nectar and other liquids. The Madagascar moth uses its proboscis to suck tears.

Source: Current Science, a Weekly Reader publication, March 16, 2007

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A bird with the longest tongue

Albatross chicks choking on plastic on Midwat Atoll

Green Earth Facts — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:12:42 +0000

These photographs of albatross chicks were made just a few weeks ago on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

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Why the toucan’s bill is incredibly large

Green Earth Facts — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:47:23 +0000

It has alway been a mystery as to why the toucan has such an enormous beak. Now researches published their research in the journal Science – they believe that the toucan uses its large beak to stay cool. Using infrared cameras, they showed the bird “dumping the heat from its body into its bill, helping it to regulate its body temperature”.

Toucan’s beak takes up 1/3 of its body length – the largest amongst birds.

Read the rest of the article or learn more about toucans.

Toucan, the largest-billed bird

Source: Rebecca Morelle . “Hot secret behind toucan’s bill” BBC News Jul. 2009
Photo: Jon Hanson

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Endangered species capital of the world

Green Earth Facts — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:24:56 +0000

Hawaii is the endangered species capital of the world. With 100s of plants and animals listed as Endangered or Threatened, there are more endangered species per square mile on these islands than any other place on the planet. Occupying just 0.2% of the total land area of the United States, Hawaii is both the endangered species capital of the world and the extinction capital of the United States with over 72% of our country’s extirpated species. The islands are in the midst of an ecological catastrophe and the world is losing one of its great biological masterpieces.

The Hawaii Biological Survey compiles information on all of these species.

Endangered species capital of the world - Hawaii

Source: The Hawaii Biological Survey

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A bird with the longest tongue

Green Earth Facts — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:44:28 +0000

Like most woodpeckers, wrynecks have long tongues which they use to extract their insect prey. Wryneck’s tongue is measured at two-thirds of its body length excluding the tail.

A bird with the longest tongue, Wryneck

Source: Terres, J K. 1995. The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. Wing Books, New York, NY

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