Birds are warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates with toothless beaked jaws. Few Bird facts follow:
Birds play a significant role in our ecosystem.
- Birds act as pollinators, transferring seeds and nutrients as they fly from one region to another.
- Birds eat unwanted pests, which helps in preventing pest outbreaks and crop depletion thereby playing a significant role in agricultural production.
Interesting facts about birds
- Scientists estimate 10,000 to 11,000 bird species worldwide, twice the number of mammal species. Whereas India is home to around and over 1,300 species of birds. The number fluctuates due to changes in taxonomic classification, extinction and discovery of new species.
- The evolution journey of birds started in the Jurassic period. Birds evolved from a group of (carnivorous, feathered) dinosaurs called Theropods. Archaeopteryx being the earliest birds that lived 150 million years ago.
- Although birds evolved from dinosaurs that had teeth, birds do not have teeth.
- Birds eat twice their weight in a day.
- Birds don’t sweat and do not have sweat glands, so to stay cool they evaporate water through their respiratory tract.
Concern
Birds are going extinct at an increasing rate. Since 1500, researchers claim that around 154 bird species have gone extinct and in the last quarter of the 20th century, 18 species have gone extinct.
Possible far-reaching consequences of birds’ extinction
- Extinction of plants, the spread of disease, and the loss of pest control.
- There would also be no long-distance seed dispersal, limiting food production and medicine.
Awareness and Conservation
To reduce these far-reaching consequences, try to spread awareness and support bird conservation programs. Be part of related groups or organizations. Encourage new generations to related activities. Introduce them to Bird watching.
A birdwatcher’s role in spreading awareness
Individual bird facts
- Ostrich is the tallest bird.
- Sarus Crane is the tallest bird that can fly.
- The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird, with a flight speed of more than 185 miles per hour when diving. However, they don’t make the top ten fastest on a level flight. The Spine-tailed Swift flies faster at over 100km per hour on level flight.
- Bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world (male 5.5 cm, female 6.1 cm). They are also the smallest warm-blooded vertebrate.
- White Bellbird (male), an amazonian species, is the loudest bird in the world.
- Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.