EXOTIC AND PARADISE Birds Of The Day

World birds not less diverse than the world of animals. Among them stand out the birds that live mainly in the warm climate of the Moluccas, New Guinea and nearby islands, the north and east of Australia. These birds have long been victims of mass hunting, because the skins and feathers of these birds were worth a lot of money. They decorated dresses and hats ladies. In just a few years of colonization northeast of New Guinea were exported about 50 thousand skins of exotic birds. 
Currently them is forbidden. Let us hope that this wonderful world of bright, colorful, wonderfully beautiful birds can be maintained for future generations. here


Bright hummingbirds.

Knobbed hornbill.

Hornbill.

Golden Pheasant.

Bird toucan.

Red-crested Turaco.

Rainbow lorikeet.

Royal Starling.

Scarlet ibis.

Mandarin Duck.

Bearded Barbet.

Victoria - crowned pigeon.

Bird Goliath.

Ibis

Marine Turaco.

Red-cockatoo.

Crowned Crane.

Crowned Amazon Mukhoed.

Magnificent hummingbirds.

Lilac-breasted roller.

Peacocks - genus of large birds pheasant family, which you can safely give the title of the most beautiful representatives of the avifauna.

When they appear in the image of the head there is incredibly beautiful and, of course, especially birds.

However, not everyone knows that one of the closest relatives of peacocks - the most common chicken.

They belong to the order Galliformes, being the largest of its representatives.

Peacocks are common in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and several other countries.

They are close thickets of tall trees growing close by ponds and grassy slopes at an altitude of about 2 thousand meters above sea level. Exotic birds, despite the picture kind, has all the features of the behavior of domestic chicken - it runs fast and excellent way through dense thickets, while not reducing speed.

Tall trees they needed for the night.

Active lifestyle peacocks are in the daytime, looking for their own food in the grass or visiting rice fields and other cultivated fields, where you can find the grain.

The main part of their diet is plant food (tender shoots, seeds and berries), but occasionally they can eat and animal food (molluscs, insects, small vertebrates).

Peacocks are very hardy and require minimal maintenance.

The average life expectancy in the wild is about 20 years in captivity, this figure may be slightly increased.

The body length of the largest members of the order Galliformes is about 100 to 120 cm, tail - 40-50 cm, and the tail plume may reach 120-160 cm, and sometimes - even two meters. Weight - 4.5 kg.

Peacock in flight:

The main distinguishing feature of the peacock - long colorful feathers nadhvostya that are unique to males.

The females are absent - it Mother Nature gave a short gray tail, not framed colorful feathers opaque.

Contrary to popular belief the tail in both sexes look exactly the same.

Interestingly, up to 1.5 years peacock specific external differences are not allowed, but is closer to age three in his adult feathers grow brightly colored, iridescent bloom fan. The color scheme is full of green, blue and reddish tones.

Feathers nadhvostya decorated with large colored "eyes".

This pattern plays an important role in the life of peacocks, as is a tool to scare away predators. Sensing the impending danger, the male dissolve their fan-like tuft of feathers, many whose eyes are looking at the enemy, thereby diverting his attention and confusing.

Beauty lush nadhvostya used by males to attract mates and during mating rituals, which is also important.

 The body color of these birds is markedly different: the females received the nondescript gray-brown plumage color, but males happen to have a more complex and colorful pattern.

Officially emit two kinds of Asian peacocks - an ordinary, or Indian, and green.

Green differ larger size.

Another type, standing a little apart, called the African.

During the breeding season the birds depend on their habitats.

For example, in India, it falls to the period from June to October, and the inhabitants of Ceylon activated from January to April. The ability to procreate peacocks become only the age of three.

The process of mating - very interesting spectacle.

The male behaves in a very original way, using as attracting females his trump card.

Proudly pacing around the female, he dismisses fan nadhvostya finely shaking them and showing bright plumage.

Such dances last very long - about 20 minutes.

When the female is interested peacock, a turn of events becomes very unexpected - a handsome man turns away sharply, as if trying to hide her beauty.

It demonstrates the unsightly parts as long as the chosen one does not yield to his advances and show him his favor.

Thanks to the research scientists had discovered the effect of color of feathers, in particular the number of eyespots exhibited by the male, the marriage ritual of peacocks.

Observations have shown that male with a large number of "eyes" is more likely to be chosen by the female.

French scientists, in turn, explained this by the fact that the number of spots on nadhvostnyh feathers - a kind of indicator of the immune system, ie, female, choosing a more "big-eyed" peacock, thereby selects and healthier.

However, it was later proven that females often ignore champions in terms of the number of oculate ornaments and males are most successful with a certain mean value - 165-170 "eye."

Nests peacocks suit on the ground, forming them from leaves and dry grass, and then putting them 4-7 eggs.

After a month of incubation are born covered with thick gray fluff chicks.

The only drawback of the beautiful peacock - tuneless and strident voice, reminiscent of creaking carts ungreased or cat cry, which came on the tail. Therefore, during the mating dance male mostly silent since his extraordinary "Serenade" may scare lover.

Typically, they are especially vociferous before the rain.

Recently, Canadian researchers have found another way of communication between the peacocks - inaccessible to the human ear, infrasound signal that the males emit through their nadhvostnym feathers.

In the observation of small tremors can be seen passing from time to time from the base nadhvostnogo fan to the end. The fact that it can catch the human ear, recalls the rustle of leaves.

However, published just one sound that is guided by a peacock tail disclosed serving as something of a transmitter. As it turned out, infrasound signal recorded peacock causes anxiety in females and males - the desire to publish his famous cry.

It is not known what is the point carry these messages, they may allow birds to warn each other of danger.

Beautiful plumage of peacocks always attracted people's attention, so their domestication occurred in ancient times.

Long since they were kept in the homes of the Indian nobility, and then became an ornament of gardens and parks aristocrats around the world.

In the Middle Ages knights crowned their hats with feathers of peacocks and women decorated their their clothes.

Until the XVI century peacocks used in cooking - at balls and soirées ubiquitous fried carcass of these birds.

Considered a delicacy only juveniles as adult bird meat harshly.

From a place of honor in the events arranged by the nobility peacocks replaced turkey, and now they are used solely for decorative purposes.

Many countries believe peacocks royal birds, and the Indians carry them to the category of sacred. 

At home, in South Asia, they are valued for their ability to warn of the dangers - the approach of snakes, tigers and thunderstorms.

The most highly venerated peacocks in India - in 1963 it gained the status of a national symbol.

Peacock in different cultural visions symbolizes beauty, love, longevity, immortality and pride.

Bright bird of India associated with symbols of the sun and the beauty of imperishable soul.

Drawing its feathers in Indian mythology embodies a picture of the sky.

Kama, the Indian god of love, was often depicted sitting astride the bird to symbolize passionate desire. Islamic vision peacock relates his "eyes" with the inner eye.

Pictured with a snake in its beak, it displays the victory of light over darkness.

This bird is popularly known as the emblem of royal authority, majesty, perfect creation and spiritual superiority.

In ancient mythology, the peacock was a sacred bird of Hera, wife of Zeus (in Roman mythology it was Juno, wife of Jupiter).

Ancient Greek myth tells that Zeus fell in love with one beautiful girl Io.

To escape from Hera, Zeus and Io has surrounded himself with a cloud.

However, Hera entered the cloud, and then Zeus turned Io into a white cow, saying that just admiring this beautiful cow. Hera became suspicious and demanded the cow itself.

She put the cow many-eyed giant Argus (Argos).

When his two eyes were sleeping, the other eye vigilantly watched Io.

By order of Zeus, who sought to rescue his beloved, Hermes killed Argus.

Then Hera attracted the eyes of his faithful servant, and took them to the tail of a peacock.

Since the peacock dedicated to Hera-Juno.

In some countries, the beautiful peacocks are considered harbingers of trouble. There they were feathers called "devil eyes" that prevent the appearance of an enemy or a traitor.

For example, in England, spread superstition that with peacock feathers in the house owner can get into trouble and his daughter remain unmarried.

It is also believed that the peacock feathers on stage may lead to failure of the play.

Rather, all sorts of prejudice arose because of ever-watching eyes open and shown on the pen, which is an association with an evil eye, and as a result, with setbacks.

However, despite all the superstitions and prejudices, we can be sure that the appearance of the birds will certainly give a lot of aesthetic pleasure.

(Net)