Did you know…
Birds do not have the
same reaction to capcasin (hot pepper) as mammals?
So while you are sweating over your pico
de gallo (which, coincidentally, translates to “beak of the rooster”), Tweety
can eat that
hot pepper suet that squirrels won’t.
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A group of
goldfinches is called a charm?
These
bright yellow (and sometimes light green) birds usually travel and eat in
flocks and are beautiful to behold. How
charming!
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Owls can turn their
heads a maximum of 270 degrees?
So,
it may not be as astonishing as 360 degrees that many owl lovers used to think,
but still pretty impressive. According
to National Geographic, this is an evolutionary trait that both owls and hawks
have acquired over the millennia due to the fact that their eyes are
stationary.
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Hummingbirds can
consume 100% of their body weight in nectar every day?
This is in addition to up to 2,000 small
insects, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. So why don’t we see a bunch of corpulent hummers
flitting around? It could be because
they beat their wings 53 times a second, or because they are constantly moving,
but whatever the reason, these little jewels never cease to amaze.
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Bluebirds can be
trained?
Apparently, bluebirds like
to stick to a schedule when feeding.
Placing food out for them at the same time each day will encourage them
to come at that specific time. They can
even be taught to associate certain “calls” with mealtime. Try whistling or ringing a bell each time you
fill your feeder, and they will eventually respond to that sound. Eat your hearts out Pavlov’s dogs!!
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Maryland’s state bird
is the Baltimore
Oriole?
Okay, okay,
so that isn’t exactly a deep-gasp, jaw-dropping fact for most Americans. Anyway, the bird was named after Lord
Baltimore, the state’s founder, who’s coat of arms was, you guessed it, orange
and black.
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