The post This Instagram Page is Collecting Videos of Singing Parrots from All Around the World appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>The Bird Singalong Project was launched by researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands, as a part of their efforts to explore parrots’ musicality. Their ability to mimic human speech made them an obvious target for this study, which explores animal cognition and the evolution of language.
“We aim to investigate how well parrots recognize and imitate melodies, and, especially, how flexible they are. We invite bird owners to participate in our World-Wide Bird Singalong Project to discover the musical skills of parrots and other songbirds,” reads the description on Leiden University’s official website.
The team of researchers behind the Bird Singalong Project is trying to figure out if musicality is a uniquely human capacity or something they share with other living creatures. Since parrots are great at imitating sounds and can sing along to all kinds of tunes, they became a subject of this study, which gained thousands of Instagram followers after researchers started posting videos of singing parrots online in an attempt to promote their study.
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]]>The post Interesting Facts About Flamingos You Probably Didn’t Know Before appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Flamingos are Not Born Pink
This might be a big surprise, but flamingos are actually born with grey or white feathers. Their feathers turn pink over time thanks to the food they consume. They eat food like shrimp, plankton, and algae, which all have the pigment carotene, the same one featured in tomatoes and carrots.
Flamingos Have Really Long Legs
You might have noticed that flamingos have long legs. But did you know that their legs can be more than 4 feet long? This is usually longer than their entire body.
Flamingos Make Their Nest Out of Mud
Unlike most other birds, flamingos lay their eggs in nests made out of mud. Both mom and dad take their parenthood duties seriously, building the nest and incubating the egg as a team.
Flamingos are Social Birds
Flamingos like to spend time around their species. The group or a flock of flamingos is called flamboyance and can count anywhere from a few dozen birds to million flamingos.
Flamingos Can Be Found in Most Parts of the World
There are six species of flamingo and you can find at least one of the species in most parts of the world. In the wild, they can be found in Europe, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, and the Middle East. American flamingo naturally inhabits North America, but they don’t breed there.
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]]>The post Crows Can Count Up to Four According to a New Study appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>According to a study published in Science, crows are capable of counting up to four. They use a “simplified” version of counting and rely on vocalization to perform it.
The scientists trained three European Carrion crows to caw a set number of times when presented with a particular audio recording or a display of numbers. Each time they were successful, the crows would receive a reward.
In the first experiment, the crows were supposed to caw once when they heard a guitar, caw twice when they heard a cash register sound, caw three times when presented with a recording of a drum roll, and finally, caw four times when they hear a frequency noise. In the second experiment, they were supposed to caw as many times as the number displayed on the screen indicated.
Once they were done “counting”, the crows were prompted to tap the screen in front of them.
The experiments showed that the crows made a noticeable pause before they started to count. They were correct every time they needed to count to one, and they were correct in counting to two 60% of the time. Counting up to three saw 50% correctness, and the birds were correct 40% of the time when they needed to count up to four.
According to John Marzluff, a wildlife biologist at the University of Washington, the pause before “counting” is arguably the most important discovery of the experiment.
“The longer reaction time suggests the birds had to think, organize, and encode the electrical signal from the brain to the muscles for calling. The delay is consistent with mental planning,” Marzluff, who wasn’t part of the study, told Science.
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]]>The post Matt Wilson Transforms Old Cutlery Intro Spectacular Bird Sculptures appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Airtight Artwork founder Matt Wilson grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and explored his passion for art at the Fine Arts Center of Greenville during his time in high school. These classes inspired him to pursue an art degree, and he experimented with many art forms over the years before discovering his passion for welding.
At first, Wilson’s goal was to build metal models of ships, but he broadened his horizons as the years went by. He started introducing natural elements into his art, and his amazing sculptures started taking the shape of many different animals, especially birds.
Wilson uses recycled and organic materials in his work, and his spectacular sculptures are breathing new life into old and neglected forks, spoons, and knives.
“My goal as an artist is to make artwork unlike art people have seen, while at the same time recognizable in the identity of everyday materials. I only hope the sculptures will inspire others to appreciate the simple, neglected items from which my creations are born,” he explains on his official website.
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]]>The post 3 Beautiful Places in Australia Named After Penguins appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Penguin, Tasmania
Tasmania is home to a tiny town called Penguin, named by botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn after the little penguin rookeries scattered around its coast. This town is now home to many attractions inspired by penguins, from murals and trash bins to the Big Penguin statue in the heart of the city.
Penguin Parade, Phillip Island
Phillip Island in the Australian state of Victoria is another amazing place to see little penguins in the flash. It hosts the event known as the Penguin Parade, allowing tourists and locals alike to observe little penguins coming ashore in groups every day, usually at sunset.
Penguin Island, Western Australia
Located off the coast of Perth, this island is one of the best places in Australia to observe little penguins in their natural habitat. It’s home to one of Australia’s largest colonies of little penguins, but their numbers significantly varied over the years and have been estimated anywhere between 300 and 1,500.
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]]>The post Rare Peregrine Falcon Makes a Nest at Alcatraz Island appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Recently, a pair of rare Peregrine falcons decided to make a nest on Alcatraz and captured the attention of scientists and bird lovers. This prompted the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to set up a live stream to allow everyone to admire this special event without disturbing the birds.
Viewers can see the chicks growing up, getting taken care of by their mother, and much more.
According to the Parks Conservancy, the Peregrine falcon who built its nest on Alcatraz is named Larry. She and her partner were spotted breeding for the first time in 2019 and have already welcomed four chicks on Alcatraz back in 2023.
The peregrine falcon is considered the fastest member of the animal kingdom, reaching speeds over 200 mph. Their population was dwindling in the 20th century due to pesticides, but recovery efforts in recent decades have helped put an end to this trend. Peregrine falcon populations are trending upward across the world, and the species was removed from the U.S. endangered list in 1999.
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]]>The post The Green Bird Brigade is Sharing Snippets From Life With Seven Parrots appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Jen’s incredible journey started in 2016, when she adopted her first budgie, Kai. Her flock started to grow as the years went by, and the lack of information about proper diet, care, and handling of parrots inspired her to start sharing her knowledge online.
“Through my rescue efforts, I have had the opportunity to work with and train many different parrot species and, as a result, continue to grow my knowledge and understanding of parrot behavior and care,” she explains on her official website.
@the_green_bird_brigade I turned on the front facing camera and this was his reaction #eclectus #bird #birdtok #birdsoftiktok #parrot #parrotsoftiktok #blep #funnyvideos #funnyanimals #pet ♬ original sound – The Green Bird Brigade
Jen learned everything she knows today through lots of research and hands-on experience, and she’s now using her platform to advocate for better care of companion birds. In addition to being a proud bird owner, Jen is also the founder of a self-funded parrot rescue, Rockford’s Rescues. She eventually quit her job as a fitness trainer to become a parrot trainer and behavioralist full-time.
@the_green_bird_brigade An ouch for an ouch I guess #parrot #bird #parrotlet #cute #baby #babybird #adorable ♬ original sound – The Green Bird Brigade
@the_green_bird_brigade How often does your bird bathe? #macaw #bird #parrot #bath #bathtime ♬ Valentine – Art Music
@the_green_bird_brigade Friday mood
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]]>The post 5 Emu-sing Facts You Should Know About Emus appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>True Giants
Emus are true giants of the avian world. They can reach a weight of up to 60 kg and a height of up to 1.9 meters, which makes them the world’s second tallest bird species behind ostriches.
Quirky Feet
If you pay close attention to emus’ feet, you’ll notice they have three toes, which is one of the reasons behind their high running speed.
Powerful Calf Muscles
The three-toed feet aren’t the only reason behind the emus’ impressive leg power. Their unique pelvic limb musculature also includes gastrocnemius muscles, making them the only bird species with calf muscles.
Incubation Process
Another thing that makes emus unique is their incubation process. Males are the ones incubating the eggs for around eight weeks, and they tend to lose a third of their body weight because they barely eat or drink while waiting for the babies to hatch.
Unique Eyelids
Emus often live in windy arid regions, so they developed two pairs of eyelids, including a translucent, second layer, meant to protect their eyes from the dust.
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]]>The post Study Finds That Traffic Noise Can Slow Down Growth of Baby Birds appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>There have been a number of studies in the past that showed how traffic noise and other forms of noise pollution can cause stress for birds and make it harder for them to communicate. In order to further examine the effects of noise pollution on birds, experts at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia, launched an experiment that included exposing zebra finch eggs to various levels of noise.
The first group of eggs was kept in silence; the second one was exposed to the sounds of the zebra finch song, while the third one was exposed to the sounds of traffic noise. After the period of five days, the eggs that were exposed to traffic noise hatched at a 20% lower rate.
Additionally, chicks that hatched from eggs exposed to noise pollution were noticeably smaller and lighter compared to the first and second groups of chicks.
“Sound has a much stronger and more direct impact on bird development than we knew before,” said Dr Mylene Mariette, bird communication expert and co-author of the study via Guardian. “It would be wise to work more to reduce noise pollution.”
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]]>The post Kiki the Cockatiel Becomes TikTok Star Thanks to Her Musical Talent appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Many parrots enjoy mimicking human speech, but Kiki decided to take things to the next level and give singing a shot instead. Her vocal abilities wowed many TikTok users, including the Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, and she ended up attracting 3.7 million followers and over 100 million likes on this social media platform.
@kiki.tiel Send help plz wheres the off button on parrot #fyp #foryou #bird #cockatiel #parrotsoftiktok #birdsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Kiki the cockatiel
Kiki lives in Norfolk, England with her owner Grace Robinson, who claims Kiki learned how to sing all on her own. Her attempts to teach her new songs weren’t extremely successful because Kiki enjoys whistling back the tunes she likes, including iPhone ringtone, a wolf whistle, and the funk classic “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
“He loves singing to the mirror and if you show him your phone, he’ll do the iPhone ringtone… I’m trying to teach him ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen but he’s not got it yet. I think maybe he’s running out of storage in his little brain,” her owner told the New York Post.
@kiki.tiel Head boppp #fyp #foryou #bird #cockatiel #parrotsoftiktok #birdsoftiktok ♬ original sound –
@kiki.tiel Can anyone explain this ? #birds #cockatiel #creepy #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #cockatielsoftiktok ♬ original sound –
@kiki.tiel Partying without me #cockatielsoftiktok #birds #fyp #for ♬ original sound –
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