Just how far is this domestication thing going to go? We’ve got a cat cuddling baby chicks–with a parakeet supervising? These babies are going to nurse, are they–they’re birds, right? It sure looks like those ducklings are giving it a try.
Tag: bird videos
Cobras, Beware!
Jambo, bwana! Mr. Nature here; and today’s safari takes us to Africa to see the secretary bird.
This bird spends most of its time stomping through the grass on its ultra-long legs, flushing out small animals to eat. It seems to have a special fondness for poisonous snakes. The secretary bird can fly, but where’s the fun in that? Obviously the really good meals are found on the ground.
These are very dangerous snakes that the secretary bird hunts, kills, and eats. Bugs and mice are also on the menu, but apparently there’s nothing quite as tasty as a nice cobra. The birds are fast and skillful, and their skinny legs make difficult targets. The snake really doesn’t have a chance.
Chillin’ With the Birds
I’ve had squirrels and rabbits hang out with me while I was writing (outside, of course), but I’ve never had a bird fly up and perch on my knee. Who is this guy–Johnny Appleseed?
I knew someone who allowed a wild egret into his house… but he was soon sorry he did.
P.S.–If you watch closely, you’ll find another starling in a flower pot.
Parrots Do the Darnedest Things
Parrots are extremely intelligent, and fully capable of eccentricity. Imagine if they hand hands, like monkeys. Mama mia!
Here are some birds showing off loopy behavior that would never occur to any self-respecting hermit crab.
Whose Tail Is It, Anyhow?
Pay close attention, because this is how civilizations die: animals start acting like really weird people, and the reservoir of sanity gets depleted. That’s what the crow told me. What the cat had to say about it isn’t printable.
Intermission: A Busy Bird
I am way behind today, gotta somehow write a Newswithviews column, so while I get to work on that, Mr. Nature has provided you with this nice video of a mother cardinal feeding one of her babies… one seed at a time. Looks tiring! It’d be so much easier if they could use bowls and spoons, but we know of no birds who enjoy those amenities. Anyway, you can enjoy this video while I tackle a column for tomorrow.
The Singing Cockatiel
Two cockatiels and a parakeet walk into a bar and… Well, you know the rest.
I’m used to videos in which cockatiels sing tunes written by and for humans. Here the tune is literally for the birds. We don’t get to see whether the other two stayed for the whole thing.
Angry Birds
Well, the cockatiel’s angry, at least. What’s going on here? The parakeet’s much smaller than the cockatiel but insists on annoying her anyway. Lots of vocalization, but who knows what it means? The human is busy serving as a referee.
‘Who’s the Fairest One of All?’
I thought this gizmo was a mirror at first. Parakeets, lizards, hamsters–I’ve learned to expect small animals to react–shall we say truculently?–to their images in a mirror. This thing is not a mirror, but it does show an image of a parakeet.
And the real parakeet doesn’t like it!
Wacky Woodpecker
“Waddaya say we forget about trees for a while and try one of these ‘house’ things? Some of ’em are loaded with bugs and caterpillars! Jimmy the Sparrow told me that: he was in one, once…”
Eventually our hero gets around to pecking the doorbell. You have to admire his aplomb.