Baobab: The mighty and iconic upside-down tree

 The iconic baobabs are trees like no other. A thick trunk rises to support thin branches. They are deciduous, which means during the dry season, their bare branches look like a gnarled root system, and make these trees look as if the tree was growing upside down.

Why are baobabs important? 

The baobab is a key species in an ecosystem. They play a key role in helping to keep soil conditions humid and also promote nutrient recycling. They also prevent soil erosion. And the baobab is an important source of food, water and shelter for various birds, reptiles and insects. 

A mature baobab tree will create its own ecosystem. For example, monkeys and warthogs are fond of fruit and seed pods, birds can make a home in the cavity of the bark or make their nests in the huge branches. Bush babies and fruit bats will drink baobab nectar. And other wildlife like elephants sometimes eat the spongy baobab bark, which provides moisture during times of drought.

After a long walk through the summer’s heat, this tree will be your best friend. You find shade and a drink – as the cavities in the tree act as reservoirs for rainwater. The seeds within the fruit from the tree can also be sucked to relieve thirst. And who knows, if you stop for a drink, you might even get lucky and spot something exciting. 

Where can you see baobab trees?

There are nine different species of baobab trees. One is from Australia, six from Madagascar and two species are native to mainland Africa. All these species are situated in low-lying, arid regions. 

In Africa, you find baobabs growing above hot, dry shrublands. In Madagascar, baobabs are pioneers of the dry deciduous forests in the western side of the island. In Australia, they live in open savanna woodlands. All these regions go through a short wet season and long, hot, dry season. Most trees would not survive in these conditions, but baobabs can grow.

What beliefs exist about baobabs?

The baobab is surrounded by many superstitions. Here are some of my favorites:

• Many cultures believe that an evil spirit lives in the tree’s white flowers. If anyone plucks these white flowers, the evil spirit will cause a lion to them.
• In Zambian culture, women are not allowed to eat baobab fruit during the beer-brewing process, as it is believed that this will cause the beer to go bad.
• Baobabs are considered to be a fertility tree.
• For the East African people, it is believed that Resa, the lord of rain, stays in the top branches of an enormous baobab in order to support the sky.
• And my favorite is a Bushman legend. In the beginning, the creator decided to hand out seeds and plants to the animals of the world for them to cultivate. The baobab was issued to the hyena, but because she was upset about being last in the queue, she decided to plant it upside-down.

Nutritional uses of baobab: 

• People can eat almost each part of this tree, including roots and small sprouts. 
• The baobab’s fruit has a citrus flavour and is enjoyed by monkeys and humans. 
• The leaves can be boiled and used as spinach, and even the flowers are edible. 
• You can mix water and powdered fruit pulp to create a refreshing drink. Some people snack on roasted seeds or use them to brew a coffee-like drink. The pulp can be used in juices to add flavor. The pulp is rich in vitamin C – about 10 times that of oranges
• Baobab seed powder is sprinkled on food for added nutrients and as a natural preservative.

Medicinal uses of baobab: 

• Traditional beliefs said the baobab have been used to treat almost any disease including malaria, tuberculosis, fever, microbial infections and dysentery. 
• The leaves and fruit pulp can be used to stimulate the immune system and fight against fever. 
• It is said to have a lot of healing properties : antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antidiarrheal and antiviral. 
• The leaves can also be useful for treating anaemia and asthma.

Others uses of baobab: 

• The hollow bark of the baobab tree can provide homes for a lot of animals like reptiles, insects and birds. Foliage sometimes can be eaten as fodder for livestock.  
• The bark is harvested extensively for its fibrous qualities. Strips can be rolled into a tough yarn and used in many different ways such as sacks, fishing nets and also clothes. 
• Bushmen also used the bark to create traps.
• The twine is also used occasionally for the strings of musical instruments. Its wood is used for fuel and timber. 

The landowners of The Sunland Baobab decided to build a pub inside the hollow centre of this tree. It was around to be 22 metres tall and 47 metres in girth. The landowners decided to close the pub to prevent soil erosion around the tree and The Sunland Baobab unfortunately died in 2017.

Are they protected or endangered? 

In 1941, the baobab was included in the list of protected trees by the Forest Act in South Africa. However, the six Madagascar baobab species are both on the IUCN Red List, three as endangered and three as near threatened. The African and Australian species are not assessed but may become a problem without surveillance.

Global climate change may be playing a role in the loss of these trees. A rapid increase in baobab deaths in southern Africa have been noted. Of the world’s 13 largest baobabs, 9 have collapsed and died. For such ancient trees, their death and breakdown is remarkably rapid. Baobab trees simply crumple into a pile of papery fibre when they die. If a hot fire passes through, it would probably remove any evidence of the tree’s existence. This devastating loss reminds us of the impact of climate change on biodiversity.

Alectoris Chukar

 The Chukar is an introduced game bird from southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia into North America. This game bird has made its habitat in the central parts of the US on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. They are mostly seen in Nevada and Idaho but are expanding into other nearby states.

The chukar is a non-native species that was introduced to North America as a game bird in the late 1800s. It is native to the mountainous areas of the Middle East and Asia from eastern Greece and southeastern Bulgaria through Asia Minor east to Manchuria China. It is a  member of the pheasant family.

ChukarIt stands about 13-15 inches in length and has a light grayish-brown back and wings and a white belly. Its head, chest and rear are gray and it has white cheeks and a white throat surrounded by a black band. It has black stripes on its sides and a black band across its forehead. Its bill, eyelids, feet and legs are pink to dark red. Males and females look alike.

Range

The chukar can be found from British Columbia and Alberta south to California and Colorado. The chukar has also been introduced to Hawaii. It is also found in Europe and Asia.

 Habitat

The chukar lives on rocky, arid hillsides and mountain slopes and canyon walls. It is also found in open and flat desert areas with little vegetation and on barren plateaus. It is an altitudinal migrator and will move from higher elevations to lower elevations during snowy weather.

Diet

The chukar feed on seeds, grasses, bulbs, stems, fruit and leaves. It also eats small amounts of insects like grasshoppers, caterpillars, crickets and ants.

 Life Cycle

Male and female chukars form pairs from February through April. The male will perform a courtship ritual that involves head-tilting and showing his barred flanks. Both the male and female will call out to each other and peck at objects on the ground.

The female lays 8-15 eggs in a scrape lined with grass, leaves and feathers within the shelter of rocks or brush. The male will often leave the female after she has laid her eggs. The chicks hatch after about 24 days and will leave the nest and start feeding on insects shortly after hatching. They will begin to fly when they are about two weeks old.

Behavior

The chukar rarely flies. It is a good runner and can also hop across the rocky terrain in its habitat. Except for during breeding season, chukars live in coveys of up to 40 birds.

King Vulture

 This bird can be seen soaring far above the lowlands of Central and South America in search of dead prey. Their enormous wingspan and broad chest are impressive sights against the backdrop of the sky. Given their size, the name is an accurate description. They truly are king of the vultures. This article will cover some interesting facts about the size, geographical range, and diet of the king vulture.

 Amazing Facts

• The fleshy orange appendage located near the beak is thought to play a role in the courtship rituals. A larger, brighter appendage may send an important signal about the health of the bird to a potential mate.
• King vultures rely on air currents for flight. They rarely flap their wings for hours at a time unless it proves to be necessary.
• King vultures were an important part of the medicine and folklore of the Mayans.
• Although they look similar to Old World vultures from the Eastern Hemisphere, it’s actually thought that New World vultures evolved independently from them.

Where to Find the King Vulture

The king vulture can be found in lowland forests, savannas, and grasslands throughout southern Mexico, Central America, and down through South America to Argentina and Brazil. They do not typically occupy large mountainous regions such as the Andes. The home territorial range of an individual bird is not known, but it is probably quite large.

King Vulture Nests

The king vultures do not build artificial nests at all. Instead, they lay their eggs in the hollow cavities of logs, stumps, and trees with very little material added.

King Vulture Scientific Name

The scientific name of the king vulture is Sarcoramphus papa. The genus combines together two ancient Greek words: sarx means flesh and rhamphos means crooked beak. This refers to the fleshy skin along the beak. The species name papa is Latin for bishop. This refers to the bird’s interesting black and white plumage. The king vulture is the only surviving member of its genus, but a few more species are known from the fossil record. They are a member of the New World vulture family.

King Vulture Size, Appearance, and Behavior

The king vulture is among the largest birds of the Americas, measuring some 2.5 feet tall and a wingspan of around 6 to 7 feet long. Their broad chest and long wings have white plumage and black tips, giving them the appearance of a bishop’s cloak. Their bare head is marked by an interesting combination of red, orange, black, and yellow with a fleshy appendage arranged around the large, hooked beak. They also have silver or white eyes and gray feet. Males and females are almost impossible to distinguish from each other by appearance alone.

King vultures are mostly solitary hunters that stick to small family units and do not form large groups. Although they lack a voice box, they do make low croaking sounds and warning calls, especially when a predator approaches their territory. They spend much of the day sitting atop the canopy or soaring above the ground in search of food. They tend to remain within the same place for almost the entire year and do not migrate at all.

King Vulture Diet

King vultures are considered to be scavengers. Without a good sense of smell, they mostly use their well-developed vision to find dead carcasses and feed on them. However, they will often rely on other types of vultures to locate food for them.

What does the king vulture eat?

King vultures feed almost exclusively on carrion. They do not hunt for and kill other animals, even when it’s sick and dying. Their large, sharp beak is nevertheless capable of ripping through tough hide and flesh when the animal has expired. Smaller vultures rely on them to tear up the food.

King Vulture Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

The king vulture does not appear to be seriously threatened in any manner. The IUCN Red List currently ranks it as a species of least concern. However, habitat loss may have some negative impact on this species, causing populations to decline.

What eats the king vulture?

King vultures are sometimes preyed upon by snakes and big cats such as jaguars. The size of the adult affords it some protection against all but the largest predators. Juveniles are more vulnerable, especially when they wander away from the nesting site.

Hoopoe

 The hoopoe bird is a common sight throughout most of Europe, Asia, and Africa. When encountered in the wild, the hoopoe bird can be a truly impressive spectacle, despite its smaller size. Its crest of feathers, which resembles a large mohawk, is by far its most eye-catching feature. It serves as an important visual display and communication tool in the wild.

Incredible Hoopoe Facts

• The hoopoe bird has played an important role in the folklore of many cultures throughout human history. It is mentioned in various religious books, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Greek plays, and Chinese texts.
• In the Jewish tradition, the hoopoe bird led King Solomon to meet the Queen of Sheba. It is currently the national bird of Israel.
• Hoopoes soak up the rays of the sun by spreading out backwards along the ground.
• Like a skunk, the hoopoe bird can emit truly disgusting chemicals to ward off threats.
• Hoopoes inhabit pre-existing holes and crevices in vertical surfaces, whether natural or manmade.

Scientific Name

The scientific name for the genus hoopoe is Upupa. The name is derived from the unique vocalization that the bird makes. The taxonomical classification of the hoopoe is the subject of some dispute. There are now generally thought to be three living species in the genus: the African hoopoe (Upupa africana ), the Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops), and the Madagascan hoopoe (Upupa marginata).

The African and Madagascan hoopoes were once considered subspecies of the Eurasian hoopoe, but due to physical and vocal differences, they were split off from each other and made their own unique species (although some taxonomists may still classify them together). A fourth species, the Saint Helena hoopoe, probably went extinct at some point in the 16th century.

Upupa is the only living genus of the family Upupidae, so there are few other birds quite like it. More distantly, it is related to the wood hoopoes, the hornbills, and the ground hornbills, which are all part of the same order.

Hoopoe Appearance and Behavior

The hoopoe is a small or medium-sized bird that measures between 10 and 12.6 inches long and up to three ounces in weight — or about the size of a book. It has black and white striped wings, a long and thin beak, short legs, and pinkish plumage around the rest of the body.

Perhaps its most distinctive feature is the brightly ornamented crest on the top of its head. The crest is red or orange in color with white patches and black tips. The crest feathers serve an important role in signaling the bird’s mood to other animals. When the bird is calm and relaxed, the feathers rest firmly against the head. But when the bird becomes excited or agitated, then the feathers can be raised to make it appear larger than it is.

Hoopoes have many other fascinating characteristics. For example, they flap their wings in a highly erratic and uneven motion that almost resembles a butterfly more than other birds. They will beat their prey against a surface to kill it and remove any indigestible parts. The animal can also produce chemicals and oils through specialized glands that have a foul smell to discourage predators.

Except for mating and child-rearing, hoopoes are mostly solitary creatures that prefer to hunt and forage on their own. They have only a basic set of calls related to warnings, mating, courtship, and feeding. What they lose in numbers, however, they make up for with several defensive mechanics. One of the most important defenses (apart from the aforementioned chemicals) is the animal’s strong break, which can act as a dangerous weapon against predators or against members of its own species. When fighting for territory or mates, the males (and sometimes even the females) may engage in a brutal aerial duel that could leave one badly injured or maimed.

The seasonal movements of the hoopoes can vary quite a bit depending on their location. The hoopoes of the temperate regions in Europe and Asia will usually migrate to Africa or southern Asia in the winter months after breeding. By contrast, the African hoopoes largely remain in the same territory throughout the year, though they may roam between local areas in search of abundant food sources or in response to seasonal rain. Adults typically begin to molt after the breeding season and continue the process after migrating for the winter.

Hoopoe Habitat

The hoopoe has a massive range across much of the Eurasian and African continents, except for the most extreme climates of Siberia, the Sahara, and other semi-wastelands. The range of the African hoopoe extends across most of the southern half of Africa from the Congo. The Madagascan hoopoe is confined almost exclusively to the island of Madagascar.

The Eurasian hoopoe is by far the most widespread species. It contains seven distinctive subspecies divided by geographical regions. The epops subspecies extends from Spain in the west to the Pacific in the east and down to the borders of India. The saturata subspecies is found in Japan and southern China. Ceylonensis primarily inhabits the Indian subcontinent. Longirostris lives across much of Southeast Asia. The major, senegalensis, and waibeli subspecies all inhabit different parts of central and eastern Africa.

Hoopoes tend to prefer the forests, savannas, and grasslands throughout the temperate and tropical areas of these regions. They require plenty of open space with sparse vegetation and trees, cliffs, or walls in which to reside. Whereas most bird species construct their elaborate nests in branches, the hoopoe is content with tiny crevices instead.

Hoopoe Diet

The diet of the omnivorous hoopoe consists of many different foods, including spiders, seeds, fruits, and even small lizards and frogs. The hoopoe’s most common foods, however, are insects such as beetles, cicadas, crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, ants, termites, and dragonflies.

The bird will forage along the ground and attempt to dig up food from the dirt. If it cannot find food on the ground, then it will pick off flying insects from the air. The strong muscles around the beak allow it to open its mouth when probing for food in the ground. The foraging process involves a lot of work; it will constantly overturn every little rock or leaf in search of small morsels of food.

Hoopoe Predators and Threats

The hoopoe has only a few natural predators in the wild, including cats and large carnivorous birds. Humans have not traditionally been a significant threat to the survival of the hoopoe.

Because the bird mostly eats pests largely considered an annoyance to humans and our cultivated crops, the hoopoe is extended a degree of protection in many countries. And thanks to its very simple environmental needs and diverse diet, it is also good at adapting to different ecosystems and situations. However, hunting and habitat loss can sometimes put some stress on particular subspecies of hoopoe.

Hoopoe Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Hoopoes are monogamous creatures that will mate with only a single other bird for the length of the breeding season. Males will attempt to court the female by bringing her a gift of insects on which to feed. As previously mentioned, they will compete fiercely with each other for mates. Once they’ve secured a partner, the hoopoes will mate throughout their normal breeding season.

Females can lay up to 12 eggs at a time. The clutch size is larger with northern species and smaller with species closer to the equator. Females will typically produce one egg per day for as many days as necessary and then immediately start to incubate them. The incubation period lasts 15 to 18 days, so chicks hatch at different times. Females have the responsibility of incubating the eggs, and males gather most of the food.

After laying eggs, the female will begin to secrete a noxious smelling substance similar to rotten meat and rub the chemical into its own plumage and all over its chicks. This substance is thought to deter predators and potentially destroy parasites and harmful bacteria. This secretion will last until the chicks leave the nest. However, the chicks are not exactly defenseless when left on their own. Soon after hatching, they will quickly develop the ability to squirt feces at a threatening animal. They will also strike out with their bills while emitting a hissing sound to scare away predators.

The chicks are usually born with a fluffy white down covering the entire body. They will gain their full set of feathers a month into their lives. The typical lifespan of a hoopoe is approximately 10 years in the wild.

Rhinoceros Hornbill

 The Rhinoceros Hornbill, Buceros rhinoceros, is the state bird of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. For some Dayak people, the Rhinoceros Hornbill represents their war god, Singalang Burong.

The Rhinoceros Hornbill lives in captivity for up to 35 years.

Distribution

They live in the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, and are only found in only the highest form of rain forest.

Descriptions.

The Rhinoceros Hornbill is one of the largest hornbills. Adults are about 110-127 cm (43-50 in) long and weigh 2-3 kg (4.4-6.6 lbs).

Like most other hornbills, the male has orange or red eyes, and the female has whitish eyes.

This bird has a mainly white beak and casque (the tip of the casque curves upward strikingly), but there are orange places here and there. It has white underparts, especially to the tail.

Rhinoceros Hornbill, Buceros rhinoceros

Rhinoceros Hornbill, Buceros rhinoceros Breeding

The courtship and bonding of these birds are critical, as the female must trust the male to provide her with everything when she is incubating and raising chicks.

These Hornbills lay their eggs inside tree trunks, the females stay inside with the eggs, while the male will bring her and the young food. After the eggs are laid the male collects mud, and the male and female pack that mud, food, and feces to ‘mud-up’ the tree cavity entrance. This creates a very small hole, only large enough for the male to feed the female (and later chicks) and for the female to defecate out the hole.

Once the babies are old enough (fully feathered)to leave the nest the female and male chip away the dry mud so the babies can get out.

Diet / Feeding

The rhinoceros hornbill eats fruit, insects, small reptiles, rodents and smaller birds.

Club-winged Manakin

Club-winged Manakin

The Club-winged Manakin (Machaeropterus deliciosus) is a resident breeder in the cloud forest on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains of Colombia and northwestern Ecuador in South America.

Wings & Sound

The really cool part about this bird is that the males produce a violin-like sound in order to attract the females with their wings. Kind of like how crickets use wings to chirp!

According to a Cornell University ornithologist in the July 29 issue of Science, male club-winged manakins use specially adapted feathers in each wing to make a tone – much like a cricket chirping by rubbing together sound-making apparatus in its wings.

This sound makes the male more attractive to the females.

“Essentially an instrument has evolved in this species, in this case a refined instrument,” said Kimberly Bostwick, the paper’s lead author, a curator in the birds and mammals division of Cornell’s Museum of Vertebrates and a research associate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Description

The colorful males of the species have brownish-red feathers, a bright red crown, and black and white wings. The less colorful females are mainly a yellow-green color.

The males of this species gather in an area in order to try and attract the attention of the females. The females mate with their chosen male, and then leave the mating area in order to build a nest and raise the young. The males don’t raise the young, they mainly stick around where they were before, trying to attract the next female. As you can tell, these birds don’t pair up for life.

They average 2.5 cm or 4.9 inches in length, from beak to tip of tail.

Diet

Club-winged Manakins mainly eat fruit but may sometimes supplement their diet with insects. In fact, they can open up their beaks quite a bit, so much so that they can swallow fruits quite large in size. In return for getting much-needed nutrition from the plants they depend on, these birds effectively disperse the seeds of the fruits they eat and, thus, help regenerate their own food supply in the process.

Breeding / Nesting

The average clutch consists of two eggs, which are incubated for 18 to 21 days.

Goldcrest

The goldcrest is the smallest bird in Europe, weighing on average just 5-7g (1/4 oz). With a characteristic dull olive-green top and white underbelly, the goldcrest is famed for the gold stripe on its crown, giving it a somewhat striking appearance. It is very similar to the Firecrest bird. Males and females differ only slightly. On the male, the crest stripe is orange; on the female, it is yellow.

Goldcrests are very quick birds, which makes them hard to spot. They tend to scurry from place to place, and do so on branches and around tree trunks. They can be distinguished by their high pitched calls. 

Goldcrest Feeding

Goldcrests feed mainly on insects and spiders, and as such are ground feeders. It is rare for goldcrests to venture into the garden and feed from bird tables; however, on very cold winter days, goldcrests can be found feeding from bird tables. It is worth bearing this in mind if you want to feed goldcrests from your garden table. Bread crumbs and small bits of cheese will attract them to the table on these cold winter days.

Goldcrest Breeding & Nesting

Goldcrest nests can often be located on conifer branches and buried among ivy. Typically, the goldcrest nest is made of moss, spiders webbing and lichens and is usually found to be lined with feathers.

Goldcrests eggs are a dull-white colour with light brown speckles. Breeding begins in late April; the incubation period lasts between 14-17 days and consequently there are around 19 fledge days. Both parents help to feed the young.

American Goldfinch

Starting in spring and continuing through much of summer, male goldfinches are a bright lemon yellow with black foreheads, black wings and white markings above and beneath their tails. (Females are olive above and dull yellow beneath.) Come winter, both sexes turn a drab brown—so dull they often are mistaken for sparrows. The change occurs through the process of molting. The American goldfinch is the only finch species that molts its body feathers twice a year, once in late winter and again in late summer.

Late Breeders

Frequent molting is both time-consuming and physiologically taxing for the birds. Some scientists suggest this may be the reason goldfinches breed so late in the season—rarely beginning in earnest until mid-July. Another possibility is that the birds wait to nest until thistle, milkweed and other plants have produced fibrous seeds, which goldfinches not only eat but also use to build their nests.

Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, selecting an entirely vegetable diet and only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect. This diet helps protect goldfinches from cowbirds: Though the parasitic birds may lay eggs in goldfinch nests, the hatchlings cannot survive long on an all-seed diet.

Color and Fitness

 Choosy female goldfinches prefer to mate with males that have the brightest plumage. “Color matters”.

Why? One possibility stems from the fact that the male’s color comes from carotenoid pigments (the chemicals that make carrots orange) that he acquires through his diet. By selecting the brightest males, females also may be getting the best food providers for their offspring.