Fact or Fiction: Misconceptions about birds

Scientists have questioned how random the phrases spoken by parrots are. The results were astonishing: an African Grey parrot named Alex not only mimics human speech sounds but also uses speech as a tool for communication. His vocabulary includes over 300 words, he can count up to 6, and he can distinguish colors, shapes, and materials of objects.

Among parrots capable of mimicry, the African Grey is considered the most talented. On average, the bird can memorize over 150 words. African Greys often imitate sounds made by household electronics: phones, intercoms, or alarm clocks. They often mimic the sounds made by wild birds living outdoors. A hand-raised African Grey can copy the behavior of its owner, including expressions of joy, care, and irritation.

When people founded cities, the most inventive came up with the idea of using pigeons as mail carriers. The bird was then revered as a messenger of peace and a symbol of purity and happiness.

However, within a flock of pigeons, there are always leading individuals who can beat an unfavored companion to death. During courtship rituals, in the fight for a mate, one of the rivals, having won, may peck the other to death.

An ostrich often looks for something on the ground while searching for food, bending its head low, and from a distance, it may indeed appear as if it's burying its head in the sand. But when the bird wants to remain unnoticed, it will tuck its legs, lie down with its body on the ground, and arch its neck above the surface.

Find more interesting facts about ostriches in our article ☛

When atmospheric pressure drops, usually preceding rainfall, insects fly closer to the ground, and swallows, hunting them, lower their flight altitude. Increased humidity can also force insects to drop lower, as their wings become moist.

Birds do not grow fur. None of them do. What may appear to be fur from a distance is actually feathers — not entirely typical, but feathers nonetheless.

The body of the kiwi bird is evenly covered with soft, gray, or light-brown feathers, more resembling fur. By the way, the kiwi fruit is named after the bird due to its similar shape and color.

In reality, the voice of a swan is similar to the trumpet call of cranes. It can also hiss and quack, much like a duck.

The origin of this beautiful legend is due to the combined image of the swan as a symbol of beauty and fidelity. For humanity, swans embody beauty, romance, and symbolize rebirth, purity, nobility, and wisdom, attributed to their monogamy, graceful body, and ability to fly and swim.

The common belief that crows live for over a century is not true. These birds are long-lived, but they live for less than that. Crows, like parrots, can reach the age of 70–75 years.

It turns out that in the forests of New Guinea, there are actually two such birds: the Pitohui and the Blue-capped Ifrita (Ifrita kowaldi). Even a tiger, having eaten one of them, would fall into paralysis within a few minutes and die in about ten minutes.

The skin and feathers of these birds contain the toxin batrachotoxin, which causes a tingling and numbing sensation in anyone who touches the bird. This toxin accumulates in the birds because they eat poisonous beetles of the genus Choresine. The birds themselves are immune to batrachotoxin since their immunity has adapted to it.

If that were the case, even an eagle wouldn’t be able to rise higher than its jump. When taking off from the ground, the bird stands on its tiptoes and starts flapping its wings, spreading its primary feathers. The wings trace a figure-eight pattern in the air, pushing air below. At sufficient altitude, the wings change (feathers fold to form a unified plane), the tail changes geometry, and the body stretches. All this involves very complex processes.

The aerodynamic picture of bird flight is complex and is known only in broad terms today. This is because, in flight, there are changes in the position of the primary feathers and the wing area; the wrist and main parts of the wing move at different speeds and angles. The nature of flight varies significantly among different groups and species. Features of wing structure, the length and proportions of primary feathers, the ratio of body mass to wing area, and muscle development are the key factors determining flight characteristics in birds.

It actually exists, but it doesn’t resemble milk; it’s more like cottage cheese. This expression has been known since ancient times and originates from fairy tales where a capricious girl sends suitors in search of bird’s milk, i.e., something that doesn’t exist.

Some birds can produce a substance in their crop to feed their chicks immediately after hatching. It’s as nutritious and easily digestible as mammalian milk, which is why it can indeed be called milk.

Bird's milk (or crop milk, or pigeon milk) is characteristic of the pigeon family, some parrots, flamingos, and certain penguins. In pigeons, crop milk is secreted by the cells of the crop, while in flamingos and penguins, it is produced by special glands in the esophagus and stomach.

Despite its name, crop milk has nothing in common with real mammalian milk or its ingredients. The composition of "bird's milk" is high in fats and proteins, but unlike real mammalian milk, it doesn't contain carbohydrates, lactose, or calcium.

The speed record among birds belongs to the Peregrine Falcon from the falcon family. The Peregrine Falcon is considered the fastest animal in the world. During hunting, specifically when diving, it can reach speeds of up to 322 km/h (90 m/s). According to the National Geographic television program, the highest recorded speed of a Peregrine Falcon was 389 km/h (242 mph).

After spotting its prey, the Peregrine Falcon dives sharply downward, striking it with its folded and tucked legs. The strike from the talons of its hind toes is so strong that even a fairly large victim's head may be knocked off.