BIRD THAT CAN'T FLY(OSTRICH)

INTRODUCTION

Ostrich is largest living bird and also the heaviest.It's totally flightless but it can cover large distances with speed on its powerful legs.

Male Ostriches is taller than most men,its height is 2 and 2.7 metres.They posses weigh up to 150kilograms.Females are smaller and lighter. Ostriches have the largest eyes with a diameter of 50mm.They have quite unique noises, including snorts, whistles and a guttural lion-like "booooh".Their
diet depends on their mood they don't need to drink.

Ostriches are omnivorous,they feed primarily on seeds,leaves,roots and flowers of various grasses,shrubs and trees.Locusts and other invertebrates are easily provideed to eat.Many of the items eaten by Ostriches are undigestable to other creatures,ostrich can digest these insects in its 14 metre long intestine.Pebbles and sand are regularly swallowed and stored in gizzard to help in digesting or breaking down tough plant material.Ostrich don't need to drink,because most of their moisture is extracted from succulent plants.In summer they can raise their body temperature by four degrees to reduce water loss.

BREEDING

Dominant male defends a territory of between two and 15 kilometers.He is usually paired with single female known as major hen but it often also mate with other females living within the area of its occupaying territory.They don't built,male creates shallow scrape into which major hen lays clutch of five to eleven eggs.Minor hens mated with less faithful male typically filled the clutch with their own eggs (two to six) but play no role in the incubation process.Dominant male and major hen share incubation process duties between them with the mysterious plumaged female

on the nest prerforms its duties during the day and black-plumaged male after dark.Approximately eighty eggs may hatched in single nest but just tewnty or so of these will hatch as this is approximate number that a single incubating bird can cover.Major hen seems able to distinguish her eggs (which she laid) from those laid by other hens and will try to arrange clutch so that her eggs are always covered.Banded Mongoose and Egyptian Vultures pose threat to eggs.Adult Ostriches take care of their young and will defend them against predators with distraction displays.Interestingly if two family groups should encounter one another a clash may break out between the rival adults and the victors often make off with the brood of their opponents!

PREDATORS

Cheetah are probably the main predator of Ostrich but Lion,Leopard,Wild Dog and Spotted Hyena can also be a threat.Adult males are tough opponents and have been seen to kick out at and wound large predators.For the most part Ostrich can outrun most of their enemies reaching seventy kilometers per hour in a short sprint in open country and fifty kilometers per hour over a distance for thirty kilometers.Young Ostrich are open invitation to a whole host of predators including larger eagles.

JARDINE'S AFRICAN PARROTS....

INTRODUCTION

Jardine's parrots(one of the most beautiful of all the African parrots) are the special breed of African parrots.Their wings coloured bright green

feathers with sparkling look black edges.They have a glowing red emerging from under their wing along the edge of the wing.
The rest is bright green with red rings.It goes around to the bottoms of their limbs feathers,and their foreheads have splashes and sparkling of
red and orange or in some yellow on a mature bird. Babies have just little touch of red above the beak where the head feathers begin (in easy
words we can say their forehead). They have white bare patch around their bright eyes.

ABOUT PERSONALITY AND THEIR BEHAVIOUR

Jardine's are sweet and friendly,sometimes cuddly and often little feisty at times.Some devotive and loving training is necessary most of the
time to keep them from becoming boss of humans.
This species often lends itself to being beaky,but they don’t have to become biters.You must have to respect their space try to read their

body language.With training, you and u your pet can both learn to respect each other.

These birds are strong willed and considered quiet by most people’s standards. Many of them learn to speak and most of them will imitate
noises.

The Jardine's Parrot is much like the little baby in having a playful personality (need lots of toys for playing,attacking and chewing so that
they don’t get bored).These funny birds are the real entertainers and a joy to have.

They can be nippy and may very well go through a nippy stage at maturity.The relationship you establish and work to maintain will help u get you through the rough times.Jardine's will easily become a one-person bird (if they are not held and played with on a regular basis by more than one person).

THE SPARROW (LITTLE BIRD)

INTRODUCTION

Many farmers have called them as their friends.They help to reduce the swarms of crop-eating pests.However,while they feed their youngones

on caterpillars, beetles, flies and spiders as first meal after hatching, afterwards they show more interest in grains and fruit than insects.They can
causes noticeable damage to wheat,barley and maize crops.

BREEDING

Breeding rate was high – due to open range of food,lack of competition,a benign climate and few predators(like cats).

CHILDCARE

in 1870s era people noted that females laid eggs for a second clutch while the previous hatchlings were still in the nest. The young ones
evidently helped incubate the eggs.

In 1878 naturalist Thomas Kirk calculated one pair of sparrows could lead to a population of 322,000 within the short time of five years.

DESCRIPTION

they are small birds,weighing about 30 grams only and measuring 14 centimeters approximately.They have a conical bill, like many
seed-eaters.male has grey crown and dark chestnut nape and back, with black streaks. In the breeding season he has a large black bib with
contrasting pale grey cheeks and belly. After breeding, the bib reduces to a small patch under the chin, and the black bill turns
pinkish-cream.
The female has a sandy-brown back streaked with black, and pale grey undersides. She has buff curved ‘C’ from behind the eye to neck.
Both sexes have a single white bar on the wing.

HABITAT

House sparrows used to live in association with humans,they nesting around houses and sheds,or hanging around restaurants. They can
spread disease by contaminating human food.

NESTING

The male builds domed nest,often in hole.He decorate the nest periodwise,even when not in use.The female lays four or more
grey-white eggs with brown spots.

THE AIR EMPEROR (BALD EAGLE)...

American Eagle

Introduction

They are one of the largest raptors, with wings having length of eight feet.Their nests weigh up to a ton.In North America,the bald eagle is

continent’s most famous and known aerial predator,with a beautiful shocking white head,yellow beak and penetrating eyes.

In 1960s,the bald eagle was almost extincted caused by the pesticide DDT and human pressures. Following the bald eagle's protection as an
endangered species,bald eagles have come back with a great bang.But even in best times,life in wild for bald eagle is surprisingly tough
struggle.

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Color - Both male and female adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck, and tail; and yellow feet and bill.


2. Size - The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male.


3. Wingspan ranges from 72 to 90 inches.


4. Diet - Mainly fish, but they will take advantage of carrion (dead and decaying flesh).


5. Hunting area varies from 1,700 to 10,000 acres. Home ranges are smaller where food is present in great quantity.


6. Eagle bones are light, because they are hollow.


7. Bald eagles have 7,000 feathers.

TALKING ABOUT BIRDS...

BIRDS BEHAVIOUR

Behaviour is a way to express for an animal acts in order to ensure its survival. For example, the way in which birds respond to a predator has
an immediate bearing on their existence. Individuals which react quickly stand a chance of escaping and going on to breed.Behaviour

enhances the survival. Naturally the way in which a species behaves is result of a history of evolutionary development.

Feather Care

Feather care is veryimportant to birds. Although all birds lose their feather once in a year.A considerable amount of time is spent caring for
feathers. Preening is a process in which a bird straightens and smoothes its feathers by nibbling and stroking.Bathing is another effective
means of of making themselves presentable. Different birds bath in their own unique ways. Sparrows do gingerly,Robin-chats,thrushes splash
themselves vigorously. Even waterbirds bath, flamingos gather at freshwater inlets in saline lake habitats.Birds simply make use of dust and
some birds prefer dust to water like bee-eaters.Dust particles works as absorber of sticky plant resins or juices.

Feeding

The great diversity of bird species displays a similar great change in feeding techniques. Some birds feed on herbs and small plants.Feeding
in groups increases competition over food but enables its discovery in the first place.Furthermore,the larger number of vultures on the ground
feeding,the greater the chance of detecting a predator which is good for their survival.

The Breeding

Most social behaviour is aimed at breeding successfully.every bird have an annual breeding season for smaller birds,male birds must
compete for (or maintain) territories. A mate must be attracted by a beautifully built nest, eggs laid and enough food collected for the
developing young. The young must also beprotected from predators, and this involves behaviour such as distraction displays to lure predators
from the nest.

HYENA THE AFRICAN THIEF

THE INTRODUCTION:

Let me introduce you with the two species of hyena found in Southern Africa. The spotted hyena and the smaller brown hyena. The spotted hyena is the most common species. Brown hyenas are only found in extremely arid areas like Kalahari, and are an endangered species. Here we discuss the spotted hyena.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Hyenas looks like a large, powerfully-built dog, the spotted hyena has a large broad head, short pale brown-grey wiry coat scattered with dark spots, rounded ears, and its slanting back is a result of its extremely powerful forequarters.They are one of the noisiest animals and they have distinctive whooping,they whoop especially at night.Their eerie call begins with low pitch,rising sharply to a high pitched scream.

SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT HYENA

African tribes people are highly superstitious about spotted hyenas.Some people believes that they are associated with witches,who ride on a hyena at night.Others believes that their tail,whiskers and ears have special properties,so they are highly valued by witch-doctors.

BREEDING IN HYENAS:

Cubs are born throughout the year,and the normal litter size is 2. The female will give birth in a disused den (mines they made to give birth their offsprings), where the cubs stay for the first 2 weeks,before being moved to the communal den (where the whole clan lives)
Cubs are almost black in colour when young, and develop their spots later by the passage of time their colour fades and their spots became prominant.
The females in the clan have to protect the young cubs from the males, who eat the cubs if the cubs are left
unprotected.
Males disperse before reaching maturity,males do not stays with the clan for lifetime but female offspring will stay with the clan for the whole life.

SPECIALITIES OF HYENAS

They prefer to feed on the remains of carcasses rather than catch a fresh kill,they hunt only as a last resort when
desperate for food.
Hyenas run very fast,they can reach the speed of up to 50kilometers when they are chasing a prey, and they can maintain this speed for a distance of up to 5kilometers.

Amazingly, they have learnt to follow vehicles, mostly watched in private game reserves,as they associate the vehicles with larger
predators such as lion and leopard, which represent possible food resource.

DIET OF HYENAS:

Their have powerful jaws and teeth mean that they can eat the bones, pieces of horn and even hooves left by other
carnivores, although later on undigested food (mainly hair, horn and hooves) is regorged.
Their wastes are normally pure white, as a result of the amount of calcium that they consumed in their diet.
If they do some action and catch a fresh kill,the clan will waste little time in devouring the carcass.
They will also eat birds, small mammals, insects, fish, reptiles and fruit, and scavenge from human settlements.

CLAN OF HYENAS:

They are highly sociable animals,they live in communal dens in territorial clans of aproximately of 12 members, although their
clans can reach up to 80 in size.

As the female is the larger of the species, the clan is matriarchal, and the adult males are dominated by the adult females.

WAY OF HUNTING

They are commonly found around wide savanna habitat,they prefers to rest in the den or shade during the hotter hours of the day.

They have excellent developed senses of smell and hearing,and amazing night vision.During a night time hunt, they
can travel up to 80kilometers, moving at a steady walk or easy jog.

THE GREAT LION

If we are talking about  safari to Africa,one animal immediately comes  to our minds LION.This is on everybody's list of animals to see. This charm is no doubt due to the size and awesome power of this large wild cat and its hunting style.

INTRODUCTION

Lion is the most powerful and aggressive animal.they have heavy ,strong and muscular body .Their  canines are 2.3 inches long and their claws are big and loaded with sharp nails to kill their prey.Their body is heavy but they can run at the speed of 70 kilometer per hour and continue it for 2 to 3.5 mile.

PRIDE AND SOCIAL LIFE

The lion is the only truly social member of the cat family, with prides typically consisting of related females (normally sisters and aunts) and their offspring. Male cubs are ejected from the pride when they approach maturity, whereas female cubs stay on as a second or third generation. Mothers help to raise one another's offspring.These prides are usually lorded over by adult males which may also be related.

The males lions defend a territory larger in size than the home range of the lionesses and very often rule over two or more prides.This arrangement is, however, subject to much variability, and the more we learned about lion ecology the more permutations come to light. It seems also to be true, that population dynamics  along with other behaviours  differ among lions from one region to another. In areas where lion populations are hemmed-in by fences, human settlements or agriculture pride dynamics may be altered radically as dominant males are either in control for abnormally long periods or are killed on a regular basis. As males with too long a tenure may eventually mate with their own daughters, while repeated changes of pride dominance caused by regular mortalities, results in a high rate of infanticide(killing the cubs of the pride).

DIET

Lions are the super-predators of Africa, able to capture prey from tiny elephant-shrews to immature elephants. By and large zebra, wildebeest and buffalo are the favoured prey, but this depends upon the size of the pride. Only e, large prides will tackle buffalo, and even then males are often called upon (literally) to deliver the killing bite. A buffalo bull is a huge and powerful animal averaging 800kg, but when it is down, it can provide food for a week or more. A pride will walk past a group of feeding zebras and target a lone giraffe. Prey is also seasonal in many places, such that the lions of Kenya's Masai Mara have a glut of migratory wildebeest between July and November but then have to survive of wily warthogs and agile gazelles for the rest of the year.One reason for being in a pride is not only to be tackling large prey but also to defend it.

ENEMIES

The Hyena is the worst enemy of the lion, and large clans of these carnivores are sometimes able to steals the big cat's prey.These adaptable animals(Hyena) are highly organised team-workers in their own right. Since any predator has to avoid injury if it is to survive, lions usually take the easiest available prey preferring a weak zebra foal to a vigorous stallion.Lions derive a large part of their diet from scavenging or pirating meal from smaller or solitary carnivore (cheetah are the most victimised , and this is why leopards take their prey up into trees).