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Chukar: Description, Habitat, & Fun Facts
Continue ReadingChukar Classification
Kingdom– Animalia
Phylum– Chordata
Class– Aves
Order– Galliformes
Family– Phasianida
Genus– Alectoris
Species– Alectoris chukar
Chukar Description
The chukar (Alectoris chukar) belongs to the family Phasianidae. It is an upland gaming bird. At first, chukar was considered a species of partridge as rock partridge, Philpy’s partridge, and Przevalski’s partridge.
They are mainly distributed to Asia but are now also found in parts of North America and New Zealand.
Chukar consists round body with small wings and feathers with black and white marks. The body appears light brown to grey that may change between populations. A solid black band forms a necklace-shaped ring and represents the face of the chukar and the breast have a white section.
A red outline covers their black eyes, which also matches their red beak. The legs are also red with clawed toes. A spur is present in the legs of males, which is absent in females. Females are also shorter than males.
The choker can be found throughout Asia including the western Himalayas to Nepal and also occur in northern Africa on the Sinai Peninsula. They prefer their habitats in rocky, grassy, and open hillsides in scrublands.
They usually reside in higher altitudes but in some areas, they are also found in low altitude areas. It is a common game bird of hunters for this they are now introduced to New Zealand, Hawaii, and mainland North America and to other parts of the world. They are non-migratory birds.
Chukar Predators and Threats
Chukar usually lives in small groups of around 10 birds. They prefer grassy lands and low-lying mountains for their habitats. The predatory organisms especially mammals feed on the chukar. For example, they are hunted by coyotes and bobcats in North America.
They can be easily targeted thus sometimes hunted by owls, hawks, eagles, and other larger birds. Chukars can fly but their body shape, short wings make it difficult and keep them on the ground. They prefer to run when disturbed.
The distribution of these birds around the world is also done for hunting and they have long been hunted by humans also. People use various unique techniques such as they force the bird to fly longer than its ability and tire it, at last chukar allow them to catch them.
But unlike many other species, chukar is not facing any habitat loss due to human development. However, the weather patterns affecting the populations especially during their breeding season.
Global climate change also has some impacts on local weather patterns. Seasonal events are also affecting by climate change that increases extreme weather events such as storms. These events have also an impact on chukar populations.
The food of chukar is primarily made of seeds but they are omnivores thus also eat insects. In arid parts, to avoid scarcity of water, they also eat succulents.
Chukar Nesting and Reproduction
They pair up with their mates in the breeding season. Males perform various display activities such as pecking at food to impress the female and female joins male if impressed. Males then catch females with their dropped wings, ruffled feathers, and low heads.
During this time, males or cocks often become aggressive to find a mate that often results in conflicts. After pair up, males remain monogamous and only mate with a particular female for at least during that breeding season.
The copulation is followed by nest formation, which is done by female chukar. She use grass and other soft materials and made a small depression in the ground to make a nest.
The female lays 7-14 eggs at a time, which are incubated for 3-4 weeks before hatching. Chicks form a convoy with other females until the next breeding season.
Fun Facts About Chukar!
i. Spelled just like it sounds
Chur sings a noisy song chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar therefore it gets its name chukar. They make this sound, especially in the mornings and evenings. A ‘rally’ call is one of their calls they used to bring the group together to protect them from a predator or any other threat such as storms. They also named Keklik and chukker in some parts of the world.
ii. The Evolution of Flight
Young chicks of chukar cannot fly until they learn a technique called “wing-assisted incline running”. The technique is considered as a model to explain the evolution of flight in avians. The technique is also present in many other bird species.
In wing-assisted incline running, the bird moves upslope while flapping their wing that helps them move up slopes easier than without the aid of their wings. This technique is seen in young birds of many species before learning to fly.
iii. Not like the others
In the past, chukar species were considered members of partridge species such as rock partridge (Alectoris graeca). But the phenotype of chukar partridge is different from the rock partridge, it has a browner back and more yellowish throat section than the rock partridge.
The red-legged partridge has a similar appearance as chukar. The Barbary partridge (Alectoris Barbara) consists reddish-brown collar and a grey throat and face that can be easily distinguished by the black collar of the chukar.
The chukar species are also distinguished based on their ranges. For example, the area of the Middle East and Asia is occupied by chukar which is replaced by the red-legged partridge species in southeastern Europe.
The chukar and partridge species also interbreed on getting the opportunity and also show various physical similarities but eventually, they are separated as different species.
They may share a common ancestor and undergo speciation due to their geographical divisions. The hybridization of captive stocks of these species is a threat to wild populations thus it is banned in many parts of the world.
Chukar Citations
Sperm characteristics of Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) breeders as affected by the addition of calcitriol to the semen extender. Poult Sci . 2019 Aug 1;98(8):3292-3297.
Parasitosis of the chukar partridge, Alectoris chukar in North Iraq. Turkiye Parazitol Derg . 2012;36(4):240-6.
Effect of sex ratio, storage time and temperature on hatching rate, fertility and embryonic mortality in Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar). Anim Reprod Sci . 2019 Apr;203:68-74.
Phylogeography of chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) in China based on mtDNA control region. Mitochondrial DNA A DNA Mapp Seq Anal . 2017 Jul;28(4):473-481.
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Swan: Description, Habitat, & Fun Facts
Continue ReadingSwan Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Anserinae
Genus: Cygnus
Species: 6 species
Swan Description
The swan is a genus of the family Anatidae consisting of 6 species. They are distributed in the temperate regions of the world including North Americ, Eurasia, Australia, and Southern America. They belong to the waterfowl family with ducks and geese.
Of all 6 species, four have purely white plumage that is found in the Northern Hemisphere, and the other two species found in the Southern Hemisphere including black swans and the black-necked swans.
Swans feed mainly on the leaves and stems of submerged vegetation of water bodies, thus they are pure vegetarians. They usually dip their head or upending their whole body to feed in the water.
They also eat the roots and tubers and obtain them by digging into the substrate. However, at the juvenile stage, the swans are not vegetarian and feed on insects and crustaceans to increase their protein intake, but they adopt herbivory in their maturity.
Swan Reproduction
The shallow ponds, undisturbed lakes, slow rivers, wetlands, are preferred breeding habitats for swans. Due to their large size and weight, they require large water bodies or open lands for taking off.
They make their nests on mounds of aquatic vegetation close to the water’s edge. The nest is normally made by both parents that are used for several years after repair. Swans are monogamous, and both take care of eggs. Typically 3-8 eggs are laid by female swans, the number can increase up to 12 eggs in some species.
The trumpeter swan is the largest swan, which lays the largest egg among all flying birds. The egg weighs up to 11.3 ounces and has 2.9 inches in width, 4.5 inches in length.
In some species, both the parents incubate the eggs for 3-45 days, whereas in some other species females incubate, and the male guards the nest. Most of the species of swan show territorial behavior only during the breeding season and protect their nests from predators, and other animals.
However, some species are territorial year-round. After hatching the eggs, the cygnets become able to swim after few days. However, they complete long distances on their parents’ backs.
The swans show parental care for their young for 3-5 months in most species. However, the cygnets can feed on their own after few weeks. The black swan shows much longer parental care and cares for around 9 months.
The juveniles of tundra swans develop faster as compared to other swan species and are thought to fledge after 40-45 days.
Fun Facts About Swan!
Besides their beautiful appearance, swans also exhibit several interesting adaptations.
Migration Swan
Swans use separate summer and winter ranges thus called partially migratory species. The long-distance movement of organisms on a seasonal basis is known as migration. Bids, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and crustaceans all involve migratory movements.
The migration is affected by several factors such as local climate, mating requirements, season, food availability, etc. individuals migrate to complete their needs. For example, humpback whales migrate in winter to the warm waters of the pacific to give birth in the warm waters.
Swan including whooper swan and tundra swan are fully migratory species. They breed at northern latitudes during summer and then migrate towards southern latitudes.
The mute swans have the resident populations that exist in Western Europe, they are the only partially migratory swan species.
The black swan shows erratic migratory patterns thus it is called nomadic. They mainly migrates based on rainfall and climatic conditions.
Brittle Bones
The largest flying birds in the world include swans. The trumpeter swan, found in North America is considered the heaviest extant bird. To fly successfully, they need all the possible help including their weaker bone structure.
The bones are distinguishable by bones of other animals, which are honey-comb-like structures. The bones of swans are more vulnerable to breakages.
The weaker bones are an example of a trade-off. In this phenomenon, a beneficial change of one trait is connected to a harmful change in another trait.
For example, the body size, bone density, and flying ability of a bird cannot be optimized simultaneously due to the laws of physics. This problem is overcome by different species in different ways such as hummingbirds reduce their size, and swans evolve weak bones.
Mutual Courtship
Swans are monogamous and before reaching sexual maturity, they form pair bonds. For example, the trumpeter swan forms pairs from as early as 20 months old but it reaches sexual maturity at the age of 4-7 years.
Like other socially monogamous bird species, swans also follow courtship rituals before mating that strengthen their pair bonds. The courtship rituals in swans may vary.
It includes the formation of heart shape with both of their necks of male and female. They also use vocals during these rituals and black swans use specific feathers in their courtship ritual. The vocals also vary among species.
For example, a honking sound is produced by trumpeter swan with head bobbing, and soft sounds are produced by tundra swans and whooper swans after mating.
Swan Citations
- Treating the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint in Swan Neck and Boutonniere Deformities. Hand Clin . 2018 May;34(2):167-176.
- Volar transfer of the lateral band with transverse retinacular ligament is effective for the correction of swan-neck deformity caused by volar plate injury of the PIP joint. Mod Rheumatol Case Rep . 2020 Jan;4(1):152-155.
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Secretary Bird: Description, Habitat, & Fun Facts
Continue ReadingSecretary Bird Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Sagittariidae
Genus: Sagittarius
Species: Sagittarius serpentarius
Secretary Bird Description
It is a type of terrestrial bird, which has native distribution among grasslands and savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. The species belong to the family Sagittariidae, which consists of only living species.
They have long legs that look like cranes and the body and head resemble eagles. Their long legs extend their height to 4.9 feet.
They are found in grasslands where the length of the grass is less than 1.8 feet and avoid areas with long grasses of more than 3.3 feet.
There are two species of terrestrial birds of prey including secretory birds and caracaras. Caracaras are found in the regions of Central and South America. Their long legs help them to lift their body above the vegetation to spot the prey easily to hunt them.
They are terrestrial birds that mean they hunt on foot. They mainly feed on smaller mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and insects. Sometimes they also act as scavengers and feed on dead organisms.
They hunt and police their territories and spend most of their time in these activities. These birds tend to hunt in proximity to their breeding partners or also in small family groups.
During the hottest part of the day, they take a break and rest in the shade of the tree but otherwise they hunt throughout the day. They cover long distances of more than 20 miles per day to hunt their prey.
Secretary Bird Reproduction
Secretory birds mate only with a single partner that means they are monogamous. They also make their territories that are much larger up to 19 square miles in size. They usually breed throughout the year however it is common in the late dry season.
A nuptial display is performed by both males and females which is done by making a loud croaking sound and soaring high above the ground.
They defend their territories by chasing each other with their wings up and back. They make their nest together and place it at the thorny acacia tree.
It takes around six months to build their nest with the help of twigs, leaves, grasses, animal fur, and dung. The nest is placed between 8-40 feet over the ground and has up to 8 feet width. The same nest of often used for several years.
The eggs are pale blue-green or white. Female lay 1-3 eggs at 2-3 days intervals. Most of the time, females are on the nest but eggs are incubated by both parents. After 45 days, the eggs hatch, and the chicks rely on their parents for food for at least 40 days.
After 75-80 days chick leaves the nest. Depends upon the food availability, secretory birds often raise more than one chick at a time.
Fun Facts About Secretary Bird!
The extremely long legs of secretory birds provide them a strange look but they adapted them for its terrestrial niche. There are many other interesting concepts about secretory birds.
Secretary Bird: a Terrestrial Birds
Instead of flying, they prefer running and spend most of their time moving around on foot. However, they are also able to fly but it requires a lot of energy. Therefore they fly without flapping their wings with the help of thermal columns to save their energy.
They prefer moving on the ground due to the difficulties in flying and prefer flying only if necessary such as they fly to perform courtship rituals and to reach their nests.
Besides secretory birds, the kiwis, ostriches, and penguins also adapted themselves to the terrestrial lifestyle. These all species have not any related taxonomic group that clears that they lose their flying ability because of numerous occasions throughout history.
Unique hunting technique They usually hunt their prey by using many unique techniques. For example, they stomp on vegetation to flush out animals inside the tall grass and then chase down their prey.
They use their feet or bill to strike their prey and can use a force up to 5 times their own body weight. It shows that they have adapted very well to this hunting style. Due to their short toes, the secretory birds have limited grasping ability.
Therefore they cannot carry their prey away in their feet as other birds of prey usually do and eat it immediately. Sometimes they tear it apart using their feet but usually, they eat their prey whole.
Secretary Bird: The Archer of Snakes
The secretory birds have a great ability to kill even dangerous venomous snakes with their stomping techniques, therefore they get the name Sagittarius serpentarious which means ‘archer of snakes’.
They can kill snakes including cobras and adders by their strong kick and also prevent themselves from the bite of their prey by other features.
For example, they have tough scales on the lower legs that protect them from bites, and their long wings distract their prey because the hollow feathers do not get affected by snake bites.
Secretary Bird Citations
- The fast and forceful kicking strike of the secretary bird. Curr Biol . 2016 Jan 25;26(2):R58-R59.
- Tracheal Resection in a Secretary Bird ( Sagittarius serpentarius) with Granulomatous, Foreign-body Induced Tracheitis. J Avian Med Surg . 2017 Dec;31(4):308-313.
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Cuckoo: Description, Habitat, & Facts
Continue ReadingCuckoo Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Cuculus, 25 others
Cuckoo Description
Medium-sized bird, cuckoo belongs to family Cuculidae. The family includes more than 24 genera of slender birds including roadrunner, European cuckoo.
They are distributed throughout the world. Some species of cuckoo such as roadrunner spend much of their time in the ground and while most of the members are tree-dwelling.
Cuckoo Appearance
The bronze cuckoo is the smallest member of this family, which weighs only 0.03 lbs and has a length of about 6 inches whereas the channel-billed cuckoo, which is the largest species weighs up to 1.4lbs and have 25 in length.
The European cuckoo is a common and well-known species, which is 32 cm in length. The body of the common cuckoo appears greyish in color whereas some females and juveniles also show a red-rust or rufous color morph.
The tail of the cuckoo makes about 40 percent of its overall length and the belly feathers also present on their frontside that are barred black and white. Common cuckoo molts twice per year.
The members of the cuckoo family display a variety of traits and behaviors but still, they have some common traits.
For example, their feet are the significant distinguishing feature, which includes four toes among which two inner toes point forward while two outer toes point backward.
The condition is called ‘zygodactyl’. The members of the family Cuculidae consist of species having two general body forms named arboreal and terrestrial species.
The arboreal species including the common cuckoo have a slender body with shorter feet and are tree-dwellers. The terrestrial species have different body forms with larger feet and have rounder and heavier bodies.
The example includes roadrunner that spends their time on the ground and prefers running instead of flying. Due to their heavier body flying is not a viable option for terrestrial cuckoos.
Cuckoo Distribution
Cuckoo belongs to a large family and is distributed all over the world on every continent besides Antarctica. The brood parasite cuckoos from sub-family cuculinae are one of the most broadly distributed sub-family, which occur across Asia, Europe, Australia, and Oceania.
The different species have different habitat preferences such as arboreal species are primarily tree-dwellers and terrestrial species prefer to live on the ground. They select their habitat based on food availability and safety to form a nest and breeding.
Some species prefer arid deserts or less vegetated areas to live in, e.g. the greater roadrunner. Most of the species tend to remain in their tropical paradise but some species prefer seasonal migration while some others migrate within their range.
The example includes the long-tailed koel, which breeds in New Zealand but in winters it migrates to grounds of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. Most cuckoo species feed on insects mainly on caterpillars.
Cuckoo Nesting and Reproduction
The breeding habits also vary among species of the cuckoo family. Most species including roadrunners are monogamous. They build their nests in trees while the terrestrial species from a nest on the ground.
The common cuckoo finds a perch to settle on during the breeding season. The cuckoo drops its wings at its side by raising its long tail. Some of the species resort to brood parasitism while the majority of species raise their young ones on their own.
The parasitic birds lay just one egg in the host species’ nest whereas non-parasitic birds lay up to 6 eggs in their own nest. The distribution of these species is worldwide.
Some species are threatened from habitat destruction or human development but most of the species are not threatened. The IUCN Red List for threatened species listed them as “Least concerned” species.
Fun Facts About Cuckoo!
Human culture has interacted with Cuckoos for millions of years, from ancient Greece to the Europe of Shakespeare to India and Japan.
Cuckoo is a Parasite Bird
The category of brood parasites includes common cuckoo and other members of the subfamily Cuculinae. The young ones of these species are reared by other species. When the owner of a nest is out for hunting or defending its territory, the female cuckoo lays her egg in its nest.
The males also do the bidding for females in some cuckoo species by luring the host species away from its nest. The other bird incubates the egg of the cuckoo and also feeds the cuckoo chick after its birth.
The cuckoo chick often pushes other eggs and chicks from the nest and takes over. Warblers are also one of the host adults that are much smaller than the large cuckoo chick.
In some cases, the young of these brood parasite species have cryptic plumage (feathers) at a young age and the plumage resembles similar to the host species. Some cuckoo eggs will also mimic the eggs of the host species.
Cuckoo: a Communal Bird
The cuckoo is a monogamous organism. However, several species of cuckoo show brood parasitism. This interesting behavior is only seen in the members of the cuckoo family.
However, besides brood parasitism, one another behavior is also seen in some species. The anis cuckoo and the guira cuckoo and some other species also lay their eggs in communal nests.
The large nest was built by all the members of the group and then used by all to rear their young. But the system has also some problems like many communal situations.
The females have competition between them to remove other eggs from the nest to lay their own.
Cuckoo: an Advanced Repertoire
The diverse calls and songs of cuckoo are well-known. They are secretive and deceptive birds and communicate via their variety of songs. They also announce their dominion and attract their mates with songs.
Interestingly, over vast geographical ranges, the songs remain highly consistent. But instead of learning from their parents, they may be innate to a species due to their communal raising.
Cuckoo Citations
- Parasitic cuckoo catfish exploit parental responses to stray offspring. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci . 2019 Apr 1;374(1769):20180412.
- A melanocytic cuckoo. JAAD Case Rep . 2018 Apr 6;4(4):384-385.
- A cuckoo in the nest. New Sci . 2020 Apr 11;246(3277):32.
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