Bird Facts
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Which bird travels the longest distance?

Bird Facts:
Arctic tern in flight.


The arctic tern



Ease in traveling is not what matters to the Arctic tern; what really matters is distance.

This bird has won for itself a reputation as long-distance champion traveler, for the Arctic tern has the longest migration of any known animal: a yearly journey of about 40,000 kilometers!

This champion globe-trotter nests as far north as there is any land to nest on; one nest was found just 724 kilometers from the North Pole.

When the young are able to fly, they leave their Arctic nests and set out for their winter homes in the Antarctic, 18,000 kilometers away.

Because of its traveling back and forth between the Arctic and the Antarctic, the Arctic tern is constantly in areas where the daylight hours are the longest and so wins for itself another record-that of enjoying more daylight than any other living animal.

During a year’s time the bird must fly many miles foraging for food so that the travel each year for the Arctic tern must add up to a distance about 40,000 kilometers which equals to distance of traveling around the earth's circumference.

Does an ostrich bury it's head in the sand?


Ostrich.


Why an Ostrich does not need to bury it's head in the sand?



An ostrich may stand eight feet tall and weigh over three hundred pounds.

With such a large build and commanding view of his preferred wide-open spaces, should the ostrich really bury his head in the sand?

No, and he does not.

Only proverbially is he credited with such an act.

When danger approaches, his two strong legs are ready to deal heavy blows.

He has only two toes on each foot, but watch out for those toenails!

They can rip a lion wide open.

However, if an Ostrich decides to flee he can get away fast, taking at least fifteen-foot strides and reaching forty miles an hour.

However, when Mrs Ostrich is protecting her eggs from a large predator she may feign injury as a decoy to protect her eggs from being found.

It is believed that maybe this habit is what caused the fallacy of the ostrich burying it's head in the sand to begin.

But on the other hand, Mr. Ostrich is in a class of his own.

He is gregarious, flocking not only with ten to fifty other ostriches, but also with zebras and antelopes.

In fact, Mr. Ostrich is so gregarious he practices polygamy.

He usually mates with three or four females.

Mrs. Ostrich’s eggs weigh nearly three pounds each.

That may seem large, but in proportion to her body it represents only one percent of her total weight and is thus said to be one of the smallest bird eggs in the world.

After about ten of them are laid in a common nest by his wives, Mr. Ostrich settles down on the eggs for the night, surrounded by his harem.

Next morning Mr. Ostrich leaves the nest and the ladies take over.
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