[Applause] [Music] the animal kingdom a remarkable array of living breathing natural wonders Majestic compelling [Music] ingenious and extraordinary fascinating physical visceral and ferocious discover their past present and future just [Music] stunning just glorious Just Amazing Just [Music] Animals Birds they're melodious calls often wake [Music] us the way they saw gliding effortlessly in the sky is both uplifting and inspiring Envy is not an emotion that many animals can stir in us but birds
have made us jealous for thousands of years their gravity defying Freedom a source of wonder and [Music] enchantment apart from being incredibly diverse they are also exceedingly numerous 9 to 10,000 bird species are thought to exist around the globe and new research suggests there could easily be double that a decade ago scientists estimated there were 200 to 4 400 billion individual birds across the planet not surprising knowing that birds occupy every available Niche on every [Music] contine
nt from the largest to the smallest birds are a natural success [Music] story one that spans millions of years [Music] biologically birds are endothermic vertebrates animals with a backbone that can maintain their body temperature no matter the weather being warm-blooded is vital for Birds it allows them to maintain the high levels of energy needed for flight as a group they belong to the class aies Latin for bird feathers are just one of the basic characteristics that define this class of [Musi
c] animals where there are feathers there are [Music] wings true not all birds can fly but they do all have a pair of wings attached to pectoral or chest muscles most use their modified for limbs to soore through the [Music] air but some wings are special they can fly underwater eggs are next on the A's checklist specifically hard shelled eggs the surprisingly robust vessels that how developing young they're tapered shape stopping them from rolling out of a nest and making a snug fit with each o
ther to help maintain warmth another special feature of birds is an internal one their bones instead of marrow many bones in a bird's skeleton are Hollow filled with air sacks reinforced forced by a network of struts the result a strong light framework perfect for [Music] flight when they are on ground level Birds typically get about in a bipedal fashion the length of their limbs and the shape of their feet as varied as the environments that birds [Music] inhabit [Music] what appears to be a bac
kward knee on a flamingo is actually its ankle so in effect the bird is Tippy toeing through the shallows while they may not have teeth birds have the next best thing a bill or beak they're not only used for eating but also in grooming defense and even courtship these Hardy facial structures are composed of keratin the same fibrous protein that makes up hair feathers and Claws specialized beak shapes are highly developed tools for eating spoon bills swing their broad flat spatula like bills side
to side partly opened as they Wade the Bill's sensitive tip detects food at the slightest touch and snaps shut on any morsel effective but slow spoon bills spend hours a day feeding roughly half of all bird species found in the world today are passerines or song birds a bird's vocal organ is called ainx located where the windpipe Forks off to the lungs it allows Birds to produce more than one sound at a time which enables them to create such complex songs bird families number in the hundreds to
help navigate this massively diverse class some common but broad groupings will help to identify the amazing variety of birds that inhabit our world song birds can weigh as little as half a teaspoon of sugar and up to about 1 and 1/2 kilos and are commonly known as perching Birds thanks to the layout of their grasping [Music] feet three forward pointing toes plus one larger toe at the back means they can get a tight grip when [Music] [Music] perching [Music] the northern mocking bird is the cha
mpion of vocal gymnastics able to mimic a wide variety of other birds and also cats dogs and insects the more diverse their vocal range the more likely they are to find and keep a mate usually monogamous females constantly evaluate their mates performance especially when an unmated male moves in [Music] nearby Birds of Prey are the champions of the Skies top tier Hunters this formidable group come armed with sharp hooked beaks strong brwy legs and razor-like Talons their eyesight is just as shar
p allowing them to detect their prey while on the wing Bal Eagles have four Talons on each foot the rear Talon called aalo is longer and points forward the front Talons hold the prey immobile while the hu pierces the vital areas these hunters and scavengers are also known as Raptors a name that means to seize or take by force waiting Birds present a far more tranquil image as they roam the water's edge some are more lanky than others but all are perfectly adapted to walk the shallows of their fe
eding grounds most of these birds breed on land never staying far from [Music] waterways the australasian gree makes things a little harder as it builds its nests out of decaying vegetation floating on the waterways the hard work pays off because as the amount of vegetable matter builds up it gives off heat helping to incubate the eggs wading Birds vary greatly and not just in body size beaks and bills come in in a vast range of shapes to best suit the owner's appetite a Heron's powerful beak is
perfect for striking at small fish in the shallows their long neck held in Readiness in an S shape able to shoot out with startling speed water foul as the name suggests are very much at home on the water with their characteristic webt feet one B bodies and flat pills true waddling makes them appear a little clumsy on land add water and these birds hit their stride a picture of effortless Grace as they Glide along the surface swans are the largest of the water foul weighing up to 15 kilos they'
re impressive impressive size gives them their Majestic [Music] presence in Europe white swans were common and the only swans ever heard of until the surprising discovery in the late 1700s of the now iconic black swans of Western Australia seabirds spend their life in and around the great saltwater oceans of the planet features include webbed feet waterproof feathers and a healthy appetite for seafood seabirds truly live up to their name surviving and thriving in some of the harshest conditions
some only coming ashore to breed skewers are some of the hardiest about the size of a large Sea Gull this tough breed live and raise their young all around Continental Antarctica they are are excellent flyers and have been seen as far inland as the South Pole tropical birds are at the other extreme of climate a dazzling mix of colors is common bright greens and yellows helping to camouflage birds in the multicolored canopies of the rainforest typically equipped with large strong beaks for protec
tion and to crack hard nuts and seeds that make up part of their diet tropical birds have zygodactyl feet with two toes facing forward and two to the rear being able to wrap their entire foot around a branch creates a broad solid purging [Music] position tropical birds are vocal but their harsh calls are not that melodious they do make up for it in other ways known for their spirited curious Natures their intelligence and Longevity the blue and yellow mcor of South America like many parrots has
a long lifespan in the wild mating for Life a parrot pair could spend 35 years [Music] together game birds are amongst the most fascinating in nature many have large plump bodies and aren't the best Flyers spending most of their time on the ground but they do know how to catch attention the mating rituals of some are amongst the most elaborate in the bird World greater Sage grous are notable for their courtship [Music] rituals males performing their strutting display for several hours in the mor
ning and evening during [Music] spring the females pick the most attractive dancer and the dominant males will breed with 80% of the female population it's common among game birds to be polygynous males maintaining a herum of females to breed with many game birds like the common pheasant build their nests on the ground in a scrape but will roost in trees at night for protection they are short distance Flyers preferring to run but chicks are ready to fly within 12 to 14 days of hatching night bir
ds prefer to avoid attention their existence depends on staying unnoticed during the day night birds tend to roost quietly their feathery camouflage hiding them in amongst foliage come Sunset and they spring to life this is when when their acute hearing and large eyes come into play while owls cannot roll or move their eyes they make up for it by being able to rotate their heads through 270° left or right and also almost completely upside down another speciality is their soft edged Wings a comik
e edge breaks up turbulence muffling their wings and allowing them to silently swoop on their prey [Music] swooping is something this last group cannot do flightless birds all have wings but they do not use them to take to the skies like the rest of their cousins some use theirs for balance or like Rudders to steer their bodies when they're on the Run other flightless birds use their wings to try and attract a mate a male ostrich symbolically clears out a nest in his courtship dance penguins hav
e taken their wings to a whole other level using their flipper likee appendages to soore underwater with such diversity across all birds the extremes are incredible the ostrich takes out the title for the largest and heaviest bird in the world 2.7 M tall and weighing up to 150 kilos sometimes more at the other end of the scale is the bee hummingbird weighing less than a sugar cube the males are smaller than females only measuring 57 mm with their bill and tail making up half of that the wanderin
g Albatross takes the title for the broadest wingspan stretching up to 3 and 1/2 M for Speed the paragan Falcon is the fastest able to exceed 320 kmph during a hunting dive underwater the gentu penguin comes out on top able to swim at 40 kmph the award for the largest beak goes to the Australian Pelican which can support bills up to 50 cm as for their massive throat pouches these natural fishing nets can hold an incredible 13 L of water the list of superlatives relating to birds is seemingly end
less not surprising with so many remarkable creatures making up their [Music] [Music] ranks the fact that birds have managed to inhabit every continent is not down to sheer luck it's thanks to a vast range of natural features finely tuned adaptations and remarkable skill sets some of the most obvious and valuable assets are their feathers not only do they keep their bodies warm and camouflaged from predators they make flight possible and during breeding season they act like a vibrant billboard a
dvertising genetic press [Music] there are three basic types of feathers soft fluffy down that grows close to the skin trapping warm air that insulates their bodies next contour feathers that cover their wings tails and body giving them a smooth streamlined coat they are strong flexible and lightweight structures special versions of these grow from their wings known as flight feathers that are shaped to push air and create lift allowing the bird to take off and [Music] fly a bird's Wing shape al
so contributes to this ability slightly bulging or curving out on top and flat or slightly concave underneath the inspiration for the design of airplane [Music] wings once Airborne the flight feathers work like propellers and Rudders allowing the feathery pilot to change [Music] directions While most birds have light hollow bones for flight one group have made a change penguin's bones are much denser giving them less buoyancy and greater strength when swimming through water [Music] thanks to the
ir large eyes that are mostly concealed within their skulls birds see the world very well and unlike a lot of mammals they do so in [Music] color bigger eyes mean better vision necessary when trying to avoid midair collisions or trying to spot a well- camouflaged meal larger eyes also mean better reception in relation to body size the wedg tailed eagle has the largest eyes in the bird world and also enjoys the best Clarity Birds also rely heav heavily on their hearing in general their ears are l
ocated just behind and below their eyes hidden under cheek feathers called orics the shape of a bird's head can also improve their hearing owl's facial discs are like a satellite dish funneling sounds into their ears in order to comfortably perch stand or wait in the most extreme conditions birds have evolved with fewer nerves in their legs and feet enabling them to endure harsh elements longer Birds may not have teeth but their beaks are built to handle their favorite foods different designs fo
r various menu items small cone-shaped beaks are perfect for cracking seeds thin pointy beaks just right for snatching up insects hooked tips help with grip as special muscular section in their stomach the gizard AIDS digestion by grinding and crushing tough items birds can sometimes be seen eating gravel or Stones these go right to the gizard and become teeth inside their stomachs While most birds are content with standard features some have been bestowed with fancy accessories crests and crown
s can be part of mating displays but H's attention grabbing crests are thought to Signal emotions raising their Crest helps convey intentions and warnings with others it also makes them appear bigger and serves as an early warning to aggressors the golden feathers of the crowned crane help to blend in with the tops of the vegetation of the grasslands they inhabit but for others the headdress is is not enough sometimes Birds need to go all out to attract a mate peacocks show off from top to tail
they're famous shimmering trains made up of 200 feathers wattles are another type of eye-catching ornament these bright fleshy growths are for attracting potential mates the brighter the better caes top off their unusual good looks with a headpiece called a cque its purpose is unknown theories suggest it could be a natural helmet a tool to knock down fruit or a reproductive decoration one decoration that can't be missed in the breeding season is the bright red throat sack of the male magnificent
frig bird once these fellows have chosen a nesting site they puff up their vibrant balloon and put on a magnificent display for any interested females individually fascinating as a group Birds move into the realm of spectacular flocks of Starlings perform what are known as murmurations shape-shifting Gatherings of [Music] birds hypnotizing to watch these feathery clouds are thought to do just that Mesmerize and confuse any predators a spectacular example of safety in [Music] numbers at the end
of the Cretaceous Period 65 million years ago the age of the dinosaurs was over or was it to a paleontologist the answer is as plain as the scales on a bird's legs scales like those seen on reptiles and dinosaurs birds and reptiles share other traits like eyes brains and skulls that are similar partially hollow bones plus they both lay eggs characteristics like these have led scientists to believe reptiles and birds have very very old Family Ties the link between these two was Arch optrix the fi
rst known bird with fossils discovered in 1860 a century later and the next piece in the origin of Bird's puzzle fell into place with researches noting shared characteristics between modern birds and small theropods carnivorous dinosaurs just as birds are diverse so too were the theropods T-Rex and velociraptors are are larger examples in this group theropods walked on two hind legs their feet resembling a birds with three toes forward and one back many therapods had hollow bones and long before
any chicken existed they laid eggs these are just a few of a long list of similarities that dinosaurs share with birds along with feathers since 1996 more than 50 species of feathered dinosaurs have been Unearthed in fossil sites in China as for a bird's closest living relatives they are the crocodilians they both belong to the arasur clade a group of animals that all share the same ancestor creatures that have roamed the Earth for approximately 250 million years particularly the terasa the ear
liest known vertebrates to evolve powered flight the evolution from Prehistoric Beasts to Modern Birds has taken millions of years a fascinating transformation from flying dinosaur to living [Music] [Music] [Music] fossil bird watching is an age-old hobby that comes with simple rewards the satisfaction of spying these fascinating creatures in their natural surroundings one activity that takes up a good part of their time is grooming or preening preening is not only an opportunity to get rid of e
xcess dirt and parasites these pring sessions are when Birds realign their feathers to ensure they're always in top condition beaks are the main grooming tool but feet can times be called into service many birds also have a PR gland near the base of their tail that secretes a waxy oily substance by rubbing their bills and heads over the gland they can spread it over their entire bodies keeping their feathers waterproof and [Music] flexible nest building is another special behavior to witness the
se feathery Architects capable of weaving the most intricate homes in the animal world out of a wide range of materials some are small and [Music] simple others are rough and rugged birds can also be quite thrifty when it comes to home sites why build when you can borrow tree Hollows Burrows even termite nests are all common options one bird that has a natural flare for design is the satin bow bird these extravagant Creations known as Bowers are true labors of Love built for the sole purpose of
impressing a mate male satin Bower birds will steal from each other's nests to decorate their own blue to match their plumage is the favorite color when it comes to territorial Behavior the songbirds are the Masters they stake out territory in a certain area because it meets their survival needs providing them with food water and [Music] shelter one of the main reasons they sing is to claim territory and to defend it for males the strength and quality of their call is meant to to deter any would
be Rivals plus signal their Vigor to any female listeners territory can be held by a single bird a breeding peir or an entire flock the change of seasons is the Catalyst for one of the greatest behavioral instincts [Music] migration the search for food and nesting sites are the two main motivators for birds to embark on these annual Journeys some only travel short distances While others take on Airborne marathons instinctively following the same route year after year calendar geese can cover clo
se to 5,000 km one way in their distinctive v [Music] formation a bar tailed godwit with satellite tracked almost 12,000 km in 8 Days on migration from Alaska to New [Music] Zealand how they navigate their way is not fully understood but theories suggest birds can sense magnetic fields using them and the position of the sun and stars to direct their internal Compass prominent landmarks are also thought to guide these feathery Travelers which as a group have Collective memories about plentiful st
opover locations where they can rest and refuel while the logistics of these great migrations remains puzzling what is clear is the stamina and graceful determination to complete their Epic Journey no matter how big or small this is how every bird comes into the world inside one of these delicate Creations the hard shells allow parents to sit on their precious bundles while incubating them although the shell of a bird's egg seems solid the entire surface is dotted with pores that allow gas excha
nge with oxygen going in and carbon dioxide flowing out made from calcium carbonate the default color for eggs is white but colors and patterns vary greatly between species and even within the species even at this early stage in life camouflage is a must ground nesting Birds need eggs to match the surrounding terrain tree nesters usually have green or blue eggs color strengthens the shells and AIDS as a sunscreen birds that lay in Hollows or deep nests tend to lay white eggs while the ostrich is
the largest of the birds its eggs are considered the smallest relative to the size of the adult an ostrich will lay around 15 eggs over a short period before it will sit on them during the laying season from March to August they can lay as many as 100 [Music] eggs once a female has laid her clutch of eggs they need to be kept warm most birds use brood patches to warm their developing eggs these are patches of bare skin with lots of blood vessels at the surface perfect for heat transfer but not
all birds sit on their eggs others choose to stand on them like boobies these seabirds pass body warmth onto their eggs via their webbed feet many penguins use a combination of these two techniques wedging the egg between their brood patch and their feet with emperor penguins this is the sole duty of the father and he has the longest wait for a chick to emerge two long cold months when the time comes to hatch most baby birds come equipped with an egg tooth to help them break through the inner me
mbrane and then the hard shell located on the tip of their upper beak this sharp projection is like a tiny Hammer the chick using it to slowly but surely chip out an Escape Route soon after hatching this clever tool drops [Music] off while all birds come from eggs they are not all born equal different species arrive at different stages of development precocial chicks like these kelp geese arrive with a covering of warm down feathers their eyes and brains are well developed and while they can't y
et fly they can walk some are able to feed themselves soon after hatching others are so advanced they can swim dive and catch fish within their first few days while they are fairly independent Rosal chicks can take months to fledge when they develop Wing feathers large enough for flight this means until they can take to the skies the parents are constantly on Predator Alert in comparison altricial chicks are born bare blind and helpless apart from having to keep their babies warm the parents als
o have to feed them a task that becomes increasingly demanding as these slow starters are rapid and ravenous developers altricial chicks have a habit of begging for food waggling their gaping mouths of their parents the edges of their mouths are bright filled with blood when a chick has an empty stomach they're even brighter researchers have noted that parents will feed chicks with the most colorful mouths this hectic phase is thankfully for the parents relatively short with altricial chicks fle
dging quite quickly some being on the wing and independent in less than a month no matter what kind of chick none of them are going anywhere without feathers on baby birds when their first real feathers start sprouting through their skin they look like spines these are called pink or blood feathers as they have a blood supply to support their growth pin feathers can also be seen on older birds that are in the process of shedding or molting as each new feather grows the protective sheath around i
t gets longer eventually the developing feather expands and unfurls during this stage these Aven adolescents can look quite awkward and Scruffy a fully fledged Young not only has a full coat of feathers but the muscle power in its wings to support flight birds are not born Flyers these beginner Pilots need to learn and earn their wings it's a process of trial and error each attempt giving the wing muscles a chance to strengthen and grow young birds can look quite different from their parents the
ir immature plumage often having spots or other markings to help camouflage them while they learn more about their environment where to roost what to eat and any potential dangers depending on the species some youngsters stay with their parents until the next breeding season or stay on to help babysit the Next Generation others are driven off to find a territory of their own as they grow a young Bird's looks will also mature with many species telling males from females is quite easy due to the f
act they are dimorphic meaning they display visual differences males are often brightly colored to help them attract attention and hopefully a mate their female counterparts are often quite dull perfect when trying to blend in and hide a nest full of [Music] chicks sometimes the two sexes in one species look so different they've been mistaken as two separate breeds the male Western peroia bird of paradise has an iridescent display of plumage including headwires sprouting behind each eye the fema
le by comparison is so dull and unadorned that it is hard to credit as the same species the lifespan of birds is highly varied compared to other animals birds are incredibly long lived geese not only made for life but can live as long as 24 years large parrots are famous for reaching impressive ages with many known to celebrate 50 or even up to 80 birthdays [Music] smaller birds such as quailes have a lifespan between 2 and 5 years the first two years of life are the danger zone if a young bird
can survive accidents disease predation migration and winter starvation it may live a surprisingly long time visit any of the seven continents and there will be Birds guaranteed from harsh arid regions to the Frozen extremes birds have adapted to live and breed in almost every terrestrial habitat no matter where they live a bird's habitat must provide them with four Basic Essentials food Water [Music] Shelter and nesting sites in return Birds play many important roles in their environment in the
food chain they can be anything from primary consumers feeding on vegetation and Grains through to apex predators by weeding out the week they ensure the overall health of the entire [Music] ecosystem thanks to their dining habits birds are also excellent at natural Pest Control even the humble duck does its bit dabbling in the water for tasty mosquito lavy many plants rely on feathery visitors to work as pollinators necor birds are rewarded for their services with a sweet drink of nectar birds
fall for the same trick with fruit frugivores eat only fruit and by dispersing seeds far and wide they unintentionally promote plant and Forest growth their deposits not only spread seeds but also improve soil quality their dung or guano being rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and [Music] phosphorus the Scavengers in the family offer vital Sanitation Services these cleanup Crews happy to dispose of rotting carcasses vultures are protected from the disease and poisonous bacteria in their Meals
by a highly corrosive stomach acid they are able to safely eat Caron that would kill any other bird the Aven world is also populated by many OMS these birds aren't that fussy eating anything and everything they can get their beaks [Applause] into some are highly selective mcores like woodpeckers rely on plant mucus or sap for part of their diet some birds prefer smaller prey and enter into special Partnerships to obtain them for example oxpeckers are often seen feasting off the backs of larger b
easts this is known as a mutualistic relationship where both parties win the bird gets a free meal while its friend receives complimentary parasite [Music] removal the phrase to eat like a bird has no meaning when it comes to how much food Our Feathered Friends can consume the average Bird eats between 25 and 50% of its body weight daily as for quenching their thirst birds get a lot of the moisture they need from their food but they do still need to drink as a rule of thumb the smaller the bird
the greater their needs hummingbirds take this to the extreme these minute aviators can eat two to three times their own body weight in Sugar Rich nectar a day supplemented with a side order of insects why so hungry to fuel their wings that can flap up to 80 times a minute tiny creatures massively [Music] impressive the mere presence of birds in a region is taken as a good sign they are environmental monitors obvious indicators of the area's overall health wherever they live whatever they eat th
eir existence enriches Our Lives beautiful to encounter marvelous to observe A Feast for the eyes ears and soul [Music] birds have been holding our Fascination for thousands of years with many species becoming revered symbols creatures with special cultural significance in ancient Egypt birds like the ibus really left their mark their image is not only found in hieroglyphics but but also as a symbol for tote god of the Moon magic and writing in times past the peacock represented Mother Earth in
India many cultures regard owls as symbols of wisdom and knowledge due to their habit of staying up all night much like dedicated Scholars power courage and freedom just a few qualities that have long been associated with eagles these Majestic birds are also part of many spiritual beliefs some cultures see them as the chief of all winged animals Beauty and elegance were reason enough for the crowned crane to become the national symbol of Uganda humans have long viewed birds and their behavior as
harbingers of our fortunes the crane is an icon in Japan symbolizing happiness and long life fables have them Living For A Thousand Years the practice of making paper cranes is a popular tradition Legend says if anyone folds a thousand they are granted a wish in many cultures around the globe eggs represent fertility new life and rebirth doves are not only International symbols of peace these birds are often associated with love the presence of swallows is taken as a sign that spring is on the
way good luck will come to those who make a wish on the first Robin they see for the year birds can also be seen as signs of bad fortune an albatross flying around a ship at Sea means bad weather is on the way superstitions aside many simply admire a bird's ability to fly the dream to experience such freedom and exhilaration inspiring the creation of many lofty inventions natural beauty and natural talents birds have always held the formula that captures our attention and Imagination because bir
ds have infiltrated every region on the planet they make an enormous contribution to the health and stability of ecosystems worldwide and while there are billions of them their conservation is vital recently it has been estimated that one in eight bird species are threatened with Extinction this decline can be attributed to various common causes such as habitat loss through land clearing over fishing an accidental by catch of seabirds predation by introduced species and changes in climate conser
vationists are making a difference all over the globe feral cat populations have been eradicated from subantarctic Islands to protect penguin colonies habitat protection plans in Brazilian forests will give species like the redca mannequin a better [Music] chance in New Zealand captive breeding programs have brought the kakapo the world's heaviest parrot back from the brink of Extinction zoos and sanctuaries provide safe havens and avenues to rebuild populations for eventual reintroduction to th
e wild simple everyday actions can also make a huge difference to birds stopping domestic pets from strain growing native plants restoring habitat every seemingly small step adds up gradually creating changes that will hopefully see more species enjoy the bright future they [Music] [Music] deserve [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music]
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