Latest news with #birds
Free Malaysia Today
14 hours ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Meet Zorro and Luna, Rafiq's free-flying feathered friends
Rafiq Haikal Rosdi started training his birds Zorro (left) and Luna to free-fly when they were about two months old. (Rafiq Haikal Rosdi pic) PETALING JAYA : Have you heard of Have you heard of free-flying birds ? These are birds that are trained to return to their owners after flying outdoors. That's exactly what Rafiq Haikal Rosdi's feathered companions, Zorro and Luna, can do! On National Parrot Day today, FMT Lifestyle shines a spotlight on these beautiful birds and their bond with their human. Zorro, an Edward's Lorikeet, has striking greenish-yellow plumage with a splash of blue on his head. Luna, a Red Lory, is just as eye-catching, with glossy crimson plumage tinged with purplish and dark blue hues. 'I started training them to free fly when they were about two months old,' Rafiq, 23, shared. He began with commands like 'fly to me', 'walk to me', 'jump down' and 'jump up', training them indoors at first before gradually moving outdoors. 'When they're flying, Zorro always follows wherever Luna goes. But Luna doesn't follow Zorro!' he added with a smile. Zorro is a lovelyEdward's Lorikeet, while Luna is a vibrant Red Lory. (Rafiq Haikal Rosdi pic) Although he hasn't conducted DNA tests to accurately ascertain their genders, Rafiq believes Zorro is male and Luna female. Both birds, he said, are about two years old, with Zorro being four to five months older. Rafiq dotes on his feathered friends and makes it a point to spend his evenings engaging in free-flying sessions with them. When time permits on weekends, Rafiq – who lives in Lumut, Perak – travels to places like Bukit Antarabangsa in Selangor to meet other bird owners, so Zorro and Luna can soar through the skies alongside fellow free-flyers. His dedication doesn't stop there: every morning, he feeds the birds fresh fruits like bananas, papayas and apples. On weekdays, whenever his schedule allows, he returns home during his lunch break to give them extra food. Thankfully, his office isn't far from his home, making these midday visits possible. Zorro and Luna will boldly go where most birds won't: near a cat! (Rafiq Haikal Rosdi pic) Rafiq has cared for the birds since they were three or four weeks old, hand-feeding them three times a day when they were younger. Naturally, they've developed a close bond with him. 'When I return home, they start chirping as soon as they hear my voice,' he said fondly. Zorro, Rafiq noted, is the more affectionate of the two – although Luna has a jealous streak and doesn't like it when he plays with his kitten! While most birds steer clear from cats, Zorro is an exception: the bird tries to befriend the resident feline, sometimes by playfully nibbling on the kitten's ears and tail. The kitty is usually unimpressed. Both birds, Rafiq noted, are also fascinated by shiny things: if he's wearing a ring, they love to peck on it! Rafiq dotes on his feathered companions, and it's clear the affection is mutual. (Rafiq Haikal Rosdi pics) Indeed, Rafiq's feathered companions fill his life with happiness, and he treasures the lasting memories they create together, especially during their free-flying sessions. 'When Zorro and Luna fly back to me, it's a heartwarming feeling,' he concluded. Follow the adventures of Zorro and Luna on TikTok. This article was written by Sheela Vijayan @ FMT Lifestyle. Read more pet stories here. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathered friends to lifestyle@ Don't forget to include details like your pet's name, age, breed and a short story about them.
Forbes
20 hours ago
- General
- Forbes
A Biologist Spotlights The World's Strongest Bird. Hint: It Can Carry Up To 30 Pounds While Flying
Most birds are known for their speed and agility, not their strength. But there are a few species ... More that have both. Here's the bird that rules the roost when it comes to measuring strength in flight. The world's strongest birds, as measured by how much they can carry, are all flightless. The ostrich, for instance, can carry a human on its back. In fact, there are some farms in Africa where you can ride an ostrich, although the practice is generally discouraged. However, the more interesting question — at least in the eyes of this biologist — is which flight-capable bird is strongest. To be able to fly, you must first be light. This is why flight-capable birds have evolved in a specialized way to reduce their weight. Bird bones, for instance, are hollow and filled with air spaces connected to the respiratory system, which makes them lightweight yet strong. Many birds have fused or reduced bones to minimize weight and improve aerodynamic efficiency. They lack heavy teeth, using lightweight beaks instead, and they often have only one functional ovary to reduce internal mass. Even feathers, which seem delicate, are made of keratin and are engineered for both insulation and lift without adding unnecessary bulk. All of these adaptations work together to reduce weight while maximizing flight capability. The challenge then becomes how to maximize muscle density and efficiency while retaining a light, aerodynamic build. This is a problem that the harpy eagle — which can be found in southern Mexico, Central America and South America — has solved. Here is the story of the harpy eagle and why it earns the title of world's strongest flight-capable bird. The harpy eagle, widely regarded as the strongest flight-capable bird, can lift prey weighing up to ... More 30 pounds — nearly twice its own body weight. The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) stands out due to its extraordinary strength. With a wingspan of up to seven feet and weighing between 13 and 20 pounds, the harpy eagle is built for power. What may be most impressive about the harpy eagle is its grip strength. It has talons as large as a grizzly bear's claws and can exert a pressure of over 500 pounds per square inch — strong enough to carry prey weighing up to 30 pounds. That's almost double its own body weight, a feat nearly unmatched in the aerial world. Living in the dense tropical rainforests of Central and South America, the harpy eagle hunts monkeys, sloths, and other medium-sized mammals that few other birds would attempt to target. It perches high in the canopy and swoops down to attack its prey. Despite its size, it can maneuver skillfully through the forest. (Sidebar: The harpy eagle doesn't just hunt monkeys — it's been known to attack humans. Learn more about the first scientifically documented case of an Amazonian harpy eagle attack on a 29-year-old woman.) Unlike soaring birds of prey that rely on long-distance gliding, the harpy eagle relies on brute strength and ambush tactics. A harpy eagle feeds on a rabbit — though it's capable of hunting much larger prey, including monkeys ... More and sloths. The harpy eagle isn't the only bird worth mentioning in the 'strongest flying bird' category. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) also boasts impressive carrying capacity and flight strength. Weighing up to 14 pounds with a wingspan of about six to eight feet, bald eagles can lift prey weighing about as much as it does. Some videos document instances of bald eagles attacking and carrying small deer. While the bald eagle may not have the sheer strength of a harpy eagle, they are known for their stamina — often carrying heavy fish over long distances. Their talons are designed to pierce and grip slippery prey, and their large wings allow them to soar for hours using thermal currents, conserving energy while still transporting meals. Another contender is the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo). Though primarily nocturnal and not typically thought of in terms of strength, this owl is one of the largest and heaviest in the world. With a wingspan of nearly six feet and a weight of up to 10 pounds, it can lift prey close to its own body weight. The Eurasian eagle-owl primarily feeds on mammals and birds, including rabbits, foxes, and even other raptors. Its silent flight, thanks to specialized feather structure, gives it the element of surprise, allowing it to overpower animals nearly its own size. Are you an animal lover who owns a pet, perhaps even a pet bird? Take the science-backed Pet Personality Test to know how well you know your little friend.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Who is the Premier League's master of the dark arts? Which player is the most one-footed? And what is Raheem Sterling's unwanted shooting record? THE SHARPE END'S ALTERNATIVE SEASON AWARDS
The season is almost over. Clubs with birds on their badges won all the domestic trophies and another one in Tottenham lifted the Europa League. Trust to spoil the symmetry of it all. With just the Champions League left to be decided – no birds there either – it is time to hand out my alternative end-of-season awards.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Birds lived in the Arctic during the time of the dinosaurs
Experts have uncovered the earliest evidence of birds nesting in polar regions.A new study has found that they were raising their young in the Arctic seventy-three million years at the same time and in the same place dinosaurs say their findings show that birds were living in the area 30 million years earlier than previously thought. What did scientists discover? The international team was led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the United States and also included the University of Reading in the took took a close look at more than fifty tiny fossilised bones and teeth recovered from an Alaskan excavation were collected from the Prince Creek Formation in the US state of Alaska, an area known for its dinosaur identified a number of different types of birds - including diving birds, gull-like birds and also several kinds that are similar to modern ducks and Jacob Gardner from the University of Reading, a co-author on the study, said: "For the first time, we determined the identities of large numbers of fossils using high-resolution scans and the latest computer tools, revealing an enormous diversity of birds in this ancient Arctic ecosystem."Lauren Wilson, lead author of the study, explained the importance of their discovery."Finding bird bones from the Cretaceous [period] is already very rare. To find baby bird bones is almost unheard of. That is why these fossils are significant."Birds have existed for 150 million years. For half of the time they have existed, they have been nesting in the Arctic," she added.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Birds were nesting in the Arctic during age of dinosaurs, scientists discover
The Arctic might evoke images of polar bears and seals, but 73m years ago it was a dinosaur stomping ground. Now fossil hunters say these beasts shared their turf with a host of different birds. Researchers believe their discovery of more than 50 bird fossils from the Prince Creek formation in Alaska is the oldest evidence of birds nesting in polar regions, pushing back the date by more than 25m years. 'The previous oldest evidence for polar nesting is a penguin colony from the Eocene of Antarctica [that lived about 46.5m years ago],' said Lauren Wilson, first author of the work from Princeton University. More than 200 species of bird nest in the Arctic today, with the researchers saying they are crucial members of the ecosystem, helping with essential tasks such as pollination and seed dispersal. And the latest findings suggest their presence is nothing new. 'These new fossils fill a major gap in our understanding of bird evolution,' said Prof Patrick Druckenmiller, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North and a co-author of the study published in the journal Science. While the earliest birds emerged in the Late Jurassic, about 150m years ago, the delicate nature of bird bones means such animals are rare in the fossil record. 'Prior to this work, and with the exception of a few footprints, bird fossils weren't known from Alaska,' said Druckenmiller. The discovery involved far more than mere good fortune, with the team carefully excavating bones as well as washing and sieving material from small, sandy deposits to isolate tiny fossils, many of which were less than 2mm in size. 'It was literally like panning for gold, except bird bones are our prize,' said Druckemiller. Wilson added that many of the bones were from embryos or hatchlings. At least one species of bird, she said, belonged to a now-extinct group called Ichthyornithes, and would have resembled a toothed seagull, while the researchers also found at least one member of another extinct group called Hesperornithes: foot-propelled diving birds with teeth. Many of the fossils came from toothless birds that may have resembled ducks. That, the team note, is significant because features such as a lack of teeth are a hallmark of Neornithes, the group that includes all living birds and their most recent common ancestor. It suggests the prehistoric birds nesting in the Arctic were close relatives of modern birds. Druckenmiller said that, like the Arctic today, the Prince Creek ecosystem of 73m years ago would have experienced about six months of continuous daylight in the summer, during which it would have been very green. As a result there would have been an abundance of food. However, the winter would have been chilly. 'While [winters were] not as harsh as today, year-round residents would have to endure freezing temperatures, occasional snowfall, and about four months of continuous winter darkness,' he said. Wilson said the newly discovered fossils showed the birds were breeding in the Arctic, but she said it was unclear if they spent the winter there, adding it was highly likely at least some of them were migratory. Steve Brusatte, a professor of palaeontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the work, said that while the fossils discovered by the team were 'absolutely minuscule', they told a huge story. 'These fossils show that birds were already integral parts of the these high-latitude communities many tens of millions of years ago, and thus that these communities are a long-term norm of Earth history, not a recent ecological innovation of modern times,' he said.
