This hummingbird averages 14 cm in length, not including its more than 8 cm long bill. It weighs about 12 grams and is one of the largest species of hummingbirds.
The Sword-billed Hummingbird's name has been derived from its extraordinary long beak that sets it apart from any other birds. Its beak is longer even than the rest of its body (excluding its tail) and somewhat resembles a sword. Their extremely elongated bills and equally long tongues allow them to feed on flowers with long corollas.
The upper plumage is mostly a glittery green. The lower plumage is lighter in the male; and white with greenish-black spots in the female.
The Sword-billed Hummingbirds primarily feed on nectar taken from a variety of brightly colored, scented small flowers of trees, herbs, shrubs and epiphytes. They favor flowers with the highest sugar content (often red-colored and tubular-shaped) and seek out, and aggressively protect, those areas containing flowers with high energy nectar.They use their long, extendible, straw-like tongues to retrieve the nectar while hovering with their tails cocked upward as they are licking at the nectar up to 13 times per second. Sometimes they may be seen hanging on the flower while feeding.

#CalmingMusic #Tree #Bird

The binturong (Arctictis binturong) also known as bearcat, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Binturong has a face like a cat, a body like a small bear, and a tail like a monkey. The tail is nearly as long as the head and body, which ranges from 71 to 84 cm, the tail is 66 to 69 cm long. Mean weight of captive adult females is 21.9 kg with a range from 11 to 32 kg. Captive animals often weigh more than wild counterparts.

Viverra binturong was the scientific name used by Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1822 for a binturong collected in Malacca. The scientific name of the genus Arctictis was coined by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824.

Binturongs are in the order Carnivora, but they mostly eat fruit. In the wild, they eat a varied diet which can include carrion, eggs, plant shoots and leaves, small invertebrates, fish, birds, small mammals, and fruits like the strangler fig.

Binturongs play an important role in their rainforest habitats by spreading the seeds from the fruits they eat in their droppings. This is especially true for seeds of the strangler fig, which cannot germinate without assistance. The binturong is one of only two known animals with digestive enzymes capable of softening the tough outer covering of the fig's seeds. This special relationship makes the binturong a keystone species in the rainforest ecosystem.

Binturongs live high in the forest canopy and rarely come down to the ground. They are excellent climbers, moving slowly and cautiously through tree branches, aided by strong feet with semi-retractable claws. Their hind legs can even rotate backwards so their claws still have a good grip when climbing down a tree head-first. Due to their large size, binturongs cannot leap between trees; they must climb down to the ground to move from one tree to another. Binturongs walk like bears. Binturongs even sleep high in tree branches, curling up with their heads tucked under their tails.

Like other members of the Viverridae family, the binturong has scent glands, which are located just under its tail. As it moves about, the binturong drags its tail, marking branches and foliage in its territory. To humans, the smell is reminiscent of buttered popcorn, but to other binturongs it communicates that the area is occupied and they should move along. It can also help male and female binturongs find each other when they want to mate.

The main threats to binturongs are habitat destruction, hunting, and the wildlife trade.
India included the binturong in CITES Appendix III and in Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act 1973, so that it has the highest level of protection. In China, it is listed as critically endangered. It is completely protected in Bangladesh, and partially in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Licensed hunting of binturong is allowed in Indonesia, and it is not protected in Brunei.

#WildLife #Borneo #FigTree

The shovel snouted lizard (Meroles anchietae) is endemic to the sand dunes of the Namib Desert. The species is native to southern Africa. The shovel-snouted lizard, also known commonly as Anchieta's desert lizard, Anchieta's dune lizard, and the Namib sand-diver, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The preferred natural habitat of The shovel snouted lizard is desert, with aeolian sand dunes and sparse vegetation, at altitudes from sea level to 500 m. The shovel-snouted lizards have learned how to survive in extreme conditions.

Adults of The shovel snouted lizard have a snout-to-vent length of about 5 cm. The shovel-snouted lizard has an unusual flattened snout with a cutting edge and nostrils that point upwards, as well as enlarged feet that allow it to dash across the sand at high speed without sinking into the dunes.

Although they can withstand temperatures of up to 44 degrees Celsius, they perform a characteristic 'thermal dance' to avoid overheating, balancing on their tail & lifting two of their feet every 10 seconds to cool them.

When it gets too hot and this thermal dance no longer works the lizard dives down into the sand to cooler temperatures. The flat snout allows it to plunge into the sand and “swim” deeply in order to hide from the sun’s extreme heat, as well as predators, it can stay hidden like this for up to 24 hours. The streamlined shape of its nose helps it to penetrate the sand.

The Shovel-snouted lizard is one of the fastest creatures in the desert, especially relative to its size, using its impressive hind legs to propel forward and the front legs only for steering. This speed allows it to capture insects and other prey which also provides it with all its water.

like most desert wildlife, it has adapted ingenious ways to harvest and preserve. It also has a special water bladder, a blind tube branching off from its intestine. There it stores a large reserve of water, obtained by drinking when fog settles on cold nights along the coast of Namibia. If full to capacity, the lizard can survive on it for 12 weeks.

The shovel-snouted lizard preys upon insects, especially small beetles. During dry periods when insects are scarce, they will eat seeds. All of their moisture requirements are obtained from food.

Shovel snouted lizards defend their territory vigorously high into the reproductive season. Luckily for them, there is no fixed breeding season either and eggs are laid at regular intervals, peaking from December to March. Females lay a single egg in a small chamber that has been dug firmly into the sand.

#Wildlife #ThermalDance #NamibDesert

The European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) also known as Eurasian or Golden Bee-eaters are among the most colorful of all the bee-eater birds with abundant populations in arid (dry) and semi-arid areas of southern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Bee-eaters were mentioned throughout history in myth and legend.

European bee-eaters display little sexual dimorphism, so it can be difficult to tell males and females apart. Females are slightly more greenish rather than yellow on their upperparts. The European Bee-eaters measure 25 - 29 cm in length (including the two elongated central tail feathers) and have a wingspan of 36 - 40 cm. Their average weight is 55 g.

European Bee-eaters are commonly found near freshwater systems and inhabit forests, savannas, shrublands, grasslands, and farmlands. Their nesting situation is quite peculiar: they dig burrows into the flat or sloping sandy ground, mainly in earthen cliffs. The birds remove between 7 and 12 kg of earth from the burrow, and the process can last between 10 and 20 days. The burrow is about 70-150 cm long, with an oval section of 7 x 9 cm.

These birds play an important role as ecosystem engineers, especially in arid regions. During their nest-burrowing activities, they can remove up to twelve kilograms of soil. This bioturbation has a major effect on the ecosystem as it alters the environment for other species. Nutrients from the removed soil are made available for other organisms. Abandoned burrows are often used by other species for nesting, roosting, and shelter.

European bee-eaters are prone to parasites due to nesting in burrows. Because of this, they need to preen, bathe, and clean themselves often. They also take dust-baths.

European bee-eaters breed in Southern Europe and parts of Asia. As the breeding season ends around the latter half of July, they begin their migration south, trading the harsh Northern hemisphere winters for the warm, pleasant summers of Southern Africa. As the weather starts cooling in the Southern hemisphere around April, they make their way back to Europe before the next breeding season. Some resident groups avoid migration entirely as they have established small breeding populations in South Africa.

Like all birds, European bee-eaters perceive their environment through visual, auditory, tactile, and chemical stimuli.

As is suggested by its name, the European Bee-eater predominantly eats flying insects - particularly bees (honey bees and bumblebees), wasps and hornets, but also dragonflies and other larger insects. They feed on about 250 bees a day. They typically feed in open or at least semi-open countries.

European bee-eaters are migratory, diurnal birds that spend most of their time foraging for food. They swoop in from an elevated perch and catch their prey in flight. They then fly back to the perch where they repeatedly thrash the insect against a branch or rub it against a twig until the sting is removed. They are also able to regurgitate indigestible parts as pellets.

Their long, curved beaks are sharp and perfect for keeping prey in a tight grip. They have sharp claws for perching on trees and on vertical surfaces where they excavate their burrows.

They have excellent eyesight, which is necessary for precision when catching insects. They are also agile birds, able to move swiftly when hunting. Their wide, somewhat pointy wings and aerodynamic build make them perfectly suited for long-distance flight.

European bee-eaters are monogamous birds. Pairs remain together throughout their lifespan. They can live up to six years. The beginning of the breeding season is marked by elaborate courtship rituals with an array of aerial and vocal displays, and even some dance-like movements while on a perch.

Through the medley of color and song, the male also comes bearing gifts of food which he feeds to the female. The female lays up to ten eggs which are incubated by both birds. And after a twenty-day incubation period, the altricial chicks hatch naked and blind. Luckily the mother bird has plenty of help, as her mate and even other members of the colony often pitch in with feeding and care.

European bee-eaters' nests may be raided by rats and snakes, and the adults are hunted by birds of prey.

Bee-eaters get a lot of bad press in the bee-keeping world. This results in large numbers of Bee-eaters being illegally killed by hive owners. In reality, a beehive could also benefit from a Bee-eater, as it feeds on hornets and wasps as well, which predate on bees.

European Bee-eater is locally widespread in most parts of the range. However, this species is threatened by hunting as a pest or for consumption, by the use of pesticides involving heavy declines in insects populations, also by canalization of rivers with loss of sandy banks nesting sites, and human developments and disturbances. But this species is considered as Least Concern at this moment.

#Nature #Grassland #Bumblebee

The lowland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) belongs to the family Tenrecidae in the order Afrosoricida, and more specifically to the subfamily of the spiny tenrecs Tenrecinae. The species is found in the tropical lowland rainforest, in the northern and eastern parts of Madagascar. The streaked tenrec lives in long, shallow burrows which are usually occupied by family groups, consisting of up to 20 animals.

The lowland streaked tenrec looks kind of like a mix between a shrew and a hedgehog. Its backside is covered with quills and fur, while its underside is covered in soft hair. True to its name, the lowland streaked tenrec has four yellow streaks running the length of its body. It also has a long, pointed snout, no tail, big ears, and small eyes. It's a small creature, reaching only about 5.5 inches in length and about 4.5-10 ounces in weight.

Tenrecs communicate using a variety of sensory cues, including visual, mechanical (touch), olfactory (smell), and auditory signals. Examples of communication methods include touching noses, squeaking, tongue clicking, and chattering. Tenrecs also use their quills to communicate. For instance, the spines on the top of the head and around the neck are raised when the animal is agitated or threatened. Agitation is frequently accompanied by stamping of the feet and chattering or “crunching” noises. Unlike other tenrecs, the Lowland Streaked Tenrec cannot curl up into a spiky ball to protect itself. If the opponent does not retreat, the tenrec will rush and head-butt its attacker, dislodging its head spines into its enemy. Some know predators of the lowland streaked tenrec include Dumeril’s boa, Malagasy ring-tailed mongooses, Malagasy fossas, Malagasy civets, and humans.

But one form of communication among lowland streaked tenrecs that have been of particular interest to researchers is stridulation, The streaked tenrec is the only mammal known to use stridulation for generating sound, a method more commonly associated with insects and snakes which possess stridulation organs. The lowland streaked tenrec has a stridulation organ consisting of a small number of specialized quills on its back. By rubbing these quills together in rapid succession, the tenrec is able to produce a high-pitched ultrasonic call. The sound produced is too high to be perceived by human ears.

Stridulation appears to be used mainly for communication during foraging, although it is suspected that the high-pitched sounds might also serve as a warning mechanism for predators. Along with stridulation, these animals communicate through tongue-clicking to turn away intruders. It's also possible that they use echolocation (locate objects with sound rather than sight), but this supposition is not proven yet.

The lowland streaked tenrec is active both during the day and at night. Its diet is made up primarily of earthworms, but it will sometimes prey on other invertebrates as well. They are able to stomp on the ground with their legs which could lead to increased earthworm activity so they would be able to find them more easily. If they get separated from their group they are able to send out sound vibrations using their quills which the other tenrecs can hear and subsequently lead the lost tenrec back to their group. Feeding upon worms, Lowland streaked tenrecs control populations of these invertebrates, thus playing an important role in the ecosystem of their habitat.

The streaked tenrec has an ability to enter torpor seasonally however, it is dependent on altitude, age, fat stores, and temperature. Torpor for this species generally occurs during June and July and during winter. However, The streaked tenrec is a facultative hibernator in response to environmental conditions. Facultative hibernation occurs only when the animal faces cold or food stress and will come out of torpor during winter and forage.

During the mating season, males compete with each other, engaging in fights in order to attract the attention of receptive females. Lowland tenrecs mate in September-December. The gestation period lasts for 55 - 63 days, yielding 2 - 11 young with an average of 5 - 8 per litter. Male Lowland tenrecs are careful to young. Weaning occurs at 18 - 25 days old. Females of this species reach sexual maturity as early as 25 days old, being the only tenrecs that begin breeding during the same season in which they were born.

These lowland-streaked tenrecs are threatened primarily by the loss of their natural habitat due to continuous deforestation, as it is with many other animals in the Madagascar region. This species is also being hunted for food.

According to IUCN, the Lowland streaked tenrec is very abundant and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. The current population trend of this species is unknown, they are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

#Wildlife #Stridulation #Fossa

The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India.

Caracals live in diverse habitats. They can be found in woodlands, scrub forests, plains, rocky hills, and thickets. They prefer edge habitats, like a transition of a forest/grassland. Caracals can be found at elevations over 3000 meters in the Ethiopian mountains of Ethiopia in Africa. They prefer an arid climate with minimal foliage. In the Asian regions, they are found in forests and seldom live in tropical or desert environments.

The name 'caracal' was termed after the Turkish word 'Karrah-kulak', which means 'black ear'. The function of these ear tufts is still a mystery, but often zookeepers have noticed them communicating with their ear tufts. Like other cats, the caracal meows, growls, hisses, spits, and purr.

The caracal is a slender, moderately sized cat characterized by a robust build, a short face, long canine teeth, tufted ears, and long legs. The coat is uniformly reddish tan or sandy, though black caracals are also known. , while the ventral parts are lighter with small reddish markings. The underbelly and the insides of the legs are lighter, often with small reddish markings. The fur, soft, short, and dense, grows coarser in the summer. It reaches 40–50 cm at the shoulder and weighs 8–19 kg. The caracal is sexually dimorphic; the females are smaller than the males in most bodily parameters.

The closest relative to the Caracal cat is the Serval. They are of the same size but live in different habitats. Servals like humid weather, whereas Caracals live in dry, desert environments. Caracals, sometimes called desert lynx, are not members of the lynx family though many people confuse them with lynx because of their ear tufts.

They are opportunistic hunters and hunt whatever they find, from small animals like mongooses to large animals like deers, sprinting after mongooses, rodents, hyraxes, dik-diks, and monkeys. Occasionally, caracals kill mammals as large as an impala or young kudu and may attack domestic livestock.

The Caracals are known for being the fastest of the smaller wild cats and are extremely powerful hunters. It can run at speeds of up to 50mph. Its speed and agility make it an efficient hunter, able to take down prey two to three times its size. and with footpads cushioned by stiff fur, they make practically no noise as they sprint toward targets. Tufts of hair on the tips of a caracal’s ears may enhance their hearing, making it easier for the cat to listen for prey. The powerful hind legs allow it to leap more than 3 m in the air to catch birds on the wing. It can even twist and change its direction mid-air.

It stalks its prey until it is within 5 m, following which it can launch into a sprint. While large prey such as antelopes is suffocated by a throat bite, smaller prey is killed by a bite on the back of the neck. It often has to compete with foxes, wolves, leopards, and hyaenas for prey.

Caracals are generally solitary, patrolling, and aggressively defending their territory. Most caracals come together only to mate. Females advertise their readiness to mate with urine marking, and responding males will fight for access. Pregnancy lasts up to about 2.5 months, and mothers typically use abandoned porcupine burrows and rock crevices for maternal dens. Litters average around three kittens, with six being the maximum. Kittens are born blind and deaf. Their eyes will open at about 10 days old, around the same time their incisors first become visible. Females raise the kittens without help from the males, nursing the kittens for four to six months, though kittens can eat meat by the time they’re a month old. By this time, they can scamper about and follow their mother to learn hunting skills and how to fend for themselves. By nine or 10 months old, kittens are ready to leave their mothers. Both sexes become sexually mature by the time they are one year old and breed throughout the year. In the wild, these cats have a lifespan of 10-12 years. Whereas in captivity, with a good diet and care, they can live for as long as 20 years.

The caracal appears to have been religiously significant in the ancient Egyptian culture, as it occurs in paintings and as bronze figurines; sculptures are thought to have guarded the tombs of pharaohs. Embalmed caracals have also been discovered.

The caracal is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2002, as it is widely distributed in over 50 range countries, where the threats to caracal populations vary in extent. Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, the building of roads and settlements is a major threat in all range countries. Local people kill caracals to protect livestock, or in retaliation for its preying on small livestock. Additionally, it is threatened by hunting for the pet trade.

#Wildlife #WildCats #SociableWeaver

Tarsiers are haplorrhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all of its species living today are found in the islands of Southeast Asia, specifically the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
Tarsiers are small animals with enormous eyes; each eyeball is approximately 16 millimetres in diameter and is as large as, or in some cases larger than, its entire brain. Tarsiers have soft, velvety fur, which is generally buff, beige, or ochre in color.
Tarsiers are the only extant entirely carnivorous primates: they are primarily insectivorous, and catch insects by jumping at them. Their favorite prey are arthropods like beetles, spiders, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and walking sticks.
Tarsiers tend to be extremely shy animals and are sensitive to bright lights, loud noises, and physical contact. They have been reported to behave suicidally when stressed or kept in captivity.
Due to their small size, tarsiers are prey to snakes, owls, lizards, and cats. When a predator is present the tarsiers surround the threat vocalizing and attacking it.

#CalmingMusic #SmallAnimal #Primates

The tasselled wobbegong is a flat, well-camouflaged shark that sits motionless on the seafloor, waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim a bit too close. It is a member of the carpet shark family, named for their seafloor-dwelling behavior.
With its blotchy coloration and the highly branched skin flaps that disguise its mouth and head, the tasselled wobbegong perfectly blends in to its surroundings on coral reefs along the northern shore of Australia and throughout the islands of New Guinea and Indonesia.

#CalmingMusic #Shark #CoralReef

Gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. When it spreads its wings, it measures 2 meters in width. Gannets swim and fly almost their entire life in and above the sea, only coming on land to nest. In order to take flight, they need to catch a good wind under their wings. On land that would mean a running start, but gannets are too clumsy on land. That’s why they nest high up on steep coasts, where the strong sea-wind is forced upward against the rocky wall. All they need to do to take off is to spread their wings.

Juveniles are covered in dark brown and white-specked feathers. It takes between two and five years for the young to gain full adult plumage. During this time the skin around the eyes becomes bright blue and the beak changes from brown to steely blue.

The gannet tracks its prey from the air and catches it by making a so-called jabbing dive. In order to seize its prey, the animal dives straight down into the water from a height of 30 meters. Folding its wings back and stretching its bill straight down, it reaches a speed close to 100 kilometers per hour, cleaving through the water surface like a living torpedo. The enormous blow is absorbed by a strengthened skull and a protective air cushion under the skin, a kind of airbag. Once under water it continues its hunt, first plunging through the first four meters and then swimming after the frightened fish.

#CalmingMusic #Dolphin #FeedingFrenzy

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the world's largest lizard species and is endemic to the Indonesian. The maximum length of 3 meters, and weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms. Komodo dragons can be found in Komodo National Park, which covers three major islands, namely Komodo, Rinca, and Padar. The islands are volcanic in origin, rugged and hilly, and covered with both forest and savanna grassland.

The Komodo dragon prefers hot and dry places and typically lives in dry, open grassland, savanna, and tropical forest at low elevations. Some dragons scratch shallow burrows to rest in at night to keep warm and as a cool shelter to retreat to from the heat of the day. They can swim, They can swim between the five islands with ease.

As with many other reptiles, the Komodo dragon primarily relies on its tongue to detect, taste, and smell stimuli, rather than using the nostrils. With the help of a favorable wind and its habit of swinging its head from side to side as it walks, a Komodo dragon may be able to detect carrion from 4–9.5 km away.

These giant lizards are apex predators and ruthless carnivores, It has about 60 curved, serrated teeth that can be up to 2.5 cm in length, and a yellow, forked tongue. Its skin is reinforced by armored scales bearing tiny bones called osteoderms that make it function like a chain-mail. The heavy armor makes the lizard nearly untouchable. they will eat any meat, from large deer to even humans and water buffalo. The combination of venom and multiple lacerations from the lizards' sharp, serrated teeth is what makes the dragons so deadly. If the prey escapes, the lizard will simply follow it at a leisurely pace. That’s because the dragon’s bite contains deadly bacteria that will eventually kill its intended meal. Soon, other Komodo dragons will join in on the feast, fighting over the best pieces. Komodo dragons eat extremely fast. They have been seen consuming 5.5 pounds of meat in 1 minute. Because of their slow metabolism, large dragons can survive on as few as 12 meals a year.

Once a year, when they’re ready to mate, female Komodo dragons give off a scent in their feces for males to follow. When a male dragon locates a female, he scratches her back and licks her body. If she licks him back, they mate. Males also sometimes wrestle with one another to earn mating rights.

When there aren’t any males around, female Komodo dragons have other means of reproducing: As they have both male and female sex chromosomes, female dragons can reproduce asexually in a process called parthenogenesis. Due to the availability of prey and the physical condition of the female. Female dragons do not breed every year.

Females often nest in the same nest location each time. To reduce the risk of predators such as snakes or boars preying on the eggs. Female Komodo dragons dig several additional holes near their real nest in an attempt to camouflage it.

The female lays between 15 and 30 eggs and guards her nest and eggs for the first few months, and then leaves the nest, returning nine months later when the eggs are about to hatch. Female Komodos only care about their eggs, not the juveniles. Life for a young dragon is not easy. As soon as the baby hatches, it scrambles out of the nest and scurries up the nearest tree so the adults won’t eat it and stay in the trees until they reach 3 to 5 years of age. Fortunately for the babies, the adults are too heavy and clumsy to climb trees. Youngsters live in the trees eating anything that fits into their mouths, eggs, grasshoppers, beetles, and geckos. To avoid being eaten by the adults, the young Komodos are also known to roll in fecal matter thereby picking up odor that the adults are likely to avoid. When they are about 4 years old and 4 feet long, the Komodo dragons are large enough to try life on the ground. Komodo dragons take approximately 8 to 9 years to mature and may live for up to 30 years.

They do not thrive in captivity where they become susceptible to numerous infections. Thus, it is important to keep Komodo dragon habitats safe and protect the species against other threats.

Volcanic activity, earthquakes, loss of habitat, fire, tourism, loss of prey due to poaching, and illegal poaching of the dragons themselves have all contributed to the vulnerable status of the Komodo dragon. A major future threat to the species is climate change via both aridification and sea-level rise, which can affect the low-lying habitats and valleys that the Komodo dragon depends on, as Komodo dragons do not range into the higher-altitude regions of the islands they inhabit.

The Komodo dragon is classified by the IUCN as Endangered and is listed on the IUCN Red List. They are protected under Indonesian law, and Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to aid protection efforts.

#WildLife #KomodoIslands #VenomousLizard

The pygmy marmoset (Genus Cebuella) is one of the world's smallest primates, being the smallest true monkey, with a head-body length ranging from 117 to 152 mm and a tail of 172 to 229 mm. It has many adaptations for arboreal living including the ability to rotate its head 180 degrees and sharp claw-like nails used to cling to branches and trees. Its dental morphology is adapted to feeding on gum, with specialized incisors that are used to gouge trees and stimulate sap flow. Its cecum is larger than usual to allow for the greater period of time gum takes to break down in the stomach. The pygmy marmoset walks on all four limbs and can leap up to 5 m between branches.

Pygmy marmosets live in the Amazon region of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and northern Bolivia. They make their home and living in forest trees or bamboo thickets near or alongside rivers and floodplains. Pygmy marmosets prefer living in dense rainforests where there are lots of hiding places among the plants.

Marmosets tend to stay in the treetops and behave a lot like squirrels. They have long tails, but unlike other New World monkeys (capuchins and squirrel monkeys, for example), their tails are not prehensile, that is, marmosets can't use their tails to grasp things. However, their tails do help them keep their balance as they scamper among the branches.

Because they are so small, pygmy marmosets can become prey for cats, harpy eagles, hawks, and snakes. That is why they dash from one safe spot to the next. Their neck is flexible, and they can turn their head backward to spot predators. They are deliberate about their movements to avoid drawing the attention of predators. But when they need to move, pygmy marmosets are fast, leaping several feet to avoid the predators that would like to make a meal out of them.

The ability to climb is important for pygmy marmosets, as tree sap is their favorite food. They scamper up and down trees and thick vines headfirst and gouge a hole in the bark or vine with their sharp lower teeth, using an up-and-down sawing motion. When the sap puddles up in the hole, they lap it up with their tongue. Pygmy marmosets have certain trees they like within their territory; they can make up to 1,300 holes in each tree. Marmosets are omnivores, which means they eat a variety of foods. Their diet includes insects, fruit, tree sap, and other small animals.

Marmosets are active during the day and spend their time foraging. They are social animals that live in groups of two to nine individuals. Siblings also participate in infant care. Infant marmosets require the most attention, so having more family members participating in the care decreases the cost for any individual and also teaches parenting skills to the juvenile marmosets. Members of the group, usually female, may even put off their own reproduction through a temporary cessation of ovulation in order to care for the offspring of others in the group. Caregivers are responsible for finding food for the infants as well as helping the father watch for predators.

The pygmy marmoset is a non-seasonal breeder and usually gives birth to twins once or twice a year. However, single births occur 16% of the time, and triplet births 8% of the time. The pygmy marmoset is usually monogamous though there is some variation within the species in terms of breeding systems.

Pygmy marmosets communicate with each other by chattering and trilling in high-pitched voices. They can make sounds so high in pitch that humans can’t hear them. Certain squeaks and calls express danger or other urgent monkey messages. They also make faces to express emotions like contentment, surprise, or fear by moving their lips, eyelids, ears, and the hair around their face like humans. These mini monkeys groom one another, and that helps establish social bonds. They are fussy about keeping their fur in good shape.

Particularly in areas of heavy tourism, pygmy marmosets have a tendency to be less noisy, less aggressive, and less playful with other individuals. If the current rate of habitat destruction can be slowed, these tiny monkeys will have a big chance at long-term survival in their forest home. Their largest threat is the pet trade, due to their tiny size, cuddly appearance, and appealing face. Marmosets are sometimes kept as pets, but they are very difficult to care for. Many people do not agree that pygmy marmosets should be pets. The argument is usually that they have a longer life span when they are in good care from a human. However, the UK RSPCA says they should "not be considered as pets in the accepted sense of the word. They are wild undomesticated animals that cannot be house-trained or fully tamed". The United States has banned the import of primates, and most South American countries don't allow primate exports anymore.

#Wildlife #Rainforest #SmallestMonkey

The South American population of this species migrates in large numbers, though no one yet knows where those birds spend the winter.
Very little is known about where and why birds migrate at tropical latitudes, as well as what the risks to survival are during such movements.
Increasing threats to these birds' survival, such as urbanization, hunting and pesticides, combined with a lack of information about their annual cycle.
#Hummingbirds
#Toucans
#Manakin
#Tanager
#Hoatzin
#Macaw
#Motmots
#Woodpeckers
#Resplendent Quetzal
etc

#CalmingSound

The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito, or Helena hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is a species of hummingbird that is the world's smallest bird and the smallest known dinosaur. Bee hummingbirds are native to Cuba and are endemic to all parts of the main island as well as many of the islets and islands that make up the Cuban archipelago.

They are known as "bee" hummingbirds as they are scarcely bigger than a bumblebee. Females weigh 2.6 g (0.092 oz) and are 6.1 cm (2.4 in) long, and are slightly larger than males, which have an average weight of 1.95 g (0.069 oz) and length of 5.5 cm (2.2 in). They are so small that they can easily be mistaken for an insect. In comparison, a cicada grows to 2 inches.

Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier. Bee hummingbirds can fly for up to 20 hours without a break. Their fast-beating wings allow them to reach speeds of 25-30 miles per hour. They can fly up, down, backward, and upside down.

The bee hummingbird feeds mainly on nectar, by moving its tongue rapidly in and out of its mouth. In the process of feeding, the bird picks up pollen on its bill and head. When it flies from flower to flower, it transfers the pollen. In this way, it plays an important role in plant reproduction. The bee hummingbird interaction with the flowers that supply nectar is a notable example of bird–plant coevolution with its primary food source (flowers for nectar).In one day, the bee hummingbird may visit 1,500 flowers. It is a diurnal bird that can fly at 40-48 km/h, and it beats its wings 80-200 times per second, which allows it to remain stationary in the air to feed on flowers. In-flight, this species’ wings make a sound resembling that of a bumblebee, hence its name. The most common vocalization is an extended, high-pitched, jumbled twitter.

Males are often found perched on high exposed branches. The male has a green pileum and bright red throat, iridescent gorget with elongated lateral plumes, bluish upperparts, and the rest of the underparts mostly greyish white. Female bee hummingbirds are bluish-green with a pale gray underside. The tips of their tail feathers have white spots. During the mating season, males have a reddish to pink head, chin, and throat.

Bee hummingbirds generally live solitary lives, although in the mating season the males form small singing groups which a female hummingbird will visit to select a mate. The mating season runs from March to June, and during this time the male bee hummingbirds’ head, chin, and throat become a bright shade of red as a way to show off to the (less colorful) females.

As well as showing off with their voice and bright colors, the males have other ways to demonstrate their value to an observing female. They each put on aerial displays, including dives in which they flutter their tail feathers. The female chooses the male she finds most impressive.

Whilst it's common for them to beat their wings up to 80 times per second, male bee hummingbirds are known to beat their wings as much as 200 times per second during a courtship display

Contrary to folklore, bee hummingbirds don’t usually copulate in mid-air. When the male and female get very close to each other and fly together this is usually part of the mating ritual, a signal that the female has chosen the male. Copulation usually occurs when the female perches on a branch and the male enter her from behind. After a few seconds, the male flies away, never to be seen again. The males do not participate in selecting the nest location, nor do they help build the nest, nor do they assist with raising the chicks. During the mating season males attempt to mate with numerous females.

The female bee hummingbird lays either one or two tiny eggs in a nest she has made for herself, usually out of bits of cobweb, tree bark, lichen, and plant fibers. The nest is smaller than a golf ball, and there she incubates them for 15-18 days. They fledge around 18-38 days after hatching and go on to reach reproductive maturity at the age of 1. With luck, they can live up to 7 years in the wild.

As the world’s smallest birds, they are particularly vulnerable as their size means that they are also attacked by species that treat them as they would an insect. Thus, they not only have to watch out for larger birds and mongooses but also bees, wasps, frogs, fish, and even spiders. As with many creatures around the globe, human activity has by far had the biggest impact on their numbers. They are not yet considered an endangered species, but are classified as "near threatened".

#Wildlife #Zunzuncito #Mating

Odontodactylus scyllarus, commonly known as the peacock mantis shrimp, harlequin mantis shrimp, painted mantis shrimp, clown mantis shrimp, or rainbow mantis shrimp, is a large stomatopod native to the epipelagic seabed across the Indo-Pacific, ranging from Guam to East Africa, and as far South as Northern KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. They are members of the order Stomatopoda and taxonomy group Crustacea, which are hard-shelled animals, such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, and more. The peacock mantis shrimp is one of the larger, more colorful mantis shrimps commonly seen, ranging in size from 3 to 18 cm.

The peacock mantis shrimp are powerful hunters, feeding on hard-shelled invertebrates of all kinds and even some fishes. They are well known for the extremely fast punching motion that they do with their front appendages to kill and break apart their prey. This punch is one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom and is strong enough to break through an aquarium’s glass wall. It is reported to have a "punch" of over 50 miles per hour, the fastest recorded punch of any living animal. The speed of a raptorial appendage's strike causes cavitation bubbles to form. When those bubbles pop they release a large amount of heat, temporarily raising temperatures to near those at the surface of the sun and further weakening the armour of their prey. In addition, the surface of its hammer-claw is made up of extremely dense hydroxyapatite, laminated in a manner that is highly resistant to fracturing and can break ordinary glass tanks. Peacock mantis shrimp use this behavior to break open snails and other mollusks and to completely dismember crabs, shrimps, and other crustaceans.

Besides having the fastest punch, they also have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. They can see as many as 12 different colors (compared to human eyes that see three). In addition, the mantis shrimp has four extra photoreceptor pigments for color filtering. In addition to seeing many more colors, the mantis shrimp can also see ultraviolet light and detect different planes of polarized light and circular polarized light. Its eyes which protrude from its head and move independently can see in two different directions at once.

The peacock mantis shrimp dig U-shaped burrows in the sand near the reef’s edge from which they venture out to hunt and to attract mates ranging from 3 to 40 meters deep. There are accounts of them damaging coral when they wish to make a home within it. These shrimp also rely on their sparing moves to keep enemies away from burrows in the ocean floor that they use as shelters. Hovering at the opening of its burrow, a peacock mantis shrimp will strike at intruders that come too close.

The peacock mantis shrimp reproduce via internal fertilization, and after laying the eggs, the females carry them around on their front appendages until they hatch, protecting them and keeping them clean. Some peacock mantis shrimp may form monogamous pair bonds.

The peacock mantis shrimp is one of the largest and most colorful species of mantis shrimp and is therefore desirable for the private aquarium industry. While some aquarists value peacock shrimp, others consider them harmful pests because they are voracious predators that will eat other desirable inhabitants in the tank. Some of the largest specimens can break aquarium glass by striking it.

#Nature #CoralReef #Fish

Coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of colonial marine invertebrates called coral. The coral species that build reefs are known as hermatypic, or "hard," corals because they extract calcium carbonate from seawater to create a hard, durable exoskeleton that protects their soft, sac-like bodies. Other species of corals that are not involved in reef-building are known as “soft” corals. These types of corals are flexible organisms often resembling plants and trees and include species such as sea fans and sea whips.

Each individual coral is referred to as a polyp. Coral polyps live on the calcium carbonate exoskeletons of their ancestors, adding their own exoskeleton to the existing coral structure. As the centuries pass, the coral reef gradually grows, one tiny exoskeleton at a time, until they become massive features of the marine environment.

Corals are animals and not plants. Corals are known as colonial organisms because many individual creatures live and grow while connected to each other. They are also dependent on one another for survival. Coral polyp bodies are usually clear. The bright colors that characterize many corals are actually various types of algae growing in the polyp’s tissue. The presence of the algae, specifically a type of algae called zooxanthellae, helps the coral in several ways. For one, the algae remove waste from the coral. The algae also use the coral’s waste products for photosynthesis, which is how a plant makes its own food. Byproducts of photosynthesis include oxygen and carbohydrates, which the coral consumes and uses to build reefs. The mutually beneficial relationship between coral and algae is called symbiosis.

Corals reproduce both sexually and asexually. Externally fertilized eggs develop during synchronized spawning. Polyps across a reef simultaneously release eggs and sperm into the water en masse. The release of eggs or planula usually occurs at night. During this process, the larvae may use several different cues to find a suitable location for settlement.

Coral reefs are sometimes known as the “rainforests of the sea.” Nearly a quarter of all the fish in the sea rely on healthy coral reefs. Corals provide habitats for fish and other organisms in the ocean. Reefs are home to a variety of animals, including fish, seabirds, sponges, cnidarians (which includes some types of corals and jellyfish), worms, crustaceans (including shrimp, cleaner shrimp, spiny lobsters, and crabs), mollusks (including cephalopods), echinoderms (including starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers), sea squirts, sea turtles and sea snakes. Aside from humans, mammals are rare on coral reefs, with visiting cetaceans such as dolphins the main exception. A few species feed directly on corals, while others graze on algae on the reef. Reef biomass is positively related to species diversity. The shelter created by these coral colonies makes reefs a vibrant biodiversity hotspot where coral, fish, algae, and hundreds of other species live together in a bustling ecosystem.

Coral reefs form some of the world's most productive ecosystems, providing complex and varied marine habitats that support a wide range of other organisms. Fringing reefs just below low tide level have a mutually beneficial relationship with mangrove forests at high tide level and seagrass meadows in between the reefs protect the mangroves and seagrass from strong currents and waves that would damage them or erode the sediments in which they are rooted, while the mangroves and seagrass protect the coral from large influxes of silt, freshwater, and pollutants. This level of variety in the environment benefits many coral reef animals, which, for example, may feed in the seagrass and use the reefs for protection or breeding.

Coral reefs deliver ecosystem services for tourism, fisheries, and shoreline protection. Coral reefs are fragile, partly because they are sensitive to water conditions. They are under threat from excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), rising temperatures, pollution, oceanic acidification, collecting live corals for the aquarium market, mining coral for building materials, overfishing (e.g., from blast fishing, cyanide fishing, spearfishing on scuba), sunscreen use, and harmful land-use practices, including runoff and seeps (e.g., from injection wells and cesspools), and a warming climate are some of the many ways that people damage reefs all around the world every day.

#Nature #Dolphin #Fish

The helmet vanga is a large vanga, the second-largest species of vanga after the sickle-billed vanga. In length it measures 28 to 31 cm, and it weighs 84 to 114 g. The most distinctive feature is the massive hooked bill, which is 51 mm long and 30 mm deep. The plumage of the head, neck, throat, breast and belly is a solid blue-black, as are the primary coverts and remiges of the wing. The mantle, the back, and the rest of the wings are rufous. The tail, which is long and broad, is black below and rufous above. The bill is bright blue with a black tip. Both sexes are alike. It is restricted to lowland and lower montane rainforests in north-eastern Madagascar.

The helmet vanga mainly eat large insects, but food items brought to young in the nest may be more varied, including snails, lizards, spiders and crabs.

#Wildlife #Rainforest #Bird

True to its name, the dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) is the smallest mongoose. In fact, it is the smallest African carnivore. It is an extremely social and territorial animal, living in packs. All group members cooperate in helping to rear the pups and in guarding the group against predators. There’s a dominant pair, or pair of pairs, in charge of every group. They communicate with each other with the help of twitters, whistles, trills, and vibrations. Dwarf mongooses are diurnal and begin and end each day sunbathing and socializing with the members of their groups.

They sleep at night in disused termite mounds, although they occasionally use piles of stones, hollow trees, etc. Mongooses use anal and cheek gland secretions to mark upright objects near termite mounds used as overnight refuges.

Dwarf mongooses eat mostly insects, including beetles and grasshoppers, though they may also eat spiders, scorpions, small vertebrates, eggs, and fruit. They spend most of their days looking for food among brush, leaves, and rocks. They forage in groups, but each individual catches their own food. They kill their prey with a bite to the head. Dwarf mongooses are water independent but will drink when water is available. Being insectivorous, these animals may affect insect populations in their range.

A mutualistic relationship has evolved between dwarf mongooses and hornbills, in which hornbills seek out the mongooses in order for the two species to forage together, and to warn each other of nearby raptors and other predators. Hornbills catch insects, rodents and other prey flushed by the pack and in return serve as lookouts, sounding alarm calls when avian predators are sighted. Hornbills will gather at termite mounds where their mongoose packs spend the night and wait for them to emerge, sometimes even providing wake-up calls. If hornbills fail to appear, mongooses hesitate to leave their refuge and begin foraging.

Dwarf mongooses are found from Somalia and Ethiopia to eastern South Africa and Namibia. They live in savannah, woodlands, brush country, and mountain scrub. Their elevation range varies from sea level up to 5,900 feet (1,800 meters). They prefer territories that include termite mounds or rock crevices and woody vegetation, such as thickets or scattered bush.

There are no major threats to these animals at present. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.

#WildLife #YellowbilledHornbill #Africa

The red-billed hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus) are native to Africa, order Bucerotiformes, live in the savanna. Southern Mauritania to Somalia is the range of the northern red-billed hornbill. The red-billed hornbill's habitat is in arid savanna, open woodlands, and thorn scrubs. Even though they are relatively large birds, they are one of the smaller hornbill species, measuring about 42 cm in length, including the long tail. Zazu is an African red-billed hornbill species that appears in the animated movie, The Lion King.

The underparts and heads of this species are white. On the forehead, there is a smokey stripe that extends over the crown. Dark brown is the color of the back, with a white stripe running along the middle. The wings are mostly a deep brown color with prominent white spots. The long tail is a dark brown color. They have characteristic orange-red jaws and are slightly curved. Female has smaller red bill than male. However, the female's red bill is smaller than the male's. Adults are duller, although juveniles are comparable. It owns a red bill that is straighter and smaller than adults. These peculiarly curved bills are used for courtship behaviors, foraging, and breaking out of the mud-sealed nest holes.

These birds have short wings and fly with a flap-and-glide flying pattern. While clinging to a tall tree trunk around a nest site, the long tail can be employed as a brace.

These birds are omnivorous, feeding insects, seeds, fruit, bird’s eggs as their diet. Small rodents are also included in their diet. Because the tongues are too small to manage food trapped at the point of the beak, they throw it back towards the throat with a twist of the head. They feed mainly on the ground. Outside of the breeding season, they graze primarily mostly on the ground and establish flocks. It eats in flocks of 40-80 birds or pairs on the ground. These gregarious and territorial birds, hunting for ground-dwelling insects, live in small family groups or pairs. These birds play a crucial part in sustaining a healthy ecosystem by helping to prevent the increase in the population of insects.
It does most of its foraging on the ground, rarely hawking prey aerially.

Mongooses and red-billed hornbills or and yellow-billed hornbills hunt together; the mongooses smell out and expose insects, whereas the hornbills keep an eye out for predators and emit alarm sounds. Red-billed Hornbill has predators, such as large raptors and adders.

These birds will defend their territory against members of their own species, but they may have overlapping territories with other hornbill species.

The red-billed hornbill nests in natural tree cavities. Females usually lay three to six eggs. These birds have an interesting parental strategy. She seals herself and the nest off with a cement-like substance made of mud, droppings, and fruit pulp. A narrow opening allows the male to transfer food to her, and later to her and the chicks as they remain sealed inside.

The female will incubate the two to seven eggs for around 24 days and she will remain in the nest with the chicks until the nest becomes too small. At this point, the female will let herself out and reseal the nest with the chicks inside. Then both parents feed the chicks together. Chicks fly well on emerging from the nest and never return to it, although they may remain with their parents for six months. The lifespan is about 15 years.

Their population is stable but they are vulnerable to habitat destruction. Population The global population size has not been officially quantified, but the species is reported to be widespread and locally common. Status IUCN: Least Concern.

#Wildlife #ParentalStrategy #YellowBilledHornbill

The Namaqua sandgrouse (Pterocles namaqua), is a species of ground-dwelling bird in the sandgrouse family. The Namaqua sandgrouse can be found in various arid parts of South Africa and its neighbouring lands. Namaqua Sandgrouse is nomadic in the desert, semi-desert, and arid savanna.

Seeds are the main staple of the Namaqua sandgrouse, which forages over large areas. The bird prefers seeds high in protein, like legumes, picking them off the ground with its short bill. It feeds in the daylight hours and rests in the shade of a bush during the extreme heat of midday. The bird will sometimes eat plant material and insects or molluscs that happen to be on plants, and occasionally grit to help grind down seeds in the gizzard.

A dumpy, short-legged, pigeon-like bird that shuffles awkwardly on the ground and flies in a fast and direct manner, singly or in groups. It has a long, pointed tail and sharply-pointed wings. The male has a pair of black-and-white bands across the chest and has a plain buffy face and head; the female is mottled with black, brown, and white. There is a dense layer of under down which helps insulate the bird from extremes of heat and cold.

The feathers of the belly are specially adapted for absorbing water, retaining it and acting like a sponge. On very hot days, parents fly to water bodies that may be many miles away from watering holes. After drinking, soak their belly, and quickly return to the nest to cool the eggs or provide water to waiting chicks. The chicks suck up water like a goat kid drinks milk from mother’s udders. The amount of water that can be carried in this way is 15 to 20 millilitres.

Sandgrouses are gregarious, feeding in flocks of up to 100 birds. As a consequence of their dry diet, they need to visit water sources regularly. When drinking, water is sucked into the beak, which is then raised to let the water flow down into the crop. By repeating this procedure rapidly, enough water to last twenty-four hours can be swallowed in a few seconds. As they travel to water holes, they call to members of their own species and many hundreds or thousands synchronize their arrival at the drinking site despite converging from many different locations scattered over hundreds of square miles of territory. Namaqua sandgrouse birds communicate through a far-carrying call which is a musical 'kelkiw-wyn'.

Sandgrouse travels tens of miles to their traditional water holes and tends to disregard temporary water sources which may appear periodically. This clearly has a survival value, because a dried-up water source in an arid region could result in dehydration and death.
They are vulnerable to attack while watering but with a large number of birds milling about, predators find it difficult to select a target bird and are likely to have been spotted before they can get close to the flock. The sandgrouse tends to avoid sites with cover for mammalian predators and their greatest risk is usually from predatory birds. When faced with danger, this bird escapes by jumping from the ground directly into the flight.

Breeding takes place at any time of the year and is dependent on rainfall. Usually, the nests are solitary but sometimes several pairs of birds choose sites near each other. The nest is a scrape in the earth, scantily lined with dried plant material. Two or three pinkish-grey eggs with brown markings are laid over the course of a few days. Incubation starts after the last egg has been laid and lasts about 22 days. The female does the incubation by day and the male does a longer shift at night, starting about two hours before sunset and finishing two hours after dawn. The chicks are precocial and able to leave the nest on the day they are hatched. The male brings them water absorbed on the specially adapted feathers of his breast. The chicks grow rapidly, they are fully feathered at three weeks and able to fly at six.

The species is common within its range and is considered to be of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The birds are at risk of predation by mongooses while they are young. Sheep farmers kill birds of prey and jackals to protect their flocks and this may have resulted in an increase in the mongoose population and consequently a diminution in the number of sandgrouse chicks that survive. Other predators that prey on the Namaqua sandgrouse include eagle and falcon.

#Wildlife #Bird #NamibDesert

Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae) is a bird species in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It breeds in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of California and Arizona. While it naturally occurs in the western United States and Mexico, it is known to wander towards the east and north as far as Alaska and Canada. It leaves the desert at the peak of summer and moves to chaparral, scrubs, or woodland habitat.

This species is very small, a mature adult growing to only 7.6–8.9 cm in length, a wingspan of 11 cm, and an average weight of 3.05 g for males and 3.22 g for females. The male Costa’s Hummingbird has mostly green upper parts, its back, sides, and belly. It has an iridescent violet crown and white patches under its gorged throat and tail. The throat patch extends to the sides of the throat. Its wings are small and have black tails and wings. Its vibrant purple cap and throat, with throat feathers flaring out and back behind its head, is cited as its most remarkable feature. The female, which is comparably larger in size, is not that remarkable as male. It has a greyish-green crown and back, and a white belly and breast. Its flanks are ‘buffy’ and the tips of its outer tail feathers are white. Sometimes, its throat has some dark feathers. The juvenile Costa’s Hummingbird closely resembles the adult female, with tray-buff edging on the feathers of the upper body. Also, instead of having a singly rounded tail, juvenile Costa’s Hummingbird has a doubly rounded tail.

Like all other hummingbird species, Costa's hummingbird feeds on flower nectar and any tiny insects that it happens to find in the flower petals. At flowers, usually feeds while hovering. They would visit desert natives like agave, chuparosa, desert honeysuckle, and fairy-duster. To catch small insects, may fly out and capture them in midair, or hover to pluck them from foliage.

The male Costa's hummingbird's courtship display is a spirited series of swoops and arcing dives, carefully utilizing a proper angle to the sun to show off his violet plumage to impress prospective mates. Males perform a looping dive display to entice females to mate with them and also to threaten intruding hummingbirds. They fly straight towards the female, make several loops around her and then fly straight up into the air, returning in a broad U-shaped dive. During the dive, they sing a high-pitched whistle. They continue to loop around and perform dives for the female without pause, sometimes for up to 4 minutes, but usually, the display lasts for about 35 seconds. If that was not enough to attract the female’s attention, they also hover directly in front of her with their gorget flared.

One male may mate with several females. Nest site is in rather open or sparsely left shrub or small tree, sometimes in yucca or cactus, usually 2-8 feet above the ground. Placed on a horizontal or diagonal branch. The female constructs a small cup-shaped nest out of plant fibers, down, and at times spider silk, coated with lichen to hold it together. The nest is situated on a yucca stalk or tree limb. The female lays just two eggs, which are white in color, which she will incubate for 15 to 18 days before the young hatch. The young leave the nest after 20 to 23 days. Amazingly, the mother Costa can survive without water throughout the nesting period. Egg and nest predation is the major source of mortality at most sites. Important predators are snakes, small mammals, jays, orioles, and lizards. Adults may be preyed on by Greater Roadrunners and thrashers.

All hummingbirds have a super-fast metabolism and can die quickly if their body temperature isn’t maintained. In the desert at night, the temperatures sometimes dip low. They have a special adaptation called Torpor, a semi-hibernation-like state which allows the body temperature to reduce and the heart rate to slow to 50 beats per minute. A normal heartbeat is 500 to 900 beats per minute. Slowing down their metabolism in this way allows these birds to survive the cold nights.

The Costa’s Hummingbird has a ‘Least Concern’ status under the IUCN Classification System. The IUCN says that the species appears to have a stable population trend and a very large range, which signifies that it does not approach the thresholds for vulnerability. Of all the states in the US where the Costa’s have been observed, only New Mexico has listed the species as threatened.

The most serious threat to the species is loss of habitat, primarily coastal scrub and Sonoran desert scrub. A lot of these areas have been converted for human uses, such as agriculture and residential development.

#Wildlife #SonoraDesert #Mating