Why Birds Matter, and Are Worth Protecting - 1
Published 1 Jan 2018, 10:39 GMT
Like its North American cousin, the vermilion cardinal (Cardinalis phoeniceus) of Colombia and Venezuela is an irresistible eye-catcher—only more so. The male’s feathers are even redder, and it holds its long, spiky crest aloft nearly all the time. The males sing and flaunt their finery from conspicuous perches in early morning.
Red-fan parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus)
Birds were not the first to evolve head ornamentation—both dinosaurs and even more distant relatives, the pterosaurs, had them. But today’s birds display a remarkable variety of crowns and crests, used to attract mates and intimidate rivals.
Blue crowned pigeon (Goura cristata)
Major Mitchell’s cockatoo (Cacatua leadbeateri)
Palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus)
Black crowned crane (Balearica pavonina)