Tag: birdblr

call for submissions!

hi everyone! @todaysbird is in need of submissions! my goal is to post one bird a day to familiarize people with new species, put names to species people may ‘know’ but not know how to identify, and overall just make people smile with cute birds + bring people to love species they may not have cared about before! however, this blog relies on submissions and my own photos. i just don’t have access to that many birds very often – sure i have backyard birds, but i can’t get great photos without disturbing them, and people only want to see the budgies at my local petco so many times. that’s why i rely on you! i would REALLY appreciate submissions of any bird to this blog. your bird, a bird you saw outside, a rescue bird, anything as long as it’s YOUR photo. thank you!! 🙂

bird of the day: the glaucous macaw

the glaucous macaw is a beautiful large macaw with a striking appearance. they may appear similar to the more familiar hyacinth macaw at first glance, but they have a lighter teal color on their body, as well as some violet hues on the wings. the glaucous macaw is somewhat closely related to the hyacinth macaw, though they are closest to the lear’s macaw.

unfortunately, it’s possible the glaucous macaw is no longer alive. widely believed to be extinct, they have not been seen alive since the 1960s. while rumors persist that there are wild birds still out there, none have proved credible or have come with photographic evidence, and expeditions to the macaws’ native range haven’t turned up any survivors. it’s believed they declined due to the widespread destruction of their habitat and main food source, the yatay palm.

(image source: x)

important pigeon breed: parlor rollers

before i say anything – let’s look at parlor rollers.

(x)

pretty normal. very pretty bird, but nothing that screams unusual or crazy.

and then…

they do that.

parlor rollers, also sometimes known as parlor tumblers, are a breed of ‘rolling’ pigeon. other rollers are typically bred to do ‘somersaults’ in the air. parlor rollers have been bred to not be able to fly entirely. instead, they just kind of…flip over.

it’s not entirely proven why they do this. nobody has been able to find a physical problem that inhibits them from being able to fly. they have good bone structure and body shape, and their wings are properly developed. a common theory is there is a defect within the parts of their brain that control balance.

there are ‘parlor rolling competitions’ where competitors roll their birds, often tossing them to get them started like in the gifs above. the bird that rolls the farthest wins. the current record for a parlor roller’s roll is 662 feet and 3 inches!

(note: personally, i don’t think it’s right to breed birds intentionally to lose the ability to fly, nor do i condone tossing your bird like you’re bowling with it.)

psa: birds’ blood doesn’t clot like ours.

a bird’s blood has a totally different makeup than ours. their blood is super slow to clot. this means birds can bleed out from seemingly minor injuries.

keep styptic powder on hand. styptic powder can often stop bleeding from small nicks, for example a nail clipping gone wrong. please keep your avian vet’s number handy, too!