a tawny frogmouth with a wide-open beak. native to australia, tawny frogmouths are nocturnal, and mainly sit still and blend in with the tree they are perched on to hide from predators. however, sometimes when threatened, they open their huge beak like this.
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the ayam cemani is a completely black breed of chicken. ayam cemanis produce around ten times the melanin of a regular chicken. this causes them to be black – inside and out. the chicken’s tongue, organs, and flesh are all black.
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a biologist spotted this sleeping bird in brazil – with a moth drinking its tears. this behavior has only been scientifically recorded three times. it’s theorized the moth was after proteins found in the bird’s tears.
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“forzie” the chicken was born with two extra legs, a rare mutation that is most commonly seen in domestic fowl. it is suspected inbreeding may contribute to these mutations. forzie unfortunately did not live to adulthood due to complications with his body.
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this newspaper clipping from 1962 shows a pigeon born with two extra legs. it’s surprising this bird made it to adulthood, as often birds with extra legs also have lots of health issues.
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a new bird species is forming as scientists watch – in a rapid amount of time. scientists were studying galapagos finches in 1981 when they noticed a strange male finch – a large cactus finch, which lives on islands 60 miles away. this finch started breeding with female galapagos finches, and created hybrids. these hybrids bred exclusively amongst themselves, and have created a distinct population.
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this lovebird is known as a ‘half-sider’ or tetragametic chimera. half-siders result when two fertilized eggs merge early in development, leaving each half of the body genetically seperate.
this chick with four legs was discovered by a farmer in brazil, mixed in with normal siblings. this rare mutation is theorized to be the result of inbreeding in domestic chickens.
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this blue jay has a strange unknown mutation that has affected the feathers on the face, crest, and neck.
this unusually colored female black-chinned hummingbird has a genetic mutation called leucism. leucistic animals do not produce enough pigmentation, making them either paler overall or in certain spots, giving them a ‘pied’ look.
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today's bird 