The Most Poisonous Bird is Hooded pitohui, Did you know that?

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File:Pitohui dichrous.jpg
 From Wikimedia Commons-Pitohui dichrous


Hooded pitohui (Pitohui dichrous) is a beautiful songbird found in the rainforests and tropical jungles of New Guinea. It inhabits the tropical jungles and rainforests. The bird is found on the main island and also on the nearby islands. It’s medium-sized and is a social bird belonging to the genus Pitohui and family Oriolidae. The bird is commonly found in hills and low mountains living in groups. It has black plumage, with a rich chestnut and orange or red belly. The bird is about 22-23 cm long and weighs about 65-76 grams. The beak is strong and the legs are black with sharp claws. The wings being tinged with brown and the tail is black. Both the male and the female look similar. 


Hooded pitohui bird is poisonous; it contains toxic compounds in its body parts that include the skin, feathers and the other parts. The bird is known to make different types of calls in the form of whistles. It is not killed by the local hunters due to its toxic nature. Pitohui feeds on figs, fruits, grass seeds, insects (the insects include ants, beetles, earwigs, bugs, caterpillars and spiders) and invertebrates. The bird's toxicity comes from eating the beetles. The nests and the young ones are protected by the family groups. They get their toxin substances from the food they consume and it helps the birds to keep them away from predators and also prevents them from parasites. The level of toxic substances varies from bird to bird depending on its geographical habitats. 


It was reported that scientists who were handling these birds skins for museum collection in 1990, felt burning sensations and numbness. The bird's poison can lead to paralysis and even death. The bird was first documented as a poisonous bird after it was found that they contained neurotoxins called batrachotoxins. The toxic substances are found more in the skins and feathers of the bird. The birds build their nests in the form of cup- shape using thin branches and vine tendrils. They lay one or two eggs that are white or pink with brown or black spots. The bird is reported to be of ‘least concern’ by the International Union Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.


Cockatoos Fun Loving Birds



Cockatoos are intelligent and popular birds. They are noisy and love to play all the time and seek a lot of attention.  They are habitats of rain forests and eucalyptus grooves. To know more about Cockatoos interesting facts visit https://hubpages.com/animals/cockatoo-interesting-videos


 

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