Birds are beautiful, captivating, and sometimes just downright weird. They decorate their nests with cow pies, use their feet like snowshoes in the winter, or swallow rats whole. And if these odd habits don鈥檛 catch your interest, there are avian feats of speed and agility that put our Guinness World Records to shame.
The species below are all unique and peculiar in their own way, and they鈥檙e also . Check out these nifty birds and their strange habits (and ):
- During courtship, the male zips back and forth through the air, then dives at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour from 100 feet high鈥攁ll to impress a potential mate.
- The lines its burrow with cow or horse manure to attract dung beetles鈥攏othing like a crunchy, poop-flavored snack while relaxing in your nest.
- The and related birds have the family name of Caprimulgidae, Latin for goat-milker or goatsucker. Popular lore claimed that goatsuckers could drain a goat鈥檚 udder dry of all its milk.
- You don鈥檛 want to mess with a : They have razor-sharp talons that can . However, eagles also have a playful side and have been known to .
- Winter sports? Bring it on. The toes of the grow projections in the winter to form comb-like snowshoes that allow them to walk over the snow.
- Female may defecate on their own eggs when flushed from the nest. The purpose of this stinky defense mechanism is to divert predators鈥攚hich, not surprisingly, works wonders.
- The has gleaming red eyes and has four distinct calls: the wail, the hoot, the tremolo, and the yodel.
- Female steal caterpillar silk and spider webs to add to their nests. Meanwhile, the gobbles up hairy and spiny caterpillars that most other birds avoid. Now who鈥檚 hungry, caterpillar?
- The plumage of the contains , more than any other species of bird.
- Think that your cat鈥檚 hairballs are kinda gross? A can . Afterwards, it coughs up a pellet of bones and fur. Yum!