Been looking for some birds to do, but so many species have tons of subspecies. So, they seemed to massive to tackle. Then, I found these guys who were named by Sir Alfred Wallace in the 1800’s.
Umbrellabirds get their names from their distinctive hoods. There are only three species and two are endangered due to habitat loss. These solitary birds are found in the rainforests of Central and South America. Umbrellabirds aren’t great fliers and can really only go for short distances. This is due to their larger size, which forces them to usually bounce among the branches. To be clear, they aren’t huge, but they are big (14-19.5 inches; .77-1.26 lbs; 26-28 in wingspan) for their body structure.
These birds have a wattle, which can inflate to create a booming call. This has earned them the nickname of ‘Piper-Bird’ from Native Americans. Umbrellabirds have one of the deepest songs of their genus, which helps them stand out in the wild. At least, for bird watchers/listeners.
Some other facts:
- Umbrellabirds are altitudinal migrators, which means they migrate up and down mountains instead of north/south.
- Females lay a single egg, which takes a month to hatch. Sometimes, they will have two.
- They hide their heads and feet while sleeping to make themselves look like a lifeless pile of feathers.
- They are also called bullbirds.
That’s really it. Couldn’t find much else that was shocking, so let’s get to the pictures and videos.
Amazonian Umbrellabird
Bare-Naked Umbrellabird (Endangered)
Long-Wattled Umbrellabird (Vulnerable)
Legends of Windemere 
The one on top looks like it should be in that Korean boy band.
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Not up on K-pop, so I’m going to assume you’re right. Scared to go down that rabbit hole.
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Very unusual birds. Thanks, Charles.
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You’re welcome.
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
See more photos and two videos on Charles’ original blog post 🐦
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Thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure, I love nature facts like this, plus, it highlights the dangers nature is facing 🤔
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True. Though it feels like every living thing is facing danger these days.
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InDEED🫤
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Very strange-looking birds, Charles. What a pity they are endangered, mainly thanks to people!
Talking of birds, mt son had a bird book that had birds of the world in it. The one with the best name, largely because I think it would make wonderful insult, is the yellow-bellied sap sucker.
I often think that people who name birds are lacking in imagination. In the UK we have blackbird; a black bird. Black-hearted gull; a gull with a black head. Blue tit;a member of the titmouse family that is blue. Great tit; bigger than blue tit. Goldcrest; a tiny bird with, you guessed it– a gold crest etc.
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I’ve heard of the yellow-bellied sap sucker before. I think it gets a lot of attention because it’s so catchy.
I guess some scientists aren’t concerned with creative names. They just want to make it clear what the animal is. Birds have a lot of variety, so one is bound to run out of good names fairly quickly. They can’t all be cock-of-the-rocks and secretary birds. 😀
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Thank you for this, Charles. I’ve never seen nor heard of this bird before. They are indeed something special!
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I thought they’d have wider hair when I found the name. Still pretty cool.
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Absolutely.
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for another reblog.
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I am sure the first one is a hairstyle model. Lol Thanks for sharing this very interesting information, Charles! Have a beautiful week! xx Michael
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That one definitely gives off a modeling aura.
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Very strange creatures. Thanks for sharing them.
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You’re welcome.
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How cool!
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Thanks.
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You’re welcome.
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