Carolina Wren 

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Favoring warmer southern climates, the Carolina wren—the state bird of South Carolina—fills its habitat with sweet songs.

Photograph by Mark Chappell/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes

The Carolina wren is an adaptable dweller of forestlands, swamps, farms, and tree-filled human communities.

Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) are small but very vocal animals. Males are especially outgoing and are the only ones to produce songs. They employ one of the loudest songs per volume of birds. They are apt to sing anytime and anyplace they happen to be.

Carolina wrens are usually found in pairs, and each pair stays on its home territory all year long. Because these wrens cannot survive cold winters, they tend to live in southern climes, and are the official state bird of South Carolina. They are found as far north as the Great Lakes, and warm winters spur them to extend their range northward. However, when colder years arrive, many northern birds are unable to survive and fringe populations plummet.

These large wrens feed on insects, larvae, and spiders but also eat berries and fruit. They forage on or near the ground and hop along far more often than they fly. They use their bills to poke about and search for hidden meals and try to remain close to brush in which they can hide.

Carolina wrens are monogamous, and breeding pairs may stay together for years. They work together to construct nests—which may be found almost anywhere. Wrens nest in natural locations such as branches, tree-holes, and stumps but also frequent windowsills, mailboxes or other attractive human-made spots.

Females lay about four eggs and incubate them for two weeks while their mates bring them food. Both parents feed their chicks for an additional two weeks before they gain independence. A mating pair of Carolina wrens may have several broods each year.

Read full here...

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/carolina-wren/

Great Horned Owl

 

Bubo virginianus

The most common owl in North and South America, the great horned owl has adapted to a wide variety of habitats and climates.

Photograph by Joel Sartore

Read full here... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/great-horned-owl/

Andean Condor

 

Vultur gryphus

Producing only one chick every other year, survival of the endangered Andean condor relies on captive breeding programs.

Photograph by Anne Keiser

Map

Andean Condor Range

Fast Facts

Type:

Bird

Diet:

Carnivore

Size:

Body, 4 ft (1.2 m); wingspan, up to 10.5 ft (3.2 m)

Weight:

Up to 33 lbs (15 kg)

Protection status:

Endangered

Did you know?

The Andean condor has the largest wing area of any bird.

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

Andean condors are massive birds, among the largest in the world that are able to fly. Because they are so heavy (up to 33 pounds/15 kilograms), even their enormous 10-foot (3-meter) wingspan needs some help to keep them aloft. For that reason, these birds prefer to live in windy areas where they can glide on air currents with little effort. Andean condors are found in mountainous regions, as their name suggests, but also live near coasts replete with ocean breezes and even deserts that feature strong thermal air currents.

These condors are mostly black, but males have a distinctive white "collar" around their necks and some white markings on their wings as well. Like their relatives, the California condors, Andean condors have bald heads.

Condors are vultures, so they keep their sharp eyes peeled for the carrion that makes up most of their diet. They prefer to feast on large animals, wild or domestic, and in picking the carcasses, they perform an important function as a natural clean-up crew. Along the coasts, condors will feed on dead marine animals like seals or fish. These birds do not have sharp predator's claws, but they will raid birds' nests for eggs or even young hatchlings.

These long-lived birds have survived over 75 years in captivity, but they reproduce slowly. A mating pair produces only a single offspring every other year, and both parents must care for their young for a full year.

The Andean condor is considered endangered but is in far better shape than its California cousin. Perhaps a few thousand South American birds survive, and reintroduction programs are working to supplement that number.

link: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/andean-condor/

Emperor Penguin

 

Aptenodytes forsteri

Emperor penguins are the largest penguins, standing about 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall.

Photograph courtesy Giuseppe Zibordi/Michael Van Woert/
NOAA NESDIS, ORA

Map

Emperor Penguin Range

Fast Facts

Type:

Bird

Diet:

Carnivore

Average life span in the wild:

15 to 20 years

Size:

45 in (115 cm)

Weight:

Up to 88 lbs (40 kg)

Group name:

Colony

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

Emperors are the largest of all penguins—an average bird stands some 45 inches (115 centimeters) tall. These flightless animals live on the Antarctic ice and in the frigid surrounding waters.

Penguins employ physiological adaptations and cooperative behaviors in order to deal with an incredibly harsh environment, where wind chills can reach -76°F (-60°C).

They huddle together to escape wind and conserve warmth. Individuals take turns moving to the group's protected and relatively toasty interior. Once a penguin has warmed a bit it will move to the perimeter of the group so that others can enjoy protection from the icy elements.

Emperor penguins spend the long winter on the open ice—and even breed during this harsh season. Females lay a single egg and then promptly leave it behind. They undertake an extended hunting trip that lasts some two months! Depending on the extent of the ice pack, females may need to travel some 50 miles (80 kilometers) just to reach the open ocean, where they will feed on fish, squid, and krill. At sea, emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet (565 meters)—deeper than any other bird—and stay under for more than 20 minutes.

Male emperors keep the newly laid eggs warm, but they do not sit on them, as many other birds do. Males stand and protect their eggs from the elements by balancing them on their feet and covering them with feathered skin known as a brood pouch. During this two-month bout of babysitting the males eat nothing and are at the mercy of the Antarctic elements.

When female penguins return to the breeding site, they bring a belly full of food that they regurgitate for the newly hatched chicks. Meanwhile, their duty done, male emperors take to the sea in search of food for themselves.

Mothers care for their young chicks and protect them with the warmth of their own brood pouches. Outside of this warm cocoon, a chick could die in just a few minutes. In December, Antarctic summer, the pack ice begins to break up and open water appears near the breeding site, just as young emperor penguins are ready to swim and fish on their own.

link: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/emperor-penguin/