The World of Avians

There is so much about this wonder-ful, amazing world, that we do not know about. Today we take a peek into the world of our feathered friends.

Some interesting fun facts about birds – courtesy of Facebook pages ‘Colours of Nature’, ‘Ancestral Stories’, ‘Weird Facts’, ‘Unbelievable Facts’, ‘Today I Learned’, Science and facts, Crazy creatures, The Knowledge Factory, The study secrets etc… However, I do not know if they are true. Some of them sound really incredible.

High above the ground, where clouds stack like mountains and storms quietly form, the common swift lives almost its entire life on the wing.

Once they leave the nest, these birds rarely land again. For months at a time, sometimes close to a full year, swifts remain airborne without touching the ground.

They eat insects swept up by the wind, drink from rain and mist, and even sleep while gliding, letting half their brain rest as the other stays alert.

Landing isn’t easy for them. Their tiny feet are built for clinging to vertical surfaces, not walking, and taking off from flat ground can be dangerous. So they avoid it altogether.

Only when breeding season arrives do swifts finally return to solid structures, briefly trading the open sky for a nest. Then, as quickly as they arrived, they vanish again, returning to a life where the air itself is home, and the ground is almost optional. – A Facebook post by ‘Earth Unreal’

Baby owls often sleep face down because their heads are too big for their small bodies. When you look at a fluffy chick, their eyes and skull seem large compared to everything else. Their neck muscles are still weak, so they can’t always hold their head up the way adult owls do.

Because of this, baby owls will flop forward or lie on their bellies when they sleep. They might rest with their face tucked into their feathers or hang a bit over a branch. This looks odd to us, but it helps them relax. In a nest or safe spot, lying face down keeps them warm and makes it easier to doze without using lots of energy.

This habit is normal and not a sign of trouble. Parent owls stay close and watch over the chicks until they grow stronger. As the young owls get older, their necks and bodies develop and they begin to sleep in more adult ways, sitting up or tucking their head under a wing. Until then, face-down naps are just part of growing up. – A Facebook post by ‘Colours of Nature’

Every year, migratory birds embark on journeys that defy imagination. Some travel thousands of miles across oceans, deserts, and continents, guided by instincts older than civilization itself.

What makes this possible isn’t memory alone, it’s a hidden sense. Many migratory birds can detect Earth’s magnetic field, using it like an internal compass. Even when skies are overcast or landmarks disappear, they stay on course. At rest, flocks gather quietly in trees, all facing the same direction, as if tuning into an invisible signal. When the moment arrives, they rise together, confident in a path no map could show.

Scientists believe certain birds may even “see” magnetic fields, turning the planet itself into a navigational guide. – A Facebook post ‘Earth Unreal’

When crows, blue jays, and robins feel the need to clean themselves, they sometimes turn to an unlikely place: an anthill.

This behavior, known as anting, has been documented in more than 200 bird species. A bird may lower itself onto a mound, wings spread, allowing ants to move through its feathers.

Others take a more deliberate approach, picking up ants and rubbing them along their bodies.

The reason appears chemical rather than symbolic. Many ants release formic acid, a substance known to repel or kill parasites such as mites, lice, and certain fungi.

In controlled observations, birds often choose ant species with higher formic acid content, suggesting selectivity rather than chance. – A Facebook post by ‘Earth Unreal’

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