El Condor Pasa (And Other Birds) Quiz

Answer: Vulture

Vultures are found on every continent of our world except for Australia and Antarctica. A characteristic feature of this bird is its bald head. Vultures also appear to have hunched shoulders when perched on any object. Because these birds are often seen feeding off the carcasses of dead animals, a group of vultures is referred to as a wake. A wake is a term relating to funerals and death. Vultures are also often seen in large numbers on battlefields where wars are fought between humans.

Two other interesting features about vultures is that many of them vomit when they are approached or if they feel threatened. This is to remove food they have recently consumed, making them lighter. That way they can take off faster. The other interesting thing is that, because they feed off carcasses, they urinate so that it drips straight down their legs. This is to kill any bacteria they may have picked up while they are standing on dead meat. Not a nice bird really, but very necessary as nature's garbage cans.

Answer: Albatross

Albatrosses are large birds seen in the southern oceans and the North Pacific. There are twenty-one different species of albatross, and nineteen of these are in danger of extinction. This is because introduced species such as feral cats eat their eggs or young birds, and the areas where the birds normally feed are being over fished by humans.

Many of them also become entangled in the lines of fishing rods. An albatross only lays one egg at a time. It takes a whole year before the young fledgling is capable of caring for itself, so it is imperative that humanity does something to protect this large and gracious creature.

Answer: Eagle

There are over seventy different species of eagles in the world. Most of these can be found in Europe, Asia and Africa. Of the rest, two are found in North America, nine in South America and three in Australia. All eagles have powerful, hooked beaks and very powerful claws.

They soar through the air with dazzling speed and accuracy and are really a lovely sight to see - from a safe distance. Interestingly, as a contrast to most other animals, the female eagle is always bigger than the male. Most eagles lay two eggs when breeding, but very often the larger of the hatched baby birds will kill the smaller of the two. What a waste. Mother Nature can be very harsh at times.

Answer: Pelican

Pelicans are known for the large pouch which hangs from their throat. This is a little like a travelling storage cupboard. They hold fish in there until all the water in which they were caught drains away, and then swallow them. There are eight different species of pelican in the world. An amazing feature of this bird is that it has internal air pockets which enable it to float gracefully through the air.

Another interesting fact about the pelican, whose beak can hold more than its belly can, is that, during breeding season, the bills, pouch and facial skin become a very bright colour, almost as though they've applied make-up in order to attract a mate. Once the eggs are laid, this colour fades.

The poor things are probably too busy rearing their chicks to bother with lipstick at that stage.

Answer: Cassowary

Cassowaries are found throughout New Guinea and in the far north east of Australia. There are only three different species of this unusual, and very shy, bird. They have very powerful legs which enable them to run at a speed of thirty-one miles per hour, jump up to five feet in the air, and swim with complete ease. What a shame they can't ride bikes as well.

They'd make good triathletes. Cassowaries have large, fairly sold crests on their heads. These act as a kind of crash helmet for them in two ways. Because they live in jungle areas, the crest protects their heads when running through thick vegetation, because, almost comically, they occasionally run straight into trees. Additionally, because a major part of their diet is fruit, cassowaries hang around underneath trees waiting for the fruit to fall. That thick crest protects their heads when this comes crashing down from above. Fortunately this fruit is not coconut, or the bird would probably be extinct by now.

Answer: Ostrich

Native to Africa, the ostrich is the fastest running land bird of all, reaching speeds of up to forty-three miles per hour. It also lays the largest eggs of all the birds. Poor thing. That would be so painful. No longer now just a lovely bird of the wild, the ostrich is also farmed commercially as well, for its meat, its feathers and its skin.

The feathers are used as dusters for the most part, which seems somewhat insulting, the meat is eaten, and the skin is used to make products such as handbags. An ostrich held in captivity (as long as it isn't eaten, that is) can live up to sixty years.

This is amazing: Ostriches prefer to run away when under threat. However, if their chicks are threatened in any way, they will stand their ground and defend them fiercely, and astonishingly, have even been known to kill lions under these circumstances. So never upset Mr and Mrs Ostrich when their chicks are nearby.

Answer: Emu

An emu, which looks a lot like its cousin the ostrich, is Australia's largest bird. These birds are huge, taller than a six foot man, and are quite alarming at close quarters. Also fast runners, their long legs enable them to take strides that are nine feet long. Emus defend themselves with extremely powerful kicks.

They have very sharp claws on the end of each toe, so one hearty kick by an emu can inflict real damage. In breeding season, the female does all the courting, showing off and almost turning herself inside out to attract the male who's caught her eye.

He, on the other hand, is rather passive during the courtship period, mainly, one suspects, because his reproductive areas swell to twice their size during this time and he's probably feeling a little uncomfortable.

After the eggs are produced, that's when he takes over. Those eggs are green, by the way. Papa Emu hatches them and looks after the chicks until they're old enough to fend for themselves.

Answer: Flamingo

There are six species of flamingos in the world. Four of these are found on the American continents. One unusual feature of this beautiful bird is its habit of standing on one leg, with the other tucked up under it. Nobody knows quite why they do this, although it has been suggested it helps keep them warm. Amazingly so, when baby flamingos are born, both parents produce a kind of milk in their crops with which to feed the chicks. That's astonishing.

In olden times in the reign of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt, people in that land believed that the flamingo was one of their major gods, Ra, presented to them in bird form. Ancient Romans weren't nearly as sensitive or spiritual as that however.

They considered the bird's tongue to be a delicacy, and killed them for it. Back to the 21st century and modern times, these truly exquisite birds are dying in great numbers in Africa, and scientists are in a race to try to find out the reasons why, before it is all too late and they vanish from our world forever.

Answer: Penguin

Penguins can be found in various spots in the southern hemisphere, but exist in massive numbers in the Antarctic. The different species range in size from three and a half feet tall, down to a tiny sixteen inches in height. In prehistoric times, some penguins were as tall as a man. Once upon a time, penguins could fly, but over millions of years, their wings have turned into flippers.

This makes them very graceful and swift in the water. These birds are excellent swimmers. They're very clumsy on land however, and get around either by a type of pompous waddle or by sliding along on their bellies.

Answer: Kookaburra

A kookaburra is a large tree-dwelling bird in Australia, known for its maniacal laughing call. It is also referred to as the laughing jackass for this reason. Hearing that laugh for the first time can be a little alarming for those who don't recognise it for what it is.

These birds are excellent at catching and eating mice, snakes, small animals, snakes, insects, snakes, frogs, and more snakes. We love them for eating those snakes as we have many very, very deadly ones in this country.