DK - WOW! The Visual Encyclopedia of Everything

Some swifts can

keep flying for

many months

without landing

47

FLAMINGO ▲

Vast wading flocks of flamingos

gather tiny animals and algae

from warm lakes. Holding their

extraordinary bills upside down

in the shallows, they use their

tongues to pump water

through their sieve-like bill

fringes to trap food.

TOUCAN ▶

The enormous bill of the toco toucan is much

lighter than it looks, because it is a hollow shell

of lightweight horny material supported by

criss-crossing internal struts. The toucan uses

it for display as well as feeding.

◀ WOODPECKER

Woodpeckers use their

powerful bills to carve out

nesting holes in trees, and many

also hack into soft timber to find insects.

This green woodpecker catches ants

with its extra-long tongue.

▲ ALBATROSS

The long, narrow wings of an albatross enable

it to soar for hours on oceanic winds without

moving a muscle. It feeds on marine animals,

which it snatches from the ocean with its bill.

SNOWY OWL ▶

Most owls hunt by night,

but the snowy owl is active

during the almost continuous

daylight of the Arctic summer.

It uses its acute hearing to

locate small animals such as

lemmings feeding beneath

the snow.

Soft feathers

allow owls to fly

in complete

silence

Pelicans use

the pouch

beneath their

bills like

fishing nets

to catch

their food

Hummingbirds

hover on whirring

wings to sip

flower nectar

PEAFOWL ▶

The female

peafowl, or

peahen, looks

drab and colourless

compared to the dazzling

male peacock, with his

amazing courtship display

of fanned tail feathers.

Webbed feet

stop wading

birds sinking

into mud

Parrots can

crack nuts with

their strong bills

Dalmatian

pelican

Blue tit

Hu

mmingbird

Swift

Green^ parakee

t

The flamingo’s

pink colouring

comes from

pigments in

the bird’s food

Budgerigars

Peacock

display

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