The Curious Compendium 2023-2024: Shih-tzu, maltese, pekingese!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Aaaand another double post!

Some water lovers:


Nicknamed the "bushman's clock", the kookaburra often calls during dawn and dusk hours. This announces the area as their territory. These guys kind of behave like wolves in an unusual way, older offspring may hang around and help raise new chicks. Eventually, they will fly off to start their own families.

And now some tropical friends.


My fun fact is turacos: they are the ONLY bird with true pigment in their feathers that comes from a copper substance. When it is green its called "turacoverdin" and when it is red its called "turacin". If a red feather is submerged in water for 2 or 3 days, it will leach this pigment out and turn pink. I could not find if the green did the same...

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I can't share any facts right this minute, but I will update this post shortly with some. I am adjusting to a new job so posts will likely become irregular again for a while.

Turkeys!

Turkeys originate from Mexico, they have between 5,000 to 6,000 feathers; turkeys have been utilized by Mesoamerican cultures for their protein, eggs, and feathers (used for decoration and rituals).

Pheasants!

When startled, these guys can fly up to 60 mph and between 8-10 mph when running!

Mixed galliforms!

Junglefowl are the wild forms of all domestic chickens; they were domesticated as long ago as 7,000 to 8,000 years ago!

[Gwangi]

Nice to see that there's an oscillated turkey in the mix!

[bmathison1972]

Oooo where did those baby pheasants come from? A custom?

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Yes, there are a few customs mixed in there. Grouse and pheasant chicks repainted from Schleich ones. The ocellated turkey was just a chinamal. The junglefowl were various chinamals also, not my best work but my first try for such complex plumage.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Again, no fun facts for now but I will update these posts this weekend to keep up.

Peacocks!

Peafowl look identical when first hatched, they slowly begin to develop sex specific colors, but the spectacular feathers of males don't fully develop until 3 years old!

And our first ratites!

Cassowaries are evidently the largest native vertebrate in Australian forests, and also the second heaviest bird after ostriches, and the third tallest after ostriches and emus.

[Sim]

Gosh, I didn't know most of those kiwi figures existed!  Could you say what figures all the kiwis without a base are?

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Oh yes, but sadly a lot of them are hard to find! the 4 biggest in the back row are all k&m/wild republic polybags and are hollow. The front row from left to right is the science and nature, then the SSS, a good luck mini Safari ltd, and then CollectA (with a base).

Excited for Papo's!!!

[Sim]

Thanks!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I have updated the previous 2 posts (turkeys to kiwis) with fun facts. I am going to *try* to be better at keeping up on this topic now! Bear with me as I adjust to new things.

Ostriches!

Ostriches are the only didactyl (two toed) birds, all others have 3 or more toes. One egg of theirs is equal to about 24 average sized chicken eggs!

Eurasian eagle owls!


These guys rarely adopt a "tall-thin position" (a term used by owl watchers); this position in other species is assumed to help wity camoflage- the owl sits in a strict upright posture and compresses its feathers tighly against its body.


Males become whiter with age, females retain their black/brown barring. They also can reach fly speeds of 46 mph.

Barn and great horned!

There have been 46 "races" (subspecies?) described! The largest is the North American type which weighs twice as much as the Galapagos type.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Next up are mixed owls!


The boobook owl is also called the mopoke, marbled owl, spotted owl, or morepork. These names come from some of the sounds they make at night; "mo-poke" or "book-book".

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Cockatoos!


Galah are the most widespread cockatoo species in Australia! Galahs are especially adapted for their dry arid environment; they can go long periods without water and can rehydrate with salt water. Lastly, they are known to readily hybridize with other cockatoo species both in captivity and in the wild. In a domestic setting, there are several well known crosses (deliberate and accidental alike) with nicknames; such as a galah-cockatiel cross called a galatiel.

[Sim]

Great cockatoo collection!  What is the pink cockatoo figure with its wings out?

[bmathison1972]

Great cockatoo collection!  What is the pink cockatoo figure with its wings out?

Play Visions

[Sim]

Thanks!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Blue and gold macaw!


The black feathers on their face are unique to each bird like a fingerprint. They are zygodactyl (two toes point forward and two backwards). In the wild they live from 35 to 50, but in captivity they can be 80!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Scarlet and red and green macaws!





Red and green macaws have one of the largest home ranges of any macaw, and they have a bill that can generate 2,0000 PSI!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Mixed macaws!





Military macaws can bite down at 700 PSI (interesting that red and greens are so much stronger). They may fly 15 miles or more in search of food daily. Lastly, I didn't know there are 3 subspecies; the Mexican and the Bolivian military macaw.

[Sim]

I'm enjoying these parrot photos a lot!

[bmathison1972]

I'm enjoying these parrot photos a lot!

they are a macaws for celebration!