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[citation needed] Plunge-diving birds are notable for their beaks, necks, and morphing wings. Plunge-diving birds generally have a higher beak angle ratio than others. [5] Beak angle ratio is defined as the top angle divided by the side angle.
The white-throated dipper and American dipper are also known in Britain and America, respectively, as the water ouzel (sometimes spelt "ousel") – ouzel originally meant the only distantly related but superficially similar Eurasian blackbird (Old English osle). Ouzel also survives as the name of a relative of the blackbird, the ring ouzel. [6]
They are strong fliers; their broad, blunt-tipped wings require faster wing-beats than those of many ducks and they take off with some difficulty. Northern species tend to be migratory ; southern species do not migrate though the hardhead travels long distances on an irregular basis in response to rainfall.
The white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus), also known as the European dipper or just dipper, is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies , based primarily on colour differences, particularly of the pectoral band.
Pied-billed grebes rarely fly. They make a slow dive frequently, especially when in danger, diving to about 20 ft (6.1 m) or less. [ 2 ] [ 13 ] They dive for about 30 seconds and may move to a more secluded area of the water, allowing only the head to be visible to watch the danger dissipate. [ 13 ]
The same wing shape is used by the auks for a different purpose; auks use their wings to "fly" underwater. The peregrine falcon has the highest recorded dive speed of 242 miles per hour (389 km/h). The fastest straight, powered flight is the spine-tailed swift at 105 mph (169 km/h).
The American dipper's nest is a globe-shaped structure with a side entrance, close to water, on a rock ledge, river bank, behind a waterfall or under a bridge. The normal clutch is 2–4 white eggs, incubated solely by the female, which hatch after about 15–17 days, with another 20–25 days to fledging.
The male is glossy black-green with wings, a base of wings, and a glossy black-blue tail. [14] The tip of the tail is white. [15] The back of the head and the neck have elongated feathers that have been described as gray [16] or light purple-white. [14] The upper back of the body and wings are spotted or streaked with white. [16]