Poisonous birds

[flyzipper]

A friend sent me a clip on Instagram which claimed 2 new poisonous bird species were discovered in 2023, so the skeptic in me had to look it up.

Meet the Regent Whistler and Rufous-naped Bellbird...

These Innocent-Looking Birds Conceal a Potent Nerve Agent in Their Feathers

Birds likely aren't the first things that spring to mind when you think of poisonous animals, but two common species in Papua New Guinea have been found hoarding a toxic arsenal in their feathers.

www.sciencealert.com

More here...

Toxic bird - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

10 Top Poisonous Birds | Toxic Birds | Birds Adaptations | BioExplorer

Among the different strategies deployed by birds to escape predation is the use of toxins. Here are the top 10 poisonous birds in Aves family.

www.bioexplorer.net

I knew about parasitic bird species, but I hadn't heard of poisonous birds before today.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Wow
I had never heard of this . So fascinating! Thank you for sharing !

 

[Xoetix]

Whoa! That's fascinating!

 

[MommyBird]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
gives you so much to think about too.
So a few birds might produce the toxin themselves but many get it from ingesting a particular plant or insect.
So if that source should be driven extinct or endangered by say, climate change or habitat loss, then I would think the bird would quickly follow.
The bird could not change its coloration but I wonder if it would change behavior.

 

[Icey]

Another great read. Thank you for sharing

 

[expressmailtome]

Thank you for sharing! Planet Earth (if I recall correctly) did a segment on one of these species.

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

That’s so cool Thanks for the articles