ANIMALS

Meet the Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, The Africa’s Cutest Flying Species

Have you ever noticed how characters with big red cheeks in cartoons and animations are incredibly cute? Artists intentionally exaggerate those features to make them more appealing and endearing to the audience, especially children. We often assume that such characters only exist on the screen, but it’s astonishing to discover that real animals possess similar traits. One such adorable creature is a small passerine bird belonging to the Estrildidae family, known as the red-cheeked cordon-bleu.

Image source: Natasha alba

These birds are originally from the grasslands, savannas, and shrublands of sub-Saharan Africa. Found in diverse ecosystems, they are known for their remarkable ability to adapt to various environmental conditions.

They don’t have any special requirements for their living arrangements, and it appears that they prefer resting on open branches rather than in nests or sheltered areas. This particular behavior makes them susceptible to colder temperatures.

Image source: Kevin Agar

The male bird stands out with its vibrant and striking colors, making it easy to distinguish from the female. It boasts a striking red patch on its cheeks, vivid blue feathers on its back and wings, and a white belly. Interestingly, their patches can sometimes display shades of orange or even yellow. On the other hand, the female has lighter coloring, with a grayish-blue back and wings, and a less prominent red spot on its face.

While young birds bear a closer resemblance to the females, the male birds in their juvenile stage display some hints of their future appearance. They start to develop blue coloring, which is primarily visible on their face and throat.

Image source: Makgobokgobo

The Red-cheeked cordon-bleu, scientifically known as Uraeginthus bengalus, is a tiny bird that typically measures around 10 to 12 centimeters in length, with a wingspan of approximately 15 centimeters.

Image source: Dorothy Sutherland

Female red-cheeked cordon-bleus often sing when protecting the area near their nest. However, their singing is less frequent and less complex compared to the males. It is believed that female singing helps with breeding synchronization and maintaining the bond with their partner, especially before laying eggs.

Image source: Russ

The red-cheeked cordon-bleu is a social bird that often forms small groups of around 20 individuals. They mainly feed on seeds, particularly weed and grass seeds. Interestingly, there have been occasional observations of them feeding on beeswax as well.

Image source: Neil Hilton

During the mating season, the male red-cheeked cordon-bleu often performs a courtship dance to attract the female. This dance includes puffing up its chest and tail feathers while hopping around in front of her.

The red-cheeked cordon-bleu builds its nest using grass, creating a large dome-shaped structure with a side entrance. These nests are typically found in trees, shrubs, or thatch. The female lays around 4-5 white eggs inside the nest. During the incubation period, the males become aggressive towards each other, and if the birds are startled, they often abandon the nest.

Image source: Neil Hilton

While the Red-cheeked cordon-bleu is currently not classified as an endangered species, its population has been affected by habitat loss and fragmentation caused by agricultural practices, urbanization, and climate change. Additionally, the species faces threats from illegal capture and trade, driven by its popularity. To protect the bird’s habitat and prevent illegal activities, it is important to implement strong conservation measures.

Image source: Greg Lavaty

ANIMALS

Amazing Video of Unseen Ocean Creatures in the Ningaloo Canyons

The Schmidt Ocean Institute recently explored the Ningaloo Canyons on the western coast of Australia using a robotic underwater vehicle called the ROV Sebastian. Check out the amazing video of what they discovered in the deep parts of the Indian Ocean.

More info: Youtube

ANIMALS

These Pics Are Art and the Artists Are Insects

Flying insects move so quickly that they are hard to follow, but new technology and some smart ideas have helped Spanish photographer Xavi Bou do just that. After spending 10 years focusing on birds in flight for his Ornithographies project, he turned his attention to insects.

For Entomographies, he uses high-speed video footage taken by Adrian Smith, an insect expert at North Carolina State University, to study and record how insects move. Bou then picks multiple frames and combines them into single images that show the fast movements of one or more insects through space and time.

With Smith’s help, Bou has captured the aerial tricks of wasps, the jumps of leafhoppers, and the fluttering of butterflies in amazing detail. He hopes that by doing this, he can make people more aware of the decline in important insect populations around the world.

1. Zebra longwing

This butterfly, which is common in many areas of the Americas, really fits its name. It can fly very high with just a few flaps of its large wings.