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Common name: Rainbow Lorikeet, Rainbow Lory
Scientific name: Trichoglossus haematodus
Classification: Animalia(Kingdom), Chordata(Phylum), Aves(Class), Psittaciformes(Order), Psittacidae(Family), Trichoglossus(Genus), Trichoglossus haematodus(Species)
Habitat: The rainbow lorikeet is found mainly in eastern Australia and on islands in the South Pacific. It lives in woodlands or at the edges of forests, where vegetation is not very dense. The lorikeet is also seen in gardens and parks. The city of Sydney has a flourishing population. In northern Australia the birds stay in the same area all year round. Farther south, where vegetation changes with the seasons, they are nomadic, constantly on the move in search of flowers and fruit. They are colourful birds that live in northern, eastern and south-eastern coastal areas of Australia.

Appearance: They have short, curved beaks and feet with two toes facing forwards and two toes facing backwards. Their faces are a bright blue, with vivid yellow feathrs on the back of their neck, and a leafy green starting at their shoulders where wings meet body, the green going down to their tail, with the underside of the tail feathers having little bits of yellow flecks. Their chest feathers are a very vivid ruby red, with orangey-white sections on the sides. Below there, about halfway down their bellies it changes to dark blue feathers. Their claws are a dark slate gray, and thir beaks are a bright red, often with a yellow tip. They are small to medium-sized, ranging from about one foot to a foot and a half long. Rainbow Lories have a downward-curving bill and feet with two toes pointing forward and two pointing toward the back. They are 11 inches long, and the tips of their tongues are brush-like to help them as they gather pollen and nectar. Their beaks are heavy but not strong enough to eat many seeds and kernels.
Diet: Lories are nectar-eating birds, usually crushing the blossom and then licking up the honey with their brush tongues. Sometimes they feed so eagerly their necks will become coated with sticky nectar and dusty pollen. If this nectar and pollen begins to ferment before it can be preened away, it may literally intoxicate these birds and they must wait until they "sober up" before being able to fly. Additionally, they may also eat blossoms, fruit, insects, and some seeds. 70% of their day is devoted to feeding.

Behavior: They call with shrill screeches. Rainbow Lorikeets fly over trees searching for nectar and pollen from the blossoms of native plants, fruit and insects in the early morning and late afternoon. They use their sharp, curved beak to tear at fruit and flowers and their tongue like a paintbrush to mop up nectar from flowers. Rainbow Lorikeets make nests from a bed of sawdust in hollow trees or tree branches that are near water. The female lays two white, round eggs that she sits on for 25 to 26 days. When the eggs hatch the chicks are without feathers. Both parents help feed the chicks. The chicks have feathers and are ready to fly and leave the nest in eight weeks.
Other Pictures: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
Helpful Sites: Parrot Society of Australia



Common Name: Bald Eagle
Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Classification: Animalia(Kingdom), Chordata(Phylum), Aves(Class), Falconiformes(Order), Accipitridae(Family), Haliaeetus(Genus), Haliaeetus leucocephalus(Species)
Habitats: Bald eagles are found over most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold for bald eagles. They flourish here in part because of the salmon.
Appearance: Length is about 2 1/2 feet for males and about 3 feet for females. Weight is 10 pounds for males, 13 pounds for females. Wingspan ranges from 6 feet to 8 feet. A large bird with a black body and a white head and tail. The beak, feet and eyes are bright yellow. Legs are feathered halfway down and end in short and powerful grasping toes and long talons. Young eagles have a longer tail and variable shades of white on their underbody, flight feathers, and wing linings. The young eagle gets adult plumage by the 4th or 5th year and will sport a total of about 7,000 feathers. Eagles have the excellent vision characteristic of raptors. An eagle's eye is almost as large as a human's, but its sharpness is at least four times that of a person with perfect vision. They have two centers of focus, that allow them to see both forward and to the side at the same time. While soaring, gliding, or in flapping flight, they are capable of seeing fish in the water from several hundred feet above. Like all birds, eagles have color vision. Their hearing isn't as good as their vision. Eagles have a special locking mechanism for their talons. When the open talons hit the prey, they instantly close and cannot be opened again until the eagle pushes down on a solid surface.

Diet: The bald eagle is an opportunistic hunter, taking whatever prey is available and easiest to hunt. Eagles do not have to eat everyday and have a pouch in their esophagus, called a "crop," where they can store food. Fish make up the bulk of a bald eagle's diet, with salmon preferred. They fish in both salt and fresh water. They will also ingest small mammals and carrion. Fox, young deer, and even geese in flight are hunted as well. An eagle can lift about 4 lbs. Occasionally, an eagle plunges into the water to catch its prey and uses its wings to swim, since it cannot fly again until it is out of the water. Bald eagles have been known to steal meals from osprey, crows, and other animals. Eagles sit at the top of the food chain, making them more vulnerable to toxic chemicals in the environment, since each link in the food chain tends to concentrate chemicals from the lower link. Because of their size, they have few enemies and require a large hunting area, varying from 1700 to 10,000 acres.
Behavior: Eagles are only partially migratory and juvenile eagles migrate before their parents. If they have access to open water, they will remain at that nesting site year round. If the lakes or streams freeze over, they migrate south or to the coast. They choose their migratory routes to take advantage of thermals, updrafts, and food sources. Eagles mate for life. They nest from November to April and use the same nest each year. It takes weeks to construct and is added to each year. Bald eagles are sexually mature at 5 years of age. The female usually lays two eggs, taking turns with her mate to incubate them. Incubation lasts about 35 days. Normally only one eaglet will survive. The young will fledge at 10-12 weeks of age.
Other Pictures: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
Helpful Sites: Bald Eagle Info


Common Name: Lion, Asian Lion

Scientific Name: Panthera leopersica
Classification: Animalia(Kingdom), Chordata(Phylum), Mammalia(Class), Carnivora(Order), Felidae(Family), Panthera(Genus), Panthera leopersica(Species)
Habitats: The Asiatic Lion has all but disappeared, and can now only be found in the Gir Forest National Park in India.
Appearance: Asiatic lions have a shaggier coat than their African counterparts, and both sexes have a distinctive fold of skin that runs along the belly. They have a longer tassel of hair on the end of the tail and longer tufts of hair on the elbows. Males are 1.7-2.5 m long and weigh 150-250 kg. While females are 1.4-1.75 m in length and weigh in at 120-182 kg. Like all cats they are equipped with powerful retractable claws and long sharp canine teeth that are used in dragging their prey to the ground

Diet: Asiatic lions feed on wild pigs, cattle, antelope and deer in the wild. At the Zoo they are fed meat, raw eggs and a smear of marmite a week, to get a balance of vitamins. They are fed 6 days out of 7, as this reflects their natural behaviour in the wild where they would not successfully catch prey every day.
Behavior: Like African lions, hunting is a cooperative affair but adult males rarely participate. If vegetation is sparse, hunting usually takes place at night, but where it is thick, it may also take place during the day. The lions use stealth to approach their prey and then charge and either grab or knock it down before it outruns them. Only one in about four charges ends successfully. Lions are inactive for most of the day, spending up to 20 hours per day resting or sleeping. Again, like their African cousins, Asian lions are highly social animals, living in units called prides. However, the Asiatic pride is much smaller, with an average of only 2 females compared to the African pride, which has an average of four to six. The males are also less social and only associate with the pride when mating or on a large kill. It has been suggested that this may be because of the smaller prey available in Gir. Small prey mean less animals are needed to hunt them down, and there would be less meat to share between more lions if the prides were larger.
Other Pictures: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9
Helpful Sites: Asiatic Lion Info Center


Common Name: Mountain lion, Puma, Cougar, Panther, Catamount, Painter

Scientific Name: Puma concolor
Classification: Animalia(Kingdom), Chordata(Phylum), Mammalia(Class), Carnivora(Order), Felidae(Family), Puma(Genus), Puma concolor(Species)
Habitats: The big cat resides in the western states and southern Texas. They can also be found in Arkansas and Louisiana and in my home state, the Florida panther (a rare species of Mountain lion) is on the endangered species list. Vigorous programs are underway in Florida to help save this beautiful creature before it joins the list of extinct species. In the eastern United States, suitable habitat consists of mountains, hilly woodlands, and southern swamps. Dense vegetation, rocky crevices, and caves may be used as temporary shelters.
Appearance: The coloring of a Mountain lion is tan to yellow with white markings on its face and underbelly and distinctive black markings on its face.The adult male can weight up to 175 lbs and can measure up to 9' long. This would include their tail which can be anywhere from 2' to 3' long. These big guys and gals can jump as high as 15' and as far as 30'. It's believed they use their tail as a way to balance themselves when jumping. A mountain lion can drop silently from a height of 60 feet and land running. They can leap 15 feet upward and on flat ground, a lion can spring forward almost 45 feet in one pounce.

Diet: Mountain Loins are predatory carnivores, whose main prey is the white-tailed deer. Other prey species include rabbit, raccoon, wild hog, armadillo, and birds. Research indicates that about 80 to 90% of a lion's diet is deer. An adult lion kills one deer per week. Other prey species include elk and smaller mammals. What the lion does not eat, other predators and scavengers, such as coyotes, foxes, hawks, eagles and crows, use. Prey is dragged to a concealed place before another animal can eat it. The forequarters of the carcass are eaten first, and the rest is buried with grass by the Mountain Lion and fed upon later. Mountain Lions will kill and eat domestic livestock also.
Behavior: Lions are solitary hunters and only kill when hungry. They feed, cover the remains, and stay close by usually napping, then feed again. They must have enough food to sustain themselves and their young, as well. Much like the Cheetah, the lions live a single life until mating season. The female can have a litter from one to six cubs. The babies are completely dependent but very soon after birth, will accompany their mother on her outings. At around the age of two-years old, the cubs are able to hunt and provide for themselves. They will soon leave their mother and go off on their own and the cycle starts again. Because of their small lungs they are not able to sustain a lengthy chase, so silent ambush and a quick attack is their signature.
Other Pictures: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10
Helpful Sites: Mountain Lion Foundation
X-tra SoundFile: Purring