Category: Birds
These masters of graceful flight can soar hundreds of miles a day, barely flapping their wings as they scan the ocean waters for prime fishing. They feed by sitting on the water surface and catching squid and other small prey with their bills. They are named for the Laysan breeding colony in the Hawaiian Islands, where they are the second most common seabird. Laysan albatrosses can be exceptionally long-lived - one individual was still nesting at 63 years of age, as of 2014.
“Bird Brain” should be taken as a compliment.
Calling someone a “bird brain” is an insult, but perhaps it should be reconsidered given how many birds display high intelligence and adaptability. For just a few examples, the kea from New Zealand can solve logical puzzles and work with other birds in order to acquire food, observations of Cormorants used by Chinese fishermen indicate that the birds can count up to seven, and many species of birds use simple tools such as sticks to help them acquire food or other items that catch their fancy! There is also a cockatoo named Snowball who can dance to the beat of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself,” though whether this indicates intelligence or not may be a matter of debate or personal taste.
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