Brazil’s critically endangered “Araripe Manakin” may be the world’s most beautiful Bird.

Araripe Manakin is a colorful and critically endangered species, which numbers are decreasing over the years and currently it is no more than 800 species. The Araripe Manakin is survives in the smallest of areas only 11 square miles in Ceará in northeastern Brazil will now be better protected thanks to the establishment of two reserves. xIt was named Antilophia bokermanni in honour of the biologist Werner Bokerman who died in 1995. 

It is sparrow size bird and discovered in 1996. It exists only in a narrow strip of humid forest on the slopes of the “Araripe Plateau”, which is an area subject to continuing pressure from agriculture and the development of recreational facilities. These reserves were made likely through two actions: the purchase of a parcel of land encompassing 140 acres, and the consummation of a formal agreement with an adjacent landowner, who designated 27 acres of his land as a completely protected area. The recently created 140-acre reserve borders the Araripe National Forest to the south and includes a house that may one day be converted to a tourist lodge. Furthermore a river valley interlinks the property with the Sítio Fundão State Park, a completely protected 230-acre area managed by the state. The 27-acre parcel situated to the south is now a private reserve formally known as preserved in perpetuity. 

It is very little known rare species, and typically occurs in pairs. Juvenile males normally have been found during March and January. As typical of most manakins, males and females have a strong sexual dimorphism in the colors of the plumage. However; the “Araripe Manakin” prerequisites are permanent springs and streams with prime nesting territories and suitable moist-forest habitat, all features provided in the acquisitions. The bird species likes to the lower and middle levels of the forest, where it feeds on fruit. Moreover it shares its habitat with other species found nowhere but Brazil, such as “Silvery-cheeked Antshrike”, “White-browed Antpitta”, and “Caatinga Antshrike”.

Just above their habitat is a plateau that is home to over 100 additional species, including the endemic “Planalto Slaty-Antshrike” and “Ceará Leaftosser”. The acquisition was led by Aquasis, a Brazilian conservation organization, with the help from American Bird Conservancy. A joint reforestation project of “Aquasis” and “ABC” that resulted in the planting of 4,652 native seedlings in the area prompted the acquisition collaboration.

                                                        Source: Charismatic Planet

The “Hoopoe” is Distinctive Crown Feathers Bird

The hoopoe is a medium sized colorful bird, almost 25 to 32 cm long, with a 44 to 48 cm wingspan. The bird weighs is approximately 46 to 89 g. The species is highly distinctive, notable for its distinctive "crown" of feathers with a long, thin tapering bill that is black with a fawn base. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. The bird has wide and rounded wings gifted of strong flight; these’re larger in the northern migratory subspecies. The bird has a characteristic undulating flight, which is same that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats.

The hoopoe or Upupa epops is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. Well, same as Latin name upupa, the English name is an onomatopoeic form which reproduces the cry of the bird. The hoopoe is the national bird of Republic of Israel. The bird is named after its vocalizations, the Eurasian hoopoe emits a low "hoop, hoop, hoop, hoop". The pinkish brown to chestnut plumage with black and white bars and an inspiring fan-like crest make the Eurasian hoopoe instantly recognizable. The Eurasian hoopoe forages mainly on short grass and bare soil for invertebrates.

The bird call is typically a trisyllabic oop-oop-oop, which may give rise to its English and scientific names, although two and four syllables are also common. The hoopoe is prevalent in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Most European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter. In contrast, the African populations are sedentary all year. The species has been a vagrant in Alaska; U. e. saturata was recorded there in 1975 in the Yukon Delta. Hoopoes have been known to breed north of their European range, and in southern England during warm, dry summers that provide plenty of grasshoppers and similar insects, although as of the early 1980s northern European populations were reported to be in the decline, possibly due to changes in climate.

The unique hoopoe has two basic requirements of its habitat, one is bare or lightly vegetated ground on which to forage and vertical surfaces with cavities in which to nest.

These requirements can be provided in a wide range of ecosystems, and as a result the hoopoe inhabits a wide range of habitats such as heathland, wooded steppes, savannas and grasslands, as well as forest glades. The change of natural habitats by humans for numerous agricultural purposes has led to hoopoes becoming common in olive groves, orchards, vineyards, parkland and farmland, even though they’re less common and are declining in intensively farmed areas. Moreover hunting is of concern in southern Europe and Asia. The beautiful hoopoes are distinctive birds and have made a big cultural impact over much of their range. Though they were considered sacred in Ancient Egypt, and were portrayed on the walls of tombs and temples. They achieved a similar standing in Minoan Crete.

The Hoopoes make seasonal travelers in response to rain in some regions such as in Ceylon and in the Western Ghats. The birds have been seen at high altitudes during migration across the Himalayas. One case was recorded at about 21,000 feet by the first Mount Everest expedition. In what was long thought to be a defensive posture, normally hoopoes sunbathe by spreading out their wings and tail low against the ground and tilting their head up; they frequently fold their wings and preen halfway through. They also like taking dust and sand baths.

The Hoopoe diet is mostly consists of insects, small reptiles, frogs and plant matter such as seeds and berries are sometimes taken as well. You know it is a solitary forager which naturally feeds on the ground. Moreover they’ll rarely feed in the air, where their strong and rounded wings make them fast and maneuverable, in pursuit of plentiful swarming insects. The bird commonly their foraging style is to stride over relatively open ground and occasionally pause to probe the ground with the full length of their bill. The Hoopoe insect larvae, pupae and mole crickets are detected by the bill and either extracted or dug out with the strong feet. Hoopoes will also feed on insects on the surface, probe into piles of leaves, and even use the bill to lever large stones and flake off bark. The Hoopoe common diet items include crickets, locusts, beetles, earwigs, cicadas, ant lions, bugs and ants.

Hoopoes are monogamous, though the pair bond actually only lasts for a single season, and territorial. The male bird calls frequently to promote his ownership of the territory. Chases and fights between rival males and sometimes females are common and can be brutal. Hoopoe bird’s likes to stab rivals with their bills, and individuals are occasionally blinded in fights. The Hoopoe prefer to make nest is in a hole in a tree or wall, and left a narrow entrance in them. It may be unlined, or numerous scraps may be collected. The female bird is accountable for incubating the eggs. Because their clutch size varies with location: northern hemisphere birds lay more eggs than those in the southern hemisphere, and birds at higher latitudes have larger clutches than those closer to the equator. In central & northern Europe and Asia the clutch size is about 12, while it is about 4 in the tropics and 7 in the subtropics. The eggs shapes are round and milky blue when laid, but rapidly discolor in the increasingly dirty nest. They weigh 4.5 grams.

Hoopoes have well-developed anti-predator defenses in the nest. The uropygial gland of the incubating and brooding female is speedily modified to create a foul-smelling liquid, and the glands of nestlings do so as well. These secretions are rubbed into the plumage, which smells like rotting meat, and is thought to support deter predators, as well as deter parasites and probably act as an antibacterial agent. The secretions end soon before the young leave the nest. From the age of six days, nestlings can also direct streams of faeces at intruders, and will hiss at them in a snake-like fashion. The young also strike with their bill or with one wing.

The incubation period for the species lies between 15 to 18 days, during that time the male feeds the female bird. However incubation initiates as soon as the first egg is laid, so the chicks are born asynchronously. The baby chicks hatch with a covering of downy feathers. Moreover by around three to five days, feather quills emerge which will become the adult feathers. The baby bird is brooded by the female for between nine to fourteen days. The female bird later joins the male in the task of carrying food. The young fledge in 26 to 29 days and remain with the parents for about a week more. The main diet of the hoopoe includes numerous species considered by humans to be pests, such as the pupae of the processionary moth, a damaging forest pest. So, for this reason the species are afforded protection under the law in various countries.

Hoopoes also has (zikr) appeared in the Qur’an and are recognized as the "hudhud", in Surah Al-Naml 27:20–22: "And Prophet Hazrat Salman (A.S) sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent? I verily will punish him with hard punishment or I verily will slay him, or he verily shall bring me a plain excuse. But the hoopoe was not long in coming, and he said: I have found out (a thing) that thou apprehendest not, and I come unto thee from Sheba with sure tidings." Islamic literature also states that a hoopoe saved Moses and the children of Israel from being crushed by the giant Og after crossing the Red Sea. You can read out full article of Prophet Sulayman (PBUH), Bilqees, and the Hud-Hud at Read Full Story at Muslimvillage

Hoopoes were seen as a symbol of virtue in Persia. A hoopoe was a leader of the birds in the Persian book of poems The Conference of the Birds ("Mantiq al-Tayr" by Attar) points out that the “Simurgh" was the king of the birds. Hoopoes were thought of as thieves across much of Europe, and harbingers of war in Scandinavia. In Estonian tradition, hoopoes are strongly connected with death and the underworld; their song is believed to foreshadow death for many people or cattle. The hoopoe is the king of the birds in the Ancient Greek comedy The Birds by Aristophanes. The bird's crest indicates his royal status, and his long, sharp beak is a symbol of his violent nature. English translators and poets probably had the northern lapwing in mind, considering its crest.

The video is shooting by me in Lahore Pakistan, when a pair of this beautiful bird was grassing in the fields. As this is migratory bird and have often comes in Lahore Pakistan in spring season. When the season over, they’ve move to some other location. Check out the video at the end of post.

The Wonderful “Hoopoe or Eurasian hoopoe” is Notable distinctive Crown Feathers Bird from Tauheed Ahmad Nawaz on Vimeo.

Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in the central eastern portion of the U.S. state of California. The park, which is managed by the National Park Service, covers an area of 747,956 acres and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley. It is designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite was central to the development of the national park idea. First, Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President Abraham Lincoln's signing the Yosemite Grant in 1864. Later, John Muir led a successful movement to establish a larger national park encompassing not just the valley, but surrounding mountains and forests as well paving the way for the United States national park system.

Dog decided to scare cat

Havasupai Falls, Grand Canyon.

Havaasupai is the ideal hiking destination for all hikers from beginners to seasoned veterans. The 10 mile hike is not as bad as it sounds, as only the first mile and a half consists of steep switchbacks. The remainder of the trail is mainly a winding wash that gradually turns into a canyon with gentle incline. Swimming, wading, and playing in the gorgeous pools below the falls - or in the stream flowing through the campground - are well worth the physical and logistical trials you overcame to get here.

Either way, spending a night in the canyon can often be described as a spiritual experience. The wonder and awe of the canyon seem to envelope you in a way that is hard to describe, but peaceful and refreshing certainly come to mind. Once you've experienced it, you will long to come back again and again. 

First Photos Of New Tongan Island

Thanks to volcanic activity, a new island has risen out of the waters of the South Pacific. Just don’t start making Spring Break plans to go there yet. Scientists are warning that the new island is highly unstable and even boats should avoid passing too close. Popping out of the water just 28 miles west of the tiny island nation of Tonga, the new land mass sprouted from the Hunga Tonga volcano, which became active back in December. It’s the second time in five years that the volcano has erupted.

Brambling “Fringilla Montifringilla” is a Widespread Bird of Europe

The brambling “Fringilla montifringilla” is actually a little passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. The common English name is derived from Common West Germanic “brama” meaning bramble or a thorny bush. It has also been called the cock o' the north and the mountain finch. The beautiful brambling is alike in size and shape to a common chaffinch. Breeding-plumaged male bramblings are very distinguishing, with a black head, dark up per parts, colorful orange breast with white belly.

However, females and younger birds are less distinctive, and more related in appearance to some chaffinches. In all plumages, though, bramblings differs from chaffinches in a number of features, brambling has a white rump whereas that of chaffinch is grey-green. The breast is orange, contrasting with a white belly on brambling, whereas on chaffinch the underparts of more uniformly colored pink or buff.  However; brambling's scapulars are orange, whereas chaffinch's are grey or grey-brown, the flanks are dark-spotted on brambling, plain on chaffinch.

You know, Bramblings lack the white outer tail feathers of chaffinch. Moreover an additional difference for all plumages except breeding-plumaged males is the bill color - yellow in brambling, dull pinkish in chaffinch breeding-plumaged male bramblings have black bills, chaffinches in the corresponding plumage have grey bills. Brambling is almost completely migratory bird, and in Europe, it forms large flocks in the winter, sometimes with thousands or even millions of birds in a single flock. Moreover such large gatherings happen particularly if beech mast is abundant.

This bird species do not require beech mast in the winter, but winter flocks of bramblings will move until they find it. This may be an adaptation to avoid competition with the Chaffinch. This bird normally likes to eat seeds, but contrasting most finches, their young are fed largely on insects. It builds its nest in a tree fork, and decorates the exterior with moss or lichen to make it less conspicuous. It lays four to nine eggs. The brambling is a widespread and plentiful species and is not considered to be threatened with extinction. In Europe alone, which accounts for less than half of its breeding range, over 13 million pairs are found breeding across northern regions that include parts of Iceland, Denmark, Germany, Scandinavia, Finland and Russia.

The Endless Stream

Haifoss ('High Waterfall') is a waterfall in Fossardalur valley, innermost of Thjorsardalur valley in South Iceland. Haifoss is held to be Iceland's second-highest waterfall, with a height of 122 meters. Near it is another waterfall called Granni, meaning 'Neighbour', i.e. a neighbour to Haifoss.

Marmore Waterfalls

Repeatedly cited and praised by poets and artists as one of the most fascinating natural wonders of the world, the Marmore Waterfalls are undoubtedly a show of rare beauty, among the highest in Europe. Offers a unique spectacle: three successive jumps for a total of 165 meters in the midst of light, color, rumbles of water falling tumultuous and foaming between the green of the surrounding nature.

It is located 7.7 km from Terni, provincial capital of the Italian region of Umbria.Its source is a part of the river Velino (the rest of the river runs in a hydroelectric power plant), after crossing the Piediluco lake near the community of Marmore. Pours into the valley formed by the river Nera.

Helmcken Falls British Columbia Canada

Helmcken Falls is a 141 m (463 ft) waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939. Helmcken Falls is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada, measured by total straight drop without a break.

Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America

Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America. Located in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada of California, it is a major attraction in the park, especially in late spring when the water flow is at its peak. The total 2,425 feet (739 m) from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall[1] qualifies Yosemite Falls as the sixth highest waterfall in the world, though with the recent discovery of Gocta Cataracts, it appears on some lists as seventh. 

 

The Grand Canyon, USA (Nature architecture)

The Grand Canyon is one of the most remarkable natural wonders in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, USA, it is one of the deepest gorges on Earth with an average depth of one mile (1.6km) and an average width of ten miles. The canyon was carved over the past 6 million years by the action of the Colorado River as it drops over 2,200 feet along the 277-mile length of the gorge. For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site and made pilgrimages to it.

Pearl Beach in Bora Bora Islands!!

Is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 kilometres (143 miles) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. Indeed this is beautiful and must visit place. 

Flowers of the Shingle Beach

Flowers that grow by the sea must cope with exposure to wind and salt spray. Those living on shingle beaches also have to adapt to shifting shingle and lack of nutrients; nevertheless, many species manage to flourish under these tough condition.

The number of multiple species of plants found on shingle foreshore is limited to about half a dozen species on any one beach. In fact it is more usual to find only two or three species. Surprisingly probably it is not a lack of fresh water that makes shingle foreshores such a difficult environment for flowering plants. The surface layers of shingle are actually well supplied with rain and dew, which provide a reservoir of fresh water that rests on the deeper salt water below. The pebbles seem able to hold this water on their surface and even in a drought the plants that live on shingle are green and fresh when inland plants may be wilted and brown. Nor does the salt spray or the exposure to wind pose any particular problem, for many plants living near the sea tolerate wind salt, yet cannot survive on a shingle foreshore.  

Well, the real difficulty is the instability of the substrate; the constantly shifting pebbles damage any seeds and seedlings before they can grow large enough to withstand such movements. It is only after the beach has become stabilized above the high tide mark, where the sea does not cause constant movement that large scale colonization can begin. 

Early colonists Lichens such as the black Verrucaria Maura and the yellow Xanthoria parietina are the first go appear, and gradually the spaces between the pebbles fill up with lichens, grit and shell fragments. A rudimentary soil begins to develop very slowly. But there is still one problem for colonizing plants lack of nutrients. Almost the only source of organic material, apart from dead lichens, is tidal drift. This explains why the spring high tide mark, with its line of dead seaweeds, driftwood and decaying skeletal remains, is one of the best places to look for the few flowering plants that can tolerate this harsh environment. Those that do grow here often have more than one adaptation to help them make the best of the conditions. 

Creeping rootstocks, complete plant cover does not form on shingle foreshores instead, individual plants are dotted along the strand line and above the high water mark. Sea campion is one of the most widespread of such plants, growing along with sea sandwort where there is sand mixed with shingle. These are both prostrate and low growing species, pressed to the beach to avoid the worst effects of the wind. Their creeping rootstocks penetrate the shingle in all directions and anchor the plants firmly. 

The sea campion forms spreading cushions of bluish leaves, and is covered with white flowers from May to July. Like many of the inhabitants of shingle beaches, it is not confined to this environment, but is rather an opportunist with an ability to survive in most maritime habitats. As a result it is not only found on shingle foreshores, but also on cliffs, sandy banks and at the edges of salt marshes all-round the British coastline. Norfolk and Anglesey, but it is now extinct in many of its southern localities. The root of this plant produces a multitude of white stolon’s (rooting creeping stems) which grow through the shingle to produce new plants each with several prostrate stems and large, blue green leaves. 

Root adaptation shingle foreshore plants usually have long, tough, woody roots, well able to withstand the friction of the pebbles. Many of the species, like sea pea, sea beet and curled dock, have tap roots that delve deep into the shingle, anchoring the plant firmly while remaining within the freshwater layer. The sea pea is locally abundant on the shingle beaches of the south coast, including Chesil Bank. It is a perennial, prostrate species, bearing purple flowers from May to August. Like the non-maritime members of the pea family, its tap root carries nodules containing nitrogen fixing bacteria. Gardeners and farmers make use of this characteristics when plant clover in fields and lawns; when these leguminous plants die, they have the soil enriched with nitrogen. 

In a nutrient poor environment like a shingle foreshore, this nitrogen fixing ability of the sea pea is especially valuable. Yet surprisingly, this does not seems to give the plant any great adventure and it is relatively rare, appearing only on shingle foreshores in the south and south east of England and north east Scotland. The sea beet, like the sea pea, is a rather straggling perennial. It is more common growing along the drift line on both shingle and sandy foreshores around most of Britain’s coastline. Its small green flowers appear in loose clusters from June to September. 

The maritime variety of the curled dock has a tall flowering stem which is surprisingly sensitive to salt spray. In flower from June to August, it can be killed by a summer storm. It overwinters by retaining a rosette of dead leaves survive through the winter and in spring side shoots begin to grow to replace the dead aerial parts. 

Sea kale has a large, fleshy rootstock that acts rather like a tap root. It is an unusual perennial plant, growing along the drift lines of shingle and sandy beaches around the coastline. It grows much larger than many of the other foreshore plants with larger, wavy, blue green leaves and dense heads of white flowers that appear from May to August. 

Water retaining leaves, thick stalks and fleshy water retaining leaves are among the adaptations to life on the shingle foreshore. Shrubby sea blite is rather different from most of the other shingle species, being a 90cm tall shrub rather than an herbaceous plant. It has fleshy, water retaining branches and leaves which are blue green in color. The solitary greenish flowers appear in the axil of the leaves from July to October. It grows only where the drainage is very good, so a shingle foreshore suits it well, although it also grows on the e borders of sea marshes. The seeds of this species are distributed by the sea and they germinate on the strand line when they are washed up on the beach. Shrubby sea blite is locally common Chesil Bank and certain shingle beaches in Norfolk being the best places to see it. 

Another shingle growing member of the same family, the Chenopodiacea, is the frosted sea oraches. This species takes it name from the frosted silvery appearance of reddish prostrate stems, fleshy leaves and greenish flowers. The flowers are unisexual, male and female appearing together on the same short spikes from July to September. Frosted sea-orache is an annual species, dying away in the autumn.  

Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park.

The majestic Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The lovely valley is about 8 miles long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines. The valley is drained by the Merced River and a multitude of streams and waterfalls including Tenaya, Illilouette, Yosemite and Bridalveil Creeks. Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America, and is a great attraction specifically in the spring when the water flow is at its peak. The valley is famous for its natural beauty, and is extensively viewed as the centerpiece of Yosemite National Park, enticing tourists from around the world.

The majestic beauty of this valley is the main attraction in the park for the majority of tourists, and a bustling hub of activity during "tourist season" in the summer months. However; in July 2, 2011 there was a record 20,851 tourists to the valley. Most tourists enter the valley from roads to the west and pass through the well-known Tunnel View entrance. Therefore; visitor facilities are located in the center of the valley. There’re both hiking trail loops that stay within the valley and trailheads that lead to higher elevations, all of which give glimpses of the parks many scenic wonders.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California 2005

If you like to to some thing different and very ambitious, you can climb to the top of this rock when it is available to the public (generally from mid-May or early June through Columbus Day weekend in October).  You will need a permit to climb the cable section near the top.  The dome elevation is 8,842 feet (2,695 meters) and is 4,800 feet (1,600 meters) above the valley floor.  Round trip hiking time from the valley floor is about 10 - 14 hours.  There are other trails allowing access from areas other than the valley floor.

Lake Braies,Italy

This alpine lake is located in the Val Pusteria nestled in the mountains, like a precious jewel of nature,its waters are surprisingly clear with incredible shades of blue and green, just breathtaking. This is an isolated location and its water reflecting the Dolomites overlooking will definitely make it one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe. Not far you open the Alta Pusteria, one of the largest and green all over South Tyrol, a point of reference for tourism in South Tyrol. The lake, which is often called the "pearl of the Dolomites lakes", owes its origin to the dam landslide. And during a relaxing trip coffin rowing on the lake, you can recharge your batteries and enjoy the beautiful landscape that surrounds you. And the more adventurous you can also dive into the icy water.