Here is a small fraction of the birds with an unusual defense mechanism.
10. Fulmar Chick
Fulmar is included species of sea birds. Fulmar comes from the Norse word, meaning "foul gull". This bird is known for their foul odor, not just the stench of his body, even the eggs they also smelled. Fulmar egg shell is located in one of the museum collections still smell after 100 years saved!
Unable to fly or run away from danger, fulmar chicks develop an amazing defense mechanism.When threatened, they sort of liquid spewing bright orange oil which not only smells bad, but also stick to fur of prey. This oil makes predatory bird feathers get entangled, so the loss of their insulating properties and drown if submerged in water. This makes the fulmar chicks harmful to predators.
The fulmar has fur that "immune" to oil, this is very important because fulmar chicks do not just spit on predators, but on every animal that approach, including their parents, they only began to recognize their parents when they were about 3 weeks.
9. Hoopoe
Found in Africa, Europe, Asia and recently elected as Israel's national bird.Hoopoes have special glands near the anus, which produce foul-smelling substance. The bird of these substances rubbed on the feathers, which will cover the entire body with a scent similar to rotten meat. Not many predators attracted to eat the foul-smelling birds.This substance has 2 functions, it acts as a repellent parasites and as an antibacterial agent and protects birds from various diseases.Interestingly, adult hoopoes produce this fluid only when incubating their eggs, after the chicks leave the nest, he had to stop producing this substance.
The hoopoe small, they have their own methods of defense, when threatened, they spray feces right into the face of predators that. And this is a very effective technique to ward off unwanted visitors.
8. Killdeer
Killdeer is a rather noisy bird and is often found in Canada, the United States and Mexico. They nest in the ground so that the eggs and chicks are very vulnerable to predators.To protect their nests, adult killdeer has developed a clever technique, when ground predators such as foxes, cats or dogs approached the nest, adult birds will move away from the nest, dragging one wing as if it was deer and pretended to seek help.Most predators will chase the adults who seem helpless, and inadvertently the predators have been away from the nest. After the adults feel safe flying soon.
As for the kids killdeer, they will run away when the predator distracted by the adult.
7. Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl is found in grasslands and deserts from Canada to Patagonia. They nest in burrows and often use abandoned burrows of other animals, but if they can not find an empty hole, they can also dig their own hole.Burrowing Owl Children are often left alone in a rut and have to hunt alone. During this time, the child vulnerable to predators like foxes, coyotes, raccoons and house cats.In order to keep the enemy away, buried the child Burrowing Owl has developed a process of mimicry. When they feel threatened (for example, when animals began to dig at the burrow entrance), the child can produce a snake-like hissing call when warned of his enemy. Because of the very venomous pit viper known to often hide in burrows, most predators (including humans), preferring to run away as soon as they hear it.
Their defense mechanisms is one of the most efficient among birds, but has a weak point, there is no point in fighting the real rattlesnake. Hi It certainly can not deceive them and the fact that rattlesnakes are suffering from deafness.
6. Eurasian Cuckoo
The Eurasian cuckoo bird is known as an often lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. When the child is born, it destroys the host bird eggs or chicken (sarng residents actually), thus eliminating any competitors and growing faster than children from adoptive parents.
To protect themselves from threats, female cuckoo has developed a performance very reminiscent of a Sparrow Hawk, a raptor that feed on small birds. And supported by the similarity of the two.
By posing as a Sparrow Hawk, Cuckoo can scare other birds to stay away from their nest. During the fake Sparrow Hawk was there, other birds would not dare return to their nests, and cuckoo can lay eggs without a problem.
There are several other species that mimics the way the cuckoo but not just imitate hawks, such as Hawk-Cuckoodi South Asia which mimics the type of local sparrows, to the style of flying and even the way of perching.
5. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
Although owls are usually known to prey on mice and other rodents, it turns out they also hunt other owls and the smallest are usually afraid of owls, when they saw the owl in the daytime (when the owls tend to be less willing to make a surprise attack), they scramble to bother to push it away. This behavior is known as "Mobbing".Although mobbing is usually only to nuisance owl, but when a distinguished conduct birds mobbing is bigger and stronger. This owl is a skilled bird hunters, taking prey up to twice the size of their own, and therefore they are feared by all other small birds in their area. Of course this is very dangerous for smaller species such as Ferruginous Pygmy Owl.
To protect yourself from mobbing, this bird has 2 spots on the back of his head that resembles the eye. It's enough to deter most small birds, because they usually will not attack the owl who sees in their direction. If faced a larger bird, resignation might be better.
4. Hoatzin Chick
Found in the rainforests of South America, Hoatzin once believed to be a "living fossil". This is reflected in many ways, for example, he ate the leaves of a tree, a diet that is very strange for a bird and fermentation using bacteria to digest food, like cows. Because of this, Hoatzin have a very stinging smell like manure. But the terrible odor Hoatzin is no reason why he is included in this list.Hoatzin usually build their nests in tree branches that hang over the water. When disturbed or threatened by a predator, then the child Hoatzin jump into the water to escape. They are swimmers and divers are very good and when the danger has passed, they can climb trees and go back to the nest.
To do this, children Hoatzin has 2 claws on each wing, reminiscent of those of the feathered Archaeopteryx and the other, rather bird-like dinosaur. Only young Hoatzin have claws, they disappear and can escape predators by flying. Hoatzin has become has become the object of debate among scientists since its discovery in 1776.
3. Potoo
Often found in Mexico, Central and South America, this bird is a strange nocturnal predator is also known as "Ghost Bird", because of their remarkable camouflage. Potoo eat insects, small flying animals such as bats and small birds. In the afternoon potoo perched in a tree and keep absolutely still and imitating a dead tree stump or like a broken stump. Its fur resembles bark and eyelids have a slit that allowed her to see even when your eyes closed.Potoo usually will keep moving even when approached by another animal (or human) and they only fly when they feel that they have been known to disguise. Camouflage is so good, however, they are almost never found and they have almost no predators. It also makes Potoo very difficult for us to observe.At night Potoo can only be found because her eyes reflect light, shining like the eyes of cats and owls.
2. White African Masked Owl
This little owl little known to the public after a recent when the Japanese TV show featuring an extraordinary method of defense. If approached by enemy small this bird would hiss to make himself look bigger and vicious, this is a general defensive methods among owls and apparently enough to frighten the enemy most.However, when dealing with enemies, bigger more powerful, masked owls do not try to intimidate it, but flatten the hair and squinted so that his eyes almost invisible to predators. By continuing to move the bird to do something to resemble a tree stump or a tree branch, like Potoo. Therefore escape the attention of larger predators. There is a video of the famous Japanese TV show featuring African White Masked Owl (captive specimens) reacted to two different predators, barn and eagle's strong Owl Verreaux's Owl (the largest African owl).
1. Hooded Pitohui
Hooded Pitohui found in New Guinea and their defense against predators is a simple but menkjubkan, they are poisonous. Pitohui eating some types of beetles that contain a strong neurotoxin and contains an alkaloid known as batrachotoxin (poison that is also found on the skin of poison dart frogs of South America).By eating beetles, birds become toxic, toxins they have in their own fur and leather. They really known by locals as "rubbish bird", because their toxicity makes them unlikely to be eaten unless they removed the skin and fur.
Touching Hooded Pitohuis can cause numbness and tingling, skin burns and sneezing (as reported by the scientists who deal with the creature), while they may be consuming far more dangerous. To warn the nature of its toxicity, this bird has a bright color of orange and black colors which allows candidates to recognize predators.
It is believed that the Hooded Pitohuis toxin can rub the eggs and chicks to protect them from predators.
http://www.flixya.com/blog/2415490/Amazing-10-Bird-with-the-Best-Defense-Systems-in-the-World
