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Posted on 05/29/2008 9:30:35 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - It may not be kosher, but the Hoopoe was chosen Thursday as Israel's national bird.
The Hoopoe, or "Duchifat" in Hebrew, is listed in the Old Testament as unclean and forbidden food for Jews.
President Shimon Peres declared the pink, black and white-crested bird the winner of a competition timed to coincide with Israel's 60th anniversary. It beat out rivals such as the Yellow-vented Bulbul and the Palestine Sunbird.
The Book of Leviticus groups the Hoopoe with birds such as the eagle, vulture and pelican that are "abhorrent, not to be eaten."
Israel is a main crossroads for birds migrating between Europe and Africa. Some 155,000 Israelis cast ballots in the national bird vote.
It’s so cute!
Rachel Ray’s latest culinary presentation, stuffed Hoopoe.
A National Park ranger caught a poacher with a freshly killed Bald Eagle.
After a sob story about losing his job and needing to put food on the table for his wife and kids, the Ranger decides to let the guy off the hook but warns him that if he ever finds out about any more poaching, he will throw the book at him. The poacher thanks the Ranger profusely for the second chance.
"So, umm, out of curiosity, what does Bald Eagle taste like?", asked the Ranger.
The poacher replied, "Just like Spotted Owl."
The cowbird.
In order for the birds to remain mobile and stay with the herd, they have adapted by laying their eggs in other birds' nests. The cowbird will watch for when its host lays eggs, and when the nest is left unattended, the female will come in and lay its own eggs.
The cowbird eggs do not look much different from the hosts' eggs, and the host will normally incubate the eggs. The cowbird chicks grow quickly, and may consume most of the food the host brings. If starvation does not kill the other birds, in some species the cowbird will use its large size to push the other chicks out of the nest.
Cowbird
I assume that’s a flying cockroach?
That is a fly that lives on s#!t.
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