It is difficult to answer the question: "What is a Bonobo?" Bonobos are complex beings with profound intelligence, emotionality, and sensitivity. It's like asking the question: "What is a human?" And, how do you answer? Philosophers, scientists, and mystics have been trying to figure it out for thousands of years!

Biologically speaking, bonobos are the closest you can get to being human without being human. Bonobos look more like humans than other apes, and display many behavioral similarities as well. Bonobos and people share more than 98% of the same genetic make-up (DNA). Bonobos and their cousins the chimpanzees, are more closely related genetically to us than they are to gorillas! But, like gorillas, they dwell only in the equatorial forests of central Africa, the cradle of humanity itself.

Bonobos are great apes, along with chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas. Because we share so many characteristics with these simian species, some scientists contend that humans should be classified as apes too. Indigenous people who have dwelled among bonobos in the Congo forest have many legends about how bonobos and man were brothers in the distant past. They tell stories about how bonobos showed people what foods to eat in the forest, how a bonobo saved a man who needed help, how bonobos themselves are trying to become human.

These apes have fascinated indigenous people of Africa for hundreds, even thousands of years, yet to most of the world's population, they have been known to exist only for the span of one lifetime. Bonobos were not discovered by scientists until 1933, and even then, not alive, but in the Tervuren Museum in Belgium, identified by means of a skull. Classified as Pan paniscus, bonobos have been studied in the wild and in captivity for about 30 years, since the mid-1970s. They dwell in the tropical forests of the Congo Basin south of the Congo River. Bonobos are found in only one country: the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire), a resource-rich region ravaged by years of war.

Although more research is needed to determine current populations, we do know that that their numbers have been decimated during the war. Urgent help is needed.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

A bonobo shows he is capable of making stone tools for a particular purpose, in a similar way to early humans. Scientists at the University of Haifa, Israel, sealed food inside logs for bonobo Kanzi, who created tools by knapping flints and used them to chop, drill and scrape – managing to get food out of 24 logs

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Two new Philippine owl species. Top left: Cebu hawk owl, Ninox rumseyi. Bottom right: Camiguin hawk owl, N. leventisi.

1. Image courtesy of the Oriental Bird Club. Original painting by John Gale.
2. 
   
3. 
4. The Philippine Archipelago is filled with a tremendous variety of living things, and hundreds of new species have been discovered recently on the islands. The most recent addition to this roll call of biodiversity are not one, but two species of owls that are new to science.
5. The discoveries were confirmed by Pam Rasmussen, assistant professor of zoology and assistant museum curator of mammalogy and ornithology atMichigan State University in East Lansing. Publishing the discovery of two new bird species in one scientific paper is so rare that Professor Rasmussen and other researchers couldn't recall the last time it happened, according to the MSU press release.
6. Professor Rasmussen, who is first author on the paper, led the international team, which included individuals from BirdLife International, the Oriental Bird Club, the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation and Birdtour Asia.
7. These owls are found on the Philippine islands of Camiguin Sur and Cebu, for which they are being named

Cattle EgritThe Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitanspecies of heron (familyArdeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypicgenus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in itsdistribution and successfullycolonised much of the rest of the world.

It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Cattle Egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice paddies. They oftenaccompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrateprey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the Cattle Egret are migratoryand others show post-breeding dispersal.

The adult Cattle Egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency or disturbance from other large birds. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases....Wikipedia

RUDDY SHELDUCK Scientific Name: Tadorna ferruginea Marathi Name(s): चक्रवाक, सर्जा, ब्राह्मणी बदक Hindi Name(s): सुरखाब, चकवा Alternate Name(s): Brahminy Duck The Ruddy Shelduck is a bird of open country, and it will breed on cliffs, in burrows, tree holes or crevices distant from water, laying 6-16 creamy-white eggs, incubated for 30 days. It is usually found in pairs or small groups and rarely forms large flocks. However, moulting and wintering gatherings on chosen lakes or slow rivers can be very large. It is a distinctive species, 70 cm long with a 135 cm wingspan. It has orange-brown body plumage and a paler head. The wings are white with black flight feathers. It swims well, and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck. The male has a black ring at the bottom of the neck in the breeding season summer, and the female often has a white face patch. INFO IN MARATHI: पसरवलेल्या पंखांसकट चक्रवाकाची लांबी १३५ सें. मी. इतकी भरते. चक्रवाक नर हा केशरी बदामी रंगाचा असतो, तर डोक्याचा व मानेचा रंग थोडा फिकट होत जातो. त्याच्या मानेभोवती काळे वर्तूळ असते. पंखामध्ये काळे, पांढरे, हिरवे असे पट्टे असतात आणि शेपूट काळी असते. मादी बर्‍यापैकी नरासारखीच दिसते पण रंगाने ती फिकट असते. पण ओळखण्यासाठी मुख्य फरक म्हणजे तिच्या मानेभोवती काळे वर्तूळ नसते. चक्रवाकहे स्थलांतरीत बदक आहे. हिवाळ्यात दक्षिण भारताचा प्रदेश वगळता साधारणपणे संपूर्ण भारतात ते आढळते. हे पक्षी तलावात जोडीने किंवा लहान थव्याने विहार करतात. त्यातही तलावांच्या किनार्‍याकडे राहणे जास्त पसंत करतात. हे पक्षी इतर बदकांच्या मानाने जमिनीवर जास्त व्यवस्थीत चालू शकतात.

RUDDY SHELDUCK

Scientific Name: Tadorna ferruginea
Marathi Name(s): चक्रवाक, सर्जा, ब्राह्मणी बदक
Hindi Name(s): सुरखाब, चकवा
Alternate Name(s): Brahminy Duck

The Ruddy Shelduck is a bird of open country, and it will breed on cliffs, in burrows, tree holes or crevices distant from water, laying 6-16 creamy-white eggs, incubated for 30 days.
It is usually found in pairs or small groups and rarely forms large flocks. However, moulting and wintering gatherings on chosen lakes or slow rivers can be very large.
It is a distinctive species, 70 cm long with a 135 cm wingspan. It has orange-brown body plumage and a paler head. The wings are white with black flight feathers.
It swims well, and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck. The male has a black ring at the bottom of the neck in the breeding season summer, and the female often has a white face patch.

INFO IN MARATHI:

पसरवलेल्या पंखांसकट चक्रवाकाची लांबी १३५ सें. मी. इतकी भरते. चक्रवाक नर हा केशरी बदामी रंगाचा असतो, तर डोक्याचा व मानेचा रंग थोडा फिकट होत जातो. त्याच्या मानेभोवती काळे वर्तूळ असते. पंखामध्ये काळे, पांढरे, हिरवे असे पट्टे असतात आणि शेपूट काळी असते. मादी बर्‍यापैकी नरासारखीच दिसते पण रंगाने ती फिकट असते. पण ओळखण्यासाठी मुख्य फरक म्हणजे तिच्या मानेभोवती काळे वर्तूळ नसते.
चक्रवाकहे स्थलांतरीत बदक आहे. हिवाळ्यात दक्षिण भारताचा प्रदेश वगळता साधारणपणे संपूर्ण भारतात ते आढळते. हे पक्षी तलावात जोडीने किंवा लहान थव्याने विहार करतात. त्यातही तलावांच्या किनार्‍याकडे राहणे जास्त पसंत करतात. हे पक्षी इतर बदकांच्या मानाने जमिनीवर जास्त व्यवस्थीत चालू शकतात.

MALLARD DUCK

Latin: Anas platyrhynchos
Average length: M 24.7", F 23"
Average weight: M 2.7 lbs., F 2.4 lbs.

Description: The mallard is one of the most recognized of all ducks and is the ancestor of several domestic breeds. Its wide range has given rise to several distinct populations. The male mallard's white neck-ring separates the green head from the chestnut-brown chest, contrasts with the gray sides, brownish back, black rump and black upper- and under-tail coverts. The speculum is violet-blue bordered by black and white, and the outer tail feathers are white. The bill is yellow to yellowish-green and the legs and feet are coral-red. Male utters a soft, rasping "kreep." The female mallard is a mottled brownish color and has a violet speculum bordered by black and white. The crown of the head is dark brown with a dark brown stripe running through the eye. The remainder of the head is lighter brown than the upper body. The bill is orange splotched with brown, and the legs and feet are orange. Female is especially vocal with the characteristic series of quacks.

(CONSERVATION FOR GENERATION)

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Add caption The largest flower in the world, the rafflesia arnoldi, weighs 7 kg (15 pounds) and grows only on the Sumatra and Borneo islands of Indonesia. Its petals grow to 1.6 ft (1 metre) long and 1 inch (2,5 cm) thick.

The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) on Vimeo

 The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) on Vimeo: The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) on Vimeo : "youtu.be/N1X5fReUmqY?hd=1" 'via Blog this' yes

pirate bay, pandora, limewire

नमितो योगी थोर विरागी तत्व ज्ञानि संत तो सत कविवर परात्पर गुरु ज्ञानदेव भगवंत: The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) on Vimeo

नमितो योगी थोर विरागी तत्व ज्ञानि संत तो सत कविवर परात्पर गुरु ज्ञानदेव भगवंत: The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) on Vimeo: The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) on Vimeo : "youtu.be/N1X5fReUmqY?hd=1" 'via Blog this' yes

Anthericum Liliago(family asparagaceace)

Bird Migration Stories on NPR | Audubon of Florida News

Bird Migration Stories on NPR | Audubon of Florida News:

'via Blog this'bird migration

Many birds use the sun and stars to navigate during migration.


Without an atlas, road signs or computer GPS, more than 5,000 species of birds manage annual roundtrip migrations of thousands of miles, often returning to the exact same nesting and wintering locations from year to year. But how do birds manage this amazing journey? Understanding how birds migrate can give birders even greater appreciation for the birds they see.

Why Birds Migrate

Migration is critical in the life cycle of a bird, and without this annual journey many birds would not be able to raise their young. Birds migrate to find the richest, most abundant food sources that will provide adequate energy to nurture young birds. If no birds migrated, competition for adequate food during breeding seasons would be fierce and many birds would starve. Instead, birds have evolved different migration patterns, times and routes to give themselves and their offspring the greatest chance of survival.

Of course, not all birds migrate. Some species have adapted to take advantage of different food sources as seasons change, allowing them to stay in one location all year round. Other birds are better adapted to cold climates with thicker fat reserves and better feather insulation, and they can survive long cold seasons while they forage for winter food. For more than half the world's birds, however, migration is essential to stay alive.

Internet.

• pirate bay, pandora, limewire

Ruddyshelduck

 Woodland Kingfisher

Rainbow Bee-eater

Insectivorous plants

pirate bay, pandora, limewire

Nepenthes pitcher hang from tendrils

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