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Hooded Pitohui | Interesting Facts About The Poisonous Bird
The Hooded Pitohui is the only poisonous bird that has been shown to be toxic to humans till date. Their poison can sometimes be so high that one can die just by touching this bird. Apart from this, this poisonous bird species is recognized in the world and among its three species, the Hooded Pitohui is the most poisonous bird.
A powerful poison is present in the skin and feathers of these birds and all species of Hooded Pitohui contain a dangerous poison called neurotoxic batrachotoxin alkaloid. It is believed that the poison of the Hooded Pitohui acts as a chemical against snakes, raptors and humans.
The Hooded Pitohui was the first poisonous bird to be discovered by science and the people of Papua New Guinea were more aware of it. Apart from this, due to the poison of this bird, it is identified as a garbage pigeon and due to its sour taste and tendency to make people sick, it was considered better to avoid it.
Homobatrachotoxin is a neurotoxin which is present in the skin and feathers of these poisonous birds which causes numbness and tingling sensation in those who come in contact with it. The skin and feathers of these birds are found to be the most poisonous. Apart from this, the liver and heart are the least poisonous along with their skeletal muscles. The breast and belly feathers contain the highest amount of poison which makes the bird one of the most poisonous birds.
Where Are The Hooded Pitohui Found
This species of poisonous birds is mainly found in the rainforest forests of New Guinea. The Hooded Pitohui is known as a species of bird in the Pitohui genus found in New Guinea and it is one of the few poisonous birds that has a range of poisons in its skin, feathers.
The venomous nature of these birds is well known to native predators and is avoided. The hooded pitohui is one of the most venomous species and the venom of different birds can vary geographically. Most of the venom of these birds is derived from their food such as beetles.
The source of the deadly batrachotoxin present in these poisonous birds, which has also been seen in Colombia's poison dart frogs, is most likely the beetles that the Hooded Pitohui eat. But studies are still going on to find out whether the poison in their body comes from the small creatures that these birds eat.
But it has also been observed that the newborn babies of these birds do not have poison in their body and these babies develop poison slowly as they grow up. Both the variable pitohui and the brown pitohui look similar and both of them were the first poisonous birds ever discovered.
Scientific Name of Hooded Pitohui
The scientific name of the Hooded Pitohui is known as Pitohui dichrous and the Hooded Pitohui is recognized as a social creature. Apart from this, the Hooded Pitohui likes to live in family groups and sometimes they can also be seen living with birds of other species. Apart from this, batrachotoxin is considered to be the most poisonous of the compounds.
Other of these compounds were discovered in the skin of the Hooded Pitohui bird such as batrachotoxin-A 3-hydroxypentanoate, batrachotoxin-A cis-crotonate, and batrachotoxin-A. Let us also tell you that in 1990, scientists who prepared the skin of this poisonous bird for collection in the museum experienced numbness and burning while handling this bird.
In addition, this poisonous bird contains a neurotoxin called homobatrachotoxin and is a derivative of batrachotoxin. This derivative of batrachotoxin made the Hooded Pitohui the first poisonous bird and the first bird to be discovered with poisonous substances in its skin apart from a few reports of poisoning by quail consumption. This same poison was previously observed in Colombian dart frogs.
Habitat Of Hooded Pitohui
Hooded Pitohui This poisonous bird prefers to live in tropical rainforests or forests. Apart from this, Hooded Pitohui can also be seen in mangroves, tropical dry forests, tropical moist forests and the islands of New Guinea.
The Hooded Pitohui is also found on the main island and Yapen Island. Apart from this, this bird can be seen in forests, forest edge habitats and secondary growth and mangrove forests. This poisonous bird is mostly found in the hills and low mountains.
How Does The Hooded Pitohui Look Like
Hooded Pitohui This is a dangerous poisonous bird. These birds have a black head and an orange or red belly. This poisonous bird species is about 9 inches long. Hooded Pitohui are passerines or song birds that belong to the Corvidae tribe crows. Hooded Pitohui have sharp claws. Apart from this, they have a black beak. The feathers of Hooded Pitohui are black and red in color. Read- Tragopan Bird | Unique Facts About This Colorful bird
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Size Of The Hooded Pitohui
The hooded pitohui ranges in size from 8.7 to 9.1 inches long and weighs about 65 to 76 grams. Also, the hooded pitohui has a black head, throat, and breast and a black tail.
The rest of the body of this poisonous bird is a ruddy chestnut and the beak and legs of these birds are black in colour. Apart from this, the male and female birds of these birds look alike. Apart from this, the juvenile birds look like the adult birds but its tail and wings are brown in colour.
What Does The Hooded Pitohui Eat
The Hooded Pitohui is an omnivorous bird and its diet includes fruit, especially figs, grass seeds, some insects and other invertebrates and small vertebrates. Other favored invertebrates include beetles, spiders, earwigs, worms, flies, caterpillars and ants. The Hooded Pitohui is a social bird and can be seen living in groups.
These venomous birds feed at all levels of the forest, from the forest floor to the canopy and most often join and even lead flocks of birds. The poison in the feathers of these exotic birds is believed to be derived from their food which is known as kleptotoxicism which helps the birds to protect themselves from parasites.
Hooded Pitohui Nests
Little information is available about the breeding of Hooded Pitohuis due to the difficulties of studying these venomous bird species in the forests of New Guinea. It has been observed that the nests of these birds have been found from October to February and the nest that has been described was 2 meters from the ground.
The nest of these birds is a cup-like structure made of vine leaves covered with thin vines. The nest of these birds hangs on thin branches and the nest contains 1-2 eggs which are creamy or pink in color with brown to black spots. Information about the incubation period of these poisonous birds is not available.
But these poisonous birds are considered cooperative breeders as more than two birds in a group have been seen guarding the nest from intruders and feeding the young. Also, their young are white in colour before developing feathers and have been seen feeding them red berries and insects.
It has also been observed that when these chicks are threatened in the nest, they rise up and raise their head feathers. It is believed that this display may indicate their identity as a venomous species even though the chicks have not developed venom at that age.
How Long Do Hooded Pitohui Live
Not much research has been done on the lifespan of this bird species. Therefore it is not known how long Hooded Pitohui live.
How Fast Can Hooded Pitohui Fly
There is not much information about how fast Hooded Pitohui can fly. But we can assume that the features and strong characteristics of Hooded Pitohui help them to fly fast.
How Hooded Pitohui Communicate
Hooded Pitohui use a song to communicate. Hooded Pitohui have a collection of songs and both low and high pitched calls. They are known to be vocal birds and make a variety of sounds.
Most of the sounds of Hooded Pitohui are in the form of whistles. The song of these birds is a variable collection of 3 to 7 whistles which can be slowed up or down with hesitation in between. Hooded Pitohui also make a sound like a tuk tuk woah tuuuu. Read- Red Bird-of-Paradise Interesting Facts With Picture
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How Many Hooded Pitohui Are There In The World
The exact number of Hooded Pitohui is unknown due to lack of information available. But the population of these birds is stable and these birds are quite common in their native places. The Hooded Pitohui bird species is currently classified as least concern.
According to The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, the conservation status of Hooded Pitohui is considered to be of Least Concern. It also says that the population of Hooded Pitohui species is stable.
Behavior Of Hooded Pitohui
Hooded Pitohui can be the most dangerous because their skin is poisonous due to their diet of beetles. This poison is a chemical self-defense system to prevent predators from consuming them.
The Hooded Pitohui is the only bird that has been shown to be toxic to humans till date and the poison of these birds can sometimes be so strong that even a touch can kill. It is very easy to identify the Hooded Pitohui due to the bright colors of its feathers.
Hooded Pitohui are not pretty to look at because their eyes and pointed beaks give them a scary look. Hooded Pitohui are not kept as pets because they live in the forest. Apart from this, this bird species is poisonous.
Hooded Pitohui Facts For Kids
1. Where does the Hooded Pitohui live?
This bird species is found in the forests of New Guinea and the Hooded Pitohui is a species of bird in the Pitohui genus found in New Guinea.
2. Can the Hooded Pitohui be touched?
The Hooded Pitohui is the only bird that has been shown to be toxic to humans to date. The poison of the Hooded Pitohui can sometimes be so high that it can be fatal just by touching it. It is very easy to identify the Hooded Pitohui due to the bright colors of its feathers.
3. What does the Hooded Pitohui look like?
In appearance, these birds have a black head and an orange or red belly and this bird is mostly about 9 inches long. The Hooded Pitohui are passerines or songbirds that belong to the Corvidae tribe crows. The Hooded Pitohui has sharp claws on its black feet and a powerful black beak. The feathers of the Hooded Pitohui are black and red in color.
4. What does the Hooded Pitohui sound like?
The Hooded Pitohui use a song to communicate. The Hooded Pitohui has a repertoire of songs and can be both low or high pitched. Hooded Pitohuis are quite vocal birds that make a variety of sounds.
5. What does the Hooded Pitohui eat?
The Hooded Pitohui is an omnivorous bird species. Its diet includes fruits, figs, grass seeds, some insects, invertebrates and small vertebrates. Other favored invertebrates include beetles, spiders, earwigs, bugs, flies, caterpillars and ants.
6. Which is the most poisonous bird of New Guinea?
The people of Papua New Guinea consider these poisonous birds as garbage birds. A powerful poison is present in the skin and feathers of these birds.
7. What are some interesting facts about the Hooded Pitohui?
The hooded pitohui contains toxic substances that are produced from the diet consumed by the hooded pitohui. The toxic elements are found in the hair, skin and feathers of the hooded pitohui. In addition, this toxin also produces an odor that warns predators about the presence of the toxin, in addition to the hooded pitohui's bright orange feathers and black head and tail.
8. What is the nickname of the hooded pitohui?
Pitohui, the common name of the group and genus name, derives from a Papuan word meaning garbage bird, a reference to it being inedible. The specific name dichroas is derived from the ancient Greek word dichroas meaning two colors. Other alternate names for the Hooded Pitohui include Black-headed Pitohui and Lesser Pitohui.
9. Which is the most poisonous bird in the world?
The most poisonous bird is the Hooded Pitohui and its skin, feathers and other tissues contain toxic batrachotoxin compounds that are acquired through the bird's diet. The poisons present in birds act as a defense mechanism against predators and potential parasites.
10. Who discovered the Hooded Pitohui?
The bird known as the Hooded Pitohui was described by French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1850.