Marvellous Spatuletail

The Marvellous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) is a medium-sized (up to 15 cm long) white, green and bronze hummingbird adorned with blue crest feathers, a brilliant turquoise gorget, and a black line on its white underparts. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Loddigesia.
A Peruvian endemic, this species is found in the forest edge of the Río Utcubambaregion. It was first reported in 1835 by the bird collector Andrew Matthews forGeorge Loddiges. The Marvellous Spatuletail is unique among birds, for it has just four feathers in its tail. Its most remarkable feature is the male's two long racquet-shaped outer tail feathers that cross each other and end in large violet-blue discs or "spatules". He can move them independently.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, and limited range, the Marvellous Spatuletail is evaluated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES. In 2006, American Bird Conservancy provided Peruvian conservation partner ECOAN with support to sign a conservation easement with the Pomacochas Community to protect and manage about 100 acres (0.40 km2) of significant habitat for the Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird. Over 30,000 sapplings of native trees and bushes have since been planted there for the spatuletail. This conservation easement is the first of its kind in Peru.

5 Tallest Ferris Wheels

 “These wheels have almost replaced the skyscraper as icons,” says Dennis Speigel, president of the consulting firm International Theme Park Services. You’d expect him to say that, since his company is busy building tall, very tall Ferris wheels.

Here is a list and photos of the tallest Ferris wheels in the world. The original Ferris wheel was designed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., as a landmark for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The term Ferris wheel later came to be used generically for all such rides.

1. Singapore Flyer – 165 metre

10 Human Freaks of Nature

Kermit the Frog sang that “It ain’t easy being green.” How about, “It ain’t easy being a conjoined-twin forced into a humiliating form of circus-slavery,” or “It ain’t easy having no limbs.” Being green is the least of these people’s worries (in fact, it might be nice to be culturally-beloved for a change). At the turn of the last century, entertainment was a different species than it is today, having no T.V. nor radio nor action movies; you had to witness a living miracle in order to be fully entertained, and circuses provided that very thing. Showcasing hoards of deformed and mutant varieties of humans – that freak-collectors like P.T. Barnum rounded up and whipped into shape – the world marveled at what it so often sought to sweep under its own carpet. Circus sideshows might have been a cruel form of psychological abuse for any of the so-called “freaks” placed under contract (or a kind of indentured slavery), but some of these individuals also went on to profit greatly off what no one else would hire. So as you ask yourself, “Was being a circus freak actually a bad thing?” – given the duality of the situation – step right up and ogle at these 10 freaks of nature:

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The Hilton Sisters

Violet and Daisy Hilton

Not Paris and Nicky – although they are a different sort of freak – these sisters were twins. Conjoined, to be exact. They shared a common blood and nervous system, which means they truly felt all the same pain. They were sold as slaves by their impecunious mother to a midwife, who greedily took advantage of their misfortune; while they sang, danced, played instruments in circus sideshows, their veritable slave-owner kept all their earnings and forbade them from socializing. Eventually a lawyer helped them escape their proverbial shackles and even reacquire the money they were swindled out of. They went on to do movies (including 1932’s Freaks) and earned as much as $5000 at the height of their showbiz careers.

10 Largest Natural Arches in the World

A natural arch is a geological formation where rocky cliffs subject to erosion from the sea, rivers or weathering forms a rock arch. Some natural arch has a stream of water flowing underneath, in which case the arch is called a natural bridge. The distinction between a bridge and arch is somewhat arbitrary. The Natural Arch and Bridge Society identifies a bridge as a subtype of arch that is primarily water-formed. By contrast, the Dictionary of Geological Terms defines a natural bridge as a "natural arch that spans a valley of erosion." The correct method to measure an arch is also debated because of which the reported measurements often varies from source to source. Under these circumstances to prepare an irrefutable list of the world’s largest or longest or highest natural arch is impossible. Amidst this confusion new discoveries and potential candidates always keep popping up around the globe.

Natural arches are abundant in the deserts of Utah and Arizona in the United States. The Arches National Park in eastern Utah contains the largest concentration of significant natural arches in the world. As many as 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations are found in this region.

The following is a list of 10 biggest natural arches from around the world according to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society.

Exotic Insect Caterpillar Jewelry

Caterpillar is the larva Jewel live in tropical forests in Central and South America, and there are species in the Caribbean islands, similar in form strange piece of glass or crystal jewel, and this object is beautiful is fed on the leaves of mangrove trees. The geometrids, also known as inchworms or loopers, are so named because of the way they move, appearing to measure the earth (the word geometrid means earth-measurer in Greek); the primary reason for this unusual locomotion is the elimination of nearly all the prolegs except the clasper on the terminal segment.Caterpillars have soft bodies that can grow rapidly between moults. Only the head capsule is hardened. The mandibles are tough and sharp for chewing leaves (this contrasts with most adult Lepidoptera, which have highly reduced or soft mandibles). Behind the mandibles of the caterpillar are the spinnerets, for manipulating silk.Some larvae of the Hymenoptera order (ants, bees and wasps) can appear like the caterpillars of the lepidoptera. Such larvae are mainly seen in the sawfly family. However while these larvae superficially resemble caterpillars, they can be distinguished by the presence of prolegs on every abdominal segment, an absence of crochets or hooks on the prolegs (these are present on lepidopteran caterpillars), prominent ocelli on the head capsule, and an absence of the upside-down Y-shaped suture on the front of the head.

Amazing buildings from around the world

 

Amazing buildings from around the world

 

 

1. The Gherkin is located in the heart of London and was unveiled in 2004 by its architect Norman Foster. 

The space between each floor allows for improved ventilation and temperature regulation, 

meaning it consumes only half the energy of a conventional building.

World’s Smelliest Animals

Animals have to rely on their sense of smell far more often than humans to survive, find food, and mate. Though skunks are among the smelliest animals, many other creatures can easily compete with them. Experts note that animals frequently produce odors to warn other animals that they’re entering claimed territory or to protect themselves from attacks. Bombardier Beetle sprays a boiling-hot, noxious fluid when under treat. So, check out the list of the 7th smelliest animals in the world.

01. Striped Polecat- Zorilla

ABC's for success

A--Accept Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions. B--Break Away Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to accomplish with your life. C--Create Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and happiness with.

Bee Hummingbird

 The Smallest Bird in the World is the Bee Hummingbird. Don't let their small size fool you! They fly extremely fast - up to 80 km/h! They do upto 80 swings in a second. They are also very mobile, fervent birds and are extremely courageous in attacks with larger birds. The male bee hummingbird weighs approximately 1.7g, and its length is about 5cm. Half of the length is made of the tail and the beak! Females are a bit larger compared to the males.

Did you know?

• Did you know crocodiles are responsible for over a 1,000 deaths each year by the Banks of the Nile river
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• Did you know there are more insects in the world than all other animals combined
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• Did you know giraffes can't swim
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• Did you know crocodiles swallow rocks to help them dive deeper
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• Did you know an elephant's trunk can hold over 5 litres of water
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• Did you know bull's can run faster uphill than down
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• Did you know a shark's teeth are literally as hard as steel
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• Did you know a moth has no stomach
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• Did you know grasshoppers have white blood
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• Did you know it takes 4 hours to hardboil an ostrich egg
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• Did you know New York was once called New Amsterdam
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• Did you know there is 200 times more gold in the world's oceans than has been mined
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• Did you know Brazil got its name from the Brazilian nut (not the other way around)
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• Did you know the moon orbits the Earth every 27.32 days
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• Did you know more than 75% of all countries are north of the equator
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• Did you know Yugoslavia is bordered by 7 other countries
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• Did you know 2 million hydrogen atoms would be required to cover a full stop (.)
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• Did you know Hawaii officially became apart of the US in 1900
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• Did you know the D.C. in Washington D.C. stands for District of Columbia
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• Did you know New York contains 920km (571miles) of shoreline

Animals In News

Could this be the world's fattest cat? Janet Ciminelli of North Shore Animal League of America in Long Island, New York, holds Garfield, a 40lb feline. The obese cat was brought into the animal rescue centre after his owner passed away. Staff have put him on a diet and are looking for a new owner who is committed to helping him become healthy and active.

New Chicken in Saudi

Natural Phenomenon: A Murmuration of Starlings

Two women encountered one of nature’s most fleeting phenomena while out canoeing in Ireland. A murmuration of starlings. Take a moment to watch the amazing footage they captured, and marvel at the wonder and complexity of the universe we inhabit.

[NOTE: Wait until a minute into the video clip to view this amazing event]

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Glass Beach of California

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Most Dangerous Roads Around The World

PAINTINGS - RICHARD RANSEY