Birds Kakapo | Sunshine Scrapbook

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are a couple of really weird creatures on this planet. And I don’t mean the human kind 😛 Some are cool-weird and others creepy-weird. Some are endangered and others are flourishing. But all of them have this in common: they never fail to bring a smile to my face.

Here are a few of my favourite strange birds and fish for now; next time I’ll tackle some land animals.

(Pics and facts courtesy of good ol’ Wiki.)

Birds

Kakapo

Now here’s a bird I’d love to meet one day! The lime-green, owl-faced, parrot-like Kakapo, native to New Zealand. It’s a big birdie, and it can’t fly – in fact, it’s the only known parrot that can’t. Its funny expression just makes me want to cuddle it 🙂

Kakapo

Birds of paradise

I never thought of adding Papua New Guinea to my dream list of travel destinations… until I started researching birds of paradise. The beauty and variety of these feathered creations leaves me speechless. These guys are definitely awesome-weird! I find myself wondering how well they can see, and whether all those beautiful rainbows and embellishments are more for our viewing pleasure than theirs 🙂

Wilson’s bird of paradise

Stinkbird

Its proper name is the Hoatzin, but any bird with a nickname like Stinkbird has got to make this list! (Apparently Hoatzin smell like dung.) This South American bird is full of suprises. Starting with its outward appearance, it has striking colours and a fancy crest – but did you know that its young have claws on their wings to help them climb? If that wasn’t enough, Hoatzin chicks can also swim underwater to escape predators. It’s no wonder scientists have had trouble classifying this species properly!

Hoatzin

Fish

Flying fish

Alright, maybe it’s not so weird. Or it’s just cool-weird. But the flying fish still deserves mention here. With sheer wings that lift them from the waves and up into the air, this is not your average seafood! Nowadays when I hear of them I instantly think of that scene in the movie Life of Pi…

Flying fish

Blobfish

But if that wasn’t weird enough for you, the blobfish may be just the kind of creepy-ugly-weird you’re looking for. The pic below doesn’t do its sad blobby face justice, so I suggest you google a few images of this poor creature to get the full effect. Another resident of the world Down Under, the blobfish was recently voted the world’s ugliest creature 😦

Blobfish

Pufferfish

Here’s just one more sea creature that deserves mention. The pufferfish is just the cutest thing – maybe one of the only fish that has the same ‘awww!’ factor for me as a kitten or a puppy. They come in a variety of designs, but the basic idea is a funny ball of spines, attitude and (hot?) air