8 Most Awesome Avian Introductions

this is bomani a martial Eagle the largest African Eagle they have enough power in one foot to break a human arm as powerful as they are their strength in numbers continues to decrease in the wild martial eagles weigh in at around 14 pounds with a wingspan up to eight and a half feet bomani is native to sub-saharan Africa preferring urban woods wooded savanna and thorn bush habitats he is an apex predator sitting at the top of the avian food chain unfortunately they are being persecuted by humans mistakenly believed to be a predatory threat to livestock in reality domestic animals make up a very small percentage of their diet add to that a shrinking habitat which reduces prey the martial Eagle population is dwindling fast this is the martial eagle this is the hyacinth macaw it's big it's bright and it's vulnerable to lots of threats the largest parrot by length in the world it can grow up to 40 inches their feathers are a beautiful striking blue unfortunately their good looks have made them highly desirable in the illegal pet trade fetching upwards of $10,000 hyacinths are native to Central and South America primarily in the scrublands at the outskirts of the rainforest it is an affectionate bird but its powerful beak carries over 200 pounds of pressure per square inch strong enough to crack a coconut their diet in the wild consists mostly of nuts from native palms beyond being a hot commodity in the pet trade hyacinths are watching their habitat get converted to farmland leaving them less and less space to live this is the hyacinth macaw this is the northern bald eagle an iconic bird that we almost lost for good only a few decades ago northern Bald Eagles are the larger of the two subspecies of the bald eagle their wingspan can reach over seven feet they are powerful fliers that soar through the air reaching over 40 miles per hour when gliding they're excellent predators attacking from above with their long and sharp talons by the 1960s their population was decimated with less than 1000 left in the wild chemicals from pesticides traveled up the food chain rendering these top predators sterile or unable to lay healthy eggs thankfully after massive regulations were put in place they have made a near full recovery today loss of suitable habitat is still a threat as they are very sensitive to human activity this is the northern bald eagle this is Oliver a Humboldt penguin named after the Humboldt Current in South America it's estimated that less than 12,000 remain in the wild his size may not show it but Oliver is a fully grown male Humboldt are distinguished by their black backs and Tails and by a black band across their chest that runs down the body found along the coast of Peru and Chile Humboldt penguins live on the rocky mainland Shores or coastal islands they have a body made to swim using their strong wings they get up to 17 miles per hour underwater they love their fish especially small ones like the anchovies and herring that they hunt for in the coastal waters where the Pacific meets South America unlike Arctic penguins they live in warm weather climates and in large colonies as a collective defense against predators the biggest threat to these little guys are entanglement in fishery nets human encroachment and habitat loss this is the Humboldt penguin this is Garrett a sandhill crane if it wasn't for the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore he probably wouldn't be here today Garrett was found wandering around a Home Depot parking lot before being rescued by the zoo scattered throughout Western and Central North America it is incredibly rare to see them as far east as Maryland in the winter they migrate south all the way down to northern Mexico tall gray and slender sandhill cranes have long legs and necks their large wingspan make them incredibly skilled soaring birds they breed and forage in urban fields and wetlands and can often be seen visiting farmer's fields on the hunt the leftover seeds while their population has rebounded in the last few decades loss of habitat and climate change are still looming threats this is the sandhill crane this is a green winged macaw anter colors stunning so stunning that the illegal parrot trade has caused its population to decrease heavily in recent years the green winged macaw is considered one of the largest macaw parrots but also one of the most docile it is commonly referred to as the gentle giant they are very sweet affectionate and friendly with both humans and other birds maybe because of these easygoing ways these birds have been known to live upwards of 80 years they favor tropical forests swamps and savannas their habitat ranges from Panama in the north across South America down to Paraguay in the south they feed on fruits seeds berries and nuts they're incredibly powerful beaks are capable of opening the hardest of nuts and seeds along with poaching their habitat has been shrinking considerably and in certain parts where they used to be plentiful they've become harder and harder to find this is the green winged macaw this is Olivia an East African crowned crane she is stunning she stands about four feet tall with a wingspan of six and a half feet her legs are long and slender perfect for wading through grassy areas most the grade the wings are predominantly white with a range of colors while her head is full of golden feathers East African crowned cranes are well known for their elaborate dancing these cranes are omnivores eating everything from plants to insects snakes small fish and more native to eastern sub-saharan Africa and down to South Africa they prefer living in grassland areas near the water the crowned crane is the national bird of Uganda featured on its flag but even with such iconic status we're losing them in less than ten years their population has decreased by over 50% habitat loss an illegal removal of eggs and birds from the wild are its biggest threats this is the East African crowned crane this is Sylvester a three-year-old sulawesi to richtek hornbill endemic to Sulawesi Indonesia it's once plentiful population is now rapidly declining Sylvester is on the smaller side at about a foot and a half hornbills in general are characterized by their long curved bills this specific species makes its home in the tropical lowlands swamps and forests of Sulawesi and nearby islands where it feeds mainly on fruit with the occasional small animal but destruction of these areas has caused a massive drop in population that along with being hunted for food and the pet trade has left this once common bird harder to spot this is the Sulawesi to richtek horn bell

Channel: Great Big Story

Views: 226,101

Rating: 4.9563637 out of 5

Keywords: great big story, gbs, lag, great big reel, great big reel 122, birds, eagle, Africa, parrot, hyacinth, bald eagle, America, penguin, endangered, crane, conservation, macaw, tropical, crowned crane, grasslands, hornbill, Sulawesi, On the Brink, Planet Earth

Id: xx8krYE_BWE

Length: 10min 0sec (600 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 21 2016