Random Bird Facts That Are Straight Up Terrifying (18 items)

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  (#17) Bassian Thrushes Hunt By Farting

  The Bassian Thrush lives in Australia, and it has figured out a very unique way of hunting. First, it will find a hole where a worm lives, and then it will direct a stream of flatus down that hole. To put it simply: this bird hunts with farts. The fart startles the worm and pushes it into motion with both the vibration and the gas, which lets the thrush know that someone is home and ready for eating. The smell is so deadly that the worm will come out of its hole, and then the thrush will snap up its prize with its long beak and munch away. 

  One does wonder, though, if the meal tastes a little gamey, giving the hunting method.
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  (#12) The Bearded Vulture Lives Almost Entirely Off Of Bones

  The bearded vulture has a rather unusual name in other cultures, including "quebrantahuesos." Roughly translated, this name means "bone breaker," and it's pretty much accurate. Not only do these birds bathe in rusty dust to make themselves look fierce, but they are massive: one of the largest vulture species in the world. They have piercing yellow and red eyes and, oh yeah, their entire diet is essentially made up of bones. Rather than eating meat, bearded vultures prefer to seek out skeletal corpses that have already been picked clean, and they will then break the bones into pieces and just eat those pieces whole. 

  If you ever come across one of these, it's also pretty likely that you'll be able to come find the same bird years down the line. They like to stick to the same basic area to feed, and can live up for 45 years, so some of these birds may outlive you... and end up eyeing your bony remains. 
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  (#15) Some Vultures Are Impervious To Anthrax

  You might just think of vultures as ugly, creepy birds but in reality... okay, they're still really creepy. But their creep factors mask some pretty amazing details. For one thing, they are incredibly resistant to most illnesses, and can eat carcasses infected with terrible diseases that would turn most other animals' stomachs. Some vultures can safely ingest cholera, salmonella, botulism, and even anthrax without getting sick.

  One reason they are able to do this has to do with the high level of strong acids in their stomachs. They have a stomach acid around zero pH, and this extreme acid level kills most parasites and bacteria before they are even able to get to a bird's intestines. Couple this with a great immune system and some very special genes, and you've got one strong, garbage disposal of a bird.
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  (#16) Woodpeckers Have To Store Their Tongues In Their Necks

  Everyone knows that woodpeckers sport strong, long beaks that can peck right through tree bark. But these animals have yet another unusual feature: their tongues.

  Not only is a woodpecker's tongue often covered with a sticky saliva and barbs, but it is also incredibly long. Some birds can even extend their tongues four inches in length. Because of this unusual size, a woodpecker tongue needs special storage and does not just sit in the mouth, like they do on humans. Instead, the woodpecker tongues curl back into a special compartment in the back of the bird's head between the skull and the skin for storage. Basically, a woodpecker stores his tongue in the back of its neck!
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  (#14) Violent Owls Are Coming To New York City

  Since 2015, winters have been cold enough in New York City that there have been a rise in snowy owls there, a species that previously wasn't around urban centers very much. In 2015, there were at least seven snowy owls spotted in NYC, and that number may be on the rise. While this sounds lovely because, well, owls are gorgeous, this can also cause a bit of an issue, because when owls are frightened, they aren't afraid to fight back.

  Snowy owls have been known to not only attack pets and people, but they may have actually contributed to the death of people. They have been said to gouge out eyes, though there are few recorded instances of eye attacks. Luckily, these attacks don't tend to happen unless their territory is threatened, frightened, or unless they mistake a hat or ponytail for  potential prey. Don't mess with the owls or their turf, and hopefully they won't mess with you. 
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  (#3) Cassowaries Can Kill People

  There is often a comparison drawn between birds and dinosaurs, and perhaps no creature embodies a modern-day dinosaur better than a cassowary. These Australian birds are brightly colored and have bony-looking heads in addition to massive clawed feet. In some cases, a cassowary's kick has broken bones, killed dogs, or just ripped into human flesh. But in 1926, the unthinkable happened. Philip and Granville McLean, a pair of teenage brothers, came across a cassowary and their dog attacked it. Granville was gravely injured, and as Philip tried to run away he fell. The bird attacked him, severing an artery in his neck with its feet. The boy bled to death quickly. 

  Luckily, cassowaries are unlikely to attack you unless you mess with them. Research has shown that the vast majority of attacks were caused because humans provoked the birds, tried to hurt them, or offered them food. In other words, leave them alone, and they won't kick-stab you in the neck. 

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