Hooded pitohui. (Pitohui dichrous) A poisonous bird? Rad. The hooded pitohui - alongside its two oth
Hooded pitohui. (Pitohui dichrous) A poisonous bird? Rad. The hooded pitohui - alongside its two other close relatives (Variable pitohui & Rusty pitohui) - was the first ever bird to be documented as poisonous. This bird is seriously so awesome. Its feathers and skin contain the exact same poison that is found in Poison Dart Frogs. This chemical is actually the most powerful natural toxin known to man. It’s not present in very high quantities though, so for the most part these birds will only cause numbness, tingling and other minor symptoms when touched (basically they’re not deadly unless you got like 50 of them and rubbed them all over your face). It’s thought that the bird gets its poison from its diet; which is mainly Choresine beetles. Things learnt today: Birds are rad on so many levels. Do not cover your face in Hooded pitohuis. Anyone who tells you that birds are boring is wrong and clearly just jealous of the majestic wonder that is the Hooded pitohui. Image: Mark Harper -- source link
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