Southern Africa Rest of the World
1) Gannets Gannets are keen fishermen, capable of plunging into the ocean waters at break-neck speeds which would feel like concrete were they not adapted for it. To help them survive the plunge, they have built-in air-sacks in their chest-cavity which inflate just before impact. These act as air-cushions (much as air-bags in cars at the moment of impact) and cushion the blow.
2) Common Swifts Common Swifts only come down to land to lay their eggs. They spend their entire life in the air, sleeping, eating and mating on the wing.
3) Sandpipers Sandpipers shrink their own internal organs by partially absorbing them to create more space to store body fat reserves for their long migration of 6000 miles. Before leaving, they are able to double their weight.
4) Lammegeiers Lammegeiers have learnt that by dropping the bones from carcasases on rocks from high up that they can be split open to get to the marrow. Their digestive juices are so strong that they dissolve any swallowed bone splinters.
5) Kestrels Kestrels have the ability to see in the ultra-violet light spectrum. The advantage of this is that mice whose nest openings surface 'invisibly' beneath long grass can be detected by the patches of urine outside the entrance. This becomes visible with the ability to see in the ultra-violet spectrum allowing the them to know exactly where to hunt.
6) African Broadbills African Broadbills have unique display prrrrrrrp call. This sound is made mechanically from specially strengthened and shaped wing feathers. The process is similar to that of a child blowing across a blade of grass.
7) Cuckoos Brood parasites (IE species that they lay their eggs in other species nests) eg Cuckoos have found several of their host species have devised methods of combating them
a) Lesser Masked Weavers realised diederick cuckoos laid eggs in their nests and started building the entrances to their nests narrower so that a cuckoo cant get in
b) Masked Weavers learned to colour the spots and patterns on their eggs differently for each individual meaning that a cuckoo has no way of knowing what the other eggs will look like in the nest until she enters the nest to lay. The returning masked weaver then sees the different coloured egg from the foreigner and pushes it out of the nest.
8) Hornbills Hornbill males wall up te female into a hole cavity in the tree with a combination of mashed food, droppings and spittal. The female stays there for 3 months laying the eggs and raising the chicks until they are ready to leave. They are totally dependant on the male who fetches food for them.
9) Sandgrouses In desert areas, Sandgrouse are well adapted and can carry water for the female and chicks many miles back to the nest. They do this by having a thick matt of filaments so fine in their breasts which act as blotting paper. The chicks then suck the water out of the males breast when he returns to the nest.
10) Sociable Weavers Sociable Weavers make giant communal nests which can cover the entire tree. In the desert areas, the thatched nest roof keeps the nest cool during the day and acts as insulation to retain the heat from the day during the cold nights.
11) Great Crested Grebes Great Crested Grebes feed their chicks feathers as part of their diet which is essential for their health. These feathers form a lining to the stomach which protects the stomach from fish bone fragments. They eat feathers all through their life to assist with this.
12) Ostriches Ostriches eat stones to aid in digesting the food. The stones grind the food in the stomach.
13) Red Phalarope,
Painted Snipe 		Red Phalarope, Painted Snipe are examples of gender reversal. Here the female are the more colourful and attractive ones and the males are the ones who look after the nest.
14) Black Herons Black Herons cover their wings over their heads to cut out reflections on the water and help them see better below surface while fishing. Small fish take shelter in the shade of the umbrella canopy (as if it were a river bank) and become easily caught.
15) Shrikes Shrikes hang lizards on thorns to decay them. The sun softens their tough skin making it easier to tear off pieces of meat from their bodies.
16) African Harrier Hawks African Harrier-Hawks have very long double-jointed legs. These are well adapted to get into hard to reach nests or holes which other predators cant reach.
17) Vultures Vultures are immune to catching anthrax. Their presence at cleaning up carcasses is useful to preventing other species from catching it.
18) Whitefronted Beeeaters Whitefronted Beeeaters have learnt to first de-sting their catch by knocking the sting of the bee off against branch, or by squeezing abdomen and letting poison squirt out before eating them.
19) Osprey Osprey have learned that when catching fish, they should reposition their catch head first when returning to the nest as this helps reduce drag making it easier to fly.
20) House Sparrows House Sparrows show different amounts of black on their bibs which indicate their rank to other members of the group. The larger the bib, the higher the rank and the more respect the individual is given.
21) Phalaropes Phalaropes spin rapidly like a top while sitting on the water. This action creates a whirlpool of water which sucks tiny plankton to the surface. The phalarope picks up the food with its long, narrow bill.
22) Green-backed Herons Green-backed Herons sometimes drop live insects, berries, or other objects onto the water's surface to attract fish. When an inquisitive fish appears, the heron grabs it with a quick thrust of the bill.
23) Honeyguides Honeyguides feed on beeswax and often rely on people or honey-badgers to break apart the beehives so they can get to the wax. Honeyguides have evolved special calls and actions to lead these honey-eating mammals to a hive they've spotted. Usually the honey-badger responds by leaving some of the honey behind.