The Madeira Firecrest is a very small passerine bird that is endemic to the island of Madeira. It is a member of the kinglet family. Before it was recognised as a separate species in 2003, it was classified as a subspecies of the Common Firecrest. It differs in appearance and vocalisations from its relative, and genetic analysis suggests evolutionary separation took place roughly 4 million years ago. It is small and plump, 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 cm) long and weighing about 5 g (0.18 oz). It has green upperparts, whitish underparts and two white wingbars, and a distinctive head pattern with a black eye stripe, short white supercilium, and a crest that is mainly orange in the male and yellow in the female. The female Madeira Firecrest builds a spherical nest from cobwebs, moss and small twigs, and she incubates the eggs and broods the chicks on her own. Both parents feed the young. This species forages for insects and other small invertebrates in tree heath, laurisilva and other woodland. It is common within its restricted range, living mainly at higher levels from 600–1,550 m (1,950–4,900 ft) in all types of forests and scrub, and is not considered to be threatened.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeira_Firecrest
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
235:
Roman emperor Severus Alexander (bust pictured) was assassinated by his legion, beginning the Crisis of the Third Century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Severus
1241:
Mongol invasion of Poland: Mongols overwhelmed the Polish armies of Sandomierz and Kraków provinces in the Battle of Chmielnik and plundered the abandoned city of Kraków. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chmielnik
1921:
The Polish–Soviet War, which determined the borders between the Republic of Poland and Soviet Russia, formally concluded with the signing of the Peace of Riga. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Riga
1969:
Vietnam War: The United States began secretly bombing the Sihanouk Trail in Cambodia, used by communist forces to infiltrate South Vietnam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sihanouk_Trail
1985:
The first episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours was first broadcast on the Seven Network, eventually becoming the longest running drama in Australian television history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighbours
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
tribology: (physics, engineering) The science and technology of friction, lubrication, and wear. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tribology
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Government of the absolute majority instead of the Government of the people is but the Government of the strongest interests; and when not efficiently checked, it is the most tyrannical and oppressive that can be devised. --John C. Calhoun https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_C._Calhoun