The hooded pitohui, found in New Guinea, is a medium-sized songbird with
rich chestnut and black plumage. It is one of the few known poisonous
birds, containing a range of batrachotoxin compounds in its skin,
feathers and other tissues. These toxins are thought to be derived from
their diet, and may function both to deter predators and to protect the
bird from parasites. The toxic nature of this bird is well known to
local hunters, who avoid it. The hooded pitohui is found in forests from
sea level up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), but is most common in hills
and low mountains. A social bird, it lives in family groups and
frequently joins and even leads mixed-species foraging flocks. The diet
is made up of fruits, seeds and invertebrates. This species is
apparently a cooperative breeder, with family groups helping to protect
the nest and feed the young. The hooded pitohui is common and not
currently at risk of extinction, with its numbers being stable.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_pitohui>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1804:
Irish convicts formerly involved at the Battle of Vinegar Hill
during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 began an uprising against British
colonial authorities in New South Wales, Australia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Hill_convict_rebellion>
1837:
Chicago, Illinois, was incorporated as a city after its
population increased in seven years from 200 to more than 4,000.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago>
1943:
The Holocaust: Almost all Jews in Bulgarian-occupied northern
Greece were deported to Treblinka extermination camp to be killed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_Bulgarian-occupied_Greece>
2012:
A series of blasts occurred at an arms dump in Brazzaville,
Republic of the Congo, killing at least 300 people and injuring 2,500
others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville_arms_dump_blasts>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
steam shovel:
1. (historical) An excavating machine designed to effect a shovelling
action through steam power.
2. (by extension) Any excavating machine of similar design, no matter
how powered.
3. (transitive) To excavate (a place, or something from a place) using a
steam shovel.
4. (intransitive) To operate a steam shovel.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/steam_shovel>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Every shot that takes an innocent life must result in a legal and
fair sentence that punishes murder. Every violence that destroys a
person's life must result in a legal and fair judicial decision that
protects human dignity. These are constants for civilized and
democratic countries. For the countries in which the rule of law is
consistently ensured. But it is time to make it constant for
international relations as well. The constants that will act
universally and most importantly — irrevocably in relation to any
violator of international law. Especially when it comes to the crime of
aggression. The world needs a real embodiment of the rule of law, which
is guaranteed to protect humanity from the "right of force" — from the
source of all aggressions.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>