5 National Birds Of Asia
They soar through the sky and nest in trees, have colorful feathers and distinctive habits. In this article we will tell you about the national birds of Asia, chosen for being endemic or native to a particular territory.
Examples of national birds of Asia
Almost all countries have an animal that represents them, either because it is endemic, because it lives within its limits or because it is related to its culture and history. In the case of the national birds of Asia, we can highlight the following:
1. Red-crowned Crane
It is the bird chosen by China as a representative (along with the brown pheasant), since for its culture it is very important: it is considered a symbol of longevity, luck and fidelity. It is the most exotic and largest crane of the genus.
The Red-crowned Crane – the photo that opens this article – lives in grasslands, high valleys and swampy areas; It has a powerful flight with its long black and white wings spread, and its neck is erect. Couples bond for life and each year only one chick survives of the two they hatch.
2. Iberian imperial eagle
It is the national bird of Russia and can be found in different habitats such as mountains, coasts or dunes. It prefers flat terrain with good populations of rabbits, its main food.
The Iberian imperial eagle has a dark brown plumage almost all over its body –except on the shoulders and upper parts of the wings– when it is adult; the young have rather reddish feathers. The wingspan of this bird is about two meters and the females are larger than the males.
3. Peacock
This is another of the national birds of Asia that could not be missing from this list, selected by India, where it lives. The peacock lives in wet or dry forests, but has also adapted to cultivated areas near human settlements. Mainly, it looks for water sources to choose territory.
The color in this species is the male: its chest is bright blue, as are some parts of the head and, of course, the most characteristic are its tail feathers, green and black with copper or bronze reflections. The female, on the other hand, is white and dark blue and does not have a fan-shaped tail.
4. Peregrine Falcon
It is the national bird of the United Arab Emirates, where it is highly prized for falconry practice, but it is distributed all over the planet. It is the fastest animal in the world: it can reach 300 km / h in a dive, although it normally flies at around 100 km / h.
The female is larger than the male – as in other birds of prey – and its plumage is gray in different shades, darker on the tail and head. The legs, the beak and the edge of the eyes are yellow, while the chest is whitish.
5. Red-headed thrush
The last of the national birds of Asia has been chosen by Turkey as its representative and belongs to the turdidae family, all small in size and robust in body. This species is one of the smallest, since it measures only 20 centimeters and weighs 65 grams.
The red-headed thrush has a brown color on the back and white spotted on the belly. Males and females are almost the same, they nest in trees and each year they build a nest with grass and mud, where they lay up to six green eggs. They usually form colonies to protect themselves from crows and can defend themselves by ‘shedding’ their own feces.
