Picture News

last SG · 2005-07-13T23:59:44+00:00

i like these, they look so ben ben and cute cute

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Any news in pictures to share? Smile

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Nature's wrath
A giant wave smashes onto a breakwall near Orange Beach in Alabama as Hurricane Dennis hit the coasts of Alabama and north-western Florida on Sunday. The hurricane unleashed a fury of blinding squalls with speeds of up to 193kmh, sending crashing waves and flying debris onto the shores. -- AFP

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Rare ones
Four white tiger cubs make their first public appearance at the Jinan Wildlife World in eastern China's Shandong province on Sunday. Their mum, Rongrong, has given birth to 21 cubs since April 2003, with 19 of them surviving. -- AP

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Imprint of history
This fossilised footprint of a three-toed dinosaur is thought to be about 70 million years old. Discovered by a student at Alaska's Denali National Park, the track of the Theropod is the first sign that dinosaurs had existed there. Scientists say the dinousaur would roughly be like a scaled-down Tyrannosaurus rex. -- AFP

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A river floods an area near the town of Bramberg in the western Austrian province of Salzburg.

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In the Chinese capital, Beijing, a dog receives electric acupuncture for a back problem.

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Having already killed at least 20 people in the Caribbean, Hurricane Dennis made its way to the southern US.

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Belugas watch from a giant aquarium as a Japanese couple are married at a marine centre near Tokyo.

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A deadly scorpion fish shows its true colours at the Ras Mohammed national marine park near Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.

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Lightning strikes over the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul.

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South Asian beauties in danger

Vibrant plumage

South Asia is home to at least one third of the world's pheasant population, including some of the most colourful birds on earth.

Campaigners say many are in danger because of hunting and changes in habitat. Perhaps the most famous member of the pheasant family is the Indian Peafowl which is the National Bird of India.

Like other pheasants, it moved from its Himalayan homeland into south India and Sri Lanka long before human beings did. (Photos: World Pheasant Association)

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'Bird of nine colours'

Another famous member of the pheasant family is the Himalayan Monal (top), which is Nepal's national bird and the state bird of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. Described as "a self-confident bird not afraid to strut its stuff in front of humans with its beak raised loftily" wildlife campaigners say they are increasingly concerened about the decline in its numbers. It is also known as the "bird of nine colours".

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Recognition level

A total of seven Indian states have adopted pheasants as their national bird. The World Pheasant Association says that no other single group of birds in the world can claim so high a level of recognition. One of the most endangered pheasants is the Western Tragopan, found in the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. It has been extensively hunted and caught in snares.

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Looking good

Temminck's Traopan is only found in the remote north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Experts say there are 51 species of pheasants in the world, and all except one - the Congo Peafowl - are from Asia. The overwhelming majority originated from the Himalayas and then spread out into Tibet, China, Burma and the Caucasus mountains. Some species ended up in Europe as game birds, and from the 17th century onwards became prized as game birds. They are still shot each winter.

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Under threat

The Cheer Pheasant found in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Uttaranchal is one of the most endangered in the world, with only a handful left in the wild and less than 10 in zoos. One reason attributed to its decline is the collection by humans of its vegetarian food supplies. "Many species of pheasants are far more threatened than people realise," says Philip McGowan of the World Pheasant Association, "and unless action is taken soon, some will disappear."

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How does my tail look?

The Grey Peacock Pheasant found in the north of India and Bhutan has been described as a "personable and lively bird". It has a distinctive and penetrating "phee-hoo!" call which reverberates around its forest habitat. But wildlife experts say it better to see this bird when it is in a good mood. On those occasions there is a better chance for ornithologists to see the splendour of its tail display and avoid the unpleasant-sounding "wak-wak-wak" noise the bird makes when it is threatened.

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An Elvis Presley quiff

The Koklass pheasant is so popular in Pakistan that postage stamps have been issued its honour. It is also found in Afghanistan, Nepal and China as well as India's Himalayan states. The birds are monogamous, and remain in pairs throughout much of the year. The male has what some observers in the west have described as a an "Elvis Presley-style quiff." It earns its name because of the male's territorial call, a distinctive "kok-kok-kok".

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In Mrs Hume's honour

Named after Mrs Allan Hume, the wife of a 19th century British ornithologist, the Hume's pheasant appears to have been reduced to a small population, which has become increasingly fragmented. It is the state bird of the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram. Although its precise numbers are unknown, experts say it has been hit hard by habitat loss and hunting, and is an endangered species. This bird has also had the honour of appearing on postage stamps, in Thailand.

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A chicken or a pheasant?

The Grey Junglefowl is native to evergreen hill forests in southern and western India. Experts say they have "a tendency to remain wild and skittish". Like the Koklass pheasant, they are monogamous. The special waxy texture of the bird's feathers, coupled with its waterproof plumage, are prized by fly fishermen around the world and during the 20th century, hundreds of thousands of pelts were exported to Europe on a yearly basis.

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Polka dot pheasant

Satyr Tragopans are highly ornamental and sought after by collectors. Experts say they are common in Bhutan, but are believed to be in decline elsewhere because they are prized by hunters. "This bird - like many others - is among the most beautiful in the world," says Philip McGowan of the World Pheasant Organisation. "We must all work together to ensure that they do not go into further decline."

World Pheasant Organisation: http://www.pheasant.org