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>
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