You know that little birdie? Yea, the one you see when you're signing in! Or when you're in the Square. He helps you out! Isn't he Cool?
Ick, bad thing is, I don't think this birdie has a name. I'll call him Fritz. (My dad made that one up.) Anyway, Fritz doesn't get much attention, so I thought I would do a little research on what kind of bird he is.
Fritz is a Toucan!
The toucan is a bird that lives in tropical climates in America. It's highly recognizable by its large, brightly colored beak.
What is the function of such a big beak?
You would think, its some sort of tool for food or a defense, but actually it's not! Toucans have no problem getting food, and are strong enough to fight off predators easily. So what's the use? According to ornotholigists (scientist who study birds), the use of the Toucan's bird is an... an... unsolved mystery! Weird...!
Toucan's are related to woodpeckers. Like the wood pecker, toucan's peck holes in tree's and sleep in them! Now you ask, how can such a big bird fit in such a tight hole? Toucan's have very flexible joints. They twist there beak so it rest on their back, fold's it's tail up on it's breast, and its wings fold up around it's whole body...and Voila!
One more neat-o fact: toucans play games with each other. They throw berries between each other, catching them with their beaks!
So know you know a little about Fritz. When you see him drop him a line... even though he is mute...
Till Next Time...
Editor's Note: Over at City Hall, they call our toucan the Why-Bird! That's as much of a name as he's ever had, but we think of him as Whyville's Official Mascot, kind of our answer to Disney's Mickey Mouse! Maybe one of these days we should vote him a name... for now, Fritz is as good as any other. :-) Thanks for thinking of our loyal friend!
