The Misunderstood Great Tit

Parus major is a passerine widespread through much of Europe, the Middle-East, North and Cenrtal Asia and parts of Africa. A resident species, it generally doesn't migrate unless winters get extremely harsh. It is one of the most widespread members of the Parus genus. In India, it dwells in both deciduous and evergreen forests, living on an omnivoruous diet of insects and fruits.

All birdwatchers must have wondered at some point about whose bright idea it was to call Parus major the Great Tit.

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Pollinators

More than 85 % of plant species worldwide need pollination to exist. Which is why food production is being adversely affected, owing to the drastic reduction in bee populations. Although the exact cause for the recent dwindling of honey bee numbers is yet to be ascertained, the condition has been termed as Colony Collapse Disorder, and owes the decline to factors such as pesticides and habitat loss.  More on http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/what-a-grocery-store-without-bees-looks-like and http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/5-ways-to-help-our-disappearing-bees

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Fathers' Day with the Emperor Penguin

There are numerous examples of dedicated fathers across the animal kingdom, and the Emperor Penguin is probably one of the best. The father incubates the egg in his brood pouch, balancing it on top of his feet for 64 days before it hatches! By the time the egg hatches, the dad would have fasted for around 115 days! Moreover, if the mother returns late from the sea (which she must leave for after laying the egg, in order to refill her depleted energy reserves) the male feeds the chick with crop milk (a curd-like substance comprised of protein and lipid) which is synthesized in a gland in his esophagus. 

Coincidentally as we celebrate Fathers' Day, the male Emperor Penguins at this time of the year are busy incubating their eggs, battling it out in the harsh Antarctic winter. Here's a Fathers' Day greeting for nature's superdads! 

(PS- I know it's a little late, but prints are available as A3 size posters :))

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Amazon Specials!

Capybaras are large, water-loving rodents and one of the Anaconda’s favourite prey. Anacondas are non-venomous and hunt by coiling their massive bulk around their victims and constricting them., swallowing the meal head first.

A lot of readers on Green Humour are from the land of the Amazon Basin! This one is for all you guys from the other side of the opposite hemisphere :) 

This cartoon appeared in the June issue of Tinkle Digest. Don't forget to check out Page 8 if you are a subscriber!

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'Think. Eat. Save'- World Environment Day, 2013

The theme for World Environment Day 2013 is 'Think, Eat, Save' through which the UNEP aspires to promote wise and sustainable consumption. Read more on http://www.unep.org/wed/ 

"The impact of food waste is not just financial. Environmentally, food waste leads to wasteful use of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides; more fuel used for transportation; and more rotting food, creating more methane – one of the most harmful greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change. Methane is 23 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. The vast amount of food going to landfills makes a significant contribution to global warming. "

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.