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Animals
- All About Aardvarks – Lesson
- All About Aardvarks – Quiz
- Babirusa – What a Pig! – Lesson
- Babirusa – What a Pig! – Quiz
- The Chimpanzee – The Nearly Human Primate – Lesson
- The Chimpanzee – The Nearly Human Primate – Quiz
- The Donkey – The Intelligent Yet Stubborn Animal – Lesson
- The Donkey – The Intelligent Yet Stubborn Animal – Quiz
- Electric Eels – Shocking Details – Lesson
- Electric Eels – Shocking Details – Quiz
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Space and Astronomy
- Mars: Just the Beginning? – Lesson
- Mars: Just the Beginning? – Quiz
- Six Billion ‘Earth-like’ Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy? – Lesson
- Six Billion ‘Earth-like’ Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy? – Quiz
- Did NASA Scientists Find Another Universe? – Lesson
- Did NASA Scientists Find Another Universe? – Quiz
- A New Planet Was Discovered – And Old Theories Must Change – Lesson
- A New Planet Was Discovered – And Old Theories Must Change – Quiz
- SpaceX Completes First Civilian Trip to Space – Lesson
- SpaceX Completes First Civilian Trip to Space – Quiz
- First Movie Filmed in Space Successful – Lesson
- First Movie Filmed in Space Successful – Quiz
- James Webb Telescope Heads to Deep Space – Lesson
- James Webb Telescope Heads to Deep Space – Quiz
- A Lot Is Happening on and Around the Moon – Lesson
- A Lot Is Happening on and Around the Moon – Quiz
- First-Ever Picture Taken of the Milky Way’s Black Hole – Lesson
- First-Ever Picture Taken of the Milky Way’s Black Hole – Quiz
- First James Webb Telescope Images Revealed – Lesson
- First James Webb Telescope Images Revealed – Quiz
- Buzz Aldrin Sells Jacket from the Moon Landing – Lesson
- Buzz Aldrin Sells Jacket from the Moon Landing – Quiz
- Humans at Home on the Moon – Could It Really Happen in This Decade? – Lesson
- Humans at Home on the Moon – Could It Really Happen in This Decade? – Quiz
- Winter on Mars – Lesson
- Winter on Mars – Quiz
- Pictures of Mars Show Hidden Figures – Lesson
- Pictures of Mars Show Hidden Figures – Quiz
- Jupiter and Venus Appear to ‘Kiss’ – Lesson
- Jupiter and Venus Appear to ‘Kiss’ – Quiz
- The James Webb Telescope Finds Six Ancient Galaxies – Lesson
- The James Webb Telescope Finds Six Ancient Galaxies – Quiz
- Would an EpiPen Work in Space? – Lesson
- Would an EpiPen Work in Space? – Quiz
- Satellite Spots Earth’s Second Moon? – Lesson
- Satellite Spots Earth’s Second Moon? – Quiz
- Space Mining – The Race is On and China is Leading – Lesson
- Space Mining – The Race is On and China is Leading – Quiz
- How Did Gold and Platinum Arrive on Earth – Lesson
- How Did Gold and Platinum Arrive on Earth – Quiz
- Odysseus Has Found Its New Home – Lesson
- Odysseus Has Found Its New Home – Quiz
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The Environment
- Red Tide: No Fun in the Florida Sun – Lesson
- Red Tide: No Fun in the Florida Sun – Quiz
- Leaded Gas Eradicated from the World, Says United Nations – Lesson
- Leaded Gas Eradicated from the World, Says United Nations – Quiz
- COVID Plastic Waste: A Big Problem for Oceans – Lesson
- COVID Plastic Waste: A Big Problem for Oceans – Quiz
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Archaeology and Paleontology
- Ancient Human Species Discovered – Lesson
- Ancient Human Species Discovered – Quiz
- Biblical City of Sodom Found in the Jordan Valley? – Lesson
- Biblical City of Sodom Found in the Jordan Valley? – Quiz
- Antarctic Explorer’s Ship Found After a Century – Lesson
- Antarctic Explorer’s Ship Found After a Century – Quiz
- Newly Found Diary Shows How Ancient Egyptians Built the Pyramids – Lesson
- Newly Found Diary Shows How Ancient Egyptians Built the Pyramids – Quiz
- Study Shows ‘Apocalyptic Dust’ Might Have Killed the Dinosaurs – Lesson
- Study Shows ‘Apocalyptic Dust’ Might Have Killed the Dinosaurs – Quiz
- Ancient Celestial Calendar Found in a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb – Lesson
- Ancient Celestial Calendar Found in a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb – Quiz
- Hiker Stumbles Upon Ancient Fossils While Hiking in Italy – Lesson
- Hiker Stumbles Upon Ancient Fossils While Hiking in Italy – Quiz
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Technology
- 3 Reasons to Protect Your Online Privacy – Lesson – VIDEO
- The Rise of Deepfakes – Lesson
- The Rise of Deepfakes – Quiz
- A New Mayflower Voyage, Captained by AI Technology – Lesson
- A New Mayflower Voyage, Captained by AI Technology – Quiz
- The Latest Supercomputer Is Breaking Speed Barriers – Lesson
- The Latest Supercomputer Is Breaking Speed Barriers – Quiz
- LNGenZ Survey: What is the Greatest American Invention? – Lesson
- LNGenZ Survey: What is the Greatest American Invention? – Quiz
- School and ChatGPT – Is it Cheating? – Lesson
- School and ChatGPT – Is it Cheating? – Quiz
- Artificial Intelligence Gets an Upgrade? – Lesson
- Artificial Intelligence Gets an Upgrade? – Quiz
- Scientists Plan to Bring the Dodo Bird Back from Extinction – Lesson
- Scientists Plan to Bring the Dodo Bird Back from Extinction – Quiz
- Is There Too Much Technology in Education? – Lesson
- Is There Too Much Technology in Education? – Quiz
- AI Coming to a Keyboard Near You – Lesson
- AI Coming to a Keyboard Near You – Quiz
- Is the NSA Browsing Your Browser History? – Lesson
- Is the NSA Browsing Your Browser History? – Quiz
- AI Can’t Compete With People Skills – Lesson
- AI Can’t Compete With People Skills – Quiz
- How Social Media Is Hazardous to Generation Z – and Beyond – Lesson
- How Social Media Is Hazardous to Generation Z – and Beyond – Quiz
- Surgeon General’s Warning for Social Media – Lesson
- Surgeon General’s Warning for Social Media – Quiz
- Pay With Your Face: Is the End of Cash Nigh? – Lesson
- Pay With Your Face: Is the End of Cash Nigh? – Quiz
- Can Artificial Intelligence Really End Cancer? – Lesson
- Can Artificial Intelligence Really End Cancer? – Quiz
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Mind and Body
- Teen Scientist’s Invention Mixes Music with Mental Health – Lesson
- Teen Scientist’s Invention Mixes Music with Mental Health – Quiz
- Man Receives First Pig Heart Transplant – Lesson
- Man Receives First Pig Heart Transplant – Quiz
- Sniffing Out the Truth About Smells – Lesson
- Sniffing Out the Truth About Smells – Quiz
- The Power of Playtime – Lesson
- The Power of Playtime – Quiz
- Is Language Getting More Emotional? – Lesson
- Is Language Getting More Emotional? – Quiz
- Scientists Say Household Chores Help Kids’ Brains – Lesson
- Scientists Say Household Chores Help Kids’ Brains – Quiz
- Transplant of Pig Kidney Into a Human Successful So Far – Lesson
- Transplant of Pig Kidney Into a Human Successful So Far – Quiz
- The Lack of a College Degree Is Shortening Lifespans – Lesson
- The Lack of a College Degree Is Shortening Lifespans – Quiz
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Flora and Fauna
- Dogs Can Tell When Humans Make a Mistake, Says Study – Lesson
- Dogs Can Tell When Humans Make a Mistake, Says Study – Quiz
- Jonathan: The World’s Oldest Living Tortoise – Lesson
- Jonathan: The World’s Oldest Living Tortoise – Quiz
- The Monarch Butterfly Makes a Surprise Return – Lesson
- The Monarch Butterfly Makes a Surprise Return – Quiz
- Bat Falcon Spotted in the United States for the First Time – Lesson
- Bat Falcon Spotted in United States for the First Time – Quiz
- Charles Darwin’s Notebooks Mysteriously Returned after 20 Years – Lesson
- Charles Darwin’s Notebooks Mysteriously Returned after 20 Years – Quiz
- Six Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in Wildlife Refuge – Lesson
- Six Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in Wildlife Refuge – Quiz
- Scientists Record Never-Before-Heard Whale Call – Lesson
- Scientists Record Never-Before Heard Whale Call – Quiz
- Underwater Meadow Gets Credit as the World’s Largest Living Plant – Lesson
- Underwater Meadow Gets Credit as the World’s Largest Living Plant – Quiz
- Scientists Trying to Bring the Tasmanian Tiger Back from Extinction – Lesson
- Scientists Trying to Bring the Tasmanian Tiger Back from Extinction – Quiz
- Jurassic Era Insect Found at Arizona Walmart – Lesson
- Jurassic Era Insect Found at Arizona Walmart – Quiz
- The Comeback of the Nearly Extinct Earless Lizard – Lesson
- The Comeback of the Nearly Extinct Earless Lizard – Quiz
- A Strange Golden Orb Found on the Ocean Floor Is Alive! – Lesson
- A Strange Golden Orb Found on the Ocean Floor Is Alive! – Quiz
- Peanut: The Pet Chicken With a World Record – Lesson
- Peanut: The Pet Chicken With a World Record – Quiz
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Mathematics
- Metric vs. Imperial: A Weighty Debate in Britain – Lesson
- Metric vs. Imperial: A Weighty Debate in Britain – Quiz
- The Abacus is Helping Kids Master Math Skills – Lesson
- The Abacus is Helping Kids Master Math Skills – Quiz
- Retired Engineer Discovers ‘Einstein’ Shape – Lesson
- Retired Engineer Discovers ‘Einstein’ Shape – Quiz
Bat Falcon Spotted in the United States for the First Time – Lesson
A small bird of prey, typically found in Central and South America, has been spotted in the deep south of Texas. This animal has never been seen in the US before. The bat falcon is attracting bird watchers from all over the United States and even Europe hoping to catch a glimpse of this remarkable creature.
What Is a Bat Falcon?
The bat falcon is a beautifully colored, carnivorous bird that typically lives in woodlands and forests in Mexico and countries throughout Central and South America, like Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil.
These animals spend much of their time perched high in a tree to have a better vantage point for hunting prey. They do much of their hunting at dusk and dawn and feed primarily on bats, other birds, small rodents, and large insects. They are often found along the edges of forests and along riverbanks and streams.
An adult bat falcon has a black head, back, belly, lower breast, and tail, while the throat, upper breast, and sides of their neck are a creamy white shade. In addition, the thighs and lower belly are bright orange. The boldness of their color patterns makes them easy to spot and identify. It is not uncommon for the females to be significantly larger than the males of this species.
Bat falcons tend to travel alone except during mating season. They choose a mate that they stay loyal to throughout their lives. A female bat falcon lays two to three eggs at a time. The babies leave the nest after about 35 to 40 days, when they can hunt and feed independently.
First Sighting in the United States
The bat falcon found in Texas is the first to be seen within the United States. Though they are not considered rare or endangered in their homeland, it is exceptional to see one in this country. Scientists and bird enthusiasts are unsure why the bird has traveled so far north. No matter the reason, around 4,000 birders are flocking from all over the country and Europe, ecstatic to see the rare-to-these-parts animal in action.
Ray Sharpton, a 77-year-old retiree, has viewed 697 birds, and he traveled from New York hopeful to add the bat falcon to the list. Though several people were able to spot the bird and snap pictures, Sharpton was not as lucky. He did, however, see a couple of other birds that piqued his interest, including a social flycatcher.
Interesting Facts About Bat Falcons
- The hood pattern on a bat falcon’s head helps protect its eyes from the sun.
- The tooth-like growth on the bill helps it cut into prey more easily.
- Bat falcons can catch prey, like bats and insects, while flying through the air.
- Bat Falcons will stalk their prey for hours and even figure out where they live so they can wait and attack them coming into or leaving their homes.