The hooded pitohui keeps a surprise in its feathers and skin that few predators would expect-stored toxins actually make this bird poisonous! Though the pitohui has been well-known for more than a century, its toxicity came to light only in the 1990s, when a scientist was daring enough to stick a feather in his mouth to prove that he discovered a poisonous bird. Like some poisonous frogs, the hooded pitohui gets its toxins from the insects it eats.
Under the Skin: The hooded pitohui is one of the world's few poisonous birds. Its skin and feathers store powerful toxins that are strong enough to kill predators that bite into the bird. Even being scratched by its claws can poison an attacker.
Look Alike: This bird's black and bright orange feathers make it easy to spot-and easy for predators to identify as poisonous. Some other New Guinean birds have developed similar markings to fool enemies into thinking they're pitohuis.
A Poisonous What?[]
Bright colors warn off predators interested in a bite of pitohui.
The hooded pitohui is a common bird in New Guinea, and has been known to scientists for more than 100 years. However, the discovery that it is poisonous didn't come until 1990, when a student, Jack Dumbacher, was studying the bird. He was scratched by a pitohui's claws, then noticed that his lips went numb when he licked the wound. Eager to investigate, he later plucked a feather from a hooded pitohui, tasted it and found the same result, only stronger. Later that year, Dumbacher published the finding of the world's first-known poisonous bird!
Chemical Factory: The hooded pitohui's toxins are the same as those found in South America's poison-dart frogs. Both creatures absorb the poisons from their diet; some scientists think beetles and ants are the main sources of the poison.
Safety First: Some researchers say that the ability to fly keeps the hooded pitohui safe enough from enemies--they claim that the birds' toxins are there to drive away parasites, such as insect larvae, that would drink their blood.
Poison Queen[]
Another animal that doesn't look like it would be poisonous is Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly. The world's biggest butterfly, this insect munches on toxic weeds as a caterpillar, and keeps the poisons in its body as an adult. Like the pitohui, the butterfly is brightly colored to warn enemies.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- Hooded Pitohui is the only bird in Toxic Terrors.
- The hooded pitohui is featured in Common Ground on Monster Mania 98.