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Archives » Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

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Chickens Circle the Earth

Archaeological discoveries in Chile strongly suggest that chickens reached the New World about 100 years before the first Europeans. They apparently crossed the Pacific aboard outriggers piloted by Polynesian navigators. The DNA found in chicken bones in Chile resembles that of bones found in the... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  history, science
Related bird:  Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Pecking Order

Birds in flocks almost invariably develop a pecking order. An alpha chicken can peck any other in the flock, and a beta chicken can peck all others but the alpha bird. Juncos and other small birds have a pecking order, too. The pecking order - or dominance hierarchy - of a flock of birds is... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  science
Related bird:  Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Walking on Eggshells

Walking on eggshells usually means dealing with something delicate, fragile. But eggs are far from fragile. An egg has to be strong enough to withstand the weight of an adult bird during incubation. But the tiny, weak baby bird within has to be able to peck its way out. Is it true that if you... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  language
Related bird:  Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Music Inspired by Chicks Hatching - Mussorgsky and Ravel

Inspired by a talented friend's painting called "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks," Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky wrote a piano piece as part of his famous work Pictures at an Exhibition. The composition was later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel. Have you ever watched a baby bird peck its way... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  music
Related bird:  Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

What's with the Wattles?

Birds like male turkeys or barnyard roosters have a wrinkly, bumpy flap of red skin called a wattle. But what are wattles for? Birds can’t sweat, so wattles help release excess heat. Wattles are also key to courtship displays. Many other birds, including some storks and plovers, also have wattles... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  breeding display
Related bird:  Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

How Free Is a Free-range Chicken?

It can be confusing to buy truly free-range chicken and eggs at the grocery store. The next time you’re at the store, take a close look at the labels. Chickens raised for meat or eggs... chickens that spend their days outside pecking for bugs, grubs, and fresh green vegetation... are best known... read more »

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Related bird:  Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

The Colors of Chicken Eggs

Except around Easter, chicken eggs usually come in a predictable range of colors: white, brown, and sometimes pale blue or green. Chickens are descended from the Red Jungle Fowl of Southeast Asia, which has been providing eggs for humans for thousands of years. The final color of an egg comes... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  nesting
Related bird:  Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
Related video: 
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Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks

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Ballet of Unhatched Chicks

Surreal video... with beautiful music. Thanks, Natasha Turovsky! read more »

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Related show: 
Music Inspired by Chicks Hatching - Mussorgsky and Ravel
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