Mental Floss

BIRDS

















American ornithologist James Bond, circa 1974.

On January 4, 1900, a child was born in Philadelphia. His name was Bond. James Bond. He would grow up to become an ornithologist, and lived a fairly quiet, normal life—until someone borrowed his name.

Matt Soniak








MikeLane45/iStock via Getty Images

Roadrunners—the iconic birds of the American Southwest—are brave enough to feast on rattlesnakes and outsmart coyotes (really, we're not kidding).

Mark Mancini
MikeLane45/iStock via Getty Images

With its massive beak and penetrating stare, a shoebill stork is not a bird you'd want to meet in a dark alley. Read on for some little-known facts about this African icon.

Kat Long