Tag Archives: Smithsonian Channel

Wildlife: Keas – The Alpine Parrots Of New Zealand

Keas are remarkable birds: playful, belligerent and smart. So smart in fact that some scientists believe they have the intelligence of a 4-year old human.

The kea is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 cm long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak. 

Preview: ‘Alaska’s Call Of The Wild – Kodiak Bears’

History Of Berlin: The Brandenburg Gate (1790)

The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the temporary restoration of order during the Batavian Revolution.

Views: Red-Tailed Hawk On The U.S.- Canada Border

A vole has made a fatal mistake and wandered into ‘The Slash’–the narrow cleared pathway that serves as a border to Canada. Out in the open, she’s easy to spot and a predator would need no second invitation.

The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide.

Views: Ancient Mongolian Fishing Technique At Lake Chagan, China (Video)

In the northeast province of Jilin, China, local fishermen rely on an ancient Mongolian technique to fish in the frozen waters of Lake Chagan. And despite temperatures reaching minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, all they need are a net, two horses, and a spindle.

Engineering: The ‘British Airways i360 Viewing Tower In Brighton (Video)

British Airways i360 is a 162 m observation tower on the seafront of Brighton, East Sussex, England at the landward end of the remains of the West Pier. The tower opened on 4 August 2016. From the fully enclosed viewing pod, visitors experience 360-degree views across Brighton, the South Downs and the English Channel. 

Views: How Singapore’s ‘Gardens By The Bay’ Was Constructed (Video)

The ‘Gardens by the Bay’ are home to 100,000 thriving plants–but for the entire setup to work, the designers had to figure out a way to protect the eerily-designed structures against the strong winds that hit Singapore.

The Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.

Views: ‘Bailong Elevator’ – World’s Tallest Outdoor Lift, Hunan, China (Video)

The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China is famed for its towering, pillar-like karst formations. One of the fastest and easiest ways to view them is by riding up Bailong Elevator, the world’s tallest outdoor lift.