Earth is a home for an incredible number of species and some of them do not cease to surprise scientists for years. For example, incredible oil birds (Steatornis caripensis), or guajaro, which are the only flying birds leading a night lifestyle and feed on fruits. Moreover, they have something similar to bats, IFLSCIENCE writes.

Representatives of this amazing species can be found in neotropic habitats in their native to the species of South America: in the south up to Bolivia, and in the north - in such countries as Columbia and Venezuela. Note that it is here that oil birds are often called " Despite the fact that Guaharo behaves in many ways like bats, they are considered relatives of goats and sweat, and also have a funny appearance - for example, small mustache surrounding their beak.

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Earlier, the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt also discovered that the chicks of oil birds are incredibly well -fed, and therefore the indigenous peoples of Venezuela consider them a valuable resource. Scientists have found that the indigenous peoples used young birds to kill and extract them abundant fat, which was then used in cooking. It is also known that indigenous people gathered chicks in caves. By the way, it was previously believed that representatives of this species nest exclusively in caves, colonies, which sometimes can reach thousands of individuals.

However, in the 2009 study, scientists found that in fact, birds spend only every third day in the caves - the rest of the time they quietly sit on trees in the tropical forest, where they burp seeds.

Representatives of this species also lead a night lifestyle, which is not so unusual for birds, but it is much more curious that they feed exclusively with fruits and are guided by echolocation. In fact, oil birds are considered the only night, flying, fruit bird in the world.

Researchers have found that oil birds use echolocation that helps them find the way in the darkness of the caves, but unlike most species of bats, we people can hear it.

They also publish a series of short but sharp screams and screens, which may well be the reason for their name Guacharo, given that this means "

However, comparison with bats ends with navigation. Although bats also use echolocation to search for food, there is no good evidence that oil birds do the same, but do not worry, oil birds, we still love you.

Previously, Focus wrote that scientists for the first time in history looked at the world through the eyes of Penguin.