Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 January 4

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Today's featured article
The antbirds are a large family of passerine birds found in forests across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 200 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds. They are related to the antthrushes and antpittas (family Formicariidae), the tapaculos, the gnateaters and the ovenbirds. Antbirds are generally small birds with rounded wings and strong legs. They have mostly sombre grey, white, brown and rufous plumage, which is sexually dimorphic in pattern and colouring. Some species communicate warnings to rivals by exposing white feather patches on their backs or shoulders. Most have heavy bills, which in many species are hooked at the tip. Insects and other arthropods form the most important part of their diet, although small vertebrates are occasionally taken. Most species feed in the forest understory and midstory, although a few feed in the canopy and a few on the ground. To various degrees, around eighteen species specialise in following columns of army ants to eat the small invertebrates flushed by the ants, and many others may feed in this way opportunistically. Thirty-eight species are threatened with extinction due to human activities. The principal threat is habitat loss, which causes habitat fragmentation and increased nest predation in habitat fragments. (more...) Recently featured: Letters Written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – Robert Marshall – History of the Australian Capital Territory Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the explosive chemical ascaridole (structure pictured) can be found naturally in the oil of Mexican Tea, traditionally used in Mexican cuisine to prevent flatulence? ... that in The Empathic Civilization, author Jeremy Rifkin argues that extending empathy to subsequently larger groups is paid for with increasing entropy in terms of environmental problems? ... that in 1964, R. B. Walden, director of the Louisiana Department of Hospitals, ordered the desegregation of his state's charity hospitals? ... that the English clergyman George Edmundson worked for the British Government on the Boundary Arbitration between British Guiana and Venezuela? ... that Kota tribe shows M haplogroup frequency of 97%, which is one of the highest in India? ... that the 1503 Challenge of Barletta was sparked by a French knight who insulted the Italians, having consumed too much of their local wine? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
More than 200,000 people are affected by a series of floods (satellite image pictured) primarily in the Australian state of Queensland. A bomb explodes outside a Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt, killing at least 21 people and wounding 70 others. Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal, and South Africa begin two-year terms as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Demonstrations over unemployment and poor living conditions are held in various cities in Tunisia. Five new lines open for operation in the Beijing Subway, adding 108 km (67 mi) of new tracks to the system. Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav is convicted of rape, obstruction of justice and other charges. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
January 4: Independence Day in Burma (1948) 1885 – Sino-French War: French troops under General François Oscar de Négrier defeated a numerically superior Chinese force at Nui Bop in northern Vietnam. 1912 – The Boy Scout Association was incorporated throughout the British Commonwealth by royal charter. 1951 – Korean War: Chinese and North Korean troops captured Seoul. 1973 – Last of the Summer Wine, the longest running sitcom in the world, premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse. 1998 – A massive ice storm struck eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, eventually killing over 30 people, injuring over 340 others, and causing massive damage to the area's electrical infrastructure. 2006 – Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon (pictured) suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke, leaving Ehud Olmert as Acting Prime Minister. More anniversaries: January 3 – January 4 – January 5 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now January 4 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The climactic scene from Act III of The Wicked World (1873), a blank verse play by W. S. Gilbert about how female fairies cope with a sudden introduction to them of men and "mortal love". This was one of several "fairy comedies" by Gilbert, and it established him as a writer of wide range, propelling him beyond the burlesques he had produced in his early career and leading towards his famous Savoy operas.

Illustration: D. H. Friston; Restoration: Adam Cuerden

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