Named for its mating call, the Waa-Hah lives in the deep jungles of South America. Also called the Laughing Bird or the Sunfire Bird, it has a bright yellow, orange, and red body and beak. The females measure about 2-2 1/2 feet high, and the males measure an average of 2 1/2-3 feet.

During mating season, the normally curly feathers on the top of males' heads and tails straighten and expand to give them a peacock-like appearance. Waa-Hah males have more than one mate each season, and it's not unusual to see a parade of female Waa-Hahs chasing a frazzled male.

Waa-Hahs usually lay 3-6 eggs at a time, and the offspring start to follow their parents everywhere about 24 hours after hatching. Waa-Hahs start to fly at about 2 weeks of age, but all through their lives, they can only fly for extremely limited times (u p to 5 minutes at a time).

Waa-Hahs' diets are very general. They will eat almost any kind of non-poisonous bug or spider. They also like to shred leaves to make a salad.

Waa-Hahs don't have many predators. The oil in their feathers is poisonous to all animals except warthogs, which rarely try to catch Waa-Hahs, because the feather oil gives tham serious indigestion.

Waa-Hahs are a very spectacular bird. They are illegal to hunt, but their bright feathers attract many illegal poachers. The curly feathers on the males' heads are very desirable for hat plumes. But the Waa-Hahs are protected very well, and they still rem ain abundant in the wild.

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