 |
| INTERESTING ODDS & ENDS archive #3 |
| Myth Buster: According to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, it is untrue that uncooked rice will expand inside a birds stomach and kill it. Rice takes a long time to swell, and birds digest their food very quickly. The rice has moved through the birds’ system before it has a chance to expand. (Wildbird Magazine, January/February 2004) |
| Problems with feeding bread to birds: - If feeding ducks/geese, the problem arises of large numbers of these birds. Ponds and streams cannot process the large amount of waste generated by these large numbers and the water becomes rich in harmful bacteria leading to diseases. - Bread provides an unbalances diet for birds. The ducks/geese are attracted to areas where the natural food is scarce. Relying on the bread causes malnutrition. Research has shown that bread-fed ducks live shorter lives than true wild ducks. - Uneaten bread often will attract other wildlife, such as rats, which can be disease carriers. |
| Color Banding: Spotting and reporting color banded to scientists can be of immense help to researchers that hope to learn about migration and populations. So keep your eyes open. If you see a banded bird, note the species, the color or colors of their bands, the size and shape of the bands, which leg the bands are on., and whether they are above or below the straight part of the birds’ foot. Also, note the date, time and location where you spotted the banded bird. Sightings can be reported to Bird Banding Laboratory: 1-800-327-BAND. (Birder’s World Magazine, June 2004) |
| Red Knots: Populations are dropping alarmingly! Surveys from the Delaware Bay in New Jersey show drops from 53,000 to 33,000 between 1998 and 2002. During the same time span, counts in Tierra del Fuego (wintering grounds) dropped from 56,000 to 25,000. Only 16,000 were counted in Delaware Bay in 2003. Researchers believe the decline is due to overfishing of horseshoe crabs. The Red Knots rely on the eggs of horseshoe crabs to provide them with the fuel necessary for migration. (from Birder’s World Magazine, June 2004) |
| Delayed Plumage Maturation: When the first-year males develop breeding plumage less colorful than adults males, even though they are capable of breeding themselves. Researchers believe this duller plumage is a sort of social signal, indicating subordinate status. Since the younger bird is clearly subordinate the adult bird will allow it to breed in it’s territory. Eventually, in this way, the younger bird will develop territory of it’s own, and possible a mate as well. Even if he does not acquire a mate, he can return the following year with a chance to claim prime territory. Interestingly, some of these delayed plumage birds will have duller male plumage, and some will have female plumage. Reasons for this are unclear, but seems to benefit the young bird as much as male plumage. Birds that retain female like plumage for the first year are: Orchard & Bullock’s Orioles, Purple Finch & American Redstart. |
| Extra-Pair Copulation: Research has shown that almost all songbirds exhibit this behavior, where the males & females of monogamous pairs will copulate with birds other thank their mates. This behavior allows males to produce more offspring, and females to gather a variety of sperm. (Birder’s World Magazine, June 2004) |
| Do birds help kill trees? In some cases yes….woodpeckers in particular can help speed up the process. Researchers have found that woodpeckers carry wood-inhabiting fungi on their bills (more than non-cavity nesting birds). This fungi helps speed up the process of decay of pine snags. By spreading this fungi, the woodpeckers help turn the tree into possible locations for nest cavities. (Birder’s World Magazine) |
| West Nile Virus “crashing” Crow populations: According to this year’s Great Backyard Bird Counts’ tally 153,397 crows were counted in backyards across the continent. That number is less than half the number counted in 2003. (Birder’s World Magazine, June 2004) |
| Same Sex Pairing: Researchers have estimated that “2-19 percent of all Mallard pairs consist of two males”. This behavior is also reported in Canada Geese as well as gulls and pigeons. (Birder’s World Magazine, June 2004) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| CHARACTERISTICS AT HATCHING (From Wildbird Magazine, May/June 2004) Super- Sub- Semi- Semi- precocial Precocial precocial precocial altricial Altricial Fully Independent X Eyes Open X X X X Feathered Down-covered X X X X X Regulate body temp X X X X Mobile X X X Leave nest soon X X X Fed by parents X X X X EXAMPLES Brush - Most rails gulls diurnal - passerines Turkeys shorebirds cranes terns raptors woodpeckers pheasants grebes petrels nightjars hummingbird ducks loons penguins herons parrots geese oyster- pigeons quails catchers doves |
| Essays / Backyard / Tips & Quiz / Links / Sightings / Conservation / Bird ID / Featured Bird / My Photos / Seasonal Spots / Home |