Bird of the Week

Bird 266 – Sooty Oystercatcher

To commemorate the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, today I present a bird in permanent mourning, the Sooty Oystercatcher.

Every feather on the Sooty Oystercatcher is a dark black. With the exception of its bright red beak and eyes, and strangely pink legs. Their tell-tale plumage makes them an unmistakable bird of the Australian coastline where they spend their time trying to catch oysters. Ah yes, oysters, the most elusive of prey, so quick and nimble on their feet.

True to their name though, they are capable of prying oysters out of their hard to crack shells. In an interesting twist, male and female Oystercatchers have vastly different prey preferences. Females like soft-bodied snacks they can swallow whole like fish, crabs, jellyfish and worms. Meanwhile males go for hard-shelled prey like mussels, sea urchins and periwinkles. It’s possible they have adopted this strategy so they can feed in the same area without being in direct competition for the same food.

The other remarkable thing about these birds is how fast their beaks grow. They grow at nearly half a millimetre a day. Which may not sound like much, but at that rate it would only take 2.1 billion years to reach the moon … maybe a poor comparison. Look, it’s about three times faster than your fingernails grow. All that scrapping and cracking into shells means the beaks get worn down fast. But it also means that if the bird changes its feeding habits, its beak can quickly alter to be more efficient at finding its new food. In one study the beaks altered from being more chisel-shaped to get oysters, to being more tweezer-shaped to catch worms in just 10 days.

So yes, the Oystercatcher can change its tool at a moment’s notice to catch anything its heart desires, not just oysters. Pretty fancy.

25/09/2022

Photo credit:

1: “Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)” by patrickkavanagh

2: “Sooty Oystercatchers” by PaulBalfe

3: “Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)” by patrickkavanagh

Bird 265 – Wake Island Rail

Today I’m going to introduce you to a largely unknown casualty of World War II, the Wake Island Rail. First, I apologise for the less than brilliant photo, but the sad fact is there are almost no pictures of this bird, because they are rather extinct. Let’s break it down.

Where is Wake Island? It is a tiny coral atoll that lies pretty much in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, half way between Guam and Hawaii. The 2 square kilometres of land is administered by the United States as a strategic military aircraft refuelling station and that’s about it. Today the US keeps about 100 people on the island to maintain the runway.

But of greater interest to us is the Rail that used to call this island home. They were a tiny flightless bird, thought to be closely related to the Buff-banded Rail from the Philippines (pictured below). At some point millions of years ago, its distant flighted relatives found this island and decided to make it home. They liked it so much they ditched their wings and swore never to leave.

This was quiet a brave move, considering the island had no fresh water. How the birds survived is not really known, but they seemed to feed on molluscs, insects, worms and seeds.

But how did they go extinct? It was a consequence war. After the bombing of Pearl Harbour the Japanese decided they wanted the strategically important island. So on 23 December 1941 they invaded and took it. The Japanese went on to commit war crimes there when they executed 98 captured PoWs.

The Americans retaliated and successfully cut the island off from the Japanese mainland, preventing them from being resupplied. Now the 2,000 odd soldiers on the island found themselves in a tricky situation. With no supplies coming into their tiny base, they were forced to turn to the wildlife to feed themselves. They ate Tern eggs and also hunted the only other bird that lived permanently on the island, the Wake Island Rail.

Many of the Japanese starved to death, and they would eventually surrender the island back to the Americans in 1945. But when the war was over, the Wake Island Rail was nowhere to be found. The blockaded Japanese soldiers had devoured every last one of the tiny birds. And that was how the Wake Island Rail was driven to extinction.

18/09/2022

Photo credit:

1: By Grooch, W. S. – http://extinct-website.co.uk/p…, https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

3: By JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

4: Pen-and-ink drawing of the Wake Island Rail (Gallirallus wakensis) from the original by D. M. Henry in the Smithsonian Institution Archives (RU 7402), originally published in Greenway (1958; figure 24).

Bird 264 – Secretary Bird (II)

On the plains of African there lives an eagle. But this is no ordinary eagle. This is the most glamourous eagle you have ever seen. They’ve got orange eyeshadow, a funky hair do, a set of legs that don’t know how to quit, and the longest most lushest eyelashes that have ever been batted. That’s right, it’s the Secretary Bird.

Now, the Secretary Bird is a bit of freak. They’re so different from every other Hawk and Eagle that they’re placed all by themselves in a family of their own. Their rather drab name, Secretary, came about because people thought its crests looked like a bunch of quill pens stuck behind the ear, like an old fashioned clerk would do. Or so the story goes.

Book keeping aside, the Secretary Bird has become a long-legged, ground dwelling bird for a good reason. Snakes are their dinner of choice. When stalking deadly prey you have to take precautions. The long legs keep the bird elevated and out of sticking distance. And then they uses their wings as a distraction, flaring them out, and drawing the snake’s bite to the feathers where it can do no harm.

To kill the snake the bird crushes its head using its powerful feet. The Secretary Bird strikes faster than the snake’s reflexes can react. And if the bird comes up against a snake that’s too big to kick to death, no worries, it flies it into the air and let’s gravity do the job.

And the Secretary Bird does all this while looking fabulous. This is a bird who knows what it’s about and is perfectly comfortable being itself.

11/09/2022

Photo credit:

1: “Secretary Bird” by Sugarmonster is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

2: “Secretary Bird, San Diego Zoo” by ray_explores

3: “ヘビクイワシ Secretary Bird” by ar_ar_i_el

4: “Secretary bird @ Maasai Mara” by Flying Fi5h

Bird 263 – Pterodactyl

What’s this beast? This is no bird. This is a dinosaur. Well, birds are technically dinosaurs. But there is still a twist here, because Pterodactyls aren’t dinosaurs either. But we can learn a little something about birds, evolution and where they came from by looking at this ridiculous winged lizard, this bird wannabe.

It may come as a surprise that birds and Pterodactyls aren’t related. Afterall, all birds are dinosaurs, they had to evolve to fly at some point, so it makes sense to look at a winged reptile from the Jurassic as a potential ancestor. But here’s where we learn about dinosaurs, birds and taxonomy.

Properly speaking there are only two linages of beasts that are “dinosaurs”. The first are the ornithischian, or bird-hipped dinosaurs. These include things like Stegosaurus and Triceratops. The second are the Saurischia, or lizard-hipped dinosaurs. They include T-rex, long necked sauropods and birds. That’s right birds evolved from Lizard-hipped dinosaurs, not bird-hipped dinosaurs, because nothing ever makes sense.

But what about the Pterodactyls? Well, they come from a branch that broke off from the main dinosaurs millions of years earlier, and they belong to their own group of animals called Pterosaurs, which lived quite successfully until an asteroid slammed into the earth. To find the true ancestor of the birds during the Jurassic we would have to look to Archaeopyeryx, which was a little feathered lizard doing its own thing.

It is supposed Pterosaurs were the first animals to evolve powered flight. Their wings are freaky, though, and instead of feathers they evolved an elongated fourth finger, which a flap of skin extended off and attached to their feet.

But were Pterodactyls the terrors of the skies? No they were not. They were actually only about the size of a chicken. Although many other Pterosaurs were. The Pteranodon, for example had a wingspan of over 6 metres and was a superb predator, eating mainly fish.

Now, you may be wondering why a non-bird, non-dinosaur featured today? Well a person generous enough to support bird of the week on patreon thought they’d play a prank on me and request something ridiculous. Do you also want the opportunity to troll your humble purveyor of bird facts? Then when not swing on by patreon and see if you’d like to join the flock.

Thick-billed Raven

Today we meet a Raven, but not just any old Raven, maybe the most bizarre Raven of all, the Thick-billed Raven.

I’m sure you’ve already worked out how they got their name. They are a Raven with a thick bill. And these guys are real chonkers. Among the corvid family they have the biggest beaks, greatest weight and tallest stature. Some can get up to 70cm long. They’ve got good heft.

Their strange, white-tipped beaks give them an unmistakeable silhouette. They use their large beaks for scavenging mostly. It seems to come in particularly handy for extracting insect larvae from dung. Using a scything action, they plough their beak through the poop, breaking it up. Then they pick through the scattered remains to find the grubs. It’s like I always say, one person’s poo is another person’s food.

Sadly, your chance of spotting this bird is not high. Unless you live in the Ethiopian highlands. In which case, you’ve got a great chance.

The other most distinctive thing about this Raven is their unusual call. It sounds either like a zap gun on high repeat, or a chain saw that stopped working. I’ll let you decide which. Maybe they’re just trying to re-live their ancient dino days.

28/08/2022

Photo credit:

1: Thick-billed Raven by sjorford

2: “Thick-billed Raven ( Corvus crassirostris)” by Lip Kee

3: “Thick-billed Raven Courtship, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia” by A.Davey

Bird 261 – Mute Swan

Today we have one of the most elegant birds in the world, the Mute Swan. Despite the name, Mute Swans are not mute. They are more than capable of making a range of honks and hisses. The name arises because the Mute Swan is less inclined to make a hullabaloo than other swan species. So while not mute, they are reserved.

Yerpo – Own work, https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

Swans are some of the biggest birds getting around that can still fly. They are highly territorial and use their great heft to attack anyone that gets too close to them or their babies. The rumour goes that they’re strong enough to break a person’s leg, but this isn’t true. They have drown a few people though, so they don’t mess around, and you shouldn’t mess with them.

Be that as it may, people still love swans. With their graceful necks, pop of orange, and black face masks, they are the most glamourous duck you ever did see. Back in the 1980s, the people of Denmark made them their national bird. But the Mute Swan has a more famous patron that the citizens of Denmark. According to popular myth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II owns all the Swans in the UK.

The myth has some truth to it, but it is a misconception. The Queen, in her official capacity as Seigneur of the Swans, has the right to claim any unmarked swan in open waters. In practice, though, she only exercises her royal prerogative over swans on the River Thames. How the monarchy came into swan ownership is a little lost to the sands time. But her claim seems to stem from the middle ages when swan was a converted food source, and so only the sovereign could deem a person worthy to possess a swan. Today, only the Queen and two livery companies from the City of London own the swans of the Thames.

Philip Allfrey – taken by the author https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

Each year in a July a royal ceremony known as Swan Upping occurs. (I swear I’m not making this up.) Representatives from the Queen and the two livery companies take a fleet of skiffs up the Thames, capture and count all the Swans and put together a census for Her Majesty. These days, the ceremony acts as a conservation activity to help protect and preserve the Swans and their habitat. It’s been illegal to eat swans for many years, so just how tasty a fowl they are, will remain a mystery to us contemporary folk.

21/08/2022

Bird 260 – Rainbow Lorikeet

There is no more colourful bird in Australia than the Rainbow Lorikeet. If there’s a colour you can think of they got it: blue, green, yellow, red, orange. Not pink though … so … nearly every colour.

Now, the Lorikeet is well known to most Australians. Between their bright colours, large flocks, loud screams and boisterous behaviour they’re hard to miss. Some people think they’re a bit of a pest, especially at 6am when they make ear splitting calls outside your window, but you gotta love them.

The Rainbow Lorikeet is one of the most curious and bolishie birds in Australia. As a result, they are dead easy to tame. During my time in Sydney we used to have a couple that would visit our balcony on a daily basis. I called them Stanley and Stella. With very little coaxing they quickly learned to fly into the hand … and then into the house (to the displeasure of my flatmate (it was the best)). Of course, the whole question of how to feed wild birds responsibly is a story for another time.

Lorikeets are parrots, but they’re special. They’re found only in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the nearby Pacific Islands. But what makes a Lorikeet a Lorikeet, is their freaky tongue. The tip of their tongue has evolved to look like a brush. It’s covered in tiny hair-like papillate. This helps them to get their favourite food: pollen and nectar. They stick their freaky hairbrush tongue deep into the flowers and lap up the sweet nectar.

If you’d like to get up and close to a Rainbow Lorikeet, there are a few places where you can feed free flying birds. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in South East Queensland is the most famous place, but here in Canberra we have the Gold Creek Walk-in Bird Aviary, which I recommend as a family fun outing.

14/08/2022

Bird 259 – Harpy Eagle

Today we meet a bird which is simultaneously hilarious and terrifying: the Harpy Eagle. In recent years, these birds gained traction on the internet because they kinda look like a person cosplaying as a bird. It makes for a creepy effect, what with their human proportions, round head and odd crest feathers.

Adult female Harpy eagle by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

The reason they kinda look like a person disguised as a bird is because they are one of the biggest eagles in the world. They can stand over a metre tall, with a wingspan of up to two metres. They also have the largest talons of any eagle, so yeah, these guys don’t mess around.

They’re natives of the South American rainforests. They spend their time cruising the jungle canopy, looking for sloths and monkeys to impale from above. Harpy Eagles love to dine out on any primates they can find. They’re strong enough to lift and fly away with prey equal to their own body weight. But don’t worry, the biggest eagles only get up to about 10Kg, so you’re probably safe… probably.

Harpy Eagle with Prey by Jorge the Boatman

These Eagles are named for the harpy of Greek mythology. No doubt, the people who first named them also thought they looked like a person dressed in a bird costume, because traditionally the harpy was always depicted as an eagle with a human face. They were wind spirits and would carry souls to Hades. Given the extreme lethality of the Harpy Eagle, this seems like apt naming to me.

Oh, and I should also point out their chicks look like utter bad asses as well.

07/08/2022

Bird 258 – Eastern Whipbird

Contained in the image below is probably the best glance you’ve ever had of an Eastern Whipbird.

By fir0002flagstaffotos [at] gmail.comCanon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 – Own work, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

And yet, anyone who has ventured into the Australian bush has heard their unmistakable call. Even if you haven’t, I’m sure the name gave it away, because they produce a high-pitched whistle and crack that sounds just like a whip. You can get a taste of the audio delight here.

Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)” by patrickkavanagh

But for those of you who want to know what this bird looks like, I am here to deliver. As you can see, they are a rather cute olive coloured bird, with a dark underside. Both males and females feature the prominent white mutton chops, fanned tails and little crest. They are rarely spotted though, because they usually hide out in the undergrowth where they forage for bugs. In all my years tramping about the bush, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than a fleeting glance of green, flicking through the trees.

Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)” by Dominic Sherony

Of course, when it comes to the Whipbird, it is all about that voice. And what a voice. The sound can travel a great distance, echoing through the whole forest. But did you know that this bold song is actually two birds singing a duet. The male makes the initial high-pitched whistle, and within an instant the female responds with a series of cracks. They sing in such close unison that for many years it was thought only the male sang, but no, it is a team effort.

But why do they do it? There are a couple of reasons. First they use it as a contact call. The pair may forage far from each other, and their loud calls are a way to stay in touch. It is also a territorial call. It is a message to other Whipbirds that they have called dibs on their patch of the forest. And there could be one other use. In recent years, research has revealed that Whipbird populations have a natural gender imbalance, with more females than males. The tight duet could also be a way for a female to tell the other ladies that her man is taken.

Of course, we can never know the mind of a bird, but it seems the Whipbird has a lot to say with its loud, cracking calls.

31/07/2022

Bird 257 – Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

Ah the Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill. This is a Hornbill from southern Africa that has … a … yellow bill. So you know, it kinda does what it says on the label. As you have undoubtedly discerned, its most striking feature is its large down-turned beak, which seems grossly oversized for a bird of its proportions. It also has the unfortunate side-effect of making the Hornbill look rather cranky. And that’s a shame, because I’m told they have a fabulous sense of humour.

“Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Tockus leucomelas, at Elephant Sands Lodge, Botswana” by Derek Keats

Now, you might think the Hornbill’s face is the wackiest thing about this bird. But you would be dead wrong. The wackiest thing about this bird is how they breed. Many birds make their nests in tree hollows and crevices. The Hornbill does this too, but with an extra twist. When a male and female find a nice place to lay their egg the female promptly hops into the hole and seal herself inside, using a mixture of mud and her own poop as cement.

“Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Tockus leucomelas at Marakele National Park, South Africa” by Derek Keats

Of course, she doesn’t totally seal herself inside. Oh no. She leaves one crack, just wide enough for the male to pass her food. And she’ll need him to do this, because for the next 50 days she will not leave this faeces-encased hollow until the eggs hatch and the chicks mature. Well, half-mature. Once the chicks are half grown she will break down the wall and help the male to feed the chicks. But what do the chicks do? They seal that hole back up themselves with their own poo until they are good and ready to fledge.

southern yellow-billed hornbill peers through the the slit by Trevor Kleyn

It puts a whole new twist on parenthood. New parents often feel they spend all their time cloistered away with a new baby, starved of adult conversation. Well, just remember it could always be worse. You could be literally trapped within a tree, sealed off from the world by a wall made of your own poop.

On the plus side it does protect you from predators. So you know … pros and cons.

“Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill” by LaertesCTB

24/07/2022