Bird of the Week

Bird 197 – Atlantic Canary

We’ve had a mouse, we’ve had a cat, so you know what comes next in the animal hierarchy. That’s right, the Atlantic Canary (Serinus canaria).

“File:Serinus canaria -Parque Rural del Nublo, Gran Canaria, Spain -male-8a.jpg” by Juan Emilio

That may be a little unexpected, I hear you say. This is a small yellow finch, from a small African island … rather archipelago. We all know that Canaries come from the Canary Islands, but are the islands named after the bird, or is the bird named after the islands? Turns out the islands didn’t earn their name because they were full of birds, but because they were full of dogs. And you only have to consider the fact that the Latin for dog is ‘canine’ for the rest to fall into place. I mean, hell, they’re even on the coat of arms.

The birds are famed for their cheerful canary yellow colour and their equally delightful songs. The Spanish thought they were pretty fancy, so they brought them over to Europe in the 1600s where they quickly became a popular pet for the nobility. The Catholic Church saw the potential to really cash in on this. They set up a breeding racket where they only sold males, thus maintaining control on supply, and artificially inflating the price. Quite out of character for the Catholic Church if you ask me.

Of course, these days the Church’s strangle hold on the distribution of Canaries has been broken, and many fancy breeds are now sold. My favourite is the Gloster Canary, which looks like a homage to the early era Beatles.

Some people say I’m bigger than Jesus

Canaries were also famously used in coal mines, where they were sent into the tunnels to act as sentinels for toxic gases. The advantage here is that birds are more sensitive to small changes in air quality than mammals, which has to do with their different method of breathing. A bird’s flying muscles need a rich source of oxygen for optimal operation, and so birds developed a unique way to extract oxygen from the air. Their anatomy allows them to get one hit of oxygen when they inhale and a second when they exhale, because they can hold air in extra sacs in their lung. So, if there are any contaminants in the air the bird will be affected before people.

The practice of using Canaries in mines isn’t some ancient practice either. It was first adopted in 1895 and only phased out of English mines in 1986, when we decided that maybe it’d be better to use a detector rather than a poor little bird.

There are only two weeks left until we hit Bird of the Week 200, and so next week we’re going to have a look at a bird that is named after a different bird. Be sure to watch out for that.

11/07/2021

Bird 196 – Feline Owlet-nightjar

Last week we met a mouse, this week we meet a cat: the Feline Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles insignis).

This bird is somewhat ironically named: it isn’t a cat, it isn’t a baby owl, it isn’t the night, and it isn’t a jar. But boy oh boy, is it kooky looking.

Feline Owlet-nightjar - 大裸鼻鴟 | Aegotheles insignis Monotypic… | Flickr

Of course, I’m being facetious, Nightjars are a distinct family of birds closely related to Frogmouths. But this isn’t a Nightjar either. It is its own thing: an Owlet-nightjar. There are 11 birds in the Owlet-nightjar family and for a long time they caused ornithologists a lot of confusion. On the surface they look and behave like Frogmouths and Nightjars. They’re crepuscular birds that have wide mouths, hunt insects on the wing and rely on their cryptic colouration to stay stealthy and hidden. But when researchers dug into the fossil record and then analysed their genetic make-up, it turned out the Owlet-nightjar was more closely related to Hummingbirds, so now they have their own unique family: Aegothelidae.

Now, in this series we’re looking at birds named after other animals. This fine feathered feline is so named because of the impressive set of whiskers it sports on its face (they’re technically called rictal bristles). These whisker-bristles are themselves a mystery. As a bird that hunts insects on the wing, you might expect that they’d serve the same function as a cat’s whiskers, giving the bird some sensory awareness of where its prey is as it snaps down on a bug. But research has shown that birds don’t use their face bristles for this at all. No-one is quite sure what they use them for, but the leading theory is that they give the bird information about wind speed and their orientation while in flight.

If that’s the case, these birds must know more about passing wind than your butt cheeks.

There is also a second animal hiding in their scientific name, ‘aegotheles’. This little piece of Latin translates as ‘goat sucker’. You may well ask what these birds have to do with goats, why do they suck them, and can we please keep the answer PG? That’s a great question, and the answer is, nothing. They have nothing to do with goats. The association springs from Aristotle. After he got done being wrong about everything else, he turned his mind to the Nightjar, and decided that they must sneak up on goats in the dead of night to drink milk from their udders. What he based this flight of fancy on, nobody knows, but that’s where the rumour began.

FelineOwlet-Nightjar | Feline Owlet-nightjar, Aegotheles ins… | Flickr

So, as it turns out, this is a rather misleading bird. We thought they were a type of Nightjar, turned out they were Hummingbirds. We thought their whiskers did one thing, turns out they don’t. And they have nothing to do with goats. So, don’t believe anything you hear about these birds … except for the stuff I just told you. It’s mostly accurate.

In other news, our latest audio episode is now out. If you’d like to hear someone talk to you enthusiastically about Albatrosses, then I’ve got you covered. Here, on apple, or spotify.

04/07/2021

Bird 195 – Speckled Mousebird

As we continue our march to 200, we come to a bird who aspired to be a rodent, the Speckled Mousebird (Colius striaus).

“Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus)” by Ian N. White

Now Mousebirds (Micebirds??) are so named because they resemble mice. They are fluffy and grey, have long tails and tend to scurry about in branches and on the ground. So, at first glance they can look a little vermin-esque. But these are birds, so don’t insult them.

“Speckled Mousebirds – Aberdares – Kenya CD5A1390” by fveronesi1

Mousebirds belong to an ancient avian linage; in the distant past they were widely spread, but today there are only six species left that live in Africa, with the Speckled Mousebird being one of the more common. They are gregarious fellows that pal around in little troops of about 20 birds. They’re not always welcomed in orchids and gardens, where they make a nonsense of themselves stealing fruit and whatnot. But they do have a delightful habit of hanging upside down after a good feed.

There’s actually a good reason for these antics. Unlike many other birds, Mousebirds eat leaves and other cellulose rich foods. This sort of plant matter is difficult to digest. Animals like sheep and cows pull it off with large, complex stomachs and special gut bacteria. But birds like to keep their weight down, so they don’t have space for cumbersome internal plumbing. The Speckled Mousebird has found a neat workaround, though. Although it’s difficult to see, the skin on their belly is black. After they’re done eating, they present their stomachs to the sky and have a lazy old sunbathe. Their dark skin absorbs the heat, warming their insides, which in turn encourages their gut bacteria to break down the plant matter more efficiently. For Mousebirds, an afternoon siesta is a vital part of any meal: it’s the only way they can get their digestive juices flowing.

I feel like they’ve really got life worked out.

Present your belly floof to the sun.
“My Tree, My Sunlight” by Taraji Blue

Not only is it a clever little quirk of evolution, but in my opinion, it makes them look rather adorable, albeit silly.

27/06/2021

Bird 194 – Painted Tiger Parrot

In the jungles of New Guinea there’s a bird with the spirit of an artist and the ferocity of a lion: it’s the Painted Tiger Parrot (Psittacella picta).

This is a bird of extreme contrast. By day they fly the jungle canopy in search of the best vistas and breath-taking mountainscapes. Painted Parrots are famed for their ability to capture the awe-inspiring beauty of nature on canvas, and their landscapes consistently attract six figure sales in the auction houses of New York, Paris and London. Their skills are unsurpassed in the parrot world. Even a juvenile’s early efforts will far exceed that of a seasoned cockatoo.

But by night their predatory nature comes out. Tiger Parrots stay true to their name and are savage killing machines. They stalk the shadows in search of blood and can take down prey more than twice their size.

Naturally, these traits didn’t evolve independently, but rather reflect the harsh reality of their existence. The most spectacular vistas are always keenly sort after, and a Painted Tiger Parrot needs to protect its painting territory from rivals. Less vicious parrots will frequently be pushed out of the best vantage points and must settle for views where the lighting is less than optimal.

Both males and females compete for mates during the exhibition season, where they bring their finest works to the local galleries for a week-long display session. Over millions of years of sexual selection, the artistic preferences of the parrots have converged on a style of landscape painting reminiscent of the Dutch Golden Age, which seems strange for a parrot from New Guinea, but I guess there’s no accounting for taste.

Dutch Golden Age Painting Movement Overview | TheArtStory

But of course, parrots are most famous for the feats of intelligence. Just how smart are parrots and can that mimicking cockatoo actually understand you? Find out all this and less in the latest episode of the Bird of the Week podcast. (Also on Apple and Spotify.)

20/06/21

Bird 193 – Florida Grasshopper Sparrow

So we’ve had a zebra, a snail and a squirrel, and up next we’ve got an insect-based bird: the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum).

Now, you may ask what makes this little bird different from the millions of other stray sparrows bouncing about our city sidewalks? And I grant you, they look almost indistinguishable to me as well. In one sense that’s a problem, because the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow is maybe the most endangered bird in the United States of America. People are great at caring about the big beautiful charismatic animals: pandas, tigers, whales, etcetera. But getting someone to care about a sparrow is a tad harder, even though they’re no less worthy of protection.

So what makes them unique? Couple of things. They have specific environmental needs. They only live in dry Florida prairie land. This is the main reasons for their endangered status, as over 80% of their habitat has been converted to grazing for cattle. They’re also non-migratory, which is unique among other species of Grasshopper Sparrow.

“Grasshopper Sparrow” by Kelly Colgan Azar

And just what exactly makes them a grasshopper? Well, you can take your pick of reasons. Males have a high-pitched trill reminiscent of an insect’s chirp. Grasshoppers make up a big part of their diet. And they also spend a lot of time on the ground, hoping about amongst the grass (they even make their nests on the ground). So, they really hit the trifecta on grasshopper relatedness.

“Florida grasshopper sparrow and chicks” by USFWS/Southeast

They’ve been in a precarious situation since the 1980s, but in the last decade their population really collapsed. In 2018 there was only 50 breeding pairs left. A concerted effort, led by the White Oak Wildlife Refuge and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, has set up a captive breeding program, which has been successful. Thanks to hand-raising efforts, conservationists released 300 birds back to the wild in the last two years. Better land management techniques are also being deployed. The sparrows rely on the prairie being set ablaze every couple of years to keep the ground cover just the way they like it — not too bushy, not too bare.

They’re still up against the odds, what with introduced fire ants who like to make a meal out of their nests, but hopefully the future is looking brighter for these plucky little birds.

“Florida grasshopper sparrow” by FWC Research

It’s important to pay attention to the less flamboyant animals. Our ecosystems are intertwined at every level, and if one species starts to suffer, it’s a sure sign something much more sinister is going on below the surface. Florida’s dry prairie is a fragile environment, and in striving to save this bird, so much more gets protected along the way. Like the rare Berry’s Skipper Butterfly, who also relies on the same habitat. So you know … it’s a win-win.

Euphyes berry, Berry's Skipper 1, KPPSP, 7-26-03 — “Euphyes berry, Berry’s Skipper 1, KPPSP, 7-26-03” by pondhawk

13/06/2021

Bird 192 – Squirrel Cuckoo

Today we have a curious bird from Central and South America, the Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana).

Straight out of the gate, there are a lot of questions we need to clear up. What is this animal? Is it a squirrel that acts like a cuckoo – offloading its children onto unsuspecting mice to raise them on its behalf? Is it a cuckoo that decided squirrels would make better foster parents than birds for its eggs? Maybe it’s a squirrel that really looks like a cuckoo? Or a cuckoo that looks like a squirrel? Who has the answers to these questions? I do, and I’ll tell you right now.

First, it’s the last option: this is a cuckoo that looks like a squirrel. They’re a large russet coloured cuckoo with a long broad tail. Honestly, I think they’re kinda cute. They earnt their name because of their unusual arboreal locomotion. You see, they don’t really like to fly. Instead, they scamper and jump about from branch to branch without opening their wings. They’re quite fleet-footed and as they dart about they bear a striking resemblance to a red squirrel.

Of course, they can fly, but when they do it’s only ever over short distance, and they favour gliding to flapping.

The second thing we need to clear up is the bad reputation their relatives have lumped them with. These cuckoos raise their own chicks, they don’t lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. There are about 160 birds in the cuckoo family, Cuculiformes, and the majority of them – about 100 species – all raise their own young. Only 60ish species are what we call ‘obligate brood parasites’ meaning they can only reproduce by laying eggs in someone else’s nest. But the Squirrel Cuckoo isn’t one of them.

On the contrary, both male and female are dutiful parents. They work together to make a nest, incubate the eggs and feed the young. So don’t let the name fool you. This isn’t a squirrel that lays its eggs in another squirrel’s nest, it’s a bird that makes its own nest and does a pretty fine job of raising its own children, thank you very much.

06/06/2021

Bird 191 – Snail Kite

Before we begin, the long awaited fourth episode of the Bird of the Week podcast is now up and ready. So, if you want some audio stories about bird nests, get along and check that out. (Also on Spotify and Apple.)

But now, I want you to meet this handsome fellow.

What a majestic creature! With its lethal looking beak and long sharp talons, surely this bird would inspire all sorts of awe and respect. Well, that is until you learn its name, because this is the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis).

And no, it isn’t called a Snail Kite because it’s the slowest of all birds, but rather because they decided the whole ‘chasing a meal thing’ was too much work, so they opted for an all-snail diet. What a lazy-ass bird, I hear you say.

Well, I would invite you to take a step closer to me, so I can slap you in the face. How dare you! Because not only are its snail prey incredibly crafty and hard to catch, but these kites are also one of the most specialised hunters getting around.

Poor bastard never stood a chance.
“Female Snail Kite enjoying a meal” by YoungSue

For starters, they are picky eaters, and escargot is the only thing they’ll eat (and they’re not even French). They’re diet is almost entirely made up of Apple Snails. These are a large ping-pong ball sized snail that live in the wetlands of Florida and Central America. And while they may be slow moving, they also spend almost all their time underwater. You may have noticed kites aren’t exactly aquatic bird. This presents a challenge, for the snails only emerge from their watery home to breath, mate and lay eggs (you know, the big three). The kites either sit atop a perch or patrol the waterways on the wing, searching for the well-camouflaged snails among the reeds.

'Slug' the Golden Apple Snail 2 of 2 — “‘Slug’ the Golden Apple Snail 2 of 2” by Roo Reynolds

Once they’ve latched onto a snail the kites are equipped with unique tools to dispatch them. Their long talons are perfect for wrapping around the smooth and slippery surface of a shell, and their specially hooked beaks are exactly what they need to pry all the slimy meat out of the hard-to-reach nooks. They basically evolved an escargot fork on their face.

“Gavião-caramujeiro / Snail-kite” by Bart vanDorp

Like many animals that are specialised hunters of one specific prey, the kites are incredibly depended on their Apple Snails for survival. During the early 2000s the snail population in the Everglades collapsed after people started mucking around with the natural water flow. The kites’ numbers likewise plummeted. They have recovered a little in recent years, and they’ve also found a new home in Central America where the Apple Snail was introduced in the 1980s as food for fish stock. For you see, wherever the snail goes the kite follows.

“An endangered snail kite foraging in the littoral zone of Lake Kissimmee” by JaxStrong

So, with any luck these slim slurping birds will be with us for a while yet.

31/05/2021

Bird 190 – Zebra Finch

Welcome to our 190th bird, and the beginning of our countdown to 200. All those naysayers said we’d never make it past 10, me included, well now who’s laughing? To take us through to the big 2-double-0, I’m going to bring you ten weeks of birds that are named after other animals. That’s right, sometimes our feathered friends are less like a bird and more like some other creature. Don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t worry, you soon will.

Because this week’s bird is the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata).

While exploring central Australia in the early 1800s, Europeans came across a small finch with distinctive spots on its flanks, and so naturally they named it after the most stripy animal they could think of. Or maybe they saw their black and white tails first … we can never know for sure.

“Zebra finches waiting for water4” by Jim Bendon

These little finches have proven to be a popular export for Australia, and they’re kept in aviaries all over the world. Of course, what made that possible is the fact that they thrive in captivity. They’ll eat basically anything you shove in their face, and they’re also extremely keen breeders. In fact, the real problem people have is stopping them from breeding. As long as they have a cosy place to put their eggs, these zebra-like birds will breed like rabbits.

“Zebra finches waiting for water2” by Jim Bendon

Because they’re so widespread in captivity, it has made them one of the most researched birds in the world. They were the second bird (after the Chicken) to have their genome completely mapped. A great deal of research has also gone into the way they learn song. In Zebra Finches, only the males sing, but they’re not born with an innate song hardwired into their brain. Rather, each male has a unique song, which they learn from their father. Much like how we pick up language as babies, there is a window of learning for young finches where they can pick up a song, after which time it becomes set in stone for the rest of their adult life.

So that’s our first equine related avian, stay tuned next week when we’ll meet a bird more affiliated with molluscs.

23/05/2020

Bird 189 – Palawan Peacock-pheasant

Everyone loves a peacock, right. Just look at that darn thing with its vibrant colours and ostentatious tail.

But the Peafowl isn’t the only bird that went all in on tail accessories. Meet the Palawan Peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis).

It’s like a wee lil mini peacock. With their blue eye-spots and mottled tail colouring the Triple-P certainly makes for compelling viewing: it’s the kind of bird you want to binge watch. They are described as having — and I quote — ‘highly iridescent electric blue-violet, metallic green-turquoise dorsal plumage’, which is one hellva description.

Palawan Peacock-Pheasant - Palawan Philippines_H8O0751-54 — “Palawan Peacock-Pheasant – Palawan Philippines_H8O0751-54” by fveronesi1

Much like the peacock, males use their preposterous plumes to woe their prospective partners. Despite their superficial appearance though, the Palawan is no more related to the Peafowl than a Chicken. But in truth, these decorative fanned tails evolved on many birds in the broader Pheasant family.

Palawan Peacock Pheasant | Beautiful birds, Pet birds, Birds — With female (unimpressed)

Their mating displays can be a bit more elaborate, though. Not only do they fan out their tail, but they also vibrate their feathers at a furious rate, rattling them against each other to make an audible noise. It’s an action called stridulation, and it’s the same thing crickets do to make their chirp. It’s like I always, always say: sometimes having a fancy tail isn’t enough, sometimes you’ve got to vibrate your feathers so fast they stridulate.

Funnily enough, the Palawan lives on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, and like most extraordinary animals in the world today its population is in decline thanks to deforestation and mining.

Surfbirds Online Photo Gallery Search Results — “Palawan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis)” by Brendan A Ryan

It really is the ballroom gown of tail feathers.

16/05/2021

Bird 188 – Arctic Tern

Small piece of housekeeping before we dive in. After several late night seances with the ghost of Steve Jobs, we have finally managed to strike a deal with Apple to get the Bird of the Week podcast listed on their platform. So, if Apple is your poison of choice, you can now get your bird fix here. And now, on with this week’s bird.

Today is an auspicious day on the birding calendar: it is world migratory bird day. So, it’s only fitting to pay homage to the reigning long distance migratory champ, the Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea).

But if you ask me, the name is a tab misleading, because they don’t just live in the Arctic, but also the Antarctic … and I guess every stretch of sea in between the two. Really, they’re the World Tern, but let’s not get hung up on that.

Their majestic mating ritual
“Arctic Tern scrap” by Smudge 9000

These little birds are astounding migrators. Each year they fly from their breeding grounds in the Arctic all the way to the Antarctic, and then they turn around and do it all over again. They’re an animal that has never experienced a single winter in their life, and they also hold the record for seeing the most annual hours of sunlight. But just how far do these little birds fly? Well, the straight-line journey from pole to pole is 19,000Km, but the Arctic Tern is a big fan of taking the scenic route. To take advantage of prevailing winds, they end up following convoluted migratory paths, and a single journey can end up being closer to 80,000Km.

The Arctic Tern is also a long-lived bird, and in an average lifetime they can clock up some 2.5 million kilometres on the wing. That’s like doing a round trip journey from the Earth to the Moon … three times!

The Arctic Tern is also a scrappy little fighter. Their breeding grounds in the high north are commonly frequented by all sorts of predators, from foxes and seals to feral cats. But Arctic Tern don’t take kindly to that. Despite their small size, then will take on any foe, swooping and picking at the back of their enemy’s head. Doing this they have been known to even repel Polar Bears. Or in this case, one rather oblivious sheep.

“Attack of the Artic Tern” by Alex E. Proimos

Because of this, many timid birds have been known to nest along-side them to take advantage of the neighbourhood security watch they offer. So I guess sometimes it helps to have agro neighbours.

08/05/2021