Bird of the Week

Bird 133 – Acorn Woodpecker

So now, you may have noticed we’ve never featured a Woodpecker before. Well, all that changes today.

You’ll no doubt be familiar with what a Woodpecker’s all about: they’re birds that peck wood. They spend their days slamming their faces into branches — what a life. But not all Woodpeckers peck wood for the same reason. Some are hunting insects under the bark, others create channels so they can drink tree sap, but my favourite Woodpecker, the Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) has a whole different thing going on.

First up this is what they look like.

File:Acorn Woodpecker (34057324295).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Woodpeckers are generally pretty easy to identify, many have that distinctive red cap, pointy little beak and zygodactyl feet (that is, two toes pointing forward, two toes pointing backwards). Their closest relatives are the Toucans, bet you didn’t see that coming.

ACORN WOODPECKER BABY IN NEST HOLE | Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San ...

Now, as the name suggests, Acorn Woodpeckers are all about acorns, they’re nuts for them. Much like a squirrel, these Woodpeckers spend their time gathering acorns and stashing them in granaries, so they have food for the winter. But it’s how they store their nuts that makes them so excellent. Take a look at this tree.

Acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) are the ultimate ...

Acorn Woodpeckers form into family groups, they select a tree to become their ‘granary tree’ and then they all bore holes into that tree so it can act as a place to store their nuts. Not unlike a wine cellar really.

They’re quite fastidious about nut storage as well. The hole has to be just the right size. Too small, the nut will fall out, too big and it’ll get stuck. As acorns dry out though, they shrink. So Acorn Woodpeckers end up spending a huge amount of time visiting every nut in their tree, checking it and moving it to a new hole if it’s shrunk too much. They’re a bit OCD about it.

An Acorn Woodpecker admiring his stash in a granary tree ...

I got to fly up, check the nut, move the nut, fly up, check the nut, move the nut, fly up, check the nut, move the nut, winter is coming, don’t want to starve, got to move the nut, family will die, move the nut, check the nut, fly up. Repeat.

Acorn Woodpecker | Woodpecker, Pet birds, Trypophobia

It’s a peaceful life.

10/05/2020

Bird 132 – Wren-like Rushbird

Could this be the last week of lockdown? Who can say? Either way, while we keep holding down the lock your double weekly dose of birdie thoughts and feelings keeps circling like a Vulture in an updraft.

Anyway, readers who have been with me for a while may remember the numerous Wrens we’ve featured. There was Lyall’s Wren, the Superb Fairywren, the Malle Emu-wren and the Musician Wren.

Now, looking at these birds you might think, hmm they don’t seem to have a lot in common. And you would be right. So what even is a Wren? Well, for this week’s bonus bird, I’m here to help you unravel that very term. I know, you’ve all been up nights stressing about it.

The word “wren” is rather fiendish. First, of those four birds, an ornithologist would only consider the Musician Wren to be a “True Wren”. There are about 88 or so birds belonging to the Wren family Troglodytidae, and all of them live in the Americas, with the exception of the Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes).

Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Forêt de Soignes,… | Flickr

This little guy (as the name suggests) lives in Eurasian and is in fact the bird where the name “Wren” originally comes from. In Europe it is known simply as the Wren. They’re rather cute, what with their bum always in the air.

Now, the Fairywren and Emu-wren that we in Australia are more familiar with are unrelated to these birds. They are properly Australasian Wrens in the family, Maluridae. And in my opinion, they’re also the prettiest.

Likewise Lyall’s Wren (again unrelated to every other bird here) belongs to a group of birds known as New Zealand Wrens in the family Acanthisittidae. Sadly, only two New Zealand Wrens still exist today, all the others having gone extinct with European settlement, Lyall’s Wren included.

New Zealand Rock Wren (With images) | Birds

So now we’ve covered all our Wrens, right? Wrong. Hold onto your tail feathers because it’s about to get weird.

Next up we have the Antwrens: neotropical birds also unrelated to every other bird we’ve mentioned. Why are they called Antwrens? Who knows. Their diet consists of grasshoppers, cockroaches, caterpillars and pointedly not ants. So not sure what’s up with that.

Saving the critically endangered São Paulo Marsh Antwren - BirdWatching

But hang on a tick, here comes the Wren-babblers. These guys live in India and again, are unrelated to every other bird. Do they babble though? One can only hope. On the plus side, they are impossibly cute, as the Pygmy Wren-babbler (Pnoepyga pusilla) attests to with its big old eyes and complete lack of tail.

Pygmy Cupwing (Pygmy Wren-babbler) - eBird

Okay, so to recap: one family of true wrens, another two families from Australia and New Zealand, along with the Antwrens and Wren-babblers (which are not distinct taxonomic families themselves, but a subset of larger families (Thamnophilidae and Timaliidae, respectively)), none of them directly related. Have you got that straight? Good.
Because here’s the Wren-like Rushbird (Phleocryptes melanops)…

Not a Wren, just wren-like… I mean, is it really wren-like? I don’t even know at this point. It lives in the swamplands of South America. Is it related to any of the other birds we’ve spoken about today? If you’re still asking that question, I feel like you haven’t been paying attention. No, it belongs in the family Furnariidae. Are any of the other members of its family called ‘wren-like’? They are not.

At this point that we must concede that language has no inherent meaning and give up.

Wrens — they’re whatever you want them to be.

This has been a Bird of the Week Wren Rant.

05/05/2020

Bird 131 – Spix’s Macaw

I feel the time has come to meet the famous Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii). How famous are we talking? Ever seen the film, Rio? No, neither have I. Apparently that’s a Spix’s though.

They’re a beautiful blue Macaw from the jungles of Brazil.

endangered birds – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation ...

Macaws are famed for being some of the biggest parrots getting around, but at a mere 56 cm, Spix’s is positively pint sized by comparison. Of course, what makes them famous is not their short statue, but their short supply, for they are one of the rarest birds in the world.

No one knows for sure if they’re extinct in the wild, but they don’t turn up very often. The last sighting was in 2016 and the time before that was in 2000; so today we pretty much only know of the ones in captivity. Latest estimates put their population at about 160.

Spix's macaw returns to Brazil, but is overshadowed by controversy

We’re trying to save them, but there are problems. Because they are so rare new ones haven’t been taken from the wild for decades, so those 160 are all very closely related due to inbreeding. Because they are so inbreed many eggs that do get laid tend to be infertile. Only about 1 in 6 are fertile, and then only 2 in 3 of those every hatch (I’ll save you the math, that’s about 1 in 9 eggs laid will hatch). And then of the ones that do hatch they’re twice as likely to be female, so there’s a big old gender imbalance as well…

What makes pairing birds to mate even more difficult is they choose their own mates, they can’t be forced together based on what would make the best genetic match. Birds that are forced together will often act as if they’re mates but will never actually do the deed, so to speak.

Spix's Macaw Reintroduction Becomes Reality - ACTP

And on top of everything else it takes them 10 years to reach sexual maturity.
So yeah … Spix’s Macaw is basically the Panda of the bird world. Damn it Macaw! We’re trying so hard to save you, you could make it a little easier.

03/05/2020

Bird 130 – False Knees

It’s a Friday, bonus, lockdown, Bird of the Week double. That’s right, we’re back with something a little different to help you finish your week in the world of corona.

Today I would like to introduce you to the work of Joshua Barkman, author of one of my favourite web comics, False Knees.

False Knees: An Illustrated Guide to Animal Behavior by Joshua ...

He does these beautiful panel drawings of birds (and other animals but who cares about them), but they always have such human dilemmas.

Yeah, you are sort of an asshole | Funny animal comics

Like how we all have to deal with the big questions.

Or this Raven.

Funny because it’s true. And there’s something else about it. Like, it really speaks to me.

I don’t know what it is, but it really radiates an energy that resonates with me.

Now, I don’t know if that Chickadee needs to get blood stains out of its feathers, or if it wants to extract blood from feathers, either way, I’m vibing with that. Anyway, he also has a collected volume of some of his best ones here, which I highly recommend. Or just check out the site for a giggle.

30/04/2020

Bird 129 – White-winged Chough

This is one for all my fellow Canberrans. There is a bird that you’ve probably seen getting around the suburbs of Canberra; it’s black, but it isn’t a Raven; it has a splash of white on its wing, but it isn’t a Magpie or a Currawong. No, no, this bird is the White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)

White Winged Chough" by shortshooter-Al | Redbubble

When you know what to look for they’re quite easy to identify. Although on first glance they may look like a Raven (they are distantly related) you can distinguish them by their sickle shaped beak, not to mention their blood red eyes.

Only when they take flight will you catch a glimpse of that tell-tale white wing for which they are named.

White-winged Chough nest building – Birds as Poetry —— Just ...

They’re behaviour is also quite unique. These birds are highly social and hang out in large family groups. They also have a distinct feeding habit. They will spread out and systematically make a sweep of the ground, like a police search line looking for evidence to a grisly murder.

But these birds have one curious behaviour. You see, if you’re in a Chough family, you have a responsibility to help raise the next generation. Only one pair of birds will breed, while the rest of the family works together as a single unit to feed them. The bigger the family the greater chance of success they’ll have. For this reason, Choughs are kinda the reverse-cuckoo of the bird world.

So, say, if one Chough family comes across a rival family, they will attempt to kidnap the rival’s chicks. An adult Chough will approach a fledgling and flash its white wings at it, luring it away and into the new family group. Not unlike a creepy dude in a van holding out a lollipop to an unsuspecting toddler.

Sorry, was the best pic of the luring display I could find.

The Choughs do this to grow their family, in anticipation that the new recruits will help raise the next generation of chicks. They’re pretty sneaky, them Choughs.

Oh and by the way, Chough is pronounced ‘chuff’. Probably not what you were hearing it in your mind as you read this one.

26/04/2020

Bird 128 – John & Elizabeth Gould

Lock down is still with us, so this week another bonus bird that’s a bit different. Today I would like to introduce you to the 19th Century ornithology power couple, John and Elizabeth Gould.

John Gould (1804-1881) is probably the most famed ornithologist of all time.

He was the first to document many species of birds and also worked with Charles Darwin, helping him to identify and catalogue the birds he collected during his travels to the Galapagos which would eventually inform the Theory of Evolution.

Elizabeth Gould (1804-1841) was a talented artist, and she was responsible for creating the illustrations that accompanied many of John’s writings.

Some of her best work went into John’s study of Toucans and the seminal work, The Birds of Australia. It included descriptions of over 300 birds which were new to science, with the Goulds the first to describe and depict them.

Her most famous illustration is of the Superb Fairywren.

The Goulds lived during a time when the division between art and science was not as hard as it is today. Studies of the natural world would always be accompanied by the most detailed and gorgeous illustrations, themselves works of art.

Sadly Elizabeth died quite young after their trip to Australia. John wasn’t a bad hand at illustration himself and he went on to complete other studies on Hummingbirds and the birds of Great Britain.

For their various contributions to the bird world they both have numerous species named after them. In particular, the Gouldian Finch is named for Elizabeth.

And Gould’s Inca Hummingbirds are named for John.

Shortly before John’s death the Pre-Raphaelite artist, John Everett Millias, paid him a visit. The visit inspired one of my favourite paintings, The Ruling Passion, showing an aged ornithologist (not a depiction of Gould himself) passing on his love and knowledge of the natural world to the next generation.

The Goulds are from a time when knowledge alone wasn’t key, but beauty as well. Maybe we’ve forgotten that. Back then it seemed they knew that the best way to teach was not only to inspire the intellect but the spirit as well.

21/04/2020

Bird 127 – Secretary Bird

After last week’s Bearded Vulture, it seemed like a good time to feature another misfit from the Raptor family. Please check your socks are firmly affixed, for they are about to be knocked off by this week’s bird, the Secretary Bird (Sagittarius Serpentarius). Most famed for being the answer to what would happen if you crossed an Eagle with a Stork.

These birds are all about the flair and drama. Check out those legs that don’t even know how to quit, not to mention that impressive crest.

20 снимки на красиви животни, които не можем да престанем да ...

They roam the plains of Africa, looking for their favourite prey, snakes. For they have evolved to be the perfect snake killing machine. First, their long legs help to keep them out of striking distance. Second, when they approach a snake they flair out their wings to act as a discretion. They pull the snake’s focus away from their body providing them with an opening to smack it in the face with their powerful feet.

🔥 Secretary bird kicking a snake 🔥 : NatureIsFuckingLit

Third, they have a stomping force some five times greater than their weight, which means when they hit something, it dies. Fourth, they can kick faster than the snake’s own reaction time. And fifth, some studies have also shown that they are at least partially immune to snake venom. So yeah, they’re all about murdering snakes.

Next up, you might be wondering why they’re called Secretary Birds. And no, they don’t head up government departments, and no, they won’t type up your letters. It’s not really known why they’re called Secretary Birds. They were originally called Sagittarius Birds, named after the mythical archer because of their deadly ways and the fact that their crests looked a little like arrow fletching. Somewhere along the way the name just changed… probably a typo, who can say?

Secretary Bird - Picture of Hawk Conservancy Trust, Weyhill ...

Finally, here’s a question for all the ladies out there (and maybe some men too, no judgement). Have you ever been jealous of a bird’s eyelashes before? Well, you’re about to be. Check out these lushes lashes.

The Secretary Bird Is So Gorgeous, It Could Easily Become A ...

Secretary birds have the best eyelashes getting around.

Secretary Bird 2 | Birds, Beautiful birds, Pet birds

These pretty lashes aren’t just for fluttering coyly, oh no. It’s speculated that they evolved to help keep the dust that they kick up when stamping on things out of their eyes. Which, you know, seems like a legit reason.

19/04/2020

Bird 126 – Bearded Vulture

Birds flying on a Wednesday, birds flying on a Monday. What’s even going on these days? Time has no meaning during lock down, where every week feels like a month, every day feel like a second and last year is now Thursday.

My haphazard schedule aside, today we’re going to take a little look at the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)

Bearded Vulture: The Marrow-Minded Raptor | RoundGlass | Sustain

But don’t let the name fool you. These Vultures are neither bearded nor are they vultures. They belong to the Order of Raptors, the Accipitriformes, as do all Eagles and Vultures, but they aren’t really closely related to anyone. They’re called “Vultures” because of their tendency to feed on carrion, and they’re called “bearded” not because of any penchant towards the latest hipster facial hair trends, but because unlike normal Vultures they have fully feathered necks.

Absurd Creature of the Week: The Magnificent Bearded Vulture Only ...

Because of their misleading common name I prefer their old name, the Ossifrage. This name is far more trustworthy, as it literally translates from Latin into ‘Bone Breaker’, for that, my dear reader, is exactly what these birds do.

They are unique among all animals as their diet consists almost entirely of bone. Marrow is what they crave. But don’t get me wrong, they’ll swallow bones whole. Their powerful stomach acid makes short work of their chosen diet.

New guidelines for feeding Bearded Vultures in captivity have been ...

If a bone is too big to get down the gullet, they’ll fly it into the sky and drop it onto a rock in an attempt to crack that sucker open and access the sweet sweet marrow hiding within. They’re able to lift bones that weigh up to 4Kg, which is about how much they weigh. So yeah, they’re strong.

11 Facts About the Bone-Eating Bearded Vulture | Mental Floss

They roam Africa, Central Asia and the Alps looking for dead stuff. They tend to follow their smaller Vulture cousins to a kill. Usually they’re the last to show up at the party. They don’t really care for meat and will pass it by, waiting until the other Vultures have picked a corps clean, before stepping in to take the bones. This is why they can have feathered necks, unlike their gross relatives, they’re not getting shoulder deep in viscera.

It’s a much cleaner, more civilised life.

Honestly, could that bird be fluffier? Who’s a handsome boy? You are.

13/04/2020

Bird 125 – Musician Wren

I get that given the stressful times we’re in we could all use a bit of relief. So while lock down continues I’ll try to bring you the occasional additional bird that’s a little different from the usual fare to (maybe) brighten your day.

This week’s bonus bird is brought to you by Emily Dickinson.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops –at all –

And sweetest – in the gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

Musician Wren - Multimedia | Neotropical Birds Online

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And in the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

ML104107121 Musician Wren Macaulay Library

The bird above is the Musician Wren (Cyphorhius arada). They’re famed (in a shock twist) for their musical ability. A sample can be heard below.

Legend tells that Musician Wrens bring good luck, and when they sing all the other birds of the forest fall silent to listen.

I hope this little wren brings you some luck, and dear Emily some cause to hope.

08/04/2020

Bird 124 – Lilac-breasted Roller

Today I’d like to introduce you to what is probably the most photogenic bird of all, the Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)

When I get a bird like this I think the only thing I need to do is show you pictures of it.

I mean, when was the last time you saw a bird that was both lilac and cyan? Never, that’s right. Check out that plumage, yo.

They’ve even got a forked tail to boot.

But what even is a Roller? Well, they live in Africa and belong to the taxonomic Order Coraciiformes, which is the same Order as our old friend the Kookaburra, so they’re cousins to Kingfishers. But whereas the Lilac-breasted Roller is like the Chelsea flower show of birds, the Kookaburra, by comparison, looks like a ten dollar petrol station bouquet bought at the last minute on mothers’ day and then left on the windowsill to wilt. Harsh but fair.

🔥 Lilac-Breasted Roller Bird - Colorfully Lit : NatureIsFuckingLit

Now the reason they’re called Rollers is because of their impressive aeronautical feats. They’re quite the aggressive bird, and both males and females will guard their territory from anyone that looks at them funny. They will fly in a rolling pattern as a territorial display to ward off intruders. During mating season they also display by performing high speed dives. Apparently other Rollers find badass aerial displays sexy. I mean … you can’t blame them.

So that’s the Lilac-breasted Roller: the fearless little fighter jet of the sky, equipped with plumage that won’t quit.

05/04/2020