Bird of the Week

Bird 113 – Yellow-eyed Penguin

Ah the Australia Day long weekend, and in true Bird of the Week fashion that means it’s time to feature the 2019 New Zealand bird of the year.

Of course, I can endorse no Bird of the Year that isn’t a California Quail, but hey, since we’re already here, lets take a little look.

This year our Kiwi cousins opted to honour a fellow flightless bird, the Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)

So named because of the badass racing stripe they painted on their face (makes them swim faster).

These are one of the rarer penguins getting about, total population is estimated to be around 4000. They live primarily on out-lying islands off the southern tip of New Zealand, although they do have some colonies on the New Zealand mainland as well.

In recent years though, they’ve seen something of a major population decline after a disease spread through their ranks. The downward trend is a little alarming, and some predict that they could be extinct on the mainland within 20 years.

The Kiwis seem to like them though, as they also feature on their $5 bill.

Image result for new zealand 5 dollar note

But now, if I’m going to be honest, these little Penguins are more or less just an average, run of the mill Penguin.

Image result for yellow eyed penguin land

But here’s my hot take. When it comes to protecting our environment it’s always the big impressive, beautiful, charismatic animals that get all the attention. Lions and tigers and panders oh my. But to have a healthy environment, a healthy planet, every animal, including the humble Penguin, deserves protection and deserves a safe place to live. New Zealand’s Bird of the Year has placed a light on an otherwise overlooked bird and that’s important.

Keep hanging in there little Penguin, we need you.

But of course, in Australia, we have just as much need to protect our birds. Now, more than ever. Recent reports have found that after the fires are out Australia’s threatened bird species list is likely in increase by 25% and will probably now include previously secure birds like the Lyre Bird. At least 19 bird species have had more than 50% of their habitat wiped out.

The goods news is as far as can be ascertained there is no bird that has had 100% of its habitat destroyed yet, so some hope remains for conservationists. If you’ve got a spare penny or two please consider giving BirdLife a helping hand.

The birds will thank you.

26/01/2020

Bird 112 – Cattle Tyrant

So I know everyone loves unlikely animal duos. Think of Timon and Pumbaa, the wise-cracking Meerkat atop his faithful Warthog companion.

Well, what if I was to tell you there was a similar relationship going on in South America? Allow me to introduce you to the Cattle Tyrant (Machetornis rixosa)

This cute little New World Flycatcher is from the same family of our old friend, the Many-colored Rush Tyrant.

They flit about grassy areas, following larger animals to catch the insects they disturb. But the Cattle Tyrant has a unique relationship with one animal in particular, the Capybara. Here’s one riding atop its noble steed.

The Capybara is the world’s largest rodent. Think of them as like a giant guinea pig. The Cattle Tyrant rides the Capybara as they graze, waiting for insects to fly up. Although they do eat the odd horsefly that tires to bite the Capybara, for the most part the two are rather indifferent to each other. But that doesn’t stop them from looking adorable together.

Does a pond need to be crossed, just ride your Capybara.

Does a crime need to be solved, instant odd couple duo. One is a Capybara two weeks from retirement who’s too old for this shit, the other is a plucky young Cattle Tyrant eager to make a name for itself, together they’re about to crack this case wide open. I call the show Cattle Rustlin’. It’s a detective noir, meets western, sent in Argentina. I’d watch it.

Once again, they are proof that the world of birds has delights to throw up from the most unlikely of places.

19/01/2020

Bird 111 – Cher Ami

It’s a rare thing for Bird of the Week to focus on an individual bird, but this week I want to tell you the story of Cher Ami.

Cher Ami was a Homing Pigeon (Columba livia domestica), born in April 1918. She was raised specifically to deliver messages during the First World War. In October 1918, as the war was drawing to a close, she and two other Pigeons were assigned to the US 77th Division, under the command of one Major Charles Whittlesey.

Image result for Major Charles Whittlesey

During an operation, 550 men from the Division found themselves trapped behind enemy lines. They had no food, no ammunition, and to make matters worse they began taking friendly fire from their own artillery.

Pinned down, with no other way to reach headquarters, Charles took his first Pigeon and scribbled a hurried note, begging them to stop the barrage. He released the Pigeon, but German sharp shooters were watching and shot it from the sky. The second Pigeon met the same fate.

Charles then took Cher Ami and wrote: ‘We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heavens sake stop it.’

A piece of American and family history from WWI | by David Cohn | Extra Newsfeed

He released her, only to watch her shot from the sky like the others. All hope seemed lost, but then somehow Cher Ami rose from the undergrowth and took off back to base, covering the 40Km in just 25 minutes. That’s a speed of around 96Km/h.

Cher Ami had been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye and had one foot hanging from a single tendon, but she delivered her message, saving the lives of 194 soldiers. Seeing that she was in a desperate state, medics were brought in to work on her, and they managed to save her life. In time they even fashioned her a tiny peg leg.

For her service Cher Ami was awarded Croix de Guerre, a French decoration for valour. Once stable she was shipped back the United States where she was greeted as a national hero. Sadly, her wounds were so serve that she eventually died on 13 June 1919.

Her body was preserved, and she was placed on display at the Smithsonian Museum, where she remains to this day.

Cher Ami | National Museum of American History

As a final fun fact, people familiar with French may have noticed that Cher Ami is the masculine form of the phrase, ‘dear friend’. While alive, Cher Ami was thought to have been a male, but after she died the taxidermist discovered she had been a lady pigeon the whole time.

She is the greatest hero in all Pigeondom, and today we salute her.

12/01/2020

Bird 110 – Temminck’s Courser

With the fires raging around us, it seems we’ve had a rare front row seat of death and destruction to kick of 2020. Long time followers of Bird of the Week will know I’m generally a big fan of death and destruction, especially when it’s a bird dishing it out, but even I have my limits. So today, a reminder from the bird world that although fire destroys, it can also be the cradle of new life.

Allow me to introduce you to one curious little bird, Temminck’s Courser (Cursorius temminckii)

Temminck's Courser (Cursorius temminckii) by Nik_Borrow. | Courser, Killdeer, The borrowers

They’re a cute little wader, which belong to the same large family of birds Seagulls do. Even so, they’ve given up life on the water and are generally found in Sub-Sahara Africa, where they follow herds around looking for insects to feast on.

Temminck's courser, Cursorius temminckii, at Mapungubwe Na… | Flickr

But tiny Temminck’s are also on the look out for something else. Fire!

For you see, these birds have evolved to exclusively lay their eggs in areas that have been recently burnt out. They lay directly onto the ground, not fussing with a nest, because their eggs are perfectly coloured to blend in with the charcoal remains of singed leaves and earth.

It’s nifty trick. For from the ashes are soon born sweet little fluff balls, that will grow up to stalk fire themselves as the perfect place to raise a family of their own. To Temminck’s Courser the fire means a new beginning. If only it were as easy for the rest of us.

I hope everyone has managed to stay safe and well during this horrific period, and here’s hoping our poor baked country can catch a break soon.

05/01/2020

Bird of the Year – 2019

We interrupt your normally scheduled weekly bird to bring you, “Bird of the Week Presents: The 2019 Bird of the Week, Bird of the Year Special”.

That’s right, it’s that time of the year when we look back on some of our favourite birds that were, and crown the one bird to rule them all, the Bird of the Year.

2019 ended with the country on fire, and maybe appropriately we kicked off this year with the Fire Hawk, the bird that deliberately starts fires to flush out its prey. Business must surely be booming for them at the moment.

But we’ve also had our share of bobby-dazzlers. Like the adorable Tufted Coquette.

We also had a couple of guest appearances from former Prime Minister Tony Abbott who taught us how to smuggle budgies and then introduced us to his own species of bird, the Abbott’s Booby.

It was also a year for pigeons. But then again, it’s always a year for pigeons.

We also had the murderous Shoebill.

Not to mention this thing.

Image result for king of saxony bird of paradise

And while they were all worthy birds, there can only be one Bird of the Year. And in a move that will surprise no one, once again defending its title for the third year running, that bird is the one, the only, your friend and mine, the irreplaceable, irresistible California Quail.

I mean … just look at the damn thing. I have no words to describe its beauty and majesty.

God may have rested on the 7th day, but on the 8th day that supernatural being said, ‘you know what, I’m going to create just one perfect thing.’ And thus the California Quail was born.

And on that note, we bring 2019 to a close. Thank you all for continuing to join me on this silly ride of avian adventures. I have many many many more birds to share with you in 2020. This enterprise is only just getting started.

31/12/2019

Bird 109 – Ducklings!

Okay folks, so it’s been a crazy end of the year, what with the fires and the smoke and the whole ‘oh my god we’re all going to die’ sorta vibe going on. So, as we approach 2020 let’s take a moment to appreciate the greatest gift the birds have to give — ducklings.

I mean, who can resist the delightful charm of a fluffy little yellow duckling.

You know how other birds, when they hatch, sit in their nest going peep, peep, peep, begging for food? Well, the duckling don’t have no time for that. Ducklings are what science-type people call Precocial. In other words, when they hatch they already have feathers, can see, walk, swim and basically feed themselves. Pretty much on day one, they leave the nest to get on with their duck lives.

Of course, the world can be dangerous place for a wee wittle bird. Many animals look at the duckling and think, Imma eat that. Some of their natural enemies include, big old fish, big old frogs, seagulls, snakes, crocs, storks, the list goes on.

For protection, ducklings tend to group up and stick close to mum, who isn’t above helicopter parenting those defenceless sweet-hearts.

Honestly, Seagull, don’t muck with a mother duck, she will mess you up.

So that they know who their mother is, ducklings imprint on the first thing they see when they hatch, and just assume it’s their mother. 99 times in 100 it works out really well. But it also means you can trick a duckling into thinking anything is its mother. Anything like, say, a corgi.

Or some other rando dog.

On the whole though, they’re ain’t nothing no one can say that’s negative about a duckling. Drink it in people.

29/12/2019

Bird 108 – Vampire Ground Finch

As my Christmas travel plans have been delayed by the fact that Australia is currently on fire, it means you all get this week’s bird one day early.

It’s time to finish our tour of the bird parasites, but worry not, for I have saved the best until last. I think the greatest, and most terrifying, parasite from fiction is the Vampire. They’re like big old mosquitoes … that turn you into other mosquitoes … sexy mosquitoes. Of course, we all know there are Vampire Bats, but did you you know there is also a Vampire Finch? Well there is — the Vampire Ground Finch (Geospiza septentrionalis)

These wee little cuties live on the ominous sounding Wolf Island in the Galapagos, and are actually one of Darwin’s famous finches, those who all evolved from a common ancestor in order to exploit different niches for finding food. Well, these little guys found the nichest niche of all — Booby blood.

I ask you to cast your mind back to Bird of the Week 97, when we had a look at the Blue-footed Booby.

Well, this bird is our vampire’s victim of choice. When these Boobys come to nest on Wolf Island they are visited upon by these Finches.

Our Vampires jump onto the Booby’s tail and then peck peck peck at the base of their wing feathers until they break the skin to let the sweet blood flow.

The Finches have become quite skilled at walking the line between getting enough blood from their victim without causing so much pain that the Booby chances them away. It’s a bit gruesome, but the good news is the Finches don’t seem to do any long-term damage to their flying meals (although they have been known to kill the odd chick or two).

So why do they do it? Well, Wolf Island is the driest of all the Galapagos islands. Originally these Finches were all about eating grass seeds, but because of near constant drought conditions they have been forced to look for a meal in other places, and turning to a life of vampirism seemed like the best choice at the time. Oh sure, the other Finches judge them behind their back, but they aren’t game enough to say anything to their faces, they’re badass vampires, yo!

As the drought here in Australia continues to settle in, I for one think we should follow the lead of our feathered friends. Drinking blood is clearly the only solution to our problem, and the sooner we embrace that the sooner we can start living the glamours glittering life of a Vampire.

I see literally no down side.

21/12/2019

Bird 107 – Yellow-billed Oxpecker

So we’ll stick with bird parasites, but let’s change things up. No more murdered babies. Today I want to introduce you to the Yellow-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus)

You’re probably already familiar with this bird, it’s the one that’s always riding the big African animals in the nature documentaries, eating their ticks and lice and whatnot. You may know them as grooming birds, like in that Simpsons episode where Homer gets one.

Image result for mmm elephant fresh — Mmmm, Elephant fresh!

Now, I know what you’re thinking — Hang on, these birds are helping the animals they ride. And for a long time everyone thought that was true, because they do eat those blood sucking bugs. But here’s the thing, the Oxpecker only eats those bugs because blood is their favourite food. They get some of that sweet sweet blood by eating bloated ticks, but they aren’t afraid of going straight to the source either. The Oxpecker will peck and cut open wounds on the animal to keep blood flowing so they can grab a drink.

Image result for yellow-billed oxpecker blood

And when they aren’t sipping blood, they’re eating their other favourite meal: dandruff and earwax … tasty?

The Oxpecker, much like a tick, spends almost 100% of their lives riding and feeding off their host animals. The only time they leave is to make a nest, and even when they do, they make their nest out of the hair they pluck from their hosts.

There has been long debate among ornithologists as to just how bad these birds are for their hosts. On the one hand they do eat pests, on the other hand, they’ll only eat ticks once they’re already full of blood … so helping or hurting? And causing wounds to stay open probably isn’t great. And having a bird halfway down your ear eating your wax probably isn’t great either… So I’m calling it, these birds are straight up annoying parasites.

Image result for yellow-billed oxpecker face

And that’s aces by me.

15/12/2019

Bird 106 – Cuckoo Duck

Welcome to Part III on Brood Parasites. And this week’s dead beat parent, the Cuckoo Duck (Heteronetta atricapilla)

That’s right, just when you thought ducks were cool again, here goes one giving all the others a bad name.

This is a black-headed little duck that lives in Argentina. They’re a bit of a odd-ball duck actually, as they don’t really have any close relatives. They live in fresh water bodies and are diving specialists.

But let’s not mess around. You’re interested in how this duck cuckoos.

Well, much like other cuckoos, the Cuckoo Duck is all about laying its eggs in someone else’s nest. Because who can be bothered making a nest, am I right?

They tend to pick on other ducks, or seagulls. But the Cuckoo Duck is a bit different to other Cuckoos: neither the parent nor the chick destroys the host’s eggs.

Image result for Heteronetta atricapilla nest

In fact, ducklings are among the most independent of babies getting around. Within hours of hatching the duckling will quickly work out that it does not belong in that nest, and will hightail it out of there, perfectly capable of swimming and feeding itself already. Given that Gulls are more likely to eat ducklings than raise them, it’s probably not a bad strategy for our young impostor.

So, as far as these parasites go, the Cuckoo Duck isn’t all that bad … they just can’t be bothered making a nest… and lay their eggs in the nest of their natural predator, but hey, no bird is perfect.

That’s a lie, all birds are perfect. I mean, come on, have you even seen a bird recently?

08/12/2019

Bird 105 – Brown-headed Cowbird

So here’s the funny thing about Cuckoos. There are many different species of Cuckoos, (they even have their own taxonomic order, Cuculiformes) but not all of them lay eggs in other birds’ nests. Some, like the Roadrunner (which, surprise, is actually a type of Cuckoo), look after their own children. But then, there are birds, which aren’t cuckoos, that nevertheless try to off load their kids.

And that brings us to, Part II of Brood Parasitism, and today’s bird: the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

These are small finch-like birds … with a brown head. Now, these little guys take brood parasitism to a whole new level. They have been documented laying eggs in 220 different bird species’ nests. Everything from a Hummingbird to an Eagle. They really aren’t picky.

Of course, sometimes this strategy backfires. For examples, if they lay their eggs in the nest of a House Finch, their babies will be fed a vegetarian diet, which they can’t survive on and will die. Bummer.

The other draw back to laying in any old bird’s nest, is that their eggs aren’t camouflaged, so often the host parents will spot the fake. Some birds will abandon their nest if they see a Cowbird egg, others will kick the egg out.

Image result for brown headed cowbird egg — One of these things is not like the others.

But you see, the Cowbird don’t take too kindly to that. Oh no. After laying their egg, Cowbirds will periodically swing by to make sure they’re being looked after. If they aren’t, a Cowbird will begin to display ‘mafia behaviour’ (that’s the actual term). Basically, they will destroy the host’s nest, forcing them to start over. Once they’ve re-built their nest, the Cowbird will quite often lay a new egg, just to make the point that you don’t mess with them.

By doing this some Cowbirds have trained their hosts to accept their eggs even if they notice the fake, because the consequences of kicking it out are worse.

Nice nest you got here, be a reallll shame if something was to happen to it. Know what I’m saying? We’re just here to make sure you do the right thing.

On the plus side, Cowbird chicks don’t kill their foster siblings like the Common Cuckoo’s do, so at least some of the host chicks usually survive.

Cowbird chick in back with Yellow warbler babies in front.

Oh, and they’re called Cowbirds because they follow cattle around, feeding off insects they disturb.

01/12/2019