Bird of the Week

Bird 336 – Snow Goose

Today we meet a big old goose, and it is going to help us answer the question, why do birds fly in V formations? An interesting question, but before we get into that, let’s meet us a bird, the Snow Goose.

Now from the name you might be thinking, okay, there are two reasons why these birds might be called a Snow Goose. Either they’re white, or they live in the snow. And you would be 66% right.

They do live in the snow, they are indeed white, but the Snow Goose has two distinct colour morphs. One is white, the other is bluish grey. For a long time the light and dark geese were considered two different species. However, it turns out they are the same. The two different colour morphs live and breed together. It just so happens that the white variety arises thanks to a recessive gene, while the darker one is the dominate. Kinda like how blue eyes and red hair works in people. Kinda, not quite the same, but you get it.

Geese are born either light or dark, but when their chicks they will imprint on the variety their parents are and that will determine who they look for in a mate. Talk about marrying your mother/father. If a chick is born into a mixed family, they will go for either variety.

Now the Snow Goose breeds in far northern Canada and Greenland, up way past the treeline where the climate is cold and harsh. But during winter they migrate to the southern United States. And when undergoing that migration they fly together in that classic V formation. Its a common flight strategy that many birds adopt. Even here in Canberra I frequently see Ibis cruising about in a big V in the sky. So why do birds do it?

Well, it has to do with aerodynamics. In a similar way to how cyclists will sit in each other’s slip stream to cut down on air resistance and get an easier ride, the birds do the same thing. By sitting at an angle behind the bird in front of them they can enjoy cleaner, easier air to fly through. Thus they use less energy and having a better time.

In particular, they take advantage of air vortices coming off the wing, sometimes called the upwash, to help give them better lift. The flock will also rotate who the lead bird is, giving everyone a break, and spreading the effort evenly through the flock.

So now you know all about the V formation: it’s birds using their buddies to take advantage of better flight conditions. Pretty clever stuff.

21/01/2024

Photo credit:

1: “Landing Snow Goose” by Manjithkaini

2: “Snow Goose in Tampa [explored]” by trishhartmann

3: “Canada Geese V Formation” by bobosh_t

4: “Snow Goose Migration” by USFWS Mountain Prairie

Bird 335 – Hooded Grebe

Today we meet a Grebe that could double for David Bowie during his glam rock days, it’s the Hooded Grebe.

Amazingly, the Hooded Grebe was only discovered in 1974. You would think with that striking hair do and hypnotic red blazing eyes that they be hard to miss, but they went undetected for centuries thanks in part to the remote region where they live. The Hooded Grebe is a native of Patagonia. They live only on small lakes nestled high in the mountains at altitudes of over 1000 metres. During the summer they breed on these lakes, making floating nests out of water weed. Come the winter they migrate to the Atlantic coast in remote corners of Argentina’s deep south.

Grebe’s are also famous for their elaborate mating displays. Not only do they have the look of an 80s rocker, but they’ve got the moves to go with it. Grebes engage in synchronised dances, pressing against each other, flinging their heads back and forth like a frantic seesaw, and then rising out of the water to tap dance on the surface, heads turning back and forth with the dedicated precision of a Broadway chorus line. It’s the kind of thing that words really can’t capture, so here is a video for your viewing pleasure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hoL93tEkrM

You would think living way out on the edge of the world would protect the Grebe from human interference, but you would be wrong. The Hooded Grebe is critically endangered, with only about 800 adults left rocking out. Invasive species like trout compete with the Grebe for the aquatic insects they like to eat. And the American Mink has also turned up on the scene and proven to be an effective predator against a bird with no natural defences. There have been reports of single Minks wiping out entire Grebe colonies. The fact that the Grebe’s are also really slow reproducers has hampered their survival chances. On average a pair of Grebes will only successfully raise 0.2 chicks each year. They like to take it one chick at a time and often skip breeding altogether if the conditions aren’t exactly right. They’re kinda like the panda of the bird world.

Thankfully, there are conversation efforts underway to preserve the Grebe and its habitat. In Patagonia the Grebe has become the banner species for the broader conservation of the region’s environment. Pest removal efforts are ongoing, and artificial nesting sites have been established to offer the birds a safe place to raise their young.

Grebes are quite remarkable, and late last year they made international headlines when John Oliver made a pitch to have the Great Crested Grebe crowded the New Zealand Bird of the Century, which it won, knocking off such superstars as the Kiwi and Kakapo. If you want to learn more about Grebes and how one got crowded as the Bird of the Century, then check out our latest podcast episode, available on Apple and Spotify.

14/01/2024

Photo credit:

1: Hooded Grebe Dance by Paula and Michael Webster

2: “hooded grebe” by Ezequiel Racker

3: “hooded grebe” by Ezequiel Racker

4: “hooded grebe” by Ezequiel Racker

Bird 334 – Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet

What better way to welcome in the New Year than with a new bird. To be fair, we welcome every week with a new bird, but the first one for 2024 just feels a little special. So to kick off the year, let’s begin with one of my favourites, the Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet.

Unlike many other birds, the Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet is well named. They’re an all green parrot, but with stripes of yellow across their breast, so patterned as to look like fish scales. After the Rainbow Lorikeet, the Scaly is probably the next most common Lorikeet people are likely to see in Australia. They’re a good deal smaller than their more colourful cousins, but the two species seem to get on well and can be found feeding together in mixed flocks. In fact, the two birds have even been known to hybridise when kept together in captivity.

Despite their gorgeous appearance, the Scaly can be difficult to spot. They like to feed high in nectar bearing trees, and with their predominantly green plumes they blend in among the foliage. Often they will be heard long before they are seen. They have a high pitched screech that they use as a contact call which is hard to miss. Their other give away is the bright coral coloured beak. It can sometimes be spied bobbing about among the leaves.

Like all Lorikeets, the most unusual thing about them is their tongue. They have specially evolved into a kind of brush shaped appendage, with many bristle hanging off the end. At first glance it may look a little like the tongue of the Alien from Alien. But worry not, the only thing this laps is flower nectar. The increased surface area helps their tongue cling to the sweet nectar, making for more efficient feeding.

I was lucky enough to spot a small flock while in Coffs Harbour at the start of the year. I hope your 2024 will be likewise resplendent with birds.

07/01/2024

Photo credit:

1: “AndrewMercerIMG 9825 Scaly Breasted Lorikeet” by Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz)

2: “Scaly-breasted Lorikeet” by Mark Gillow

3: A Greenie – Moggill Creek Catchment Group.

4: https://io9.gizmodo.com/this-is-what-a-lorikeets-tongue-looks-like-that-is-all-30762282

Bird 333 – Northern Cassowary

To close out 2023 we need a bird of fitting stature. And I can think of no bird of greater stature than the Northern Cassowary. Well … to be fair, the Ostrich and Emu have a greater physical stature … but when it comes to metaphoric stature, Northern Cassowary all the way.

There are three species of Cassowary. In Australia we have the Southern Cassowary. The Northern Cassowary is closely related but native to Papua New Guinea. Like their southern cousin the Cassowary is a jungle dweller, shy and solitary.

But if you want a bird that retained the old dinosaur ways of its distant avian relatives, than this is the bird for you. The Northern Cassowary stands a full 1.5 metres tall and can weigh up to 60kg. I don’t know about you, but that is not a bird I want to tango with … I wouldn’t want to fight it either.

The main difference between the Southern and Northern varieties can be found on their neck. These colourful fleshy growths are called wattles. The Northern Cassowary is distinct as they only have one, while the Southern variety has two.

But what about that thick old horn on their head? This anatomical feature is more correctly called a casque (but you can call it a horn, I won’t tell anymore). No-one is really sure what the casque is for, but some of the most resent research suggests that it could be used to help the bird hear low frequencies sounds that are made over a long distance. In the jungle low frequency sounds travel much further than higher frequencies, so this could help them to stay in touch with other Cassowary.

31/12/23

Photo credit:

1: “File:Casuarius unappendiculatus Northern Cassowary PNG head front by Nick Hobgood.jpg” by Nick Hobgood

2: By www.viajar24h.com</span> – Flickr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

3: By Quartl – Own work, https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

Bird 332 – Northern Jacana

It’s the day before Christmas, and so naturally we have to feature a bird that has some relationship with the festive season. And no doubt, there are many birds out there: Partridge, Turtle Dove, Robins, so many excellent birds. But alas, all have been previously featured as our weekly bird, and I am loath to do repeats. So on this Christmas Eve please meet the Northern Jacana.

These are a handsome wading bird from Central America. Unlike the wader we met last week, the Jacana does live in and around swamps and marshlands. They pick about the water, using their long spidery toes to balance on lily pads. Now, I know what you’re thinking, what does this bird have to do with Christmas? Going to be honest, absolutely nothing. But in Jamaica, because of their seeming ability to walk on water as they pad across the lilies, they have been termed the Jesus Bird. So on the day before Christ’s birth, they seemed like as close to a Christmas themed bird as I was going to get.

You’re welcome.

Now the Jacana has numerous things to recommend it. First, take a look at these eggs. These beautiful yellow and black squiggled eggs have evolved to blend in with the reedy litter that make their nests. Gorgeous and perfectly camouflaged.

Next, wing spurs. For both males and females, on the leading edge of their wing they have bright yellow spurs: built in spikes so they can knife anything that threatens them or their babies. And when it comes to protecting their babies, the Jacana has a unique strategy. The babies will hide under their parent’s wing. They then lift them up and walk away, with all their legs dangling out the bottom. Which kinda makes the bird look a little like a freaky, alien spider. But you know what, if it works, it works. (The below is an African Jacana, but you get the idea.)

So this Christmas season I encourage you to be like the Jacana and hold your loved ones close… like a freaky alien spider.

My your Christmas be bird filled.

24/12/23

Photo credit:

1: Northern Jacana by Telegro https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

2: “Northern Jacana” by Wildreturn

3: Jacana eggs by Roger Culos https://commons.wikimedia.org/…

4: Male African Jacana carrying chicks by Charl Stols

Bird 331 – Australian Pratincole

Out in the dry interior of the Australian continent there lives a bird that belongs to the wader family. Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there ain’t much water out there to wade through, but somehow the Australian Pratincole has figured out a way to live the arid lifestyle.

But what is a Pratincole? They’re related to Gulls, Plovers and Oystercatchers, bird renown for hanging out near water. But not the Pratincole, they went in the complete opposite direction and moved into the driest place they could find. As a result, they have a few unique features. Their face looks more like a hawk, sharp pointy beak, bright red to let you know they mean business. Their wings are long and elegant so they can catch insects on the fly. Most members of the wader family find their food by … well … wading on foot. Not the Pratincole, they’re more like a Swallow, they prefer to catch their lunch in the sky.

And yet, the Pratincole has retained one connection to water. In outback Australia, they were traditionally known as the rain bird. During the wet season, the birds call persistently when storms are about. They were seen as an omen of the rainy season. Or maybe they were cursing the falling water that their ancestors had long ago forsaken? Who can say?

Like other waders, the Pratincole is also known to perform distraction displays. They nest on the ground, and to protect their eggs, if a predator turns up the parents will behave in odd ways, feigning injury or holding their wings skywards to draw attention away from where their nest is hidden.

17/12/2023

Photo credit:

1: “Stiltia isabella 77542051” by Kym Nicolson

2: “Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella) (8079597365)” by Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom

3: “Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella)” by David Cook Wildlife Photography

Bird 330 – Socorro Dove

Human impact has led to the extinction of many birds. But every now and again, when a bird is on the way out, a handful get saved and brought into captivity. Today we meet one such bird, the Socorro Dove.

These are a beautiful little pigeon, sporting chestnut brown plumage. They’re similar in size and appearance to the more famous Mourning Dove, and in fact the two are closely related. But whereas the Mourning Dove can be found all over North America, the Socorro Dove lived only on one tiny island, coincidentally Socorro Island (not really a coincidence). Socorro is a Mexican island in the Pacific Ocean.

Living on their little island, the Socorro Dove developed some different behaviours. For example, they rarely gather in groups of more than two birds. It was believed the birds were often preyed upon by ariel predators like hawks, and smaller groups presented harder targets. Unlike the familiar adage, the Dove learned that there was safety in fewer numbers. They scattered themselves about the island, doing their best not to draw any attention.

And these doves lived quite happily on their island for thousands of years. Right up until the US military turned up and smacked a big old base on little the island.

Now, it wasn’t the base so much that proved the birds undoing, it was the cats that accidentally got loose at the same time. Their predator evasion strategy may have worked for hawks, but it was less effective for cats. Herds of sheep also rampaged over the island, destroying the vegetation the doves relied on. The last wild Socorro Dove was seen in 1972. But by happy chance, way back in the 1920s, a few of the birds had been captured and brought into captivity. Their descendants now represent the last vestige of the species. Around the world, there are about 150 or so Socorro Doves in zoos and aviaries.

Efforts are being made to make the island cat free, and there is hope that one day Socorro will once again play host to the gentle cooing of these beautiful doves.

Would you like to hear me talk more about pigeons? Well, you are in luck, I recently sat down with Dr Ann Jones of the What the Duck ABC podcast to discuss the whacky world of pigeons. It’s a fun episode and I even learned a few things about these great birds that I didn’t know. Now available wherever you get your podcast from, but also on the ABC.

10/12/2023

Photo credit:

1: Socorro Dove by Truus & Zoo

2: Socorro Dove by Robin McKie

3: Socorro Dove by Lorretta Williams

4: Socorro Dove by Barcelona Zoo

Bird 329 – Bank Myna

In Australia we are familiar with the Common Myna, or as we usually refer to them the Indian Myna. They are an invasive pest that competes with many of our smaller native birds. We don’t much like them here. But did you know the nasty Common Myna is just one of nearly a dozen species native to Asia, and today we meet their cousin the Bank Myna.

Now the Bank Myna looks remarkably similar, but there are some key differences. First, they are a good deal smaller, and have much lighter grey plumage. They also have a distinct patch of bright red skin around the eye. But maybe the really odd thing that sets them apart is their nesting practices. You see, these little birds are burrowers. They like to dig their nests in the loose soil around river banks. They can mine about two meters deep before they get around to making their nest.

Just like the Common Myna, the Bank Myna has aspirations of spreading throughout the world. These little fellow have been introduced to places like Kuwait and Japan, where they have got a foothold in the environment. But they are still yet to develop into the destructive pest that their cousins have become in Australia.

03/12/2023

Photo credit:

1: “Bank Myna Im IMG 9571” by J.M.Garg

2: “Bank Myna” by Koshyk

3: “Bank Myna 12” by Awais Ali Sheikh

Bird 328 – Red-Fan Parrot

Have you ever taken a look at a Cockatoo and thought, yeah it is great and all, but what if it was just a little bit fancier? Well, have I got the bird for you: the Red-fan Parrot!

First up, we can’t ignore that amazing blue and red crest. This crest is radically different to how other parrots make theirs. Whereas a cockatoo has something akin to a mohawk running down the middle of its head, the Red-fan uses elongated neck feathers to make this gaudy fan frame their face.

The Red-fan is native to the Amazon Rainforest, and is only distantly related to the more familiar crested parrots of Australia. In fact, its closest cousins are the Macaws, but really it has no close relatives; they are a one of a kind. Although interestingly, aside from Cockatoos, they’re the only other parrot that both has and can control their crest.

People suspect the crest is used primarily to display to each other or in threat displays to make them look bigger. Both males and females possess the ornamentation, so we can assume it isn’t a sexually selected trait.

Now, you’re probably looking at these handsome fellows and thinking, hey, I would love to own me one of those. But it isn’t recommended. It is said that they have a cantankerous personality. They can be aggressive, domineering and generally only bond with a single human. So while they may be beautiful on the outside on the inside they’re one big spike.

26/11/2023

Photo credit:

1: Red-fan Parrot by Dennis Avon

2:”Brazil-01510 – Anacã – Red-fan Parrot” by archer10 (Dennis)

3: “Red Fan Parrot Endangered Species with ID ring on leg” by Jonathan Wilkins

Bird 327 – Australasian Swamphen

This week I bring you a purple bird of the marshes, the Australasian Swamphen, or if you live in New Zealand, the Pūkeko. These guys are basically the chickens of the waterways. They are large, plump and like to hang out on the ground. But they are also purple, have a strange red shield on their face, and have some of the biggest toes in the animal kingdom.

Aside from their bright red beaks, their most prominent feature are their hung spider leg toes. From the name you can probably guess that they spend a lot of time walking about in soft muddy terrain. These feet, with the wide spread, help them disperse their weight over a larger area and stop them from sinking into the mud. They also look hilariously oversized on their chicks.

The Swamphen is a member of the Rail family. Rails are one of those great contradictory birds. On the one hand they are evolved for life on the ground, picking about in the shallows, nibbling at reeds and grass. They are reluctant to fly and favour walking away from danger whenever possible. And yet, at the same time, they are also strong fliers and have been known to cross great distances over the ocean.

There is currently disagreement as to how the Australasian Swamphen made it to New Zealand. Some people think they flew over. Others believe the Maori people brought them. However they got there, they have done well in New Zealand, and they even feature as one of the main characters in the folktale about how the Kiwi lost its wings.

The story goes that the trees of the forest were being attacked and killed by a plague of bugs. So an appeal went out to the birds of the trees, asking one to come down and live on the forest floor so they could eat the bugs and save the trees. Our Swamphen, or Pukeko, was asked to come down to the forest floor, but it thought the ground looked too muddy and it didn’t want to get its feet wet. As punishment for being selfish the Pukeko was cursed to forever live in the marshes.

But as far as punishments goes, the Swamphen has totally dominated the swamp and is doing just dandy, thank you very much.

19/11/2023

Photo credit:

1: “Australasian swamphen.” by Bernard Spragg

2: “Australasian Swamphen” by Mike Prince

3: unknown

4: “Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)” by patrickkavanagh