Monday December 21, 2009
American coots aren't the most colorful birds, but they have colorful behavior when defending their nests. According to the
Vancouver Sun, a lengthy study of American coots nesting in British Columbia has shown that the birds have an astonishing ability to thwart nest invaders. Many birds lay eggs in neighboring nests to increase the odds of their own chicks' survival, but American coots seem able to count their eggs and to recognize strange chicks after hatching. The imposters are often attacked or drowned.
Researchers tracked 200 nests, adding incubator hatched chicks to many of them to test different theories of coot recognition (these tactics did not impact the overall coot population). One of the best indicators of a chick's survival is when it hatches, and parent birds tend to favor the first chick to hatch on the assumption - often correct - that it is their own.
How American coots distinguish nearly identical chicks is still a mystery, but researchers believe it to be a combination of appearance, scent or sounds, in addition to hatching order. More study is needed to clarify these identification factors.
American Coot and Chicks
Photo © Mike Baird; flickr.bairdphotos.comSunday December 20, 2009
A recent study of drugs used to treat Asian livestock has revealed that one of the principle drugs, the pain reliever
ketoprofen, is toxic and can be deadly to endangered vultures, according to the
Associated Press. The drug
diclofenac, which is also used to treat cattle, is already banned in India due to the drastic decline of vulture populations that feed on carcasses.
Millions of long-billed, slender-billed and oriental white-backed vultures have died from eating tainted carcasses in India and other parts of south Asia. The vultures, however, play a key role in the ecosystem by disposing of carcasses that would attract wild dogs which could spread diseases to humans.
A third drug,
meloxicam, has proven safe to the vultures, and researchers are studying additional ways that cattle and other livestock could be treated without potentially harming the birds.
Do you agree that wild birds should take precedence over domestic livestock if they are endangered, or should revered livestock, as cows are in India, come first? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Cow in India
Photo © Ville MiettinenSaturday December 19, 2009
Public transportation is well used in Washington D.C., and the escalators to and from the different metro stations can be crowded. On December 14, however, an unexpected guest was found on an escalator at the Benning Road Metro station; a bird of prey. According to the
Washington Post, the raptor was likely hunting pigeons and unwittingly got its foot caught in the escalator's grates.
The escalator was stopped and partially disassembled to free the bird, which flew quickly away once freed. While its foot may have been injured, it had no trouble leaving the scene of its embarrassing escapade.
Escalators aren't a typical
risk to raptors, but there can be hazards anywhere these birds hunt. If you find an injured or trapped raptor in an unusual situation, always contact the local authorities and do not try to free the bird yourself. Their talons and beaks are powerful weapons, and too many people crowded around the bird can cause it to panic and injure itself further.
Escalator Steps
Photo © Mark Kobayashi-HillaryFriday December 18, 2009
With Christmas just a week away, there's still plenty of time to find great gifts for both the birders on your holiday list and the backyard birds at your feeders. You can never go wrong with birdseed, particularly nyger seed or black oil sunflower chips, or look for the latest field guide, a birding magazine subscription or a new feeder.
One of my favorite holiday items is the
Carol of the Birds (And Other Christmas Tweets) collection from AniMelodies. These fun carols combine excellent renditions of popular holiday songs with a wide range of different bird songs, chirps and calls to add some avian amusement to your holiday tunes. Great for any birder!
What are your favorite bird-related holiday items? Share your shopping tips in the comments!
More gift ideas:
Carol of the Birds
Photo © AniMelodies 
