Birds are so weird

[j44ke]

Especially the Birds of Paradise family of birds found on the island of New Guinea. The scientists and photographers doing the work on the speciation of these birds are really amazing. Seems like they just wander into a forest and the birds greet them, but there are real hardships involved and a lot of personal fortitude, but they are doing a bang up job and now they've established a new species. New Guinea is truly one of those "Last Place on Earth" places. Magic.

[defspace]

Wow. I've seen BOP footage on so many different nature documentaries, but it never ceases to amaze me.

The sexual dimorphism found within birds is something else. What else comes close? Some fish perhaps?

Thanks for sharing.

[j44ke]

Insects can be at the extremes of sexual dimorphism, as in the preying mantis, but there the dimorphism is most likely size and usually creates a larger female (which it also does in birds, primarily birds of prey - hawks, falcons, owls, eagles.)

The evolutionary pressure for plumage dimorphism in birds though is pretty strong because of egg laying and raising. In fact, while the traditional view is that male bird plumage represents an apex of development in response to evolutionary pressure, some scientists have been suggesting that the camouflaged plumages typical of female birds may actually be the most complex evolutionarily because it responds to both speciation (looking different from other species) and selection pressure from the surrounding environment for survival & reproduction. By this argument, the evolutionary steps that produced a successful male Bird of Paradise may not be as numerous or complex as those required to produce a successful female Bird of Paradise. I am sure there is a forum where this is being discussed. Velociraptorpede or something.

[caleb]

Speaking of weird birds, we've had rain/sleet/snow all week, with frequent dips significantly below freezing, and on tonight's walk we were still finding American woodcock all over.



Instinct > Sense.

[ides1056]

to really appreciate the Woodcock you have to hear its song and see its dance

as for BoP, I think I recall correctly that they are incredible mimics of sound, and recall hearing one making the sound of a camera motordrive- no it's the Lyre Bird








Amherst College, my alma, recently changed the name of its mascot, Lord Jeff having fallen from favor because he employed germ warfare against Native Americans. I suggested the Woodcock, because it is local, wonderful, and has this distinctive dance. It's also knows as a Timberdoodle.
The college went with the Mammoth. Purple Mammoth.

lame choice

[j44ke]

Those woodcock on the road are doing their stealth walk. The movement is to mimic the rhythm of shadows created by leaves above moving in the wind. On a nice white road, it looks rather strange, but in the woods, this movement reduces their visibility to predators (especially from above,) as does their ability to freeze and remain absolutely motionless. Which is sort of strange also, to have movement and no movement as survival strategies. Other birds, like waterthrushes, dippers and some sandpipers, do similar body movements to replicate the movement of rushing water in the streams that are their primary habitat.

The courtship is this bizarre "beenk" call that the males give from the ground, after which they launch themselves into the air, quite a ways above tree top, to make a big circle while using their wings to make a songbird-like twittering sound. Then they drop out of the sky and land nearly at the spot where they were originally. The tennis court at our friends' house in the Catskills is evidently the perfect dancing grounds (probably due to the asphalt warmed by the sun during the day,) because I've counted 10-12 males beenking on the tennis court and twittering overhead. Quite a convention.

Woodcock have very small amount of binocular vision, but they have a large amount of side vision, giving them the ability to see 360 degrees around without moving their head. This is good defense for a tasty bird who spends a lot of time with its beak in the dirt digging for worms.

[ides1056]

We won't have their company for long:

Opinion | Shorebirds, the World’s Greatest Travelers, Face Extinction - The New York Times

Last Song for Migrating Birds

I'll be sad when they don't come back in the spring.