Rachel
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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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I didn't know hummingbirds ate insects. I also found the description of the tongue structure and function very interesting!
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I have only seen two. One was at my parents' house (last year in Tampa, Florida) and the other was in California near Muir Beach (in March of this year). Each time was only a few seconds, but both times were magical! The one in Tampa was probably a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird; I'm not sure about the one in California. For anyone interesting in reading about hummingbirds, I recommend The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds by Jon Dunn. I read it earlier this year. It was very interesting and included a lot of amazing photos of a variety of hummingbirds!
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I learned about fish owls a few months ago, when I read Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl by Jonathan C. Slaght. This book was really interesting and included a lot of amazing photos of Blakiston's fish owls; I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in owls! I didn't know that some owls eat insects- very cool fact!
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For individuals, inbreeding could result in genetic defects and greater susceptibility to diseases (overall reduced physical fitness). If the population as a whole has a low level of genetic diversity, the impact of a disease could be more severe, quickly spread throughout the group and lead to the population crashing.
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Regarding the choice of some roosts occurring out in the open vs. hidden away in lush trees: Does the size of the roost make a difference? Would individuals in a larger roost feel safer out in the open (safety in numbers)? Or does it have to do with site availability? Are there more open/sparsely vegetated trees in the areas that were studied? Regarding the movement of flocks/roosts to the cities: In addition to the reasons listed in the video, are birds moving to the cities in response to habitat loss and degradation (have nowhere else to go)?
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I found the tag half-life information really interesting! I knew birds were banded/tagged with multiple IDs, but I always wondered how long the tags lasted. Is there any evidence that the birds (or other animals) eat the tags after they fall off? The colorful plastic bands remind me of the Pacific Ocean garbage patch and the unfortunate number of birds who eat or feed their chicks the caps and other debris thinking it's fish.
Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)