Flight of Fancy
An idea, story, etc., that shows great imagination but is very unlikely to be true or practical.
There are so many astounding facts about birds it would be impossible to list them all. There are birds that have claws on the ends of their wings until they are old enough to fly. This means when they are young and vulnerable they can elude a predator by climbing up a tree. This also speaks to the idea that birds are descendants of dinosaurs.
There are birds that have a bill nearly as long as their body and birds that dye their feathers. Considering the diversity of birds, from their size, to their habits and color, it’s no wonder they seem magical at times. Let’s meet of few of these amazing birds.
Up, up and away. Let’s start with the California Condor. Their enormous wingspan, up to 9.5 feet, when viewed from a distance can make them appear to be small aircraft. Almost extinct in 1987 with a population of only 22, they have rebounded to over 400 thanks to a successful captive breeding program. Condors are the largest bird in North America and often fly up to 200 miles per day feeding on everything from squirrels to beached whales. They are also curious, playful birds often inspecting anything new they may find in their territory.
Don’t be so nosy. From the large to the small let’s take a look at the Sword-billed Hummingbird. Many famous people had large noses but none like this bird whose bill is nearly as long as its body. These tiny birds live in the Andean regions of South America and sport a bill that can grow to 4.7 inches, but their body is only around 5.5 inches long. If you’re feeling hungry be glad you’re not a hummingbird. The average person would have to eat around 285 pounds of meat per day to maintain their weight if they had the metabolism of a hummingbird!
I can see clearly now. Owls see around by moving their heads and can swivel it 180 degrees to see straight behind them. Oddly, they cannot swivel their eyes. Owls live on every continent except Antarctica. They are the stealth flyer in the bird kingdom due to the soft fringes on their wings that makes their flight essentially silent. Rodents consider this an unfair advantage. Owls vary greatly in size from the Elf Owl, around 5-6 inches to the Great Gray Owl, which grows up to 32 inches.
I can’t fly, but I sure can swim. Reaching speeds of 22 mph, the Gentoo Penguin is the fastest swimming bird in the world. Other penguins also display amazing characteristics. How long can you hold your breath? Emperor Penguins can stay under water for up to 18 minutes! The penguin’s classic tuxedo look is actually clever camouflage called countershading. From above their black backs help them blend into the darkness of the ocean while their white bellies help them blend into the ocean’s bright surface when view from below.
Roll the bones. The Bearded Vulture lives in the high mountainous areas of Southern Europe and the Alps. Their claim to fame is not only a unique diet of 79-90% bone and bone marrow, but that they dye their feathers with red soil which is believed to be a way to demonstrate dominance to other birds. The bearded vulture has learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them in flight to a height of 60 to 490 feet and then dropping them onto rocks below, smashing them into smaller pieces and exposing the nutritious marrow. Wild bearded vultures have an average lifespan of about 21 years, but some have lived for up to 45 years in captivity!
Size matters. No bird is taller, heavier or larger than the ostrich. Ostriches can reach up to 9 ft. tall and weigh up to 350 lbs.! Their eyes are bigger than any other land animals’ and are even larger than their brain. Better to see you with my dear. Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand to ignore danger. But they have been spotted lying on the ground with their long neck stretched out flat as if they wanted to hide.
I’m not sure I’ll ever settle down. The Sooty Tern spends more time in the air than any other bird on earth. It will take off over the ocean and fly for at least 3 years without settling on water or land. Swifts are another bird that spends most of its life in the air and will even sleep in the air by gliding on air currents with their wings outstretched. They are also speedy, level cruising at speeds up to 70 mph.
Symbol of America. The Bald Eagle holds the record for the largest tree nest of all birds, measuring about 10 ft. in diameter. The largest nest ever found weighed close to 3 tons! One the reasons their nests are so enormous is that they keep the same nest, adding to it every year. Bald Eagles will usually choose an isolated area, building their nest high in the tree sometimes 80-110 feet up. That’s equal to a ten-story building!
Gone, gone, gone. Believe it or not, before 1840, there were literally billions of Passenger Pigeons in North America. They were slaughtered for food until only one was left, a female called Martha. She died when she was 12 years old in 1914, in a zoo in Ohio. Many other species are under dire threat. It is estimated that currently eleven percent of the world’s bird species are endangered. Some of the reasons? Human activity such as draining wetlands and felling forests, pollution, domestic cats, building and window strikes, and pesticides.
Love pink. Looking like it stepped out of Alice in Wonderland, the Roseate Spoonbill is aptly named. Even beginning birders should have little difficulty identifying this spectacular bird. With its large, shocking-pink plumage and an enormous spoon-shaped bill this bird gets its name from its feeding habit. Spoonbills use their long, curiously-shaped bill to catch prey almost entirely by the sense of touch. They wade through shallow waters with their bill tips (the “spoon”) slightly open, heads swaying from side to side, ready to snap their bills shut when they feel prey like fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Ross A. Feldner, RCC Board Member
Ross Feldner is the lead, with Bob Musil, of the RCC Bird Watch and Wonder Program. Ross is a life-long birder and photographer who is the editor of the Friends of Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge newsletter. Ross also serves as a guide at the Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge, a frequent birding spot for Rachel Carson who first learned about the health effects of DDT at the laboratory there. He is also the owner/art director of New Age Graphics, a full-service graphic design firm in Wheaton, MD.
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