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Not In Kansas Any More

This beautiful bird looks like it’s from somewhere like Costa Rica, doesn’t it?

It is. :)

Click to Enlarge

But I took these shots in Kansas. So what’s up? These birds come to the southern Midwest in summer to breed. In fact they’re a familiar sight from spring to fall.

We tend to think songbirds that breed here like this are ours. That they just visit the tropics like retired people from Muskogee. But in fact Central America is home. So why do they migrate? Why are they here?

It’s not hard to see why a tropical species like this heads south during the harsh Midwestern winter. Not so obvious is why they would leave the lush, abundant rain forests of Central and South America in the first place. And end up in Kansas?

Ornithologists are a bit baffled by it themselves.

Well I’m no ornithologist but I do have some experience with Kansas. And I think I know why they prefer Kansas to Costa Rica during breeding season. Kind of obvious really.  It’s just a nice place to raise a family. : )

Hover to discover

Distinguishing Marks: OMG. Graceful, yellow-white tail. Black wings with red below. Beautiful. But still an ornery flycatcher.

Boring Fact: This bird puts on a spectacular courtship show in the spring: a flight with dramatic dives, graceful turns, and even somersaults.

White Turkeys Can't Fly

But wild turkeys can. 

A few hundred yards anyway. Sometimes they have to get a run at it, but those big wings and breast muscles lift them well enough for a short glide to safety. True, they’re not going to rack up many air miles that way. But it’s better than being dinner.

So why do you keep hearing they can’t fly? Because white turkeys can’t that’s why. You know. The ones with the big drumsticks? They’re bred for meat, not amplitude. They’re musclebound.

And misunderstood. They’re not nearly as dumb as we're told. According to Farm Sanctuary, this is a myth designed to make us feel less guilty. (But if you do, you can donate $30 to save a turkey’s life, made possible in part by Tofurkey.)

This all kind of reminds me of Dodos. Body too big. Wings too small. Seemingly not too bright. Fortunately they had no predators on Mauritius. Unless you count sailors(who unfortunately didn’t have Tofurkey back then.) When they arrived, they were astonished the birds didn’t try to get away. Even from a clubbing. The sailors thought this behavior foolish. So foolish in fact they became convinced the birds were about the dumbest thing they’d ever seen. As a result they started calling them dodos and dodo-heads. Sadly for the bird’s reputation, the name stuck and we call them that to this very day.

 

Thanks Suazanne for the photo.

Bird-nerd-word of the day: Chalazae

Chalazae [Ka-LAY-zee]

You know those white puffy strands when you crack open a chicken egg?  The ones that look sort of like disgusting little jelly fish? They’re called Chalazae. One Chalaza [Ka-LAY-za] each side of the yolk. They connect it to the shell like ropes. I’ve tried to ignore them most of my life. :)

Come to find out, though, no chalazae, no birds. Who knew?

They suspend the yolk in albumen for one thing to keep it from settling to the bottom. They also keep the yolk right side up. Bet you didn’t know it had a right side to be up did you? Me either. But on top is a little disk of cells. For that to grow into a bird it has to stay on top. Roll it over? It’s over. So to speak. :) The Chalazae twist so when the egg rolls the yolk doesn’t.

Pretty important stuff. For birds anyway.

Kind of too bad we don’t have something like that. Think about it. Every single bird that hatches knows from day one which end is up. :)