Different chat day this week! – It’s a bird conspiracy: Those crows you hear cawing every time you go outside may be holding a grudge against you personally. It turns out they recognize individual human faces and hold a grudge for years against anyone who has treated them badly. But if they like you, they may touch you with a feather.
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They ride the wind! – As spring arrives (slowly in some places), we are starting to see the return of our favorite birds and butterflies. Researchers are studying how these tiny creatures are able to make long-distance migrations for thousands of miles in the fall, then make it all the way back in the spring. It turns out they choose a wind stream that is going their way.
These insect migrants have a compass sense that enables them to select winds which will take them in their chosen direction, and to travel at speeds of up to 100 mph. The fast speeds of winds aloft mean that insects travel more-or-less downwind, but they make subtle adjustments along the way so that they partially correct for wind-induced drift away from the direction they want to go.read more
Some feminists wear feathers – It’s the time of year when birds are flying south for the winter. Scientists have learned that female birds in species that breed in groups (such as Purple Martins) not only indulge in sex orgies with many different males, they are the feminists of the bird world and can find themselves under pressure to sexually show off and evolve the same kinds of embellishments, like fanciful tail feathers or chest-puffing courtship dances, as the males around them do.
Ornithologist irby Lovette says, “We’ve known it happens with females in some specialized cases, but it’s probably more widespread than we ever realized before.”
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In order to avoid the flu, we should all wash our hands often. Birds do the equivalent of this by adding material to their nests that repels germs.
In LiveScience.com., Stephan Reebs reports that some birds add bits of strong-smelling plants, such as lavender or mint, to their nests. These may act as pesticides that protect the hatchlings from fleas and other insects.
We’re one of the first places on the internet that reported the truth, rather than hysteria, about the Swine Flu epidemic and told you what to do to protect yourself from it. If you want the truth at the edge, keep coming to unknowncountry.com. And if you don’t want us to expire (from insects or just from neglect), be sure to help us build a strong nest: Subscribe today!
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