Unusual Eats

Summary: “You eat like a bird!” We’re sure you’ve heard this before and may have even said it, but if you knew what we know, you’d probably never say it again! Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they talk about some of the strange things birds eat!

 

For our hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.

 

Show Notes:

“Cassowaries: Crucial to Rainforest Ecology,” The University of Waikato, https:blog.waikato.ac.nz/bioblog/2009/12/cassowaries-crucial-to-rainfor/

www.allaboutbirds.org

American Bird Conservancy, https://abcbirds.org

Our email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions:  [e-mail]

 

Cheryl: Intro

         Have you ever heard the expression “You eat like a bird.”  What did that really mean?  I personally never got it, but I heard many times.  If the person who coined that phrase really knew what birds ate, I don’t think that it would have been said at the dinner table.  Today let’s look at the weird things’ birds eat and a little about how they do it.

         So, there’s the Phainopepla that consumes mistletoe berries, and a lot of them; this bird can do this because they have a specialized digestive tract to accommodate this particular berry.  Then there is the American Robin, that changes it digestive system to be able to adjust to the transition from protein-rich invertebrates in spring and summer to fruits and berries in winter.

         Kiersten:  Worm-Eating Warbler

This warbler is small, rather drab in color with a black and buffy head stripes on its flat head.  This flat head helps it to get into all the nooks and crannies of the forest floor where it consumes caterpillars and slugs, insect larvae but not earth worms like the name suggest.  This warbler has a beautiful song that helps it live up to the warbler part of its name even if its drab in color.

         Cheryl: Shore birds and Sapsuckers

         Birds like the Black-necked Stilt, and the American Avocet are shore birds that eat mollusks such as clams, oysters, snails, and slugs found in the muddy water along the edges of creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds and irrigated fields and agricultural fields.

         Then there are birds that feed on the mucus of plants and trees, namely sap.  These birds are woodpeckers, waxwings, kinglets, and warblers which all have a component of sap/mucus in their diet.

         Kiersten: Red-tail Hawk and Great Horned Owl

         Rattlesnakes and Red-tail hawks, two very capable predators, but if an adult red-tail hawk locates a rattlesnake out in the open, it’s a dead snake crawling.  Rattlesnakes are a favorite meal for this hawk.   Red-tail hawk doesn’t sneak up on a rattlesnake, if it did that it would actually give the rattler the advantage.  Instead, the hawk flies down and perches right in front of the snake.  There by taking the lead in what is often called the “dance of death.”

• The hawk will fan out its feathers, exhibiting its 5 ft wing span.
• In response, the rattlesnake will rattle it’s tail in a warning, and will puff up to look bigger and more formidable. This might work.
• If not, the hawk will then hop or walk around, essentially trying to divert the snake’s attention.
• This will likely trigger the rattlesnake to snap open its mouth and display it 5-7” long fangs, and with the coiling motion, it will lunge forward.
• Then the hawk hops onto the snake and end the snake’s life. Red-tail hawks don’t eat the head of the snake therefore avoiding ingesting any venom.

Great Horned Owls have excellent night vision and a poor sense of smell, which helps it deal with one of its favorite meals- skunk.  So, when you are ou