This time of year is a bit slow. Migratory season is coming to an end and nesting season isn’t quite here yet. A lot of what is coming through my feeds looks all the same to me and it’s a bit uninspiring some days.
Are there any birds or topics you’d like to hear about?
You want more rare birds? There isn’t always much to say about them, since there aren’t many photos or facts, so I don’t always cover them much.
Got any anatomy or physiology questions? I like reading about flight, digestion, respiration, etc but most of you seem to enjoy more lighthearted things than technical, but I’m sure some of you have questions.
Is there just some particular owl you’d like to see more of? I usually post new things, but if you just want to see more of something special, I can browse the owl archives. Or is there a part of the world you’d like to know about. South America and Australia I’d say are the least covered recently.
Let me know!
We’ve covered eyes and ears a bunch. We did respiration and eye removal recently, which I found fascinating.
I did read an article recently about how the fact birds have hollow bones doesn’t necessarily make them lighter that I don’t think got shared here (or maybe someone linked it in a comment and then I read the whole thing?).
Maybe I can find some other organs they have or do something on feather growth or egg development. How their muscles attach to withstand the forces of flight is another thing I’ve been curious about.
Yeah, I wonder how their muscles work too. Not just owls, but birds in general, especially the ones that can fly for days.
Breathing is interesting too because it’s so different from humans. Or things like how do their feet stay warm? How do they get by when food is scarce? Do they have fat reserves? How long do they live? Can you fly with puffed-up feathers, or do you just get cold?
I could go on :) I know the detailed posts don’t seem to get as much love, but I appreciate them. I know how much work it can be. I think that kind of stuff tends to do better when it’s as short and simple as possible. Easier said than done:)
That bird had an amazing journey! 😮
I’ve covered Saw Whet fat reserves once before, they can lose up to 20% body weight in a single day of migration.
The why their legs don’t freeze off I just covered recently, and that was a fun one for me because I hadn’t known the answer to that one. Check that out here.
I try to keep in mind you all aren’t here for “owl school” and keep it brief, but I also want to give enough to hook you into it. But I’ll always link my sources so it’s all there for anyone who wants it!
Ooh eye removal? I missed that, gonna go look for it now, thanks!
Link