Wild Earth Integration

Birds. They’re cute. They’re spunky. They’re probably eating from your feeders right now. Whether you live in a snowy climate right now (guilty) or not, chances are you’ve doled out some cash to feed the birds in your backyard. But what do you really know about your avian neighbors? Today on ‘Science with a Side of Awesome’, I give you 5 things worth knowing about the birds. (No, not the birds and the bees, you’ll have to figure that out for yourself.)

• Okay, so you’re probably not actively feeding this guy, but I had to include him because he’s just so awesome. And really, he will eat birds and rodents from your backyard, so indirectly, you’re feeding him. Along with having talons like nobody’s business, hawks have eyesight that is 8 times stronger than a human’s. Seriously, a hawk could read a newspaper from seven stories high. (If you are a hawk and reading this, congratulations on learning to read.)

• Birds don’t have diaphragms. You know what that means? They can’t get hiccups. Which really, is too bad, because I think they’d be hilarious to watch if they did.

• Many birds have hollow bones. Inside them are criss-crossing tresses which help support them. This helps keep the weight down so they can fly, but not get crushed easily.

• Have you ever noticed how birds reach their heads around and preen from the base of their tail? This is because there is a special gland there called a uropygial gland. This gland secretes oils, which help waterproof its feathers. A bird will rustle feathers at the base of its tail to collect some of the oil, then spread it all over its body.

• There isn’t a single blue feather in the world. No, I’m not just messing with you. The reason some birds look blue is that there are 2 optical illusions going on in your brain. Feathers that look blue to us are really showing off a series of deformed prisms and iridescence. And to think, those blue birds are probably walking around thinking they’ve got us all fooled…

If you’re a bird fan (and who isn’t, really?), one of my twitter pals @KerriFar has a lovely shop set up with all sorts of bird-related goodies. Pop on by here to check it out!

She also has a great blog at www.thesunriseofmylife.blogspot.com. Need incentive? Check out this gorgeous shot of hers!

That’s all for today. Happy Friday!

(Yes it’s a cheesy title, but who doesn’t like a little alliteration at the end of a long week?)

Here’s Gerry’s latest photo shoot. As you can see, he’s sporting his fashionable fur coat for the winter, and is thoroughly enjoying the snow. I thought it would be nice to devote a day to some science. No need to squirm – around here, the science comes with a side of awesome. The next time you’re sledding down a hill, making snow angels or doing donuts in a parking lot (come on, you love it) – here are some snow facts to get the neurons firing.

• The largest snowflake ever to be recorded was in Keogh, Montana. It was fifteen inches across. Seriously, that’s the size of a medium pizza. Mmm.. snow pizza.

• Snow could be a girl’s best friend. Like diamonds, snow is actually a mineral. Although you’d have to explain why your bling was melting.

• The colder it is, the more snow crunches underneath your feet. This is because ice grains rub together creating friction when you walk on them. Cold air makes for even more friction, which gives you more crunchies.

• Snow is about 95% trapped air. This is why snow forts are kind of warm – snow is a great insulator.

• There is a teeny particle of dust inside every snowflake. This can be volcanic ash or even a particle from outer space! Unless of course, you subscribe to the Seussian belief, in which there is a tiny Who-Ville inside every snowflake. I vote for that one.

And that’s a wrap! Enjoy your snowy Friday, my nature friends. Here’s a song to get you started. See you Monday!