Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
birds to their nests to find eggs and young birds. Crows also catch fish on their own, eat
from outdoor dog dishes, and take fruit from trees.
EATING ON THE WING
The Common Nighthawk
is specialized for taking insects in flight. It has an ex-
tremely small beak that is loosely attached to its huge, soft mouth. It opens its mouth
wide and flies at moths and other flying insects, which go straight down the throat and
esophagus without the bird stopping to swallow. But when the bird is on the ground, the
most succulent bug could walk right past without being eaten: the bill is too small and
frail,andthevestigialtonguetoofarback,foreventhehungriestnighthawktopickitup.
When I was a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, I specialized in nighthawk care. To feed
these birds when they first came to me, I'd have to very gently tease open the mouth,
place mealworms or a special food mash in the back of the mouth, and stroke the throat
to help get it down. After a few days, birds would run up to me with their mouths wide
open to be fed, but they usually needed several days more to be able to swallow items
without help. The wonderful adaptations that allow them to so successfully catch insects
on the wing, limit their abilities to eat anything else.
WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BIRDBRAIN?
Here are some examples
of ways in which birds are smarter than many people think.
In the wild, jays and crows can recollect when, where, and what food they've stored.
Several species of birds, including nuthatches, have been observed using tools. Brown-
headed Nuthatches in the Southeast have been documented using pieces of pine bark to
pryoffotherflakesofbark,torevealinsectsbeneath.PygmyNuthatchesintheWesthave
been documented using a twig to probe crevices of a pine in search of insects.
