[Birdtalk] Re: Gadwall or What?

[Doug Roberts]

Thanks, Kris!
Doug




----- Original Message ----
From: Kristin Purdy <kristinpurdy at comcast.net>
To: Doug Roberts <djrob1943 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 9:56:29 AM
Subject: Gadwall or What?

Doug,

Once a Gadwall, always a Gadwall...

Your instincts are right on with ID'ing this bird as a Gadwall. The reason 
the bird's head doesn't look puffy is because he's very alert and somewhat 
alarmed as he looks at you. He's dealing with his stay-or-flee instinct. The 
gadwall's puffy head is a feature of the feathers, not of the flesh or 
skeleton. Birds have a small muscle in the skin at the base of each feather 
which allows them to puff the feathers out or slick them down. They hold the 
feathers close to the body in alert postures and fluff them out in displays, 
when cold (to trap more air between the layers) and when relaxed.

Kris 


      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdtalk/attachments/20080730/43b04861/attachment.htm