A varied range of stories – from owls to nest boxes, to extinct birds – welcome to Week 49 of my Weekly Bird Wrap series!
If you missed last week’s episode, head over to this page.
The Fascinating Details On How Owls Hear In The Dark
“How do owls hunt in the dark?”
This topic is a question from my “Ask Neil” page.
Through a combination of large eyes and excellent hearing, owls have made the night their own.
On very dark nights, owls use their sense of hearing. An owl’s round face helps direct sound into the ear, basically giving it two enormous ears.
Owl relies on both the asymmetrical location of its ear openings — the left is higher than the right — and the feather patches that cover them. The patches aid in guiding sound to the ear openings.
Amazing wildlife story!
The Innovations Of Nest Boxes
There have been many innovations of nest boxes all around Australia. Some are made using timber but timber nest boxes lack better insulation capacity as compared to natural nest boxes.
People have been looking for better alternatives to work out their way to build nest boxes.
How Colours Affect Migrant Birds
Several recent studies revealed that migrating birds increase their flight altitude during the day compared to at night. This means migrant birds should have evolved lighter, more reflective plumage to avoid overheating. A new study shows that migratory bird species are indeed lighter colored.
The Sad Story Of The Paradise Parrot
100 years ago, a man discovered an exquisite parrot thought to be extinct. The exquisitely beautiful Paradise Parrot was rediscovered by Cyril Jerrard, a grazier from Gayndah in Queensland’s Burnett district, on 11 December 1921.
Today, the Paradise Parrot has the tragic status of extinction.
What do you do to prioritise bird welfare?
