Welcome back to another episode of The Weekly Bird Wrap by Neil Hermes where I recap some of the most amazing stories and facts about birds across the nation and from all over the world!
In this episode, I’ve got stories from all over Asia; Dinosaur and Modern Birds in Gobi Desert, Chile’s Migrant Birds and Asia’s Migrant Birds.
If you missed episode 05, head over to this page.
Dinosaur and Modern Birds in Gobi Desert
There is a lot to learn about modern birds just by looking at their ancestors: the dinosaurs.
In fact, in the year 1920 alone, scientists have found dinosaur eggs from a species of dinosaurs called Oviraptors that are very similar to the eggs of modern birds. One noticeable similarity is the way the young dinosaur has been wrapped up inside the egg. While there are similarities, one thing that scientists have noticed – dinosaurs seem to sit on their eggs differently compared to how modern birds do.
In 2021, the latest such discovery revealed an exquisitely preserved skeleton of an oviraptorosaur curled in its egg. Our group of scientists from Canada, China, and the United Kingdom led the study of this 70-million-year-old fossil from China, known as Baby Yingliang.
Bottom line: Scientists show how characteristics seen in the embryo of a dinosaur egg relate to birds found on Earth today.
Oviraptors are egg-laying raptors.
Chile’s Migrant Birds
As birds leave their North American breeding grounds each fall, some stop in Central America, others continue on to the Amazon Basin, but others go further still. About 40 species—Hudsonian Godwits, Whimbrels, Willets, Elegant Terns, Red Knots, and more—journey to Chile from as far away as California, New England, and Alaska.
On January 20, Chile’s undersecretary of the environment signed a new National Strategy for the Conservation of Birds, which—while not a law—offers a concrete plan through 2030 for both assessing the status of Chilean birds and protecting them across species and habitats.
This is definitely a first step towards establishing bird conservation as a national priority.
Migrant Birds in Asia
These incredible birds make round trip migrations of up to 26,000 kilometres each year between their summer breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere and their feeding areas in the south.
These trips are made in several weeks, with brief stops at staging sites along the way to rest and refuel for the next leg of their journey.
Norfolk Island Tour on September 02-09, 2022
Loved my bird tour content? Well, Nothing beats being there on the spot, watching the birds!
Join me and my brother, Michael Hermes on a personalised journey through Norfolk Island’s history, amazing wildlife, and stunning scenery drawing on the knowledge and memories from my time as a Norfolk Island National Parks Officer and Michael’s background as an archaeologist working in places such as the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and Queensland. You can book through this page.
I am very excited to see you all on this tour!
