432.Which bird in the United States has the largest tail?
Many birds haveextremely long tail feathers, both in proportion to their bodies and in actuallength. The ring-necked pheasant, brought to American from Europe andnaturalized, has the longest tail feathers. Its relative, the goldenpheasant, often raised by pheasant fanciers, has an even longer tail. Of the native birds,the wild turkey has the longest tail feathers while thescissor-tailed flycatcher has the longest in relation to its body length. Inall these instances, it is the male bird of the species that shows the extremelength of the retrices.
Many birds haveextremely long tail feathers, both in proportion to their bodies and in actuallength. The ring-necked pheasant, brought to American from Europe andnaturalized, has the longest tail feathers. Its relative, the goldenpheasant, often raised by pheasant fanciers, has an even longer tail. Of the native birds,the wild turkey has the longest tail feathers while thescissor-tailed flycatcher has the longest in relation to its body length. Inall these instances, it is the male bird of the species that shows the extremelength of the retrices.
435. How do birds with extremely long tailssuch as the pheasant or very broad tails like those of the turkey controlthem?
Among the multitude ofskin muscles of a bird are many that control the tail making instantaneous workof extreme adjustment whether tilting, fanning or contraction.
Among the multitude ofskin muscles of a bird are many that control the tail making instantaneous workof extreme adjustment whether tilting, fanning or contraction.
365. Is it true that some birds produce musical sounds with their wingfeathers?
Goldeneye ducks areoften called whistlers by hunters because of the whistling sounds produced bytheir wing feathers as they fly. Similar sounds are produced by the wingfeathers of other birds, among them mourning doves, as they fly.
Many birds producesounds deliberately with their wing feather. Among such birds are theruffled grouse, which makes booming sounds, turkeys that make clicking sounds,and woodcock, which, with wing feathers having special development, plungedownward through the night, causing the air to whistle through them.
Goldeneye ducks areoften called whistlers by hunters because of the whistling sounds produced bytheir wing feathers as they fly. Similar sounds are produced by the wingfeathers of other birds, among them mourning doves, as they fly.
Many birds producesounds deliberately with their wing feather. Among such birds are theruffled grouse, which makes booming sounds, turkeys that make clicking sounds,and woodcock, which, with wing feathers having special development, plungedownward through the night, causing the air to whistle through them.
366. Does thesound made by the wing feathers serve any purpose?
The sounds produced bythe wing feathers of grouse, turkeys and woodcock all play a part in courtshipactivities.
The sounds produced bythe wing feathers of grouse, turkeys and woodcock all play a part in courtshipactivities.
NOTE: This post isdedicated to my mother, Joan Brown Roberts, who really loved the wild turkeys wholived in her meadow in Tuxedo Park, New York and made us love and appreciatethem also. Here's one (link).
From: 1001 Questions Answered About Birds by Allan D.Cruickshank and Helen G. Cruickshank (Toronto, General Publishing Company,1958)
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