Re: New species found in Ecuador
andrew l rabin (andyrab@wam.umd.edu)
Wed, 1 Apr 1998 12:35:30 -0500 (EST)
On Wed, 1 Apr 1998, Rob Hilton wrote:
> Do these birds come above ground to breed every 17 years?
>
> Rob Hilton
> robert@csa.com
> Bethesda, MD.
--- Yes, and also whenever anyone requests Jethro Tull songs.
Andy Rabin
Gaithersburg, MD
andyrab@wam.umd.edu
>
> At 10:42 AM 4/1/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >Birds That Really Dig Their Environment
> >By Frank Knott ...New York Times April 1, 1998
> >
> >CORDILLERA DE HUACAMAYOS, Ecuador -- Dr. Avril Pioneer, working in the
> >mountainous area of Cordillera de Huacamayos, Ecuador has discovered a
> >colony of subterranean birds.
> >
> >The bird, newly named the flute-billed tunnel-hermit, apparently spends
> >almost it's entire life underground living on insects and worms.
> >
> >"It only ventures above ground when it's time to breed," said Dr.
> >Pioneer, speaking at a press conference in Quito. "The birds must gather
> >grass and plant fiber to line their nests."
> >
> >Dr. Pioneer has been studying birds and their behavior in Ecuador for
> >over ten years but only stumbled across the tunnel-hermit by accident
> >three months ago.
> >
> >"As is often the case," Pioneer explained, "the most important
> >discoveries are made serendipitously. I was trying to find the source of
> >some unusual vocalization and I literally dropped in on a colony of the
> >birds."
> >
> >The birds are supremely adapted to their life underground. Their beaks
> >are the size of a toothbrush and shaped like a long spade.
> >
> >Dr. Pioneer has discovered that they excavate their labyrinth of tunnels
> >by inserting their beaks into the earth and violently rotating their
> >entire body in a corkscrew manner by thrusts of their powerful legs.
> >Dislodged earth is propelled behind the bird at the same time where it
> >is scooped up by what Dr. Pioneer refers to as 'helper' birds and thrown
> >out of tunnel entrances.
> >
> >The extensive rains in the area quickly wash away this loose soil,
> >leaving no evidence of the burrowing activity.
> >
> >Dr. Pioneer described how sometimes birds would get stuck and have to be
> >pulled free by those behind.
> >
> >"The cooperative nature of the birds in the colony is astounding," Dr.
> >Pioneer said, "It far exceeds any previously documented behavior in the
> >bird world."
> >
> >The tunnel-hermit is flightless as might be expected.
> >
> >"They have very small, vestigial wings which we at first believed served
> >only to anchor birds when moving through the tunnel system. It was only
> >later that we were able to observe a male moving his wings along his
> >beak at the same time a beautiful, flute-like vocalization was emitted."
> >
> >"This was the same wonderous sound that first drew me to the area,"
> >explained Dr. Pioneer. "We have since had the opportunity to observe
> >tiny holes, spaced at regular intervals down both sides of the beak. The
> >melody is so dazzlingly beautiful and has such an incredible ephemeral
> >quality that we have informally called the song the 'Melody of Fools'."
> >--
> >Good Birding! ...and all this science,
> >Tyler Bell I don't understand, It's
> >mailto:bell@say.acnatsci.org just my job five days a week.
> >California, MD Elton John (Rocket Man)
> >http://www.anserc.org/
> >
> >
>