A New Ballgame - Amateur Ornithology for the Masses
Starting a new thread here... The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has their Citizen-Science Gateway. It's a brilliant idea, and we
strongly suggest that you participate. But if that's not your cup of tea, why don't you follow along with us folks here at eBirdseed.com. (And for heaven's sake, don't think
amateurs can't make significant contributions to science, the natural sciences, and all things technical! Einstein was a lowly assistant patent clerk when he started to
unleash his theoretical physics unto the world... The Wright Brothers weren't engineers, but just bicycle mechanics... Bill Gates went to Harvard to study pre-law...)
Where to begin? Here's my thought... Given the advanced technology of the modern camera, I suggest that we take a shot (or shots) of a common bird, and break it (them) down. Let's see what we can figure out... I nominate the following as the first:
Alrighty then... What have we really got here? The books and the Web say that it is a Common Grackle (Order: Passeriformes; Family: Icteridae; Genus: Quiscalus; Species: Quiscula). Given the bright colorings, this is probably a male.
Yeah, it's the ubiquitous grackle... "Boring!" You say... But let's just see... If we start with the feet and the legs, it ain't so boring no more!
It's the Order (Passeriformes) that gives it away... This four-toed/foot rascal has a hind toe as long as the middle front toe. In fact, the feet are categorized as "anisodactyl". Put another way, these are classic grasping/perching birds. But what of those freaky scales on the legs and feet? Those are called "scutella", which basically means "bony plates".
Ok... I'm bored to tears. Maybe the following will perk things up a bit... Take a good look at the picture above of the leg of the grackle...
Now look at the picture below of a Harrier military jump jet...
If memory serves me correctly, the engineers who designed jets like the Harrier studied leg joints like this in both birds and insects to create the front landing gear of military aircraft such as the Harrier.
That's about it for today guys... Please note that now more than ever, we need your input. While "looking at the birds" has always been a hobby of mine, ornithology has not. (Read that... I'm gonna' need a hand!)
See you by the feeders, and bring your slide rule...
CapeCodAlan
And as always, thanks to the following resources:
Where to begin? Here's my thought... Given the advanced technology of the modern camera, I suggest that we take a shot (or shots) of a common bird, and break it (them) down. Let's see what we can figure out... I nominate the following as the first:
Alrighty then... What have we really got here? The books and the Web say that it is a Common Grackle (Order: Passeriformes; Family: Icteridae; Genus: Quiscalus; Species: Quiscula). Given the bright colorings, this is probably a male.
Yeah, it's the ubiquitous grackle... "Boring!" You say... But let's just see... If we start with the feet and the legs, it ain't so boring no more!
It's the Order (Passeriformes) that gives it away... This four-toed/foot rascal has a hind toe as long as the middle front toe. In fact, the feet are categorized as "anisodactyl". Put another way, these are classic grasping/perching birds. But what of those freaky scales on the legs and feet? Those are called "scutella", which basically means "bony plates".
Ok... I'm bored to tears. Maybe the following will perk things up a bit... Take a good look at the picture above of the leg of the grackle...
Now look at the picture below of a Harrier military jump jet...
If memory serves me correctly, the engineers who designed jets like the Harrier studied leg joints like this in both birds and insects to create the front landing gear of military aircraft such as the Harrier.
That's about it for today guys... Please note that now more than ever, we need your input. While "looking at the birds" has always been a hobby of mine, ornithology has not. (Read that... I'm gonna' need a hand!)
See you by the feeders, and bring your slide rule...
CapeCodAlan
And as always, thanks to the following resources:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wikipedia
- Audubon Society
- U.S. Geological Survey
- The National Audubon Society’s “The Sibley Guide to Birds”
- ”Birds Of North America” published by Golden
- ”Birds of New England” from Smithsonian Handbooks
- Chapman's "Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America"
- Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds"
- "Birdwatching" from publisher "Discovery Travel Adventures"