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Re: stunned towhee?




    I had a Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's-type thrush to smack into the front door
during fall migration a cpl of years ago. It was indeed stunned, and I
picked it up, studied it, then carried it around for about an hour as it
regained its wits (and motor skills.) When I released it, it flew
immediately into the most dense cover nearby, perched for a second looking
at me, then continued on its southward heading.
    I suppose flying into stuff headfirst at 25 mph or so would be enough to
knock any of us silly. Any volunteers?

Cheers,
Gary


Gary Phillips
Conway, SC
 Zone 8
axis1@sccoast.net
"Only under the condition of ordeal may I recover the sparrow." (Walker
Percy)
-----Original Message-----
From: shantanu phukan <phukan@email.unc.edu>
To: carolinabirds@duke.edu <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Date: Friday, March 30, 2001 1:07 PM
Subject: stunned towhee?


>I am hoping that one of you might be able to shed some light on a
>puzzling thing. THis morning while driving down Erwin Road in Durham I
>saw a male eastern towhee sitting on the edge of the road. Cars would
>zoom by and ruffle its feathers, but it would not move. Since it was
>dangerously close to the road I ran out and discovered that it was
>unbudgable. I approached it from the back and caught it in my hands.
>At this it put up a great deal of fuss and flapped its wings (until I
>cupped them) so vigorously that I can hardly believe they were broken.
>Its legs also seemed ok. I eventually took it to the Animal Shelter in
>Chapel Hill and they now have it. it seemed perfectly alert and its
>eyes were open. The lady there (Bonnie) speculated that it may have
>been knocked down and stunned. Does anyone have any explanations for
>this odd behaviour? I once experienced the same with a brown creeper,
>and remember hearing something about birds going into a stupor. Any
>thoughts?
>
>Shantanu Phukan
>Chapel Hill
>
>