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Re: Cardinal/Hummer alternative hypothesis



Paul:
I wanted to respond to your hypothesis.  It sounds good, however, the 
Cardinal caught a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird that had no "ruby" 
colored gorget.  The throat was white.

By the way, I too have seen three female Cardinals attack their reflected 
images in a mirror on three separate occasions over the years.  Two of these 
occasions ocurred in the parking lot at Everglades NP, and the third was 
here in Greenville, NC.

-Brad Carlson
Winterville, NC
BradCarlson1@hotmail.com


>From: "Paul Champlin" <skua99@hotmail.com>
>To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
>Subject: Cardinal/Hummer alternative hypothesis
>Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 13:46:59 -0400
>
>Hi Folks,
>
>reply to capito@hotmail.com
>
>Not much going on bird-wise in Aiken County, SC (a solitary sandpiper on 
>the
>Savannah River on Sat. w/bank and rough-winged swallows)...  So I figured
>I'd chime in on this one.
>
>I have often heard of male cardinals attacking anything red in defense of
>territories. They are most famous for attacking reflections in mirrors and
>windows, but have been known to attack red cars, signposts, mailboxes and
>even people wearing red. I have seen red-winged blackbirds do the same and
>we have even taken to avoiding the application of red color bands to
>red-cockaded woodpeckers due to the potential for that small bit of red
>causing disturbance during the breeding season. So here's my...
>
>Alternate hypothesis: The adult male northern cardinal, encountering a
>bright red object during the breeding season, attacked (the hummers gorget)
>in defense of his territory.
>
>The fact that the bird carried off the hummer may point in another
>direction, but the above has pretty good potential.
>
>Along the lines of alternate foraging theory I remember a fish-provisioning
>study of belted kingfishers in western Massachusetts. The researcher put 
>out
>tubs of minnows in hopes that the kingfishers would have an easier time
>getting food for the chicks. Well the kingfishers didn’t have a chance.
>American robins, red-winged blackbirds and common grackles, perching on the
>tubs rim, ate the 50+ fish before half of a day went by. there were only 10
>or so fishing birds.
>
>Yum
>
>Paul Champlin
>New Ellenton, SC
>
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