Dowitchers' prehensile bills

["Tomm Lorenzin" <skytomm@bellsouth.net>]

BTW... The New Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is the very first work
in which I have seen noted an observation I made some years back.  I was
scoping some dowitchers in the wetland behind Bodie Island Light (OBX, NC -
north of Oregon Inlet and the Pea Island NWR), when I was SHOCKED to see a
bird wriggle and otherwise exercise the distal inch of both his upper and
lower mandibles.  WHAT A SIGHT! <G>  On page 25 of the aforementioned new
work:  "...when watching a flock of dowitchers it is often possible to see a
bird opening just the very tip of its bill; this dexterity allows these
birds to grab hold of prey deep in the mud."

7;^)
Tomm "je ne regrette rien" Lorenzin
Mooresville (Lake Norman), NC
Sky6Tomm9@6Bell9South.net or Tom6Lo9@6Microsoft9.com
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