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Dowitchers' prehensile bills
- To: "Listserv CarolinaBirds \(E-mail\)" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: Dowitchers' prehensile bills
- From: "Tomm Lorenzin" <skytomm@bellsouth.net>
- Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 19:58:30 -0400
- Importance: Normal
- Reply-To: <skytomm@bellsouth.net>
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
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
(remove numerals to use addresses)
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