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birds & advertising




This post may be considered a bit off-topic by some but I thought it worth
a few laughs, anyway.  We all need a chuckle now and then.

Twice this week I have been amused by a lack of knowledge of birds in
bird-related advertising that has landed in my hands.

The first example this week was in this month's _Bird Watcher's Digest_.
While I understand that BWD is not _The Auk_, I would still figure that BWD
readers are pretty savvy about birds, especially about typical feeder and
backyard birds.  There is an advertisement (so I would assume the content
of the advertisement is *not* within the control of BWD editorial staff) in
this month's BWD featuring a rarely encountered subspecies of American
Robin, Turdus migratorious mortis, known commonly as Dead American Robin,
perched happily on a birdfeeder filled with seed.  The picture is of a
poorly-prepared taxidermy model posed on a hopper-style feeder.  I don't
know about y'all, but I always put seed out for American Robins, in
particular poor taxidermy models with a hunk of feathers missing out of the
breast and glass eyes that are the wrong color.

The second example arrived in yesterday's mail.  On the front cover of one
of the many birdfeeding specialty catalogs I receive is a lovely picture of
a purple-blue bird feather laying on primary red autumn leaves.  The
combination of red and purple-blue and the difference in textures, etc.,
makes for quite a nice photo.  The leaves are IDed correctly as Red Maple.
The feather, however, is IDed as once belonging to a Stellar Jay.  Now I
will admit that I have a soft spot for corvids, so all jay species are
*stellar* jays to me.  Labelling it a "Stellar Jay" doesn't tell me
anything.  Given that the color and the barring matches that on Steller's
Jays that I have encountered out West, I have to think they meant
*Steller's* Jay, however.

Just some light (lite?) food for thought.

   
Donna Slyce Bailey		
Winnsboro, SC

e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com

URL:  http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
	Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina