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The Crow: The Most Intelligent – The Most Useful?

Yellow Magpie — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:27:53 +0000

They are often looked down upon. Throughout our history we have wrongly associated them with evil, the devil and being pests. But our understanding of crows is slowly starting to change.

Finally, we are beginning to see crows as fellow animals whose intelligence leaves dogs in the shade.

There are many types of crows. Ravens, rooks, and Jackdaws are just some that are familiar to us.

Amazing Intelligence

Crows possess remarkable brain-power although few people realise just how smart these animals can be.

They can fashion tools without any prior instruction. In Israel the Wild hooded crow has learned how to catch fish by using crumbs as bait. They possess amazing memories and can recognise individual people even after having not seen them for several years.

New Caledonian Crows

When it comes to constructing tools, the New Caledonian Crow leads the way. This bird is regarded by scientists as the only animal besides humans who modifies tools that they have created. These birds have been observed making tools out of objects that they have never encountered before. Such as fastening wires into hooks.

Caledonian crows are also one of the few animals that use tools to gather other tools to achieve a purpose, usually the retrieval of food. Once such experiment that demonstrated this to great effect was conducted by Gavin Hunt and a team of researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeQppJmOWJA

The experiment consisted of two boxes. One contained food while the other a long stick. In addition, the crows were also given a shorter stick. To reach the food the crows had to use the short stick to retrieve the long stick.

Out of the seven crows who were given the task, six completed it successfully at the very first attempt.

Relationship With People

Crows, like parrots, can imitate sounds and have been taught to speak words and phrases. Some people even keep crows as pets.

Crows are often hunted and shot by people. In the United States there is a hunting season but crows can be killed if they are causing a nuisance or have been constituted as a health hazard. In the UK crows are also considered a pest and they can be shot after obtaining licences under certain conditions.

Crows could find themselves enjoying a more rewarding relationship with people as more of us discover just how intelligent these creatures truly are. However, the true seismic shift will probably occur when we realise how useful they can be to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhmZBMuZ6vE

Vital Statics

Crows can be as large as 60 centimetres (20 inches) in height as in the case of the Common Raven.
They can weigh one kg (2.2 lbs).
Crows usually live to be five years but some can live as long as 20 years. One captive grow was 59 years old before dying.
They are found in virtually all temperate climates with the exception of South America.

Highly Recommended Reading

Crow Country by Mark Cocker is a fascinating well-written read that will entertain as the author peers in the world of the crow.

You can obtain In Crow Country here from Amazon.

Amazon.co.uk
For people living in Ireland or the United Kingdom, you can access: In Crow Country.

Amazon.ca
For those who live in Canada, you can obtain: Crow Country here.

Amazon.de
For Germany: Crow Country.

Amazon.fr
For France: Crow Country.

Pigeons: Our Unjust Love Hate/Relationship With These Remarkable Birds

Yellow Magpie — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:16:33 +0000

We have a strange relationship with these creatures. Some of us adore them, others cannot tolerate them. They have been extremely good to us in the past – yet we eat them. Pigeons are still one of the most misunderstood of all animals and they also highlight our petty nature.

The Pigeon/Dove Misconception

There is a general belief that doves and pigeons are two distinct types of birds. In fact, the two terms are often used interchangeably. The most common pigeon, the Rock Pigeon, was called the Rock Dove up until recently. The old method of classification – that doves are larger while pigeons are smaller is also erroneous as many species break this rule.

Role During World Wars

Pigeons were used extensively during World War One and Two by both the Allies and the Germans. Homing pigeons were used because of their ability to find their way home and cover large distances. These homing pigeons would bring important information written on light paper. The paper would be rolled up and placed into a tube which was attached to the pigeon’s feet.

So valuable was the role of pigeons during those war years that 32 birds were selected to be recipients of the Dickin Medal.

A Feat Of Perfect Engineering

All pigeons are amazingly adapted but one species stands out. That is the racing variety of the Rock Pigeon or Rock Dove. They can fly for several hours at a constant speed in excess of 190 kilometres per hour (100 miles). What’s more they can travel these distances eating only 30 to 40 grams (roughly an ounce) of food.

The secret to accomplishing these feats is the pigeons’ very powerful breast muscle which accounts for up to one/third of their total body weight. Their bones are hollow and reinforced with criss-crossing fibres that offer great strength. Powering their bodies is an incredible heart that can pump blood in excess of 600 beats per minute during full flight.

One of the most amazing aspects of pigeons is their ability to navigate back home. It is thought that for short distances the pigeon uses landmarks to make its way home. While farther out different mechanisms are thought to be employed. Two theories have been put forward to explain this remarkable ability. One is that pigeons can read the position of the Sun while the other is that pigeons can read the Earth’s magnetic field and find their way home.

Recently it has come to light that different breeds of homing pigeons use different methods of navigation. In various experiments, pigeons’ ability to return home was affected. One group had difficulty returning after odours from the roost were eliminated using air conditioning. While other groups had difficulty returning after the length of day was artificially lengthened using lights.

These experiments show just how remarkable and varied pigeons truly are.

Monogamous Creatures

Pigeons are thought to be monogamous creatures. Once they select a partner they are mates for life. Although it must be noted that it is not unique for birds to be monogamous.

Seeing A Very Different World

The world that pigeons see is very different to the world that we see. Pigeons are tetrachromats which means they have four different filters or channels for processing images. Humans along with a select number of other mammals are trichromats.

The differences between the two are immense. Pigeons can see colours that we cannot perceive. They can even see ultra violet light which remains invisible to our eyes. But it is the immense range of colours that pigeons and tetrachromats can see that is mind-boggling. Normal trichromats can recognise roughly one million colours while tetrachromats can distinguish 100 million colours.

Some people may wonder why pigeons are so slow to react to traffic and they may mistakenly believe that the reason for this is that the bird is a bit dim. However, the truth is strangely different. We process visual information at about 24 frames per second. Pigeons though process at a far faster rate roughly 70 to 75 frames per second.

Therefore, what appears to be moving very quickly to us would appear to be moving quite slowly to a pigeon. If one placed a video screen in front of a pigeon and showed it a video – the pigeon would not see moving images only a quick moving slide show.

Vital Statistics

Pigeons can be up to 50 centimetres in length (21 inches) in the case of the Marquesan Imperial Pigeon. The smallest, the Dwarf fruit dove can be as small as ten centimetres in length (four inches).
The largest species can weigh up to four kilograms (nine lbs).
Pigeons can live to be as old as twenty years.
They are found in most places except dry deserts, the Arctic and Antarctica.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JtTZqX2kLc

Highly Recommended Get The Book Through Amazon

Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird by Andrew Blechman is a great read and provides a fascinating insight into the world of pigeons, why they are hated by some and how seriously some people take racing pigeons.

You can obtain Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird here from Amazon.

Amazon.co.uk
For people living in Ireland or the United Kingdom you can access Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled here.

Amazon.ca
For those living in Canada you can obtain Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird from here.

Amazon.de
For Germany: Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird.

Amazon.fr
For France: Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird.

The Parrot: Smart And Colourful Vocalist

Yellow Magpie — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:00:28 +0000

Easily the most famous of all birds, Parrots are one of the most prized pets. Yet, they are so much more than this. One of the animal kingdoms most intelligent creation, parrots have amazing vocal abilities matched only by their penchant to astonish us as in the case of Alex, one of the most famous parrots of all time.

Perhaps, aside from their amazing voices, the most compelling reason for our unique affinity with parrots is their incredibly bright colours. Names such as Rainbow lorikeet and Peach-faced lovebird do not do the birds justice, so are their beautiful displays.

Unnatural Colours

In fact, it was only until relatively recent that the nature of parrots’ features was understood. Previously it had been assumed that diet played a significant role in the colouration of parrot’s features. However, it has since been discovered that parrots have unique molecules not found in any other animal which give them bright and elaborate colours.

Kea: Scorned And Loved

Interesting most parrot species are green in colour. Perhaps one of the smartest and most fiendish species of parrot is New Zealand’s Kea. Which regularly terrorises people. Cars, bins and hikers have often fallen victim to this rather mischievous bird. The Kea’s intellectual capabilities matched with its incredibly strong beak make it quite a potent force.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAhzmULgoqI

The bird has been known to land on sheep and tear out the fat along its back. Although this does not cause the animal to die directly. Infection and blood loss may result in the sheep dying. Today the Kea is a protected species.

Nevertheless, this was not always the case and the bird was widely culled for its propensity to harm livestock and destructive behaviour. Though scorned by New Zealand locals the Kea is a magnet for tourist who cannot get enough of its idiosyncratic behaviours.

Tremendous Beaks

Unlike most birds, parrots can move both their upper and lower beaks. They generate up to 150 kg (350 lbs) of pressure per square inch and as a result can crack the hardest of objects. Parrots also have a surprising amount of taste buds for a bird in excess of 400 in some cases. Although this appears to be small in comparison to humans who have in excess of 10,000, other birds have as little as 30 or 40 taste buds.

This large amount of taste buds probably explains parrots affinity for sweet things as other birds probably have an insufficient amount of taste buds to detect the presence of sugar.

As of now, parrots have still to be observed imitating other birds or animals in the wild. Therefore, parrot imitation seems to be exclusive to captive birds.

Alex: The Smartest Of The Smartest

Alex, an African Grey, is thought to have been one of the smartest birds of all time. Taught by Dr Irene Pepperberg, by the time of his death in 2007, Alex could speak over 200 words and could use 50 sentences. Alex died prematurely at just 31 years of age. African-grey parrots have been known to live up to 80 years in captivity. A necropsy revealed that they bird was perfectly healthy.

His last words were ‘You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you.’

Vital Statistics

Parrots can be as small as 10 cm (three inches) in length as in the case of the Buff-faced pygmy or as tall as one metre (three feet) as is the Hyacinth Macaw.
They are found mainly in the warm tropics.
Some species of wild parrots can live to be up to 50 years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGOgs_UlEc

The Crane: Dancing Truth More Remarkable Than Myth

Yellow Magpie — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:30:43 +0000

They are strange creatures. With delicate, graceful necks, odd-shaped, ill-proportioned heads, and two black orbs, more resembling coals than eyes, they are unusual physical concoctions. Yet, this creature, this very animal has become an object of folklore and legend. The crane bird truly is more than the sum of its parts.

Cranes, almost more mythic than real, are one of the most remarkable of all avians.

Record Breakers

Cranes physiologically push the limits of the avian kingdom in all directions. They are the tallest of all flying birds. The Sarus crane is the tallest standing bird that is capable of flight. The crane bird are also the oldest known species of bird. A well documented leg bone fossil belonging to a Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) was found to be nine million years old.

The Eurasian crane (Grus grus) holds the altitude record for the species. Flying at just under 10,000 metres ( 32,000 feet), at this height it could comfortably fly over Mt Everest.

Adding further to the record setting species is the Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus). The Siberian crane ‘Wolf’ was, according to The Guinness Book of Records, the oldest recorded bird at 82 years of age. The bird resided at the International Crane Center in Wisconsin, United States.

Socially Complicated

Crane society is extremely complex. They are highly sociable animals which possess incredible long-term memories. Like humans, they are mostly monogamous. They have a rich language which utilises many gestures. In terms of parenting, cranes devote a substantial portion of their life raising their young.

Great Dancers

Cranes are perhaps the best choreographers in the bird kingdom. Their dancing is the most ornate and intricate of all the birds. It seems that dancing and elaborate courtship plays an important part in crane culture. In fact, their dancing seems to be infectious. Once one begins to dance everyone else joins in. Some cranes even use props whilst doing their elaborate dances. They pick up objects and toss them into the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAqcpMEoLa0

Myths And Legends

The crane’s choreographed dancing has even inspired man to do imitations. In bygone times crane dances were adopted by people as part of rituals. In ancient Asia, particularly in China and Japan, the crane dance was performed as part of a key ritual. There is even mention of Theseus celebrating the defeat of the Minotaur by dancing like a crane in the Greek legend. Perhaps even the plate-breaking Greek dancing ritual may be attributed to cranes tossing objects in the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4_UvHt-_do

There also interesting accounts of crane behaviour by Greek Observers that may or may not be true. Pliny the Elder noted that one crane would be employed on sentry duty allowing the others to sleep. The selected crane would hold a stone in one of its claws. The idea put forward by Pliny was that that if the crane fell asleep the stone would fall allowing the bird to awaken.

Endangered Species

Nowadays, the crane has been allocated to the endangered species list. Species such as Whooping cranes (Grus americana) have been saved through breeding programmes. In order to prevent crane chicks from becoming dependant on humans, ‘isolation rearing’ is practiced where cranes never see their human surrogate parents. Of the 15 recognised species of cranes, eight are placed on the endangered wildlife list.

Majestic Sights

One of the truly majestic birds, the crane has fascinated humans for generations with their complex and unusual behaviour. Thanks to the devotion of some dedicated people, they will continue to pique the interest for future generations to come.

Vital Statistics

Cranes are physically imposing. One of the tallest species, the Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) can reach heights of 2 metres (6 feet 7 inches).
Despite having an enormous wingspan of over 2.5 metres ( 8 feet 6 inches), cranes are incredibly light for their size weighing just over 7 kg (16 lbs).
Cranes can live up to 30 years in the wild. However, in captivity some cranes may live to be over 70 years of age.
They are found in most parts of the world with the exception of Antarctica and South America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYyLgpetelg

The Magpie: Coin Collecting Genuis Profile

Yellow Magpie — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:30:20 +0000

They are a common sight. Often found in gardens and roadside ditches, the Magpie is a highly interesting and supremely intelligent bird. The embodiment of ‘can-do’, they are perhaps the most adaptable of all avian species.

Magpies have always been held out as fascinating animals by humans. Steeped in folklore and myth, the magpie has become synonymous with thievery and the acquisition of bright, shiny objects.

Opportunist Partakers

Magpies, noted for their scavenging, are unsurprisingly omnivorous. They will eat almost anything edible. They have even been documented eating the young of other birds.

European Magpie

The black and white coloured European Magpie is both territorial and monogamous. They can lay as many as nine or even ten eggs in a nest. Interestingly, only one brood is usually reared with the exception of tragedy befalling them. Like many birds, the European Magpie likes to select tall trees to build its nest in safety. Their nests are often huge twig and clay structures measuring up to 3 metres (10 feet) across.

The European Magpie is able to recognise itself in a mirror. To date, this is the only known animal other than mammals to do so. Helmut Prior, a psychologist, conducted a experiment in which coloured markings were painted onto the magpie. These markings could only be seen in a mirror by the magpie. Once the magpie noticed the markings he tried to reach them with its claws and beak rather than trying to hit the mirror.

Man places huge emphasis upon self-recognition as an important test of intelligence. Magpies have relatively large brains in comparison to other birds. Their large brain-to-body ratio may explain how they, unlike other birds, can recognise themselves.

European Magpie Folklore

The European Magpie has a myriad of superstitions attached to it. Connotations of ill-luck, malady, misfortune and thievery are all associated with it. There is a tradition in Scotland of a magpie being present on the window of a house, foreshadowing the death of one of the house’s occupants. The Magpie is seen in many European countries as being a thief that steals anything bright and shiny including watches and jewellery.

The Norwegians seem to take an ambivalent approach with the Magpie. In Norway, like the rest of Europe, the bird is thought to be the embodiment of thievery and trickery, but on the positive side it is also associated with good weather.

Like the cat, the magpie, during the witch-hunts of the Middle Ages, fell victim to man’s ever-changing vicissitudes and became associated with the devil. Puritanical religion reduced Magpie numbers. (Yellow Magpie’s post on Cats explains the reasons behind this in detail if you are interested.)

Magpie Rhyme

The Magpie has left so much of an impression upon people that it even has a rhyme dedicated to it.

One for sorrow,

Two for joy,

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy,

Five for silver,

Six for gold,

Seven for a secret never to be told.

Black-Billed Magpie

The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a close relative of the European Magpie. One of the larger species of magpie, the bird can be over half a metre (23 inches) in length. The bird is found on the Western side of North America from Alaska all the way down to New Mexico. The Black-Billed Magpie is slightly more colourful than the European Magpie with larger areas of blue-green coloured feathers. The male is larger and heavier than the female.

Relationship With People

The Black-Billed Magpie is regarded as almost tame in many areas where they are not hunted. However, in areas in which they are still stalked they are unsurprisingly reticent. The magpie has had a troubled past when it has come into contact with people. In the early 20th century, the bird found itself being culled as it was thought to be reducing game-bird numbers.

Yellow-Billed Magpie

The Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli), which this website is named after, is almost an identical twin of the Black-Billed Magpie apart from it’s yellow beak. It has one of the shortest ranges of all the Magpie species and is found only in California. The Yellow-Billed Magpie is considered to be one of the most attractive of all the magpies amongst birdwatchers.

Fossil evidence suggests that the Yellow-billed Magpie become separated from other magpie species 3 or 4 million years ago. The period of isolation was long enough to prevent inter-species reproduction.

Chief Mourners

Interestingly, when a Yellow-Billed magpie dies other members of the flock exhibit mourning-like behaviour. This consists of other magpies flying towards the dead bird and emitting loud squawks for a sustained period of time. The makes it part of a highly select group of animals, which includes humans.

People still find magpies to be one of the most curious birds. Although clouded in superstition and myth, the magpie’s intelligence and keen eye for pretty objects mean that our curiosity is unlikely to diminish any time soon.

Vital Statistics

Magpies vary in height according to the species. The European Magpie (Pica pica) can be up to 50 cm (20 inches) in length.
Magpies can weigh over 2 kg (5 lbs).
Some magpies have been known to live over 30 years.
They are found in nearly all continents with the exception of Antarctica.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRVGA9zxXzk

The Albatross: The True Majestic King Of The Skies

Yellow Magpie — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:30:18 +0000

A large shadow casts its moving mark along the ground. Silently soaring in the heavens, a great expanse of white feather glides across the horizon. It seems to be in defiance. Stark, raw and untroubled, it appears to disregard the laws of physics as it steadfastly refuses to flap its wings.

Instead they lay fixed, rigid. The bird is unflinching, unyielding as it takes its place in the firmament. Not vaingloriously, but rightfully retaining its regal status of king of the skies. This sight we have called the Albatross.

Few birds can match the efficiency and enormous presence that the Albatross (Diomedea) possesses. One of the most majestic of birds, the albatross is both big and graceful.

Physically Imposing

The albatross is one of the most physically imposing of all birds. The largest of all the flying birds it is perhaps the closest animal to the extinct pterodactyls that roamed in the age of the Dinosaur.

There are officially twenty species recognised by scientists. Although there may be some other species as of yet unidentified. They feed mainly on fish, krill and squid.

Efficient Fliers

What makes the albatross so unique is the amount of time that they spend in the air. Not only do they fly far longer than other birds, they can spend up to a decade continuously flying. Scientists started tracking albatrosses in Hawaii in the late 90s. Since then it has been discovered that the bird can circle the globe in as little as two months.

What is of even more interest is that they often do not flap their wings for several days whilst staying airborne. In fact, the bird sleeps while flying, shutting off one half of its brain and then the other. It rotates brain activity in cycles as it sleeps.

Unlike most birds, the albatross does not fly high and does not rely on unpredictable thermals. Instead they fly low to the water and obtain lift as the wind is reflected upwards off waves. It is probably much more accurate to view the albatross as a glider rather than a flier. The only time that there is any frenetic beating of its wings is when it is taking off. Whilst airborne it mostly glides effortlessly over water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7LmuweBQlA

One of the key reasons why the albatross can stay airborne for so long is in its shoulders. It possesses a shoulder-lock tendon which keeps the wings in a fixed, fully-outstretched, position. This adaptation means that the bird wastes no energy in keeping its wings stretched open.

Remarkable Beaks

Another remarkable adaptation that albatrosses are endowed with are tube-like shafts that lead to very keen sense or scent organs. Unlike other large ‘tube-nosed’ birds (Procellariiformes ), their tubes run the length of their beaks.

In real terms, so keen is their sense of smell, because of these tubes, the albatross can hunt their prey from miles away. This also allows them to identify their both their young and nesting sites from afar and helps to explain how they locate their nest in a throng of thousands.

In some species, the tubes also allow them to visibly expel salt from their beaks. However, all albatrosses posses a gland which removes salt from their bodies in the form of a saline solution.

Although they are supreme conquerors of the skies, they are less than sure-footed when landing. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that they only land whilst breeding or fending for their young, quite seldom when you consider the amount of time they spend in flight.

Monogamists

When an albatross mates, they do so for life. They even have their own unique greetings when they rejoin after being separated.

Each parent takes turns obtaining food for the chick whilst the remaining parent sits on the nest. When feeding their young they either regurgitate solid food or, in the case of longer distanced flights, a concentrated, rich in protein, oil.

Fictitious Omens

It would be remiss of Yellow Magpie to not talk about the association between the albatross and the supposed bad luck they bring to sailors. This myth is mentioned in many books and online sources. However, the probable truth of the matter is that this was the creation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His poem, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, is a fictional account of the ills that a sailor suffers when he kills an albatross.

Soaring King Of The Skies

The albatross is one of the most majestic sights in the animal kingdom. Its huge size and graceful presence suggests that perhaps we are mistaken in our categorisation of big as always being clumsy and inefficient. For if these birds are defined, clumsy and inefficient will not be the words that are used.

Vital Statistics

The largest of the flying birds, the albatross can have a wingspan as large as 3.5 metres (11 feet) across as in the case of the Wandering Albatross.
They typically weigh up to 8 kg (18 lbs), although in some cases the chicks can be 12 kg (26 lbs), heavier than the parents. This is due to the need for fatty insulation to survive the harsh winters.
Albatrosses can live up to 50 years. Some have been recorded to be even older, at over 60 years.
They are typically found in the South Pacific, especially in New Zealand where up to 12 species reside, the South Atlantic and Antarctica.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUS8uQnx1VA

The Capercaillie: Aggression And Surprising Vocals

Yellow Magpie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:43 +0000

Strange sounds echo and reverberate throughout the woodlands. Drops of water can be heard permeating from the trees but strangely it has been dry for several weeks. People can be heard coughing and suffering from a cold, yet they cannot be seen.

One could be forgiven for thinking they are going mad. Welcome to the fascinating and strange world of the Capercaillie.

Capercaillies, also known as woodgrouse, are the wild equivalents of turkeys. Males create quit a stir with the loud calling and aggressive, fearless behaviour during courtship. It is for this reason, together with their elaborate tail feather that people go to so much rounds to protect the endangered animal.

Like peacocks, there are differences between the female hens and male cocks known as sexual dimorphism. The hen is roughly twice as small as the cock and she does not have the elaborate tail fan that the male possesses.

Unusual Vocal Abilities

Capercaillie is Gaelige for ‘forest house’ and this could be due to their sound. The male Capercaillie possesses the most unusual of vocal abilities. During spring its call mimics dripping water. During mating the males call simulates what can only be describes as wheezing, gurgling and something which sounds like the de-corking of a bottle of wine sounds associated with domesticity.

The females on the other hand emit a more subdued clucking.

Reintroduction and Scottish Extinction

In the late 18th Century Capercaillies became extinct in Britain because of deforestation and over-hunting. A reintroduction project was started in Scotland in the 1830s to restore a wild population using birds brought in from Sweden. Presently in Scotland there are roughly a thousand left in the wild.

Diet and Libido

Capercaillies have quite a varied diet that reflects their adaptability. Leaves, insects, berries and grasses make up the bulk of their food. In winter time, they devote their time feeding on conifer needles and buds in trees. To aid digestion they make use of stones called gastroliths which help to grind down the food.

The fact that the birds consume a large amount of blueberries, which is said to be an aphrodisiac, may account for their extremely high levels of testosterone and their aggressive behaviour shown during courtship. Often they will attack anything that moves including cars and people.

Fierce Mating Ritualisms

Capercaillie cocks are known for their fierce territorial aggression during mating session. In a ritualistic courtship display, the cock raises his tail feather and positions the rest of his body much like a stealth plane reaching for the skies. His beak points upwards and his wings are in a swepted-back position.

In Norway this ritual is called a lek which means to dance. The places that the cocks perform is called a lekking site. If there is more than one male the biggest cock gets the best territory. As the females only mate with the cock which has the best territory, mating becomes a winner-takes-all contest.

Vital Statistics

The largest member of the grouse family, Capercaillies can reach one metre (three feet) in length.
They can be as large as four kilogrammes (nine lbs) in weight.
Most capercaillie live four or five years, although one is on record as having lived over nine years.
Capercaillies are generally found in coniferous forests in central Asia and temperate, northern Europe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xSj5XcByuA

Yellow MagpieBirdsYellow Magpie »

The Crow: The Most Intelligent – The Most Useful?

New Caledonian Crows

Relationship With People

Vital Statics

Highly Recommended Reading

Pigeons: Our Unjust Love Hate/Relationship With These Remarkable Birds

Role During World Wars

A Feat Of Perfect Engineering

Monogamous Creatures

Seeing A Very Different World

Vital Statistics

Highly Recommended Get The Book Through Amazon

The Parrot: Smart And Colourful Vocalist

Unnatural Colours

Kea: Scorned And Loved

Tremendous Beaks

Alex: The Smartest Of The Smartest

Vital Statistics

Further Reading

The Crane: Dancing Truth More Remarkable Than Myth

Record Breakers

Socially Complicated

Great Dancers

Myths And Legends

Endangered Species

Majestic Sights

Vital Statistics

Further Reading

The Magpie: Coin Collecting Genuis Profile

Opportunist Partakers

European Magpie

European Magpie Folklore

Magpie Rhyme

Black-Billed Magpie

Relationship With People

Yellow-Billed Magpie

Chief Mourners

Vital Statistics

Further Reading

The Albatross: The True Majestic King Of The Skies

Physically Imposing

Efficient Fliers

Remarkable Beaks

Monogamists

Fictitious Omens

Soaring King Of The Skies

Vital Statistics

Further Reading

The Capercaillie: Aggression And Surprising Vocals

Unusual Vocal Abilities

Reintroduction and Scottish Extinction

Diet and Libido

Fierce Mating Ritualisms

Vital Statistics

Further Reading