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Noisy Friarbird - WHY BARE HEADS AND BILL KNOBS?

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Subject: Noisy Friarbird - WHY BARE HEADS AND BILL KNOBS?
From:
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:07:58 +1000
"Philip Veerman in his "Canberra Birds: a report on the first 18 years of 
the garden bird survey". He suggests they have to leave Canberra for the 
winter because of their lack of head feathers -
exposing them to cold."

Well, that's a first for me!

I'm sure there are more practical reasons for leaving honeyeaters 
Canberra, probably the same reason most Yellow-faced Honeyeaters leave the 
high country and migrate north.

In regards lack of head feathers, I suggest it's all about feeding in 
blossom with high volumes of nectar.  The knob, and the associated 
depressions either side of the knob, are also wonderful collectors of 
pollen ensuring cross pollination as birds move between plants. 

Ten or so years ago I was collecting pollen samples from birds captured in 
coastal heathland on the NSW north coast.  Pollen collected in and around 
the nostrils of most birds and over the head an chin feathers but 
friarbirds would have a virtual reservoir of yellow pollen at the base of 
their knob.

Hope that helps.

David Geering





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