birding-aus

Skylarks on wires

To: "'birding-aus'" <>
Subject: Skylarks on wires
From: "Philip Veerman" <>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2019 16:12:36 +1100

Quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lark   “Like many ground birds, most lark species have long hind claws, which are thought to provide stability while standing.“

 

The idea handed down from Anthea truly is amusing. I wonder how using a long hind toe would achieve a result and why it would be of benefit. If a bird’s nest is discovered or disturbed such that there would be benefit in moving, the most likely outcome is eggs / chicks will be eaten.

 

Philip

 

You must have had a very good education. My teachers wouldn’t have known a skylark from a sparrow!

 

John Leonard

 

 

On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 at 13:59 Anthea Fleming <> wrote:

In my schooldays, I was told that the Skylark's long back toe enabled the bird to move its eggs to a new nest-site, if the old one was discovered or disturbed.
 I have no idea if this is true.

Traditional version of the Skylark's song:
There's not a shoemaker on the earth
can make a shoe to me, to me!
Why so? why so? why so? why so?
Because my heel's as long's my toe!

Anthea Fleming


 

From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Sunday, 10 February, 2019 9:46 AM
To: 'Chris Gregory'; 'Philip Veerman'
Cc: 'birding-aus'
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Skylarks on wires

 

…………….. I came across one later while looking for a photo of a Skylark in colourful swamp-marsh growth, for a talk.  Werribee is a good place for Skylarks, perhaps the Australian headquarters.  I do also have a photo of a Skylark on a post.  Also on barbed wire showing its remarkably long hind-claws. So far as I can find in the books, the purpose of these is unknown. Perhaps someone on this list will know.

 

Geoffrey

 

 

 

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