On topic - but still on legs: retractable undercarriages in Fairy Martins

["calyptorhynchus ." <>]

I work on the tenth (highest) floor of the Sirius Building in Woden and from my desk have a fine view of Swallows swirling around the building and sometimes entering the structures on the roof (air conditioning plant I think) via rain-water spouts (presumably they have nests there). The birds which are not going to approach the nests have their undercarriage retracted as in Con's photo, but those that do have their feet out ready to land on the lip of the nest or wherever. Presumably it helps them slow too.

John Leonard

On 28 December 2015 at 17:01, Con Boekel <> wrote:

This morning I went to Forde Creek but found it to be, visually, crakeless.

 Deciding there was no use railing about this state of affairs, I started trying to take some piccies of the Fairy Martin aerialists in the vicinity.

One of the results is attached. When I studied the image, I noticed for the first time that the Fairy Martins tuck their legs under their feathers during flight. The legs cannot be seen.

regards

Con

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John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net

I want to be with the 9,999 other things.