Trivia question for Aug-24-2011

Carter likes birds and he found these guys to be interesting.  These birds are a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia (a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighboring islands in the Pacific Ocean).

This heron is migratory in the northernmost part of its range, but otherwise resident (even in the cold Patagonia). The North American population winters in Mexico, the southern United States, Central America, and the West Indies, and the Old World birds winter in tropical Africa and southern Asia.

So here are Carter’s questions:  Tell us what kind of bird this is and why the tips of their feathers crumble into a powder?  Also, tell us why the parent of these birds always ‘bows’ to its young before feeding them?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Patricia from Antequera City in Spain for being the first with the correct answer. The bird we featured is the Black-Crowned Night Heron. The Black-crowned Night Heron commonly abbreviated to just Night Heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world.

Herons have special feathers whose tips crumble into a powder.  They spread this over their plumage to keep it water repellent and to absorb greasy deposits.  A night heron parent always bows to its young before feeding them, showing its black crown and raising long white neck feathers.  If parents fail to greet them, the chicks see them as a threat and attack them.  Here is more on these smart birds: Black-Crowned Night Heron

Thanks for playing along 😉