icy-roulette:

birdstoconsider:

they are these wonderful tiny predatory birds

With great camouflage for multiple environments

And lovely plumage dependent on their species

BUT BEST OF ALL IS THEIR MOUTHS, which look small then their beaks are closed (they’ve even got cute lil’ whiskers!)

BUT ARE ACTUALLY HUUUUGE

BEST BIRD

@sameboot @ladysindrak

baku:

b o i

HAVE YOU SEEN BIRDS.

twapa:

sitta-pusilla:

sitta-pusilla:

girlslikegirlsalmighty:

how do parrots talk that’s so scary

I have So Much to say about this topic

Now that I have time…

I like to ask people why they think it is that chimpanzees–our closest living relatives–can’t speak. Usually people say it’s because they’re not smart enough, but that isn’t quite the case. Many chimps (and other apes!) have been taught to associate words, and pictures with abstract concepts in laboratory settings. Koko the gorilla famously learned ASL! Now they don’t have a great grasp of syntax, so it isn’t an exact 1:1 language ratio, but a chimpanzee can work its way through a (rudimentary) sentence.

So why can’t they speak like us? It’s more of a physical incapability than a mental one. Humans have much more precise muscle control over the larynx, tongue, and all those other lovely mouth and throat organs responsible for producing the many differentiated sounds that make up human speech. It’s theorized that this precise muscle control and resulting ability to make so many differentiated sounds was a vital evolutionary precursor to us developing speech. An example from an old textbook of mine said if a chimpanzee tried to say “peanut butter” it would come out “eeeahhuhhheehhr”, just rough almost vowel noises.

That brings us to birds. Birds don’t have vocal chords or a larynx like us mammals, they have something way better!

Magic!

And also, a syrinx, which is their analogous vocal organ.

Fun Fact: vultures don’t have a syrinx, and the only sound they make is like rasping death.

Syrinxes can do all sorts of cool things. For example, birds can push air through either side of this organ at will, enabling them to make TWO UNRELATED noises at the same time! They can also change the tension in their bronchial membranes, which is the important factor in their ability to mimic human speech.

But you really only have to stick your head outside for a minute to know that birds can and do make a lot of cool noises. Imo, the how of birds mimicking human speech is a lot less interesting than the why.

We know that birds are very auditory(and visual, but that’s not relevant now). Birds are also highly social, and highly intelligent just like our chimp cousins. And since they have the ability to make all these different noises, they do just that to communicate. Birds sing, they make contact calls, they make begging calls, they make alarm calls, they chatter at each other to express mood and condition, etc. Some species of birds have names; both family names parents give to their young so they can recognize each other, and names specific to an individual. Family groups, and overall social structure is very important to birds, so they invest a lot of energy and brain space in maintaining those relationships–just like us.

So why do parrots talk? Well, parrots are among the most social and intelligent of a group of extremely social and intelligent animals. The reigning theory on why parrots so readily mimic human speech is –absent any other recognizable conspecifics–they become so desperate to connect to the other members of their flock, that they start to copy human noises in an attempt to communicate. This has mixed results. People like when their pets ‘talk’, so the bird succeeds in getting attention, affection, and probably a treat. But the question remains, are they getting what they actually want and need? Because at the end of the day, every single pet parrot is a captive bred (or outright stolen) wild animal capable of forming deep social bonds within their chosen family groups that is instead riding a tiny unicycle and singing a pop song because people think it’s ‘cute’ and ‘funny’.

(this last photo is meant to represent humanity’s relationship with the avian world, and my thoughts on parrot ownership)

For more on how bird brains and language acquisition work and how birds are basically superior to us in every way, I recommend “The Genius of Birds” by Jennifer Ackerman! http://www.jenniferackermanauthor.com/genius-ofbirds/

quilmos:

70% Leg, 30% Anger

30% Leg, 70% Seduction

30% Leg, 70% Determination

biologizeable:

Ah yes, the most Yikes of all birds, the Potoo

Potoos are nocturnal insectivores, like the closely related frogmouths and nightjars (below), which accounts for their soulless eyes and nightmare mouth (all the better to see/eat you with, my dear)

Furthermore, potoos can independently control their pupil dilation, to maximize incoming light and hunt effectively. They can also compress the feathers of their head and bulge out their eyes to see in a complete 360 degree rotation without moving their head. They are highly adapted to their lifestyle, and are formidable predators.

Of course, this sounds very impressive and cool in theory, but like hockey players trying to figure skate, in practice, it looks hilarious:

HOW BOUT THEM PEEPERS: For an animal that relies on camouflage to hunt and not be hunted, those eyes are anything but subtle. In keeping with their ongoing theme, potoos have once again dealt with this in yet another way that is hypothetically really cool, but makes them look like colossal dorks.

Potoos have two to three slits in their upper eyelid that always remain open, even when their eyelids are closed. With these openings, potoos can actually see objects coming from any direction with their eyes fully closed. AND YET THEY STILL LOOK RIDICULOUS

So, TL;DR: Potoos are murder dweebs. Like if Richard B. Riddick was played by Steve Buscemi.

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