The Language Of Birding

Bird watching is like an addiction. Once you are hooked, there is no getting away from it. Since doing so is hopeless, you need to understand the terminology you will here.

The act of oiling refers pretty much to what it sounds like. It is the application of oil to the wings and feathers during preening or through water contact.

Air sacs are a section of a bird's respiratory system. They are attached to lungs and extend throughout the body cavity. Depending on the species, can temporarily store large amounts of air to cool the body and maximize oxygen intake.

Anting is a bizarre bird ritual. Many species will allow ants to crawl through their wings. The ants effectively preen the wings as they eat and store anything they find.

Paddling is a term that carries a different meaning than you might think. It does not refer to peddling through the water. Instead, it refers to stamping the ground to motivate food such as worms to pop up where they can be eaten.

When a female lays eggs, the resulting eggs are known as a clutch. It has no relation to vehicles. The number of eggs in the clutch depends on the bird.

Photoperiodism refers to the reaction of birds as well as other animals and plants to the changing amounts of sunlight in a day during the year. Breeding periods and migration are believed to be triggered by it.

Bird designated as dabblers are ones that sit on the water and tip down to eat food, whether plants or animals, below the surface. Ducks are classic dabblers.

Shearing is a flight specific activity to certain birds. It is the graceful act of dipping the edge of one wing into water and then slowly rotating to dipping the other tip while flying across the water.

When it comes to birds, their display is all about communication. The display involves positioning their body in such a way to convey meanings regarding territoriality, mating and such.

As you know, the legs of birds are odd. The tarsas is the element of the leg that is just below the leg and above the ankle. It is considered part of the ankle anatomy.

As with humans, bird drumming refers to a noise made by birds. It is typically done by males to attract females. The drums are often trees or other structure that produce a particular noise when knocked.

Twitchers do not refer to birds, but those of us that watch them. If you get head over heals about it, you can get very excited and even nervous about a new sighting. This is known as twitching and you are a twitcher!

The wattle is one of the easier markers on bird. It is the structure on the top of the head. It can be a comb, gathering of feathers or bone structure. Identify the wattle, and you are on your way to identifying the bird.

The most important thing about bird watching terms is to understand their place. They can help you understand what you are seeing, but should not divert you from the pure beauty of the sighting.

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