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Re: The Red on Red-cockaded Woodpeckers
- To: "Paul Champlin" <skua99@hotmail.com>, <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: Re: The Red on Red-cockaded Woodpeckers
- From: "Gary Phillips" <walela@sccoast.net>
- Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 19:13:04 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
It's also been suggested that something similar may be at work in many
hummingbird species, with red being restricted to the throat where it can be
appropriately displayed or hidden.
In case any of y'all haven't heard this yet, the color red REALLY does
something for most of the "typical" hummers. And it's not restricted to a
sporty little male mesmerizing a lovely little lass, or intimidating a
would-be resource thief. The color red appears to have helped drive the
evolution of a number of "ornithophilus" flower species, some of which have
come to rely on hummers as their primary pollinators.
To quote The Fabulous Thunderbirds, "That's powerful stuff."
;-)
Gary Phillips
Conway, SC
Zone 8
walela@sccoast.net
"...where is the person, I ask, who, on observing this glittering fragment
of the rainbow, would not pause, admire, and turn his mind with
reverence..." (J. J. Audubon)
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Champlin <skua99@hotmail.com>
To: carolinabirds@duke.edu <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Date: Friday, February 08, 2002 3:35 PM
Subject: The Red on Red-cockaded Woodpeckers
>Hi Folks,
>
>YES! MORE on red on woodpeckers (gosh!). If you don’t want to read it… then
>DON”T.
>
>For 2 years I have worked with RCWs on a daily basis at the Savannah Rive
>Site in southern SC. I've observed that when there is a territorial dispute
>the Males and females flare their crests out. This is the only time you see
>the male’s slight red streak behind the eye (That is the "cockade"). They
do
>not tend to do this when pair bonding. They keep it hidden. It is being
>suggested (and may now be FWS policy… I have to check) not to use red leg
>bands on this species since it may act as a catalyst for disputes within
>clusters (Cluster: the terminology that replaced "colony"). Thirdly: It's
my
>observation that clusters that have male birds with sap on their heads (and
>so show red on a semi-perm. basis) tend to be more vocally active. This
>could be a result of this offensive device being unintentionally
advertised.
>I'll soon be leaving RCW management for multiple-species research here on
>site but am happy that the last 2 years haven't been wasted.
>
>Paul Champlin
>New Ellenton, SC
>
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