Thanks to Rick for pointing out the digestive tract length of Yellow-rumped Warblers! (Tree Swallows apparently also share this trait of having relatively long intestines.) Yellow-rumped Warblers have several other cold-weather digestive adaptations, including the ability to reflux vegetation back into their gizzards, thus effectively digesting it twice. I have posted examples of a few other adaptations on my blog entry for today along with a photo of our first banded Yellow-rumped Warbler of the day.
http://dantallmansbirdblog.blogspot.com/ dan On Thu, Apr 21, 2011 at 9:39 PM, Rick Hoyme <[email protected]> wrote: > The Yellow-Rumps have the longest digestive track of any of our warblers > which is required in order to be able to digest seeds and extract energy > from them. They also supplement the seeds with any early bugs and small > worms they find. Since most of the insectivores haven't arrived back yet, > there is less competition for what meat is around. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Holly > Peirson > Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 9:41 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [mou-net] yellow-rump at suet feeder--hennepin county > > These little guys (and gals) are omnivores, and generalists. That's why > they > are so common and can come earlier than many other migrants. They don't > need > to wait for the caterpillars and inch worms and other like food. I have had > them eating suet in many of the colder springs. You may also find them > eating last year's flower seeds just like a goldfinch or chickadee. > > That's why we see Tree Swallows earlier than other swallows, too. > > Holly Peirson > SE Anoka Co. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > [email protected] > Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 8:30 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [mou-net] yellow-rump at suet feeder--hennepin county > > This is new for me! A yellow-rump was chased away from a hanging suet > feeder by a nuthatch the first few times it tried to land. When the > nuthatch left, the warbler returned and has come back several times since > to pick at the suet. > Jan Wicklund > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > -- Dan or Erika Tallman Northfield, Minnesota http://sites.google.com/site/tallmanorum http://dantallmansbirdblog.blogspot.com http://picasaweb.google.com/danerika [email protected] ".... the best shod travel with wet feet" "Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes ...."--Thoreau ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
