Is there a name, poetical or scientific, for the outline left behind when a bird collides with a window? I have this vague remembering of there being such a word, but I can't find it online.
posted by RollingGreens
on Feb 10, 2013 -
7 answers
Woke up to
this bird squawking in my backyard in north central Texas. Obviously the video quality is not great, but can anybody help me identify it based on its call? Mississippi Kite? Hawk? And do they eat kitties?
For perspective, its on top of a 30ft bald cypress tree. It appears to be at least 18-24 inches from head to tail.
posted by punkfloyd
on Jan 12, 2013 -
12 answers
Which languages, if any, have the same word for "
beak" and "
mouth"? Or: which languages lack a specific word for referring only to a "beak" (aka the hard, pointy, front end of a
bird)?
posted by Greg Nog
on Dec 27, 2012 -
9 answers
Need help identifying a bird I saw today. I was driving along Jordan Lake, near Chapel Hill, NC. A large bird flying over the lake folded its wings in slightly, and glided down, in a slight partial spiral, to the lake surface and grabbed a fish. I'd guess I was about 200 feet away.
I've seen eagles and osprey at the lake. This bird was that size, with a very large wingspan.
Coloring: Appeared black; may have been dark brown.
Markings: White on the trailing underside of the wings, at least one-half the width of the wing, beginning at the body and continuing approx. 80 percent of the way to the wing tip. I didn't notice any other markings.
posted by justcorbly
on Aug 22, 2012 -
13 answers
What bird did I just see harrassing a squirrel in my Toronto backyard? (Sorry, I couldn't get a camera in time so I have just a verbal description, no picture).
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posted by maudlin
on Jun 25, 2012 -
5 answers
What kind of baby bird did we find in our backyard? Will it be OK? Are we doing the best thing for it by leaving it alone?
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posted by Geckwoistmeinauto
on May 20, 2012 -
9 answers
Trying to identify a (possibly migrating) bird by its call, which sounded like CHEE-fo-TEE-TEE. I heard it in southwest Pennsylvania in April. My attempt at mimicking the call is inside.
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posted by jocelmeow
on May 5, 2012 -
12 answers
After seeing the
Human Bird Wings video (
doesn't matter if it's real or not), I thought about
this TED Talk again. Are there any 3D programs/motion-capturing software that can map out that bird and its motion from the talk and convert a 3D model out of it? Then all you would have to do is scale it to human size and build it offline right?
posted by querty
on Mar 21, 2012 -
4 answers
Is an employer allowed to have pest control people in a grocery store, after hours, carrying bb guns and trying to shoot a trapped bird, while night shift employees are working?
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posted by newfers
on Feb 9, 2012 -
17 answers
Where did I read/hear about this in the last few months: Charles de Gaulle's last meal, which included a tiny bird eaten whole.
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posted by HeroZero
on Jan 27, 2012 -
10 answers
We are planning to get a couple of pet finches and I have a few questions: (1) what do people to use the line the bird cage if they don't get a newspaper at their house? (2) If I leave food and water, how long can finches be left home alone? a long weekend? a week-long trip? until the food runs out? and (3) is there any difference except color between the different common breeds for pet finches?
posted by metahawk
on Dec 16, 2011 -
7 answers
I work at an animal shelter and someone gave us white doves. There's a mom, dad, and son. Originally the son was very young and his feathers weren't grown in, so we kept them together. Now he is a young adult and both he & his dad are doing the "bow & coo" aggressive stance at each other. Should I separate him from his parents? I know doves shouldn't be alone, but they are getting territorial at this point, so what should we do?
posted by ktoad
on Nov 22, 2011 -
4 answers
A bird just crashed into my window and is in obvious distress and we're not sure what to do.
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posted by Kimberly
on Oct 14, 2011 -
31 answers
How can I scare away the crow who squawks in the middle of the night in the tree outside my bedroom?
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posted by evil_esto
on Oct 12, 2011 -
19 answers
Identify this dead
bird, please! It is a wee, greenish-yellow little thing that we assumed was a female goldfinch, but on closer inspection, maybe isn't?
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posted by hegemone
on Oct 5, 2011 -
13 answers
Can anyone identify this
bird with its chick and does anyone know the breed of this
guinea pig?
Both were photographed in the UK, but the bird was at a reserve that has birds from all over the world. I believe the guinea pig is a recognised UK breed.
posted by Quillcards
on May 21, 2011 -
5 answers
Do you have experience with treating mites on a pet bird? My friend has a lovebird and just discovered red mites (not many - fewer than a dozen). Does over-the-counter spray work? Should she be freaking out about having them in her carpet and potentially a house infestation? Any advice is appreciated!
posted by Ink-stained wretch
on May 14, 2011 -
2 answers
Birds (starlings, I think) are attacking my balcony planters. How can I A) get rid of them entirely or B) keep them out of my plants?
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posted by SirNovember
on May 10, 2011 -
7 answers
Need
bird identification. Location: Northern Virginia (Herndon area for those in the know). It's about 5"-ish long, maybe?
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posted by Concolora
on May 3, 2011 -
9 answers
A friend snapped a photo of this bird outside of their house near North Plains Oregon, and we're having trouble identifying it.
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posted by mattdini
on Apr 23, 2011 -
20 answers
Some bird built a nest in the center of the wreath hanging from our front door. Can the nest be saved by moving the wreath?
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posted by anastasiav
on Apr 12, 2011 -
13 answers
What bird (or bug or frog, but I think bird) made
this sound in my backyard last night? I live in western Mass.
posted by Camofrog
on Mar 19, 2011 -
6 answers
Should I steam or let this duck rest first? For game birds, I've usually pricked the skin, quick-poached it, then let it sit uncovered overnight to crisp up the skin before I roast it.
However, I've been using a new recipe for duck that calls for steaming it before you roast it (a wonderful recipe, btw). So the question is: should I let it sit overnight in the fridge
before I steam it or
after I steam it?
posted by digitalprimate
on Nov 24, 2010 -
2 answers
Anybody remember the name of an animated film from the 1990's about a bird that escaped from a cage? Was very detailed and colorful, with lots of intricate patterns and ornamentation on things. I think it aired on VH1 (back when it still played music) and was French Canadian based on the credits. Story was engaging and very easy to follow, although nobody spoke. Emotion and plot were conveyed strictly through music.
posted by Sal Monella
on Nov 8, 2010 -
3 answers
Yesterday, I was watching a bird trying to cross a street. It would start walking, and when a car came, it would freak out and fly back to where it started, then start walking again. This went on for a while. Why didn't it just fly over the road to the other side?
posted by reductiondesign
on Sep 21, 2010 -
15 answers
