Bright Side of the Night – 2.2.2

Birds

Winged Friends

Many birds tend to be diurnal. While they have to turn their heads to locate sound, they see extremely well, picking up signals in the ultraviolet (UV), mid-spectral, and long-wave ranges. Color perception depends on the species and is important for communication and social interaction. Some species, especially migratory birds, even sense the earth’s magnetic field.

Nightingale

According to its name, the nightingale is a “night singer”. The song is particularly cherished by humans. Nightingale’s extensive repertoire of melodic patterns is almost unique among European songbirds. In many folk traditions, the bird is a symbol of love, and its song is considered to alleviate pain and to help the sick to recover. Only males sing, starting at around 23.00 hours in the evening and singing through the night. Once a mating partner has been found, the singing stops. The nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a migratory bird, native to Europe, Asia and Africa and inhabiting dense scrub, often at the edge of forests and in damp terrain. This bird feeds on insects and their larvae, worms or caterpillars, sometimes also on spiders or other invertebrates. In summer and autumn, berries ae their main food.

Blackbird

The blackbird is a widespread breeding bird across Europe, and is easy to identify thanks to the male’s yellow bill and black colour. The female is mostly dark brown. The melodious and loud territorial song of the male can be heard between March and July. It starts singing well before dawn, and then again intensely in the evening. In urban dwellings, blackbirds (Turdus merula) are also reported to sing at night, even in winter. Blackbirds in Central Europe leave the breeding area in winter and migrate South, travelling mainly at night or at dawn. Blackbirds forage mainly on the ground, feeding on earthworms or beetles, but also berries and fruit. Individuals can reach an age of more than ten years.

Owls

Owls are the birds of the night, known for their large light-sensitive eyes, while their most important sensory organ are their ears. These are asymmetrically arranged and can locate sounds from a distance of 60 meters even in total darkness, because sound waves are focused by the face veil, and directed to the ear opening.Thanks to their large wing surface, owls can fly silently. Fur-like feathers on the surface and the finely sawn leading edges of the outermost wing feathers support silent flight. The eagle owl (Bubo bubo)—native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, —is the largest owl in the world, boasting a wingspan of up to 170 centimeters. It has been observed covering particularly long distances and flying faster at full moon, probably because prey is hiding from the moonlight.

Tookit

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Nightingale – Image by Peter Kasteren van – Pixabay

Blackbird – Image by sharkolot – Pixabay

Eurasian Eagle Owl – Image by Kev – Pixabay

Cape Eagle Owl – image by Jevgeni Fil – Pixabay

Further Resources

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Videos

The effects of light pollution on migrating birds