grrlscientist | December 11, 2008tags: evolution, avian clutch size, ornithology, birds, avian
The Little Tinamou, Crypturellus soui,
usually lays two eggs in a small depression on the forest floor.
Image: Cagan Sekercioglu [larger view].
Anyone who has ever watched birds closely or who has bred them in captivity knows that different species of birds have different clutch sizes, with some species laying only one egg while others produce as many as ten eggs per clutch or more. Why is there such a tremendous difference in clutch size? What evolutionary factors affect the average clutch size that each species produces?…
grrlscientist | December 11, 2008tags: Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Rick Wright [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
A pretty bird but not a hard one: the long tail, black upperparts, chestnut sides, and black-and-white head identify this bird readily enough as a drake Hooded Merganser. What this photo illustrates well,…
grrlscientist | December 11, 2008tags: budgerigar, pets, birds, documentary, streaming video
This is a video of a very strange budgerigar. Apparently the result of a mutation, the bird's plumage is extraordinarily downy and long, so much so that it is almost impossible to see the bird's face (downy feathers are due to a mutation that causes a condition known as "neotenty"; where an adult animal takes on juvenile characteristics) [0:53]
grrlscientist | December 10, 2008tags: Times Square, 42nd street Times Square, 35 Times, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
35 Times (2005).
Glazed ceramic panels. Artist: Toby Buonagurio. Photographed at 42nd Street Times Square in the transfer corridor (between the 1, 2, and 3 trains and the Shuttle).
Image: GrrlScientist 5 November 2008 [larger view].
The commission for this work was received in 1992 and the art work was finally installed in 2004 and 2005. The complete work consists of 35 ceramic panels installed in over 800 feet of passages at Times Square.
Toby Buonagurio is a lifetime resident of…
grrlscientist | December 10, 2008Today's collection of carnivalia have been published for you to enjoy.
Encephalon, issue 60. This is the second time I've hosted this carnival, which is devoted to collecting all reports on neuroscience into one place for you to read and enjoy.
Linnaeus' Legacy, a blog carnival that focuses on reports about the world's biodiversity.
Carnival of Education, issue 201. This blog carnival, predictably, focuses on essays about education and teaching.
Carnival of the Conservatives, where my essay was out-numbered by a tremendous number of conservatives. Well, at least my submission was included…
grrlscientist | December 10, 2008tags: free book, Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka, birding, bird watching
Image: Sample plate from Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka [larger view].
Would you like a free book for birders about the birds of Sri Lanka (Ceylon)? A reader sent me a PDF for a book entitled, Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka, which includes color images (of variable quality). I have added it to my RapidShare account so anyone who is interested to receive this book can download it for free [free PDF].
Of course, there are several other free books there too, that you can download for free:
Handbook of Avian Anatomy: Nomina…
grrlscientist | December 10, 2008tags: green sea turtles, Hawaii, landscape, nature, image of the day
Egg-laying Green Sea Turtles
Pacific green (black) sea turtle Chelonia mydas, Maui, Hawai'i.
Image: John del Rio [larger view].
grrlscientist | December 10, 2008tags: Holidays, companion pets, parrots, humor, funny, gift wrapping
Orpheus.
Male Hawk-headed (red fan) parrot, Deroptyus a. accipitrinus, April 2008.
Image: GrrlScientist 2008 [larger view].
I thought you might find this little essay amusing about wrapping gifts when there is a parrot in the house.
How to Wrap Gifts with a Parrot in the House:
Clear large space on table for wrapping your special gifts.
Go to cupboard and collect bag in which gifts are contained, and shut the door.
Open the door and remove bird from cupboard.
Go to closet and retrieve rolls of wrapping paper.…
grrlscientist | December 10, 2008tags: Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, photographed at Samish Flats, Skagit County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Marv Breece, 22 January 2008 [larger view].
Canon EOS 350D 1/1000s f/5.0 at 165.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
This bird's slight mistrust of humans bearing lenses provides an excellent opportunity to practice our "bottoms first"…
grrlscientist | December 10, 2008tags: hummingbirds of venezuela, birds, documentary, streaming video
Tis video documents the spectacular colors and motion of the "flying jewels" of the tropics [2:21]
grrlscientist | December 9, 2008tags: Times Square, 42nd street Times Square, 35 Times, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
35 Times (2005).
Glazed ceramic panels. Artist: Toby Buonagurio. Photographed at 42nd Street Times Square in the transfer corridor (between the 1, 2, and 3 trains and the Shuttle).
Image: GrrlScientist 5 November 2008 [larger view].
The commission for this work was received in 1992 and the art work was finally installed in 2004 and 2005. The complete work consists of 35 ceramic panels installed in over 800 feet of passages at Times Square.
Toby Buonagurio is a lifetime resident of…
grrlscientist | December 9, 2008Here's more blog carnivals that are hot off the presses for you to read!
Carnival of Economics, 9 December 2008 edition. This is a huge blog carnival, featuring a variety of essays about the economy, alhtough most of them discuss various aspects of the current economic disaster that Bush and his buddies have proudly overseen.
Carnival of Homeschooling, issue 154: anniversary gifts. I know that some of you are offended by this blog carnival, but if you are, I encourage you to go to the specific entries that offend you and argue with the authors about the errors in their logic (certainly,…
grrlscientist | December 9, 2008tags: sunset, Mt Shasta, landscape, nature, image of the day
Sunset over Mt. Shasta
Image: John del Rio [larger view].
grrlscientist | December 9, 2008tags: encephalon, brain, behavior, cognition, neurobiology, neuroscience, blog carnival
The last frontier: The brain.
Image: Orphaned. Contact me so I can provide credit and linkage.
Welcome to Encephalon! This is the blogosphere's neuroscience blog carnival that focuses specifically upon the brain, neuroscience, perception and behavior. If you sent me an essay or video about the brain and its relationship to behavior, perception, cognition, or learning, then it is included here! Also, please accept my sincerest apologies for the one day delay in publishing Encephalon: a police action in…
grrlscientist | December 9, 2008tags: evolution, biogeography, ornithology, birds, avian
Kolo Sunset.
Photo credit: Christopher E. Filardi, American Museum of Natural History
(Click on image for a larger picture).
Two of my ornithologist colleagues, Chris Filardi and Rob Moyle, published a paper in the top-tier research journal, Nature. This paper is especially exciting because it shows that oceanic islands are not necessarily the evolutionary "dead ends" that they have traditionally been portrayed to be. In fact, Chris and Rob's data show that a group of birds have actually accomplished what scientists had never…
grrlscientist | December 9, 2008tags: Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis, Photographed at Meadows Campground, Hart's Pass, in the Okanagan of Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Lee Rentz, 19 October 2008.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Undistinguished in shape -- sort of finch-like, sparrow-like, birdish -- but what colors this bird has! The combination of…
grrlscientist | December 9, 2008tags: hummingbirds of venezuela, birds, documentary, streaming video
This is a very nicely done video documenting some of the lovely hummingbirds of Venezuela -- can you name the species? [2:53]
grrlscientist | December 8, 2008tags: Times Square, 42nd street Times Square, 35 Times, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
35 Times (2005).
Glazed ceramic panels. Artist: Toby Buonagurio. Photographed at 42nd Street Times Square in the transfer corridor (between the 1, 2, and 3 trains and the Shuttle).
Image: GrrlScientist 5 November 2008 [larger view].
Unfortunately, as you can see, the vandals have been busily trying to destroy some of these works ..
The commission for this work was received in 1992 and the art work was finally installed in 2004 and 2005. The complete work consists of 35 ceramic…
grrlscientist | December 8, 2008tags: Millionth Comment Contest Winner, ScienceBlogs
Chandelier.
Hundred Acres restaurant and bar.
Image: GrrlScientist 6 December 2008 [larger view].
Since I am exhausted at the moment, but still have a few minutes of wireless connectivity left before the library closes, I thought I'd tell you a little about the wonderful brunch that I shared with Peggy, scienceblog's millionth comment contest winner, and with a few other sciencebloggers and several employees of Seed magazine -- whom I refer to as "seedlings". We met at the restaurant, Hundred Acres, in SoHo, near NYU.
The restaurant…
grrlscientist | December 8, 2008Here's the latest carnivalia to keep you entertained;
Movie Monday, which is fileld with all sorts of movie news, including lots of trailers.
Review Bloggers Carnival, issue 32. This blog carnival is all about consumer reviews of items (and books) that they've enjoyed .. or not. Useful for those of you who can still afford to do some Christmas shopping!