Why don't birds fall off the branch they fall asleep on?

 

Eastern Kingbird

When birds sleep, they usually perch on a branch and stay all night. But why don’t they fall off when they doze off? Because a ratchet-type arrangement of the leg bones, muscles, tendons and feet tightens - the opposite of the relaxation that happens with humans. When they awaken, birds can adjust this, but when asleep the feet clench tightly, like they’re glued to the branch

 

 

Clogged feeders?       Whenever your feeders are outside, experiencing 3 or more straight days of continuous rain and/or high humidity, the seed can clump together and clog. Since birds feed heavily during breaks in the rain, I leave my feeders outside. But when the rain ends, and preferably overnight, I’ll bring them in, temporarily empty the seed into a large pan, break up any clumps, and let it air-dry.

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.