BOTW 8/30 - 9/3
Does the Napoleon Complex exist in birds?
Hello everyone,
Alert: Fall migration is here! As summer wraps up in many places, the birds are moving back south. Now is a great time to go out and look for those species that may only be in your area for a short period of time!
This week’s bird is the: Bonaparte’s Gull
1) Amazingly, this bird is named after the nephew of Napoleon (yes, that Napoleon). Apparently, if you have that Bonaparte blood running through your veins and you don’t have the urge to conquer the world, you can channel that energy into a promising career in ornithology!
2) Charles Lucien Bonaparte may be one of the most prolific naturalists of his era, describing over 100 species for the first time. He also named a genus after his wife, Zenaida (how romantic 🥰).
3) Ok, get to the bird already! Bonaparte’s Gulls are tiny (lol), weighing about 8 ounces. This makes them about 5x smaller than some of the bigger gulls like the Glaucous-winged Gull.
4) These gulls can feed by either diving into the water, by sitting on the water and capturing food, by swooping in the air to catch insects, or pecking at things while walking on land. So versatile!
5) These birds winter along virtually the entire east and west coastlines, as well as in the inland Southeast. They can be found in the entire US during migration season. So get out there and find one!
Have a good week!