<
https://theconversation.com/hadeda-ibises-sixth-sense-works-best-in-wet-soil-new-research-is-a-wake-up-call-for-survival-of-wading-birds-with-this-superpower-228854>
"Hadeda ibises (
Bostrychia hagedash) are one of the most familiar species of
birds across sub-Saharan Africa. They are large, long-legged birds with long,
thin beaks for probing invertebrates out of soil, and though they appear dull
brown at a glance, they actually have beautiful iridescent feathers on their
wings. But they are best known for their loud, laughing calls, which often ring
out early in the morning, winning them the title of “African alarm clocks”.
They can be found across much of sub-Saharan Africa, with a range extending
from the Cape all the way to Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan. In South Africa, they
were historically confined to north-eastern regions of the country. But in the
past century they have experienced a significant range expansion, now
inhabiting many a golf course and garden from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Various ibises and shorebirds (like sandpipers) are able to use the “sixth
sense” of remote-touch. This allows them to detect vibrations in soil and
water, and use this information to locate invisible buried prey items. When
they hunt for soft-bodied prey (such as earthworms), these vibrations result
from the movement of prey in the soil. The birds can sense these vibrations
using a special sensory organ in their beaks, called a bill-tip organ, which
evolved during the time of the dinosaurs.
Recently published research from my PhD at the FitzPatrick Institute of African
Ornithology shows that hadedas have this sixth sense too – something that had
been assumed based on the anatomy of their beaks but never tested. In addition,
my co-authors and I discovered an added twist to their sixth sense – their
ability to use it is closely tied to the amount of water in the soil. This has
likely played a role in hadedas’ range expansion, and has global implications
for key groups of wading birds."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
