DiscOwl

[andrewducker]

I didn't know that Owl wings were UV reactive:

(via octopoid_horror)

Comments

[henriksdal.livejournal.com]

oh! how pretty! also interesting, I can't work out why those feathers are blue and all the rest showing pink.. is there a source for this picture? I don't know otopoid_horror :/

[henriksdal.livejournal.com]

oh AMAZING:

"The other way to determine age is more fascinating and involves spreading the owl's wing while examining its ventral surface under a black light (above). Curiously, porphyrins--iron-based pigments produced by the owl's liver and laid down in its feathers--fluoresce under ultraviolet light and glow pink. Porphyrins are relatively unstable and decompose over time--sometimes rather quickly on exposure to sunlight--reducing their pinkish intensity. Our 2007 saw-whet, whose left underwing is in the photo above, shows the same pinkishness in ALL its feathers--further evidence she is a young bird of the year.

A NSWO with feathers having varying amounts of pink is an older bird with different generations of feathers; older feathers show less fluoresence because the porphyrins have faded to a greater degree. Incidentally, at least a dozen orders of birds--not just owls--exhibit glowing porphyrins, some of which may be copper-based."

From a googlesearch :)

[andrewducker]

Thanks!

I'm just impressed there was something about birds you didn't know :->

[henriksdal.livejournal.com]

Funnily enough, my primary role on our Ecology team is as a land mammal specialist - I'm nowhere near as knowledgable as most of our team, who (due to the nature of the work) are all massive, massive birders. I mean, they watch birds in their spare time, which I enjoy, but am woefully lacking in motivation to do.

Can't go near a river without looking for otter poo, on the other hand..!

I think I just end up pointing out birds more because you see them more - the British Isles has 60 species of mammal (including bats), but the BTO's British List is now at.. 583 species :D

oh and I know f*ck all about plants. Just saying.

[erindubitably.livejournal.com]

They're the green bits that stick out of the ground!

[poisonduk.livejournal.com]

and most of them are weeds!

[doven.livejournal.com]

Oh god, comics sans WHY?!

[soon_lee]

Owl interrrogation photo from Aviantanamo Bay?

[adq.livejournal.com]

OOO! Does anyone have a spare owl to hand? I wonder what they look like through my IR camera!