Occasionally I rerun a favorite older blog post because few current readers have ever seen it. This one, first published on October 12, 2011, definitely qualifies as a favorite because of the unusual circumstances and interesting behavior. For this version I’ve substantially edited the text, cleaned up the formatting and re-processed the images.
Have you ever accidentally (or on purpose, c’mon – admit it!) had your fingers stuck together by superglue? If so this swallow knows how you felt.
As I approached the parking lot at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge just before driving the loop road there were hundreds of swallows flying around the pavilion, as per usual in spring and early summer. I noticed this Barn Swallow perched on a post and decided to try for a few shots. It allowed me a close approach but it quickly became obvious that the bird was in distress and at first I didn’t know why.
If you look closely at the image above you’ll notice that there is “something” connecting the tip of a tail feather and one of the primary wing feathers that prevented the swallow from opening its right wing and flying. As a result it was a very unhappy, frustrated and probably frightened bird.
I photographed the swallow for over 10 minutes as it struggled to solve its incomprehensible problem.
It would alternate between attempting to break the connection by raising and extending its wings and…
trying to reach the problem area with its beak but it couldn’t even come close to reaching the connection.
At times it would give up and express its apparent anger and frustration by calling out pitifully and then after a while it would try again. Eventually, after more than 10 minutes of desperate struggling, the connection between the feathers broke and the bird instantly flew off – so fast and unexpectedly that I didn’t have a chance for a takeoff shot.
I think I was as relieved as the bird. It would be easy for me to break the connection if I had the swallow in hand but I wasn’t looking forward to the process of trying to catch it. There was no way I’d have left it in the situation it was in if I could help it so despite me missing the takeoff shot it brought a big smile when the swallow flew off.
I still don’t know what substance caused the problem. I’ve wondered about the possibilities of spider silk, sticky tree sap and even fishing line but when I look at a closeup in a high-resolution version of the photo I can’t tell what it is and it doesn’t really look like any of those three possibilities. It remains a mystery to me.
Some readers may shake their heads (or worse) at the anthropomorphism in my title and text but I’m unapologetic about it. I used to be less anthropomorphic than I am now but it was on this occasion that I began my journey to becoming convinced that birds can, without question in my mind, experience emotions. And some of them intensely.
Ron
Note:
I have one long-shot theory about what the mysterious substance might have been. Consider the following:
- the substance is approximately the same color as the post and it’s obviously somewhat flexible
- the bird was perched on top of the post and it had to fly to get there so we can probably presume there wasn’t a problem until it landed on it
- the post is very old and weathered with bits of relatively soft and flexible wood fibers (cellulose) along its sides
I have to wonder if the substance causing the distress of the bird is a wood fiber from the post that somehow became entangled in both feathers, perhaps involving the microscopic hooks attached to the barbules. If anyone has a more plausible explanation I’d love to hear it.
love #3 Ron – frame it
Poor baby! So glad he was able to free himself. Feel free to anthropomorphize away! 😀
🙂
I wonder if maybe chewing gum. Some people have the disgusting habit of sticking chewing gum wherever or on whatever. Thank you for sharing Ron, so sorry the poor bird had to go through this.
An interesting possibility, Shirley. Thanks.
This story certainly kept me in suspense. So glad it turned out well. Wildlife photographer, photojournalist, documentarian: Your bio gets longer all the time.
Whatever the sticky substance was, my bet is that it was manmade; synthetic textile; plastic of some sort. Just seems unlikely that evolution would create this bird’s problem.
Great post from Sallie Reynolds. Something along the same lines I came across recently (if you will excuse the moralizing):
Ask the experimenters why they experiment on animals, and the answer is: “Because animals are like us.”
Ask the experimenters why it is morally okay to experiment on animals, and the answer is “because animals are not like us.”
Thank you, Lyle. That’s an interesting contradiction isn’t it.
I am so very glad that the bird was able to free itself.
I anthromorphise. And feel no shame.
Of course the other animals feel emotion. Often the very same ones we do.
A beautiful series with a happy ending. And a great start to yet another hot and horrid day.
Thanks, EC. I agree.
Ron, most scientists today agree that animals experience emotions. This even goes back to Darwin, who wrote about the shared neurology and other physiological elements in all mammals. Birds have different brains, and so we used to talk of “bird brains.” But thanks to researchers we do know better now. I think this all came about thanks to the behaviorists. In part to make sure that ignorant people were not putting themselves above the educated, and raising a stink about experimentations, a group of behaviorists in the 20th Century made a big thing of “anthropomorphism.” They were hell-bent on humans’ keeping the top spot, and incidentally protecting themselves from outrage over their treatment of laboratory animals. This was the era of popularity for the notion that “man has reached the apex of evolution,” a fallacy that has not completely died out. How on earth did we manage to free ourselves from the workings of time? I am a rehabilitator and educator and have had countless people tell me that animals were “put on this earth to serve us.” So this “man above all,” and it was always phrased as “man,” has had long-lasting negative effects on the lives of many individuals and even species. My father was a respected doctor who insisted that animals felt no pain! He knew the dogs he was talking about had much the same nervous system he did, so I assume he blinded himself, at least I hope he did. I don’t think he was a particularly cruel person. I believe a bit of anthropomorphism is better than the reverse. What people identify with, they can value. What people value, they are less likely to harm. Forgive the screed. I love your work.
That is so well thought out and well spoken. Thank you.
And huge thanks from me too.
Very well said, Sallie. Thank you for taking the time to lay it all out.
Interesting series…I can certainly sense the exasperation and the fear that bird experienced! His eyes are a sure are give-away; the look as he called out is so sad. It is certainly a mystery as to what that ‘substance’ is. I am very guilty of anthropomorphizing when I look at my photos. When sitting for a long time watching wildlife one can’t help but get in their moods and sense the emotions that are shown. Maybe it’s some sort of ‘ancient kinship’ we have left over…whatever it is, it is a good thing and I’m glad to experience it. On a different note…snow, snow , snow…another 7-11 inches today! My internet has been down periodically; the dish fills with snow and no signal. The joys of country living 🤪.
“Maybe it’s some sort of ‘ancient kinship’ we have left over”
My theory is similar, Kathy. Given our shared evolution it makes perfect sense.
In my experience there are both “joys” and huge challenges that come with country living but it’s a tradeoff I dearly wish I was still making!
My first thought was a wad of spider silk, perhaps left over from ballooning earlier in the season?
As I mentioned in my post spider silk was my first thought too, John. And it’s possible though it didn’t and doesn’t look like silk to me.
First photo it almost looked like a fish hook or one of the little swivel thing used to attach leader to line……… Whatever it was could have been already attached to the wing or tail and when the bird landed and closed its wings the other end connected? Whatever it was I’m glad it could free itself Great captures of it’s “situation” Ron…… 🙂
You’re right, Judy – it’s possible that it was already on either the wing or the tail when it landed and then became attached to both later. Who knows…
Poor little guy! Great photos. Glad it was able to free itself of whatever it was.
Thanks, Cindy. Me too.
Morning! Were there any pine needles in the area? It looks a bit like a sticky pine needle. Having gotten those on my clothing, I can really empathize with this bird.
Nope, no pines in the area, Arwen.