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<\/p>\nWe still don’t know the function of rictal bristles but there’s\u00a0been lots of conjecture over the years.<\/p>\n
Gray Catbirds are so abundant in some areas of the U.S. that many birders ignore them but here in\u00a0Utah we’re right on the edge of their range and the few I do see (or more often only\u00a0hear) are elusive subjects\u00a0for me. So yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains\u00a0when this\u00a0one came in close there was absolutely no chance I was going to ignore it.<\/p>\n
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1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n As per usual with this species we heard it before we saw it so I pulled my pickup off the road and waited to see what might happen. Uncharacteristic of catbirds this one flew out of the bushes and landed on a log right next to me – so close that this image has been cropped very little (it’s 90% of full frame). Its behavior made us wonder if it\u00a0might have a nest in the immediate vicinity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n It landed on several other nearby perches but all of them were a little (or a lot)\u00a0messy.<\/p>\n If you look closely at both of the previous photos you’ll notice that this bird has\u00a0black “whiskers” at the base of the bill. These very stiff, hair-like feathers\u00a0called rictal bristles are\u00a0found on only a few groups of birds, including flycatchers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n A very large crop (1.5% of the original image)\u00a0of another\u00a0photo of the same catbird gives us a better look at the bristles.<\/p>\n There’s been speculation for years that the function of rictal bristles is either sensory (to help them sense or capture prey) or that they might aid in preventing captured insects from scratching the bird’s eyes while they’re being held in the bill.\u00a0But\u00a0those potential functions are only educated guesses and there’s apparently no specific evidence to support either one. So in reality the exact purpose of rictal bristles is still unknown.<\/p>\n Catbirds are named for their mewing cat-like call but what could be more\u00a0fitting than for them to also have “whiskers” similar to those on our furry,\u00a0feline friends…<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gray Catbirds are so abundant in some areas of the US that many birders ignore them but here in Utah we’re right on the edge of their range and the few I do see are elusive subjects for me. So yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains when this one came in close there was absolutely no chance I was going to ignore it.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/gray-catbird-7753b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"gray-catbird-7753b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/gray-catbird-7680-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"gray-catbird-7680-ron-dudley\\"")
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