Shags In the Sun

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Ships_Cat

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Err, maybe not what you thought, but this morning was on the boat taking a shower. And while looking out the port, there along side, sunning itself with wings outstretched facing them to the sun was a Little Black Shag (quite a small shag common in the northern half of NZ).

Any bird knowledgeable types know the reason why they do this - have seen them doing so quite often?

Can it be to dry themselves? But I would have thought that especially given the time they spend underwater that their feathers would be very oily and water resistant. Perhaps not resistant enough?

Or is it just that they like to warm themselves and getting the greatest area facing the sun is the purpose?

John
 
Cormorants and Shags, imitating drawings of prehistoric birds

Common cormorants do it, on our river in England. Since they live here year round, and there are few opportunities for sunbathing in midwinter, I think they may just be sunbathing. After all, our cat sunbathes.
 
Shags and Cormorants have very oily feathers, like almost any bird that swims. It's to warm themselves up, apparently not just because of the cold water, but because the fish they eat are cold as well, and a good meal will lower their body temperature (Source: New Scientist a few years back).
It is probable that they enjoy it as well.
 
Yeh, used to do that when I was younger.
Nowerdays Dearheart is not so keen,
I think it may be something to do with not wanting to be seen









in a swimsuit, laying on the beach after a swim in the sea.
WELL what did you think I was talking about?
Regards Briani
 
Spoilsport!

Nothing like a FACT to kill this sort of conversation stone dead!

What you say is obviously right, which makes it worse for those of us who had not thought of it!
 
Come on then cleaver clogs! Just this morning looked up to see large bird of prey ( very large ) being swooped by smaller birds....the wing ends were sweeped back the tail was fork like a swift......moved slowly in circles hardly flapping any ideas....this was in Barnsley South Yorkshire!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Birds semi-extend their wings to cool down. I know - I am an ornithologist.

[/ QUOTE ]
On the island across the field (Lady Holme) we counted 80 cormorants. There's usually one sat on a rock near the boat with it's wings held out. If they wanted to cool down they'd do it on the shady side of the island.

I reckon it's to dry out. i'll ask them next time I row out to the boat.

They also crap all over the trees and kill them. Many years ago the inhabited Silver Holme in the South basin of the lake. They killed all the trees there and had a bounty put on the scrawny heads. A friend who fishes from our moorings tells me they used to get 2/6 per bird, before they became a protected species.
 
Probably a red kite. You see lots of them in mid-Wales and above the M40 near that Vicar of Dibley bit. I expect they're spreading out even as far as Barnsley by now. Lovely to watch.
 
The cooling down gave me a clue to look further along those lines. Couldn't find much but seems that there is much more to these birds than meets the eye. One description -

Cormorants are typically considered as wettable diving birds with high thermoregulatory costs

Seems that it is thought that in order to reduce buoyancy so as easier to stay down looking for food, the feathers absorb water. But the cost of doing this is increased heat loss and so a balance exists between reduced buoyancy (wanted) and increased heat loss (unwanted). So is thought that when the shag sits in the sun with wings extended it is drying its feathers (and maybe warming up?).

But all is not clear because as Tony says birds spread their wings to cool down (I didn't know that before and have now discovered that some seabirds shade their feet with their wings) and it is thought that the "wing drying" behaviour is also to regulate body temperature by cooling.

Seems there have been observations trying to determine what is the primary motive for various shags/cormorants "wing drying" behaviour in the sun. Apparantly they (or some of them) also do it in the wind so observors also trying to determine whether they are convective cooling or whether they are drying when they sit with wings spread in the wind.

So I have not found any clear answer between the two possibilities yet and maybe both apply. And I thought that there was just some simple explanation when I asked the question /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif.

Seems that they are more complicated in their behaviour than women are. Perhaps Brian's post about sand and sun is more easily understood (and enjoyed) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John
 
I thought it was to cure indigestion. If I swallowed a whole fish head first, I'd probably do the same (or throw up).

By the way, the aquarium / bird centre mentioned in last month's YM article about southern Brittany has a great show where they release a live eel into a large glass tank (30ft long - the tank not the eel) and then chuck in 3 cormorants. A kind of aquatic bull fight. My 4 year old loved it despite being brought up as a vegetarian.
 
Re: What does? nm

The common cormorant (or shag)
Lays eggs inside a paper bag,
You follow the idea, no doubt?
It's to keep the lightning out.

But what these unobservant birds
Have never thought of, is that herds
Of wandering bears might come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.

-- Christopher Isherwood


My bird book says "They are the only web-footed birds which do not put out a waterproofing oil for their feathers and must therefore dry themselves out every time they come to land".
 
Definitely a Red Kite and despite being birds of prey they and other similar species are frequently mobbed by smaller birds. Have enjoyed many a happy hour watching Buzzards being dive bombed by Rooks as well.

Red Kite are now well established in many areas including South, West and North Yorkshire.
 
Re: What does? nm

Think it is heading the drying way too Snowleopard. It is early winter here and was not hot (maybe 10-12C that time of day, morning, but sunny).

In Peter Harrison's Seabirds, an Identification Guide (the original exhaustive one with painted illustrations of all known seabirds, not the later photo one) I have found he says about cormorants Unlike some aquatic species, eg ducks, their feathers are not completely waterproof and they are thus frequently seen drying wings in typical spreadeagled posture.

Thanks for the information and leads everyone. Crappy birds that they are, I will give them a little more respect in future, quite complicated little critters that it seems that they are.

John
 
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