Birdfeeders

A bird needs much more dexterity to land on a perch than to land on the ground. Maybe that’s why perching birds are smaller than other birds. It is quite difficult for a large bird to slow down without stalling and this is necessary to land on the perch of a hanging tube feeder. As a bird comes close to the perch, it has to reduce its speed to zero at the exact moment it arrives at the perch. This requires very accurate control. If the bird slows down too quickly, it will miss the perch. If it doesn’t slow down enough, it will overfly the perch. Watching birds come and go from our hanging tube feeders, I never see a miss, except in the spring when the chicks are just learning how to manuver and take advantage of the food provided in hanging tube feeders. When I think about the precision needed to land on these small perches, it is easy to understand why birds spend so much time preening their feathers. In order to take off and land accurately, feathers must always be kept in the best condition possible.