Wild Bird Myths

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‍By Roger Taylor, Bird watch radio show host

Myths have been around for nearly all of human history. Myths about birds were some of the earliest. What used to be thought of as the "Gospel Truth" is now being realized as merely a lack of understanding of the science involved. And let’s face it, there has been some real classics and occasionally some that are just plain outrageous. How did they start? Was it because of television, books or the Internet? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, but what is true is many of these bird myths have gotten around and become truth instead of fiction to many people around the world. 

MYTH: Birds Sing Because They’re Happy                                               

The dawn chorus that wakes us mornings this time of year is thought to be joy at the beginning of a new day. In reality it’s males who are convinced that under cover of darkness other males in their species are invading his territory to steal his mate. This means males sing as a form of aggression to warn competing males to stay away and also to signal their personal male qualities to attract females to mate with them. Females tend to prefer males who sing more often or have more complex songs.

MYTH: Birds Will Abandon babies If You Touch It

First of all a mother is a mother and that is her baby. Second, with a few exceptions, birds have a lousy sense of smell so this probably doesn’t even enter into the picture. So if the baby is featherless and obviously too young to even move around much, put the baby back into the nest. If it has feathers and appears to be a small but fully feathered bird, leave it alone. It is a fledgling and needs to learn to fly. The watchful parents are nearby and being on the ground for a day or two is part of the process of learning to reach the sky. Well meaning people are actually THE major cause of birds needlessly arriving at rehab. 

MYTH: Swallows Survive Winter By Burrowing In The Mud 

This is a myth in the making. I’m not sure how this myth got started, but the real truth is.… Purple martins and barn swallows make a 10,000miles round trip to Brazil to escape our winters. 

MYTH: Feeding Hummingbirds In The Fall Stops Them From Migrating 

Actually almost all birds enjoy having plentiful food in the early fall, especially those that feed on flowers and fruit, but that doesn’t stop them from leaving when it’s time for migration. Hormones are regulated by weight so when the bird reaches the correct weight for migration this triggers hormones that control behavior and tells the bird it’s time to go!

MYTH: Two Parents Are Needed To Raise The Young

In many birds like hummingbirds and woodcock, the female raises the young all by herself. In other birds like crows and blue jays, parents recruit nannies, usually former offspring, to help protect and feed the young. In the Phalaropes the female leaves her eggs with the males and the males take care of the young while she goes out looking for an unsuspecting male to leave with yet another clutch of eggs.

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