Thought you would enjoy this response I got from a birding friend. I published a female rufous and complained that the exact feathers I needed to determine juvenile from adult were missing and in the wrong time of year.
Moulting, and timing of just
about everything is controlled by the pineal gland. The pineal gland is
influenced by the amount of light entering the retina. This light,
daylight, stimulates the pineal gland which in turn activates the anterior
pituitary gland that then sends out various hormones controlling much of what a
bird does, the timing, the circadian rhythms and seasonal timing of
everything. Temperature can be a slight modifying factor that influences
when stuff happens. Hence, we had a seasonally warm summer, with temps
remaining warm through September. This most likely this disrupted the
moult slightly... my guess on this. We sometimes hear of individuals which
do not migrate, or reverse migrate, that is they go north when they are suppose
to be going south (usually from banding records and sightings).
Guess what, malfunctioning pineal glands, pituitary glands or a combo. I
was once on the west coast of Florida in the summer. And while birding for
a week concentrating on coastal species, I came upon about 6 species that should
have been in the Arctic breeding and here they where in Florida. I was a
biologist for The Audubon Society at that time and notified the assistant
director of Audubon Sanctuaries who managed a sanctuary just north of St.
Petersburg. Dusty said he sees it every summer with Arctic breeding
species who stay behind... yup screwed hormonally, from the anterior
pituitary. So, the short of this, get your normal dose of sunlight or you
may start walking in circles, yes, we too have a pineal gland, but it is not as
active as those still quadupeds or with wings.
Ok, now I have a question
for you. If I see a woodpecker that looks in every respect to be gila
woodpecker, but it has no tail, have I just stumbled upon a new species, one
that I can rightfully name Melanerpes tederii??? >
TED
Latest Birds: Sage Thrasher, Ferruginous Hawk, Common Goldeneye
