this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2025
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Bird-Watching and Ornithology

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Mainly birdwatching pix and ID help; please post approximate location (country/region/at least give us a continent!) - moderators needed (eventually?)

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Streaked shearwaters keep a very regular rhythm throughout their daily foraging flights, shedding about 5 percent of their body mass every hour.

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[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 4 points 7 months ago

Main points:

  • The researcher was originally just trying to see what birds' takeoff patterns were like while running, but then turned the camera backwards on basically a whim.
  • They only poop while flying (every 4-10 min), probably because it may be easier for them than while on the water; it lightens their total flight weight, and reduces guano getting stuck to their bodies (which could otherwise make them smelly targets for predators)
  • Their crap is full of phosphorus and nitrogen and fuels coral and fish population growth quite significantly (seabird regions show a noticeable difference)

Didn't expect to read this today, but here we are.