Crow - Gular Fluttering
I went out shooting today just after lunch, and knew the light would be harsh as there was not a cloud in the sky and it was hot. I wasn't expecting to get any great shots, but I did get a couple that I was happy with.
I noticed that many of the crows were resting with their mouth open, so when I got home I did some googling and my hunch was correct, they were trying to cool down.
Birds can not sweat. The behaviour is called Gular Fluttering, which is a rapid vibration of the upper throat and thin floor of the mouth, which moves a lot of air quickly causing evaporative cooling.
I found this guy in a ditch, so I was able to shoot from car at close distance. All of my long distance shots of 30 feet or more were soft. Anything really long distances were wavy and looking like I was shooting through a cheap drinking glass. So I learned a few things today about high temperatures.
Crow - Gular Fluttering
I went out shooting today just after lunch, and knew the light would be harsh as there was not a cloud in the sky and it was hot. I wasn't expecting to get any great shots, but I did get a couple that I was happy with.
I noticed that many of the crows were resting with their mouth open, so when I got home I did some googling and my hunch was correct, they were trying to cool down.
Birds can not sweat. The behaviour is called Gular Fluttering, which is a rapid vibration of the upper throat and thin floor of the mouth, which moves a lot of air quickly causing evaporative cooling.
I found this guy in a ditch, so I was able to shoot from car at close distance. All of my long distance shots of 30 feet or more were soft. Anything really long distances were wavy and looking like I was shooting through a cheap drinking glass. So I learned a few things today about high temperatures.