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Have you ever noticed how ducks and geese sleep with their beaks tucked into their feathers or under a wing? This is because the beak is full of nerves and blood vessels, but unprotected by feathers. To protect the beak from cold and other damaging forces, the bird tucks its beak into its feathers or
under its wing to sleep.
Since the beak is rich in blood vessels, and has a wide, flat shape with lots of surface area, the warm-blooded bird can lose a lot of heat through the beak. Tucking the beak is necessary on cold nights to conserve heat. Conserving energy this way also reduces the bird's food requirements.
(Beaks are so sensitive to temperature, that birds use their beaks to check the temperature of their nests, when their eggs are incubating).
But to tuck its beak into its feathers, the bird has to bend its neck 180 degrees. Years of that has got to be hard on the neck, even for a swan. Have you ever woken up on a frozen lake with a crick in your neck? Not fun. Birds with stiff necks need a solution to this problem.
Enter the Beak Warmer. All the duck has to do is slip on this comfy beak-shaped sleeve, and it can sleep in any position it wants without worry of a frostbitten beak. No more herniated discs!!
Testemonials: "I thought I was ready for my swan song, but my HB Beak Warmer gave me more time to enjoy the grandkids" "I used to migrate south every winter. What a pain in the tailfeather! Hunters shooting at me, getting lost...Now that I have my Beak Warmer, I just stay right here in Canada!"
Made of goretex and wool, to keep your beak cozy even on those cold windy nights! Warm even when wet! Additional infra-red hunter alarm available. Available in Teal and hunter green. Comes in a waterproof camouflage pouch. Gosling-size Beak Warmers decorated with pink and blue baby ducks. Pelicans add $15.
Coming soon - Clown noses for chickens
The bill is temperature-sensitive
http://www.discover...e/Mallee%20Fowl.htm
"He continually tests the nest temperature with his bill, and adjusts the insulating layer of sand to raise or lower the temperature...The Mallee Fowl keeps the nest within one degree of 92° F at all times." [robinism, Oct 04 2004]
Conserving energy
http://www.fw.umn.e...goose/html/out.html
"During periods of extreme cold, 10F or below, when the energy gained from feeding is less than that expended in securing food, most birds remain at the roost. During these times, energy is conserved by sitting on the snow, pulling the feet up into the flank feathers, and placing the bill under the scapular feathers on the back." [robinism, Oct 04 2004]
Penguin-sweater-knitters need something new to make. Beak Warmers!
http://www.factmons...penguinsweater.html
"Thanks to the hard work of volunteers, the Phillip Island Nature Park now has more penguin sweaters than penguins who need sweaters." [robinism, Oct 04 2004]
sorry robinism, I know you are shy!
http://www.uksafari.com/robins.htm
oh, the clip is so cute! [po, Oct 04 2004]
gawd I miss this programme. Robin, you would have loved it!
http://www.bbc.co.u...tv/britaingoeswild/
[po, Oct 04 2004]
Turdus migratorius
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?cid=7&id=25
"The American Robin, Turdus migratorius, was given its name by the early settlers, who thought that it resembled the English Robin. However, except for the colour of its breast, it does not look like the small brown European bird." [robinism, Oct 04 2004]
Waking Ducks
http://www.halfbake...idea/Waking_20Ducks
These go together like ... a horse and carriage. A plus for the laugh. [FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004]
Boutique Beak Warmers
http://www.thisisco...s-laurel-roth-hope/
Costumes for extinct birds feature integrated Beak Warmers [robinism, Aug 15 2017]
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Annotation:
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oh buggar and I thought I did not ever need to knit again - oh buggar! who has a pattern? |
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do you know? I am lazy enough to fishbone this idea... |
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I used to have a striped beak warmer with a pom-pom, but since I migrated to southern California, my only beak cover is a thin layer of chapstick. |
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We American Robins are different. In the thrush family, I think. |
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link? unfortunate name. thanks... |
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Delivery will be a big problem, though. Even if you put hundreds of "beak warmers" all around the bank of a lake or duck pond (throwing them into the water is wrong, as they'd get cold and wet), ducks often sleep on water, and may not come ashore to check if some other species has left an accoutrement for them to don during sleep. |
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don't ducks usually migrate south for
the winter? we certainly don't have them
here come december (here being
Edmonton, Canada). we'd end up with
ducksicles |
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Regarding delivery, sample beak warmers could be put on attractive
duck decoys, which could then released to all the duck ponds. When
the birds see the new fashion, they will flock to Ducks & Co to get
their own. |
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[schematics], the areas where Canada Geese winter can still be quite cold. (see the "Conserving energy" link) |
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does anyone know what 0F is
in celsius? |
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Why not propose cooperative beak warming? The geese would stand in front of each other and stick their beaks under the other's wing. This way they wouldn't have to bend the neck 180 degrees. |
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Just have to prepare the training sessions to teach the technique. |
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/cooperative beak warming/ |
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That would be fine, as long as the neighboring duck has used some sort of deodorant. <sings jingle> Raise your wing, raise your wing when you're Sure!<sj> |
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Cooperative beak warming could be beneficial with proper training.
The flock could sleep in a V-formation, with each beak tucked under
the wing of the bird in front of it. When the flock is ready to roll out
of bed, they are already in flight-formation. |
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Or the flock could stand in a big circle with beaks tucked to the right,
ready for greek dancing. |
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