Birds can stand on 1 leg!

"Ten miles north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, is the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge where I spent a morning photographing herons, terns, geese, ibis and this snowy egret. He got me to thinking why I see so many birds standing on one leg.

A Google search revealed this explanation:
Birds’ legs have an adaptation called “rete mirabile” that minimizes heat loss. The arteries that transport warm blood into the legs lie in contact with the veins that return colder blood to the bird’s heart. The arteries warm the veins. By standing on one leg, a bird reduces by half the amount of heat lost through unfeathered limbs.

I’ve since found out another reason for why a wading bird, like this egret, will stand on one leg since I posted on Monday:

Birds also purposely create their own shadows in the water. Apparently egrets can blend better with their surroundings and look like a shrub to a fish by standing on one leg. The word “pedigree,” which is one’s family tree, comes from the French “pied de grue” – crane’s foot. This is sometimes represented artistically as a tree with exposed surface roots or even a bird’s foot in old ancestral diagrams. Take a close look at the egret’s legs and feet if you ever get the chance. The tough skin really does make them look like tree trunks, and undoubtedly fools fishes seeking a bit of shade for cover too." - Scott Thomas -

You all must be wondering, what's with this random post?! Well, I was about to start typing my notes, and when I looked out of my window, I saw this very beautiful elegant white bird standing so still on top of my neighbour's roof. It doesn't look like the ordinary minors or crows that i often see in my vicinity. So I took my camera and snapped a shot, intending to ask matt if he knows what bird this is. See!

Then, I decided to do a macro shot with my really out-dated lumix camera. This is the best zoom I can get. Then I realised this bird has got 1 leg! I was bewildered and amused, so I googled "birds with one leg". And most of the web pages that appeared were describing on why birds stand on one leg. So I looked closely at my picture, and saw a little stump sticking out of the body. That must be the other leg, do you see it?

Soon after, it started to drizzle, and the wind was getting stronger. This bird finally revealed its other leg to firm up its stability. Interesting huh? At least for me, heh heh, i didn't know anything about this!

And as I continued to google, I came across a site (where the excerpt above was taken from) and there was this picture in it. I'm pretty sure and confident that this was the same bird which I saw. The long protruding beak, the long thin legs and the brown tinge near the eyes are very distinct. So, it's called a 'snowy egret'. See the little leg hid up in the feathers? Now i know it's for insulation purpose :)

The flamingoes do it too!

Cool, birds are really stable creatures. I can never stand on one-leg for more than 1 minute, or even shorter! hee hee.