Subject: Cormorant "Wing Drying"
Date: Jan 26 14:37:19 1996
From: Herb Curl - h.curl at hazmat.noaa.gov


Sorry to be raising the "dreaded cormorant thread" again. Although a
devotee of William of Ockham's (1285-1349) precept that the simplest of two
or more competing theories is preferable, and therefore believing that
cormorants holding their wings out were undoubtedly drying them, I was
taken aback yesterday by a chance viewing of a photo of a *flightless*
Galapagos Cormorant blithefully holding its pitiful little winglets out for
"drying." Before I retreat too far from what I believe to be the simplest
explanation of this phenomenon, may I suggest that it is probably relict
behavior that, while no longer possessing any survival value, has no
negative effect either. Another example would be a domestic dog's turning
around a several times before it plunks itself down for a nap. It's also
rather hard to believe that the Galapagos Cormorant is "signalling"
anything, given that the wings look like badly plucked store-bought
chicken wings, or warming its tummy, since the winglets, at best, are like
the proverbial fig leaf when folded. Oh well, maybe it's signalling, "send
more feathers."

Herb Curl

h.curl at hazmat.noaa.gov "You may be only young once but you can be
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