>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

Flightless Cormorants do this all the time, maybe even more than
Double-crested! I question whether it lacks survival value, though. A
bird, even in the relative warmth of the Galapagos latitudes, might benefit
from drying out fairly rapidly when it climbed out of the water (as they do
as soon as they are finished foraging). I don't think wing-drying is to
facilitate flight, more likely to get the whole bird less soggy, so its
temperature-regulation mechanisms can be at their best.

Conversely, such a bird could also *cool off* by spreading its wings,
especially if there was a breeze to carry away heat rapidly. I have a
feeling that thermoregulation, in one way or another, is involved. But the
ultimate factor that pushes the whole system may be the need to be less
buoyant, the proximate factor the ability of the feathers to get wetter,
and the wing-out position to dry them off after they do.

We still need a lot more observation, and here in our region is the place
it could be done. However, right about now, I'd much rather attempt some
research on the Flightless species.

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416