At 06:57 AM 1/18/97 -0800, you wrote:
>
>Tweeters,
>
>I seem to recall some "bird name" buffs were able to keep quite a thread
>going before. Jocelyne Morin would like to know what bird was called "The
>Clown of the Forest" due to its enormous beak and noisy/flashy habits. If
>you know the answer, I'm sure she'd love to hear it--I think she's stumped
>the people on the Ornitho list...:)
>
>-Pat
>scott931 at uidaho.edu
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 20:19:32 -0800
>From: Jocelyne Morin <morijoce at quebectel.com>
>To: ornitho-qc at granby.mtl.net
>Cc: Jocelyne Morin <morijoce at quebectel.com>
>Subject: oiseau "clown de la for=EAt"
>
>Bonjour,
>
>Pour un rallye-recherches, je cherche une r=E9ponse =E0 la question=
suivante:
>
>Quel oiseau est surnomm=E9 "clown de la for=EAt" pour son =E9norme bec et=
ses=20
>habitudes tapageuses?
>
>Pouvez-vous m'aider? Merci
>
>Jocelyne Morin
>St-Pamphile, Qu=E9bec
>morijoce at quebectel.com


I don't know the answer to the question but one bird that certainly comes to
mind is the Pileated Woodpecker. Especially when these birds are on
territory or pair-bonding, they can be quite noisy and act rather oddly when
perched on the trunks of trees or when they fly "circus-like" through the
forest in undulating dives.
cheers,

Don Cecile
dcecile at cln.etc.bc.ca