It is a quite hot day (30 degrees Celsius) for this location. It usually hovers around 25 degrees. The jackdaw was walking about with another jackdaw looking for food, actually pecking some dead insects off of a cars bumper. The other jackdaw did not have its beak open.

Is this a cooling behavior, perhaps similar to when dogs pant?

  • GreyShuck@feddit.uk
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    3 days ago

    Is this a cooling behavior, perhaps similar to when dogs pant?

    Yes, that is exactly what it is.

    • ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 days ago

      I remember first encountering this in the Gulf and feeling quite bad for the birds, and then remembering they’re native species so it’s actually them feeling bad for me in the heat

      • Apepollo11@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Black Books (s1e4). It’s a daft Father Ted / IT Crowd style comedy.

        The main character’s posh friends are angry at him for being extremely drunk at a dinner party and traumatising their son, who has been walking around with a shocked open-mouthed expression ever since walking in on him going to the toilet in their kitchen. He tries to downplay it by saying that’s how children normally look.

  • RecursiveParadox@piefed.social
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    3 days ago

    Not so sure that’s a jackdaw, but the crows and magpies I’ve befriended who light on my balcony waiting for cashews have been doing this the whole heatwave in Europe. So, I think cooling is pretty good guess.

    • Starya67@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I’m so confused about people not recognising jackdaws, they’re very distinct.

      Anyhoo, somebody give the poor thing some water.

      • RecursiveParadox@piefed.social
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        2 days ago

        Weird thing is, I set up a pan with fresh water and a couple of rocks to stand on on my balcony, and none of the birds used it.

        These guys will sit on the balcony railing and watch me (and even my cat) for hours, and they regularly spill nuts on the floor of the balcony and go to get them at their leisure. So it’s not like they are afraid.

        How do you water a bird?