Feeding Our Garden Birds Is Bringing About Evolutionary Change. Did You Know That?

ladybirder | 13:44 Mon 28th Mar 2016 | Twitching & Birdwatching

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If, like me, you thought evolution took aeons then think again. I read that because we put out food all year, some Blackcaps are staying here through the winter instead of flying to the med. So the group that stays here has developed rounder wings which provide better manoeuvrability and they have also developed longer narrower bills better suited to eating from a seed feeder. Whereas the group that still fly to the med have longer more pointed wings needed for migration and shorter bills. This change has happened rapidly by evolutionary standards and eventually we might see two distinct species. So evolution in action, in our gardens. Big Up for all the feeders of birds here on AB.

And if you already knew this then forgive me but I was really chuffed when I read it;-)

Rutland Ospreys

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CupBuster

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Hello! It is amazing! Thank you, ladybirder, for this post! I didn’t ponder the question about evolution when I fed birds too. But if you think a little, this idea is very logical. Evolution means genetic changes. It takes some generations to fix new trait. And what about birds, a new year is a new generation. I think it takes even less than a decade to remake a...

15:57 Mon 28th Mar 2016

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ladybirder

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Good for you db. Lucky you saw it happen.