Into the world of avian tail feathers
Of about ten thousand bird species in the world, a handful display modified tail feathers of different sizes, shapes, names, and purposes. This is the story of lyres, streamers, and rackets!
Birds keep surprising us, with a staggering 10,000 species around the world ready to present something new every day. Coming in bewildering adaptations, shapes, and colourations, some birds amaze us now and then with their evolutionary gifts and add-ons.
These wonderments take our thoughts to birds that showcase their tail — where imagination takes form beyond normalcy. Some are garnished with extra-long sets; some adorn wire-shaped feathers forming trains behind; and some with feathers twisted, setose, and curled most uncommonly. In all cases, the modifications sport vibrant colours. And the tones, hues, and iridescences stay synonymous when the term applies to lengthened tail feathers.
Bangladesh, despite being small and populous, has 711 bird species; the count is still on as we witness sightings of new and rare birds every year. A handful of these species display modified tail feathers.
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This is their story.
What is a tail feather?
Tail feathers are the asymmetrically shaped, but always congruously-paired, long, stiff, feathers on the tail of a bird. Formally known as rectrices (singular: rectrix), the primary task is to aid in flight and balancing. Together, with those on the wings, rectrices generate thrust and lift and serve as a radar.
Rectrices may assist in secondary tasks, mostly concerned with impressionism. Whether to keep a territory or to win a female in heat, these feathers tend to deviate from the standard structure. Elongation and ornamentation are one form of deviation. Evolved tail feathers may be retained throughout adulthood or appear temporarily during nesting. It is completely okay because, just as is felt among us, living long with ornaments is a costly and risky business.
Birds with long tails regardless of sex and season
Doing justice to their title, the racket-tailed drongo is distinct with long tail streams ending in a racket-shaped formation. In Bangladesh, we have two species: the Greater racket-tailed drongo and the Lesser racket-tailed drongo. These cousins of the more common Black drongo are birds of the forested landscape.
The magpie and treepies are real standouts from their relative crows, thanks to long, straight tail feathers. Rufous treepie, Grey treepie and Common green magpie are the residents of Bangladesh. Rufous treepie is a common denizen of homestead and urban greenery. The other two prefer dense forests. Magpie and treepies are brave and dominating birds known to lead a mixed-species hunting flock as well as to steal away food.
These stocky birds generally possess long tails which can be, in some cases, unusually broad and spade-shaped. The Greater and the Lesser coucal are two of the many coucals which are seen here. Because of the faint similarity of the tail with that of a pheasant, and its appearance with the crow, coucals are often called crow-pheasants. The green-billed malkoha is a general face of all forests of Bangladesh. Unfortunately, the Sirkeer malkoha is long gone from the country. It is the only long-tailed bird we lost. This species is still found in the Indian subcontinent though.
Birds with sex and season-specific tail streamers
If we vote high marks for the excessively long tail feathers, the paradise flycatcher will give others a sprint for the title. The males grow two extraordinarily long tail feathers to impress females. The ornamentation stays throughout the year. The bird is small in size but the two feathers can easily exceed a foot!
Once considered one species, the Indian paradise flycatcher is split into three:
The red junglefowl can be common in forests, often overlooked, yet, the males are extra-ordinarily baffling. Even though they are a showstopper, one can be difficult to spot in their native habitat, as they prefer a dense and thick layer of undergrowth. The spectacular tail stream, with two central shiny black feathers, becomes dark iridescent green on the rump.
Aptly named, males of this water-loving bird put extra charisma into being dashing in the breeding season. During monsoon, males' central tail feathers grow nearly to the length of the body — to showcase fitness to females. The longer and the brighter the feathers, the more successful the male will be in finding a pair.
Watching a male jacana in a wetland brimmed with monsoon water on a shadowed overcast day is a sight of a lifetime!
