Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!uw-beaver!milton!gwynne
From: gwynne@milton.u.washington.edu (Kristan Geissel)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Do birds know who feeds them?
Keywords: birdfood
Message-ID: <1991May30.180632.26796@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 30 May 91 18:06:32 GMT
References: <25107@well.sf.ca.us>
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 40

In article <25107@well.sf.ca.us> lp@well.sf.ca.us (Lily Pond) writes:

>(Text deleted re: birds and their feeders)

>My question is, do they understand that I'm putting the food there for them?
>When I forget to fill it, and they come over and see me through the kitchen
>window, do they know it's me in there, who hasn't put the food in the feeder
>(which is large and they can stand on)?
>

Yes, they do know who you are.  Over the past three years I have adopted 
(was adopted by???) 2 different American Coots, a Northwestern Crow and
numerous (fortunately and unfortunately) Canada Geese.

When I started feeding my first Coot, it was recognizable by some missing
feathers on the back of its neck.  Two months went by and I had to rely on
it remembering me and come running towards me to have lunch with it.  However,
it did have a problem when I wore different "feathers" (coats) and then I
had to resort to walking up to different grass-grazing coots and asking them,
"Is that my coot?".  The correct one always responded but the others (coots and
people) just looked at me like I was crazy (wherever did they get that idea?).
Another thing amazing about this relationship was that it continued through
two migratory seasons, with the mate screeching at "my coot" anytime it got
too close to me for the mate's comfort.  

The other coot was lame but it was only noticable in the water, it was much
more graceful on land though than most.  It, again, recognized me before I
recognized it.

The crow I feed is unusual in that some of its black pigmentation is missing
from its wings and tail so that he appears to be a black and white crow.
His parents both have pigmentation missing also and I wanted to start my own
genetics experiment by having the child stick around and maybe have more 
"white" babies.  This crow only recognizes my tan rain coat "feathers" and
swoops over my head to get my attention if I hadn't looked for him first.

Yes, the birds do recognize you but it would be interesting to see what
would happen if you changed your "feathers".

Kristan Geissel