Bird Brains

Noticed that it's a little quieter in the morning? A lot of the birdsong that we heard throughout the spring and summer seasons is quieted, as many migratory birds have already departed for the winter. But even the resident birds no longer make their charming song. And why, you ask, is that? (... waiting on pins and needles, barely able to contain the bubbling well of curiosity) It's because the size of the birds brain shrinks for the fall and winter, the non-breeding season, giving it a lighter body weight, giving it a greater chance of making it through the winter. Literally, the bird is unable to make the song that it made a month ago. To hear the interesting two-minute blurb about this that I caught this morning on NPR, click here.