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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Transient who shot girlfriend for nagging in Rogue River convicted of murder Rogue Disposal considers rate increase Man jailed for allegedly firing shots in trailer park Second man sentenced for robbing elderly couple outside Talent Hunter to earn Eagle Scout honor Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Transient who shot girlfriend for nagging in Rogue River convicted of murder Man jailed for allegedly firing shots in trailer park Second man sentenced for robbing elderly couple outside Talent Elk poacher ordered to pay $17,000 for Lake Creek Road area crimes Emergency Services, May 14 Politics and Elections Arthur I. 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Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability Our View: City should let SkyPark project move ahead George Will: In childhood, risk is inherent Editorials Our View: City should let SkyPark project move ahead Our View: E-cigarette bill is half right, half wrong Our View: Abundant water no excuse for waste Our View: Mental health funding should be a priority Other Views: Court ruling means PERS reform is dead Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 14 Letters to the Editor, May 13 Letters to the Editor, May 12 Letters to the Editor, May 11 Letters to the Editor, May 10 Columns Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability George Will: In childhood, risk is inherent Dana Milbank: Power to the populists Kathleen Parker: Defining deity down: Changing others' religion Guest Opinion: Ample water? Think again Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Ample water? 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Rogue Disposal considers rate increase ... Man jailed for allegedly firing shots in trailer park ... Panel sends Jackson, Josephine drought declarations to governor ... Rogue Disposal considers rate increase ... Man jailed for allegedly firing shots in trailer park ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: It's all in the toes for wall-hanging bird Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 12, 2014 at 12:01 AM Posted Nov. 12, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News I have noticed a strange bird behavior I've never seen before. A large, gray bird has started roosting at night in the corner of the stucco wall on my back patio. He is just hanging by his toes, I assume. Is this common? I have bird-watched for many years now and have never noted this behavior. We have lived here 13 years. What's up? How can he sleep and not fall off the wall? — Jean B., Eagle Point   Jean, without more detail, the ornithology geeks here at the Since You Asked Institute of Feathered Sciences don't know what species of bird you're looking at as it settles down for its nightly snooze. But they do know a thing or two about sleeping birds and why they don't fall down. Sleep is serious business for birds, often involving a sheltered spot like your patio, which may be out of the reach of likely predators. The feet of passerines (birds with three forward-pointing toes and one rear-pointing toe, such as sparrows, wrens and warblers) are adapted for grasping a perch. And when a passerine lands, two tendons called flexors, which are attached to the bird's toes, automatically tighten, locking the bird's toes around the perch. It's an involuntary reflex that involves the bird's weight keeping the leg in the locking position, so the bird doesn't have to be awake and thinking about gripping with its toes. You may notice that the roosting bird's belly feathers tend to cover its feet. In cold weather it may even squat down to better cover its feet, which also helps the toe-gripping reflex. The tendons won't release until the bird straightens out its legs, as it will when it flies off. The whole thing is just another amazing adaptation in the tool kits of our feathered friends. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.   MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 12, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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