Can't Escape That Moonwalking Bird

I'm having some birding withdrawal, but it's just too darned cold for me to want to go out and my camera batteries would just go on strike if I did. No, this is the type of weather where you stay in with a large cup of shade grown coffee and surf the net for birds.

Last night's Birds and Beers was a great time--I was amazed at the turn out despite the weather. For the Twin Cities Birds and Beers we seem to have a group of regulars and always a group of new people show up. The next Twin Cities one will be either February 21 or 28. I'm going to be in Essex, CT around Feb 16 & 17 if anyone has suggestions for a Birds and Beers there, please let me know.

When I came home last night, Non Birding Bill was watching his favorite game show called QI which is some sort of quiz show with Stephen Fry as host with a bunch of British comics as contestants. He asks hard questions and comedic answers ensue. Last night they were referencing the red-capped manakin familiar to many online birders as the Moonwalking Bird. I think most birding blogs have covered it already, however, if you've missed it, here it is:



Here is the reference that was on QI last night:



And as if those guys have you longing for the song A Night To Remember, some clever person on You Tube remixed it with that song:



I posted that mostly for NBB. And, here is the original snippet from Nature that brought the red-capped manakin to the tv viewing public. This researcher is actually talking about a couple of different species of manakins--and do watch it, some of the ways they make sounds are really quite interesting--plus you actually get to see the birding researcher attempt a moonwalk: