Pennsylvania may have Punxsautawney Phil the groundhog to tell them whether spring is coming, but Ogden Nature Center has Einstein the American White Pelican.

See that bump on Einstein's bill? That means spring is on its way! That bump, or "keel," emerges every spring on pelicans' bills, signaling the start of breeding season. By the end of June, Einstein's beak bump will fall off. Come next February, he'll grow a new one.

The white pelican doesn't plunge or dive into the water to catch fish, like its cousin the brown pelican. The white pelican scoops up water and fish with its bill while swimming on the water's surface. Sometimes, groups of pelicans will work together to "herd" fish, and then eat their fill. The mesh-like membrane under the bill can hold up to three gallons of water! Pelicans tip their bills to let the water run out like a sieve, and the fish ... well, you know what happens to those. Down the hatch!

Here we have Tom, Thomas and Tommy, Ogden Nature Center's rambling and rambunctious turkeys.

And look! They're wearing their snow boots! OK, not really. In fact, the feet of our familiar feathered trio don't seem to have anything to keep them from freezing. So how come they don't freeze?

The turkeys' feet, like those of most birds, have little in them to freeze. Basically, they are made of bone and the hard, scaly covering that protects them. But the turkeys' feet have something very important -- and different than humans -- inside their legs and feet that not only helps prevent their feet from freezing, but also helps keep the birds warm.

Each of their legs has an artery and a vein inside, with the artery carrying the blood away from the bird's heart and the vein circulating it back to the heart. The artery and vein are positioned right next to each other, so that as the warm blood travels through the artery from the bird's body and into its leg and foot, it gradually warms the cool blood in the vein that is returning to the body from the bird's lower extremity.

This heat transfer helps to keep the bird's feet and legs from freezing and it also ensures that the blood returning to its body is warm. It's as if Tom, Thomas and Tommy are walking around atop their very own space heaters!

Post by Susan Snyder, ONC Teacher-Naturalist ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Photo by Brandi Bosworth, ONC Public Relations Specialist ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Ogden Nature Center's naturalists invite you to check back often for updates and photographs about seasonal changes, animal antics and other happenings around our 152-acre nature preserve. If you have a burning questions about the plants and animals found at ONC, please don't hesitate to ask. And be sure to take our weekly polls!