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Pectinate Claw – Black-crowned Night Heron

on 25th December 2021

I became aware of pectinate claws in birds after close observation of the Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus bimaculatus) that lives in our home. The most comprehensive account is by Clayton 2010 (Clayton, et al. “How Birds Combat Ectoparasites.”  The Open Ornithology Journal 3: 41–71). The article describes that a review of 118 bird families found that only 17 possessed pectinate claws; these included some species of nightjars, owls, pratincoles, terns, grebes, herons, egrets, bitterns and cormorants. Clayton 2010 also notes that there is within-species variation of pectinate claws and some individuals have the claw, while others lack it.

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I have been on the lookout for the feature in many birds but they are not easy to image. I also spotted it in the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). Herons have four toes; three are directed forwards and one backwards. The comb-like (pectinate) claw is usually located in the middle claw of forward-directed toes. There has been much speculation as to its function and an assumption has been made by many that it is used in bird feather maintenance (preening) or ectoparasite control. But there is no evidence of this role as yet (some evidence to the contrary by Clayton 2010). My prolonged observation of the Large-tailed Nightjar also does not support these roles of this specialised claw.

 

Amar-Singh HSS (Dato’ Dr)

Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

 

Location: Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Habitat: Secondary growth at city fringe

Equipment: Nikon D500 SLR with Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD, handheld with Rode VideoMic Pro Plus Shotgun Microphone

 

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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