尾羽の長さ / Tail Feather Length

This is not an academic analysis, just a personal observation.

First, I’d like to introduce the following bird: the Great-tailed Grackle, a crow-like bird often seen in Phoenix. It’s not a rare bird. As the name suggests, it has an impressive tail. By the way, I didn’t encounter it in the suburbs, so I made sure to take a photo in front of the hotel for the record.

Perhaps I’m influenced by the frequent sightings of the Great-tailed Grackle, but it seems like there are more birds with long tails here compared to Japan. If longer tails provide more stability, like the length of skis, it might be an advantage for survival in the vast, wind-exposed deserts of the West. Just a random thought.