Pecking Bird

The Pecking Bird refers to the category of trick in which the performer uses a pecking bird, hopping frog, self-propelled toy car, or other mechanical automaton or toy, to find a selected card or cards. Probably the most popular versions are Don Alan's Ranch Bird and Dick Koornwinder's Koornwinder Kar.

History

Howard P. Albright's Gillegaloo Bird was the first popular trick of this type, and Albright was performing it as early as 1936, although it has been speculated that the trick may have been performed earlier in Europe. Dr. Jaks was one of the early adopters of Albright's Gilleegaloo Bird. He named his "Hermann," and carried it in his "Book of Mysteries."

Publications

• Gillegaloo Bird (Howard P. Albright): 1936.
  • Write it Right (Bruce Elliott): The Linking Ring, Vol. 31 No. 2 (April 1951, pp. 61-64).
  • The Albright Bird Trick Revisited: Robert McDaniel, The Royal Treatment (1981, pp. 26-31).

• Hoppy, the Magic Frog (Hen Fetsch): Marketed item, 1951.
  • Educated Frog (Bobby Bernard): Lewis Ganson, Routined Manipulation Finale (1954, pp. 217-219).
  • Hoppy (Ron Bauer): The New Tops, Vol. 22 No. 3 (March 1982, pp. 23-28).
    • The Chick Trick: Ron Bauer, Ron Bauer Private Studies Series, Special Edition (2002).

• Yogi Bird Card Trick (Ed Marlo): Marketed item, 1952.
  • Ed Marlo, Early Marlo (1964, pp. 99-103).
  • Ed Marlo, Cardially Yours (2008, pp. 64-67).

• The Pecking Bird: Peter Warlock, The Complete Book of Magic (1956, pp. 90-93).
  • Elizabeth Warlock, One Hundred by Warlock (2005).
  • The Pecking Bird (Aenigma): The Gen, Vol. 13 No. 4 (August 1957, pp. 116-118).

• The Birdey Murphy Story (Bernhard Rind): Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol. 13 No. 12 (May 1956, p. 429).

• Don Alan's Ranch Bird (Don Alan): Marketed item, 1962, Ireland Magic Company.
  • Thoughts on Ranch Bird (C. R. Appleby): L. L. Ireland, Ireland's Yearbook for 1962 (1962, pp. 28-29).
  • Hot Canary (Don Alan): Marketed item, 1975, Magic, Inc.
  • Ranch Hand: Steve Bryant, The Little Egypt Gazette For Magicians Only: The Lecture '96 (1996).
  • Ranch Bird Deluxe (Don Alan): Jon Racherbaumer, In a Class by Himself: the Legacy of Don Alan (2000, pp. 85-92).

• The Pecking Bird: Harry Lorayne, Reputation-Makers (1971, pp. 234-238).
  • Genii, Vol. 70 No. 11 (November 2007, pp. 27-28).
  • Harry Lorayne, Lorayne: The Classic Collection. Vol. 2 (2008, pp. 157-162).

• Koornwinder "Ultimate Force" Kar (Dick Koornwinder): Marketed item, 1971, Ken Brooke's Magic Place.
  • Beam Shot: The Koornwinder Kar (Dick Koornwinder): Ken Brooke, The Ken Brooke Series, No. 10 (1984).
  • Wondercar: Marketed item, 1981, Hank Lee's Magic Factory.
  • The Crystal Car: Marketed item, 1987, Queen of Hearts.

• Hop Along Pete (Pete Biro): Marketed item, 1975, Magic, Inc.

• Electronic Robot Dalek (David Howarth): Marketed item, 1977, Taurus Magic Supply.

• The Walking Talking Card Box: Scotty York, Decennial Prelection (ca. 1978, p. 11).

• Woodstock: Paul Gertner, Paul Gertner Lecture Notes (ca. 1980).

• Nimrod (Walt Lees): Lewis Ganson, The Immaculate Card Magic of Walt Lees (1980).

• The Quadro Chick (Quadro and Lazar): Marketed item, 1995, Jon Allen.

• Thoughts on the Pecking Bird: Jerry Mentzer, Card File Two (2000, pp. 166-167).

• An Entertaining Card Discovery (Nun-zilla) (Eugene Burger): M-U-M, Vol. 93 No. 10 (March 2004, pp. 20-21).