Bird Behaviour in Action
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the horbills are quite large birds used to feed on fruit and mainly insects,arachnids and small vertebrates.
but they are not used to kill aduld birds.
in this case an African Grey Hornbill (tockus nasutus) has cought and killed a social weaver.
"a strange behaviour"
Etosha National Park ,Namibia
original 3K file here:
Seagulls are fondly remembered in Utah for helping Mormon settlers deal with a plague of crickets. The seagull is now the state bird of Utah and a monument in Salt Lake City commemorates the event, known as the ‘Miracle of the Gulls’. Seagulls are very clever. They learn, remember and even pass on behaviours, such as stamping their feet in a group to imitate rainfall and trick earthworms to come to the surface. Seagulls’ intelligence is clearly demonstrated by a range of different feeding behaviours, such as dropping hard-shelled molluscs onto rocks so that they break open so they can eat them, and following ploughs in fields where they know upturned grubs and other food sources will be plentiful.
Birds of prey are fascinating and majestic animals. They can generally be defined as birds that feed on animals that they catch alive. Representatives of these two orders can be found almost everywhere in the world. Although these groups are distantly related, the behavioural and anatomical characteristics they share appear to be mainly the result of parallel evolution.
This owl flew to get away from me but, surprisingly, looped back and flew right back towards the utility pole near where I was standing. Thus, it apparently forgot what it was doing. It flew right at me until it got very close, realized its error and pealed off, giving me in-close side shots too. I wish that this kind of behaviour were more common.
Both bumblebees are Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum), I think. The feeding behaviour of each individual on Salvia flowers however was consistently distinctive when following them flying from flower to flower. Taken in the garden. Bath, BANES, England, UK
Dove and Red-headed Finch.
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From the "senses" series: Vision
If someone sees something, they react. Cause-effect. According to Pavlov, reflexes could be conditioned. If you don't see, you don't react. But if vision is deprived from you and you know and watch that you don't see because someone doesn't want you to see, you react. Cause-effect.
Although they are not the only birds to engage in similar behaviour, gannets are famous for "billing" or “mutual fencing.” While it can happen any time both birds from a mated pair are at their nest site, it is quite routine when one bird returns to the nest after foraging for food or nesting material. The two gannets will face each other, often touching and calling. They then shake their heads side to side with their bills clacking together. They often bow, rub necks, and preen each other’s neck before taking up the more mundane activities of nesting in colonies, such as bickering and fighting with neighbors.
juvenile marsh harrier (up) squawking at it's mum (down) for the moorhen chick in her claws. I don't know what I was doing with my shutter speed so excuse the quality lol but it shows some good behaviour. I'll be posting the mid air swap from the rear in about a week
On this day 11 years ago I noticed this Goanna lizard hanging out at a popular picnic spot. Goannas are one of several species of lizards of the genus Varanus found in Australia and Southeast Asia.
Being predatory lizards, Goannas are often quite large, with sharp teeth and claws. They survive on smaller prey, but combine predatory and scavenging behaviour, which is why they are attracted to places where people gather and may feed them.
Like most lizards, goannas lay eggs. Most lay eggs in a nest or burrow, but some species lay their eggs inside termite mounds. This offers protection and incubation; additionally, the termites may provide a meal for the young as they hatch. Unlike some other species of lizards, Goannas do not have the ability to regrow limbs or tails.
In addition to growing and tending trees with care, my husband makes me laugh. And he grows plants in his partial greenhouse. These are tiny cyclamen that bloom by unfurling their wee petals in an up-swept manner.
Bounced strobe. Thanks for looking. (I left parts of small leaves on the right for context. Should I remove them?)
NB. Taking a Cornell course on bird behavior/behaviour. Less active here now.
This pair of twin calf North American Moose (Alces alces) were observed in a behaviour not expected this early in their life cycle in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
25 October, 2012.
Slide # GWB_20121025_5388.CR2
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The second side of Timmy is the tender cuddler who likes to lie in my arm in bed and lay his head in my hand.
Happy Caturday 2.10.2021 "Signature behaviour"
We just couldn't believe this!
Many of you would have seen adult Grebe's doing the Weed Dance., an elaborate and beautiful 'Courtship' ritual
But what we have here are two Grebe chicks from the same family spontaneously performing (with all the same complex moves) the very same dance
They are young and immature., so this cannot be 'learnt behaviour' but instead somehow engrained into their DNA
We were taken by surprise and It was wonderful to watch!
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Surtout, ne m'imitez pas, hein, car ce sont des baies d'if, mortelles en 5-10 min. si on croque dans la graine. Moi, comme je n'ai pas de dents, je l'avale tout rond et ainsi, je ne risque rien !
De nombreux humains et animaux (chevaux, vaches, lapins, etc) sont morts après avoir mangé des baies d'if !!!
Don't make the same as me. These are yew berries. If you crunch the seed, hidden into the berry, you will die very quickly ! For me, as I haven't any teeth, I swallow it without chewing it !
A lot of humans and animals (horses, cows, rabbits, etc) have died after having eaten yew berries !!!
Halcyon senegalensis
L'offrande de nourriture du mâle à la femelle est un comportement très fréquent... avant les choses plus sérieuses...
Parc national Kruger, Afrique du Sud
The offering of food by the male to the female is a very frequent behaviour... before more serious things happen...
Kruger National Park, South Africa
The Indian pangolin, thick-tailed pangolin, or scaly anteater (Manis crassicaudata) is a pangolin found on the Indian subcontinent. It is not common anywhere in its range. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. It can also curl itself into a ball as self-defence against predators such as the tiger. The colour of its scales varies depending on the colour of the earth in its surroundings.
It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day.
The Indian pangolin is threatened by hunting for its meat and for various body parts used in traditional medicine.
The Indian pangolin is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is about 84–122 centimetres (33–48 in) long from head to tail, the tail usually being 33–47 cm long, and weighs 10–16 kg. Females are generally smaller than the males and have one pair of mammae. The pangolin possesses a cone-shaped head with small, dark eyes, and a long muzzle with a nose pad similar in color, or darker than, its pinkish-brown skin. It has powerful limbs, tipped with sharp, clawed digits. It is an almost exclusive insectivore and principally subsists on ants and termites, which it catches with a specially adapted long, sticky tongue.The pangolin has no teeth, but has strong stomach muscles to aid in digestion. The most noticeable characteristic of the pangolin is its massive, scaled armour, which covers its upper face and its whole body with the exception of the belly and the inside of the legs. These protective scales are rigid and made of keratin. It has 160–200 scales in total, about 40–46% of which are located on the tail. Scales can be 6.5–7 cm long, 8.5 cm wide, and weigh 7–10 grams. The skin and scales make up about one-fourth to one-third of the total body mass of this species.
The Indian pangolin has been recorded from various forest types, including Sri Lankan rainforest and plains to middle hill levels. The animal can be found in grasslands and secondary forests, and is well adapted to desert regions as it is believed to have a tolerance to dry areas, but prefers more barren, hilly regions. This pangolin species may also sometimes reach high elevations, and has been sighted in Sri Lanka at 1100 meters and in the Nilgiri mountains in India at 2300 meters. It prefers soft and semi-sandy soil conditions suitable for digging burrows.
Pangolin burrows fall into one of two categories: feeding and living burrows. Feeding burrows are smaller than living burrows (though their sizes vary depending on the abundance of prey) and are created more frequently during the spring, when there is a greater availability of prey. Living burrows are wider, deeper, and more circular, and are occupied for a longer time than feeding burrows, as they are mainly used to sleep and rest during the day. After a few months, the pangolin abandons the burrow and digs a new one close to a food source. However, it is not uncommon for the pangolin to shift back to an old burrow.
Unlike its African counterpart, the Indian pangolin does not climb trees, but it does value the presence of trees, herbs, and shrubs in its habitat because it is easier to dig burrows around them. Features that promote an abundance of ants and termites (grasses, bare grounds, bases of trees, shrubs, roots, leaf litter, fallen logs and elephant feces) are often present in pangolin habitats.
Few details are known about the breeding behaviour of the Indian pangolin. During the animal's mating period, females and males may share the same burrow and show some diurnal activities. Males have testes in a fold of the skin located in their groin areas. The female's embryo develops in one of the uterine horns. The gestation period lasts 65–70 days; the placenta is diffuse and not deciduate. Usually, a single young is born, but twins have been reported in this species. The young weigh 235–400 g at birth and measure roughly 30 cm. The newborn animals have open eyes, and soft scales with protruding hairs between them. The mother pangolin carries her young on her tail. When the mother and young are disturbed, the young pangolin is held against its mother's belly and protected by the mother's tail.
"Somersaulting behaviour of Canada Geese On ist February
1970 we [...] witnessed an extraordinary performance by about 200 Canada Geese Branta canadensis [...]..
By far the largest proportion of the Canada Geese, [...] were
indulging in an elaborate routine which none of us had ever seen
before. By plunging their heads into the water and somersaulting
forwards they would turn on their backs, with belly upwards and feet
clawing the air. This position was deliberately maintained for some
seconds when the birds, by simply rolling sideways, righted themselves
without difficulty. Once again a flurry of body shaking and vigorous
preening followed. [...]."
WILLIAM MULLIGAN and CHARLES LINFOO T
4)2 Parrs Wood Road, East Didsbury, Manchester
britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V63/V...
I also observed this behavious in Porteau Cove and also in a lake in Alberta, Canada.
Especially given the behaviour patterns of this species (ground foraging specialists) good things happen when you lie on the ground. At a conservation area south of Ottawa I had watched a small flock pushing out from some shrubs and reeds, checking out seeds and dried plants in a wooded corner. I didn’t really expect this visitor, but in the very early light and with its head turned to check out this prone log of a person nearby, it worked out pretty well.
This is another winter visitor, like the Dark-eyed Junco, that brightens up the dreary and monochromatic winter habitat. Beautiful subtle plumage is a compelling part of encounters with the species, and this small flock was no different. And, like the Juncos, they will soon be heading north to their breeding territories.
American Tree Sparrows are very vulnerable to food shortages, and flocks can die off quickly if they have to move too far or wait too long for nourishment. On the morning I met this bird, it was about minus 25, and the sun was lighting but not heating its environment.
I made a quick trip to the nature reserve after work and met this beautiful and friendly girl. After moving to a very photogenic spot on the grass she spent several minutes turning, preening and generally showing off all her best sides for the camera! It was hard to pick a shot in the end :)
I always enjoy seeing impaka. They are pretty common throughout the Kruger Park, but the lovely thing is that they are very elegant and because you see quite a few of them you have a few chances to get a better shot. Also they can be quite close at times and in large groups, so you can try to find one that is looking in the right direction. It is difficult to pick where to look sometimes as it is hard to predict their behaviour!
Swallow Tanager is an unusual species and the only member of its genus. (It was formerly placed in a family of its own.) It is unique among tanagers in the behaviour of sometimes digging a nesting hole in a bank. It is primarily frugivorous but will also sweep out (swallow-like) after insects. This is a male with a black mask and mainly blue plumage with white breast. It was seen near the town of Minca in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, South America.
watching the Jackdaws.
One from yesterday evening. The Jackdaws were doing thier usual thing, mobbing the owl until it perched.
After watching their behaviour now for a number of years, I'm sure they do it simply for fun!
Taken within the Mabula Game Reserve, Ouklip, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Giraffes can safely eat from spikey bushes like acacia trees due to their long, flexible tongues and thick saliva. These adaptations allow giraffes to strip leaves from spiky branches without causing harm to their mouths.
The tongue's prehensile nature enables them to hold leaves securely, while the saliva helps lubricate the spines, making it easier to swallow. This unique feeding behaviour is a key adaptation that allows giraffes to thrive in their natural habitat.
Taken within the Mabula Game Reserve, Ouklip, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Giraffes can safely eat from spikey bushes like acacia trees due to their long, flexible tongues and thick saliva. These adaptations allow giraffes to strip leaves from spiky branches without causing harm to their mouths.
The tongue's prehensile nature enables them to hold leaves securely, while the saliva helps lubricate the spines, making it easier to swallow. This unique feeding behaviour is a key adaptation that allows giraffes to thrive in their natural habitat.
The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a large wild goose species with a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brown body. Native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, its migration occasionally reaches northern Europe. It has been introduced to the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; it tends to be found on or close to fresh water.
Extremely successful at living in human-altered areas, Canada geese have proven able to establish breeding colonies in urban and cultivated areas, which provide food and few natural predators, and are well known as a common park species. Their success has led to them often being considered a pest species because of their depredation of crops and issues with their noise, droppings, aggressive territorial behaviour, and habit of begging for food, especially in their introduced range. Canada geese are also among the most commonly hunted waterfowl in North America.