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:
A black Swan attacking a Muscovy duck.
Hope you will enjoy this shot.
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©Elsie van der Walt, all rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you are interested in using one of my images, please send me an E-mail (elsie.vdwalt@gmail.com).
Barn Owl - Tyto Alba
Norfolk,
Like most owls, the barn owl is nocturnal, relying on its acute sense of hearing when hunting in complete darkness. It often becomes active shortly before dusk and can sometimes be seen during the day when relocating from one roosting site to another. In Britain, on various Pacific Islands and perhaps elsewhere, it sometimes hunts by day. This practice may depend on whether the owl is mobbed by other birds if it emerges in daylight. However, in Britain, some birds continue to hunt by day even when mobbed by such birds as magpies, rooks and black-headed gulls, such diurnal activity possibly occurring when the previous night has been wet making hunting difficult. By contrast, in southern Europe and the tropics, the birds seem to be almost exclusively nocturnal, with the few birds that hunt by day being severely mobbed.
Barn owls are not particularly territorial but have a home range inside which they forage. For males in Scotland this has a radius of about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the nest site and an average size of about 300 hectares. Female home ranges largely coincide with that of their mates. Outside the breeding season, males and females usually roost separately, each one having about three favoured sites in which to conceal themselves by day, and which are also visited for short periods during the night. Roosting sites include holes in trees, fissures in cliffs, disused buildings, chimneys and haysheds and are often small in comparison to nesting sites. As the breeding season approaches, the birds move back to the vicinity of the chosen nest to roost.
Once a pair-bond has been formed, the male will make short flights at dusk around the nesting and roosting sites and then longer circuits to establish a home range. When he is later joined by the female, there is much chasing, turning and twisting in flight, and frequent screeches, the male's being high-pitched and tremulous and the female's lower and harsher. At later stages of courtship, the male emerges at dusk, climbs high into the sky and then swoops back to the vicinity of the female at speed. He then sets off to forage. The female meanwhile sits in an eminent position and preens, returning to the nest a minute or two before the male arrives with food for her. Such feeding behaviour of the female by the male is common, helps build the pair-bond and increases the female's fitness before egg-laying commences.
Barn owls are cavity nesters. They choose holes in trees, fissures in cliff faces, the large nests of other birds such as the hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) and, particularly in Europe and North America, old buildings such as farm sheds and church towers. Buildings are preferred to trees in wetter climates in the British Isles and provide better protection for fledglings from inclement weather. Trees tend to be in open habitats rather than in the middle of woodland and nest holes tend to be higher in North America than in Europe because of possible predation.
This bird has suffered declines through the 20th century and is thought to have been adversely affected by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s and '60s.
Nocturnal birds like the barn owl are poorly monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey and, subject to this caveat, numbers may have increased between 1995-2008.
Barn owls are a Schedule 1 and 9 species.
Population:
UK breeding:
4,000 pairs
Europe:
110-220,000 pairs
I was observing a group of sea gulls next to the Yarra River when I took this shot.
I am sure you would have seen these postures and calls before.
I was also curious about these postures and their meanings.
Here you can see two common postures.
The gull in the front is showing the Forward Posture.
As the name implies, this posture is all about displaying a forward motion by holding the body roughly horizontal or slightly diagonally with the neck kinked characteristically.
The tail can sometimes be spread; the bill is either slightly opened or closed.
The Forward posture is used in the following situations:
1) hostile encounters
2) pair formation sequences
3) as a response to a bird approaching in flight
When used in hostile encounters on land, it often includes running towards an opponent, whereas in a pair formation sequence both gulls move parallel to each other
The Gull behind is doing the Mew Call
The Mew call is accompanied by a characteristic Arch-posture in which the head is held down and the wings are held slightly away from the body.
It is usually performed while walking but can be performed while standing, flying, or swimming as well.
The Mew call is used in both aggressive and non-aggressive situations:
Aggressive
1) In defense of food or territory, aimed at an opponent
2 )To attract a mate for support in territory defense
Non-aggressive
1) To attract a partner (also for courtship)
2) To call chicks that have wandered too far from the nest
3) To gather chicks for feeding or after they have been hiding after a disturbance
4) As a nest-relief invitation
5) As a call performed upon landing.
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Peaceful Sunday
Dove and Red-headed Finch.
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©Elsie van der Walt, all rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you are interested in using one of my images, please send me an E-mail (elsie.vdwalt@gmail.com).
Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps Cristatus
The great crested grebe has an elaborate mating display. Like all grebes, it nests on the water's edge, since its legs are set relatively far back and it is thus unable to walk very well. Usually two eggs are laid, and the fluffy, striped young grebes are often carried on the adult's back. In a clutch of two or more hatchlings, male and female grebes will each identify their 'favourites', which they alone will care for and teach
Unusually, young grebes are capable of swimming and diving almost at hatching. The adults teach these skills to their young by carrying them on their back and diving, leaving the chicks to float on the surface; they then re-emerge a few feet away so that the chicks may swim back onto them.
The great crested grebe feeds mainly on fish, but also small crustaceans, insects small frogs and newts.
This species was hunted almost to extinction in the United Kingdom in the 19th century for its head plumes, which were used to decorate hats and ladies' undergarments. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was set up to help protect this species, which is again a common sight.
The great crested grebe and its behaviour was the subject of one of the landmark publications in avian ethology: Julian Huxley's 1914 paper on The Courtship‐habits of the Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus).
Population:
UK breeding:
4,600 pairs
UK wintering:
19,000 individuals
Mountain Hare - Lepus Timidus
The mountain hare (Lepus timidus), also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats.
In the European Alps the mountain hare lives at elevations from 700 to 3800 m, depending on biographic region and season.The development of alpine winter tourism has increased rapidly since the last few decades of the 20th century, resulting in expansion of ski resorts, growing visitor numbers, and a huge increase in all forms of snow sport activities. A 2013 study looking at stress events and the response of mountain hares to disturbance concluded that those hares living in areas of high winter recreational activities showed changes in physiology and behaviour that demanded additional energy input at a time when access to food resources is restricted by snow. It recommended ensuring that forests inhabited by mountain hares were kept free of tourist development, and that new skiing areas should be avoided in mountain hare habitat, and that existing sites should not be expanded.
In August 2016, the Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind launched a campaign on behalf of the mountain hare, as a way of raising awareness of mountain hare culls taking place across the country and in garnering public support for the issue. Mountain hares are routinely shot in the Scottish Highlands both as part of paid hunting "tours" and by gamekeepers managing red grouse populations (who believe that mountain hares can be vectors of diseases which affect the birds). Much of this activity is secretive but investigations have revealed that tens of thousands of hares are being culled every year. The campaign, which urges people to proclaim that We Care For The Mountain Hare", will culminate with the charity urging the Scottish government to legislate against commercial hunting and culling of the iconic Scottish species. The campaign has revealed widespread public support for a ban on hare hunting in Scotland.
Unlike the brown hare, which is thought to have been introduced by the Celts during the Iron Age, the mountain hare is native to Britain. However, it is only native to the Scottish Highlands and was translocated elsewhere.
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.
This little sparrow was really taken with the seed head. It was a joy to watch it work its way round it.
RKO_9069.
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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
Culex pipiens is the common house mosquito—the one that tries to bite you at night and wakes you up with its dreadful buzzing. The typical behavioural pattern of this nocturnal pest is to come into our houses and attack us between sunset and sunrise. A single Culex pipiens, eager to get enough blood to lay its eggs, can ruin your night with multiple bites: the female of the species needs this blood meal to complete her biological cycle. Like those of other mosquito species, the larvae of Culex pipiens are aquatic and can develop anywhere water collects, in any kind of container, gutter or structure. Consequently, mosquitos are found everywhere. Moreover, they can inhabit either clean or polluted waters, even cesspools and poorly maintained sewers.
Curiously, in today’s media-saturated world, we are easily alarmed by the transmission of exotic viruses like Zika but have failed to notice that this mosquito and another of the same genus—Culex perexiguus—have been spreading West Nile virus in Andalusia and nearby regions since at least 2010. In Spain, West Nile virus has been affecting horses since at least 2010 and cases in humans were reported in 2010 and in 2016. Continuous outbreaks throughout Europe—in countries such as Greece, Romania and Italy—have claimed dozens of lives.
In various parts of the world, Culex species have been responsible for spreading encephalitis, including the Saint Louis and Japanese variants (the latter causes more than 50,000 cases and 10,000 deaths each year). These mosquitos are also responsible for the spread of West Nile virus, which has affected more than 40,000 people in the United States since it first reached the country in 1999. The common house mosquito also spreads filarial worms—including Dirofilaria immitis, which affects dogs—and several Plasmodium species that cause avian malaria.
Culex pipiens is a very adaptive species. Some of its ecological forms prefer to feed on birds at northern latitudes but are more likely to bite humans at latitudes farther south. The mosquito’s appetite can also vary depending on where the larvae develop. For example, mosquitos that mature in an underground environment where organic matter is present will be more likely to feed on humans than on birds. Because of this plasticity, the common house mosquito can act as a bridge vector, spreading viruses between different animal species—including humans.
It was interesting and entertaining to watch the feeding behaviours of both the 'i'iwi and the 'amakihi (endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers). Very flexible necks and often hanging off a branch. They pry flowers (like this māmane) open with their beak, then use their tongue to lap up the sweet liquid at the flower's base.
I had a day in Ottawa between work in Vancouver, and took a few hours to visit some wetlands. This bird was extremely well-sheltered from the shore, enabling it to hunt and rest without disturbance. Because it was pretty intent on the water, which it observed from a dead tree trunk, I was able to crawl through some bushes and young trees and park myself in a way it couldn’t see me. I had just enough space to set up my monopod and find a clean line through branches.
The Night-Herons around here have a way of hunting in deeper water that involves launching or pouncing off a branch or a dead tree trunk. They enter the water feet and bill first, with a great splash, and try to ambush their prey. (I have a few images of that I may post later).
The bird was successful, and emerged with a pretty decent-sized Catfish. What I hadn’t realized at that moment was that, around a small bay from where I sat enclosed in branches, there was a prospective mate. What followed was an amazing twenty minutes of this bird displaying mating behaviours, including a fairly flashy ‘watch me swallow this food that I can catch for all of us’ dance.
I will post more of those images as well.
The name kestrel is given to several members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around 10–20 metres over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects. Other falcons are more adapted to active hunting in flight. Kestrels are notable for usually having mostly brown in their plumage.
Sabi Sabi Game Reserve
Near Kruger National Park
South Africa
Happy Caturday!!
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five species in the genus Panthera, a member of the Felidae. The leopard occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and are declining in large parts of the global range.
Contemporary records suggest that the leopard occurs in only 25% of its historical global range. Leopards are hunted illegally, and their body parts are smuggled into the wildlife trade for medicinal practices and decoration.
Compared to other wild cats, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar, but generally has a smaller, lighter physique. Its fur is marked with rosettes similar to those of the jaguar, but the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and do not usually have central spots as the jaguar's do. Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic are known as black panthers.
The leopard is distinguished by its well-camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behaviour, broad diet, and strength (which it uses to move heavy carcasses into trees), as well as its ability to adapt to various habitats ranging from rainforest to steppe, including arid and montane areas, and its ability to run at speeds of up to 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph). – Wikipedia
It was lovely to get the opportunity to capture this shot. I had great fun watching these two owls behaviour when close together.
Curious behaviour, the Redshank didn't eat the fish, it just picked it up and dumped it on the edge of the water. It must have been annoying the Redshank!
This Swainson's Hawk and its partner are very aggressively trying to discourage people approaching their nest. I haven't tried to visit the nest but from their recent behaviour I believe they have babies. If that's the case, I should see the fledglings before too long.
A very beautiful and colorful nuthatch found in many parts of the country, but hard to sight unless one knows where to look. After several sightings of various species of nuthatches, I am a bit comfortable in finding them now I suppose.
They are typical nuthatches in behaviour and defy gravity looking for insects, larvae and grub on the tree trunks and branches. The birds are resident in the country and found in deciduous forests often in the upper canopy, but quite possible that they come down to the lower part once in a while. We sighted several of them much to our delight, but shooting them was very challenging due to their size and in the thick canopy.
Thank you so much in advance for your views and feedback.
Endemic to Madagascar. It's closely similar to the African stonechat in both plumage and behaviour, but distinguished from it by the more extensive black on the throat and minimal orange-red on the upper breast of the males.
Vallombre Natiora Hotel, Mantasoa, Madagascar
Species: Lanius meridionalis.
Location: Canary Islands, Spain.
Southern grey shrike and Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) are now recognised as different species. Not only do they differ in some plumage details, but also in size, voice, behaviour and favoured habitat.
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One side of Timmy is the adventurer: today a wall was newly concreted at the construction site at the creek behind the house. Two hours later Timmy checked the quality of the work. Fortunately, the concrete was already solid enough so that he did not leave paw prints :-)))
Happy Caturday 2.10.2021 "Signature behaviour"
see all photos: meine.stimme.de/heilbronn/kultur-freizeit/das-maeuerchen-...
Stag frantically digging up mud at the edge of a lake to cover its antlers before dressing them in vegetation. Not sure if this is to impress the ladies or threaten other males in the rut.
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 :)
A Red-winged Blackbird clings to a bullrush, voicing his displeasure with my presence. Based on behaviour. these have to be my least favourite bird but the males, with their bright reddish-orange wings, are certainly a striking subject.
Thanks for viewing and have a great day :)
Sparrowhawk - (F) Accipiter Nisus
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Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is found throughout the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World; while birds from the northern parts of the range migrate south for winter, their southern counterparts remain resident or make dispersive movements. Eurasian sparrowhawks breed in suitable woodland of any type, with the nest, measuring up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) across, built using twigs in a tree. Four or five pale blue, brown-spotted eggs are laid; the success of the breeding attempt is dependent on the female maintaining a high weight while the male brings her food. The chicks hatch after 33 days and fledge after 24 to 28 days.
The probability of a juvenile surviving its first year is 34%, with 69% of adults surviving from one year to the next. Mortality in young males is greater than that of young females and the typical lifespan is four years. This species is now one of the most common birds of prey in Europe, although the population crashed after the Second World War. Organochlorine insecticides used to treat seeds before sowing built up in the bird population, and the concentrations in Eurasian sparrowhawks were enough to kill some outright and incapacitate others; affected birds laid eggs with fragile shells which broke during incubation. However, its population recovered after the chemicals were banned, and it is now relatively common, classified as being of Least Concern by BirdLife International.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk's hunting behaviour has brought it into conflict with humans for hundreds of years, particularly racing pigeon owners and people rearing poultry and gamebirds. It has also been blamed for decreases in passerine populations. The increase in population of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk coincides with the decline in House Sparrows in Britain. Studies of racing pigeon deaths found that Eurasian sparrowhawks were responsible for less than 1%. Falconers have utilised the Eurasian sparrowhawk since at least the 16th century; although the species has a reputation for being difficult to train, it is also praised for its courage. The species features in Teutonic mythology and is mentioned in works by writers including William Shakespeare, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes.
Male Eurasian sparrowhawks regularly kill birds weighing up to 40 g (1.4 oz) and sometimes up to 120 g (4.2 oz); females can tackle prey up to 500 g (18 oz) or more. The weight of food consumed by adult birds daily is estimated to be 40–50 g (1.4–1.8 oz) for males and 50–70 g (1.8–2.5 oz) for females. During one year, a pair of Eurasian sparrowhawks could take 2,200 house sparrows, 600 common blackbirds or 110 wood pigeons. Species that feed in the open, far from cover, or are conspicuous by their behaviour or coloration, are taken more often by Eurasian sparrowhawks. For example, great tits and house sparrows are vulnerable to attack. Eurasian sparrowhawks may account for more than 50% of deaths in certain species, but the extent varies from area to area.
Males tend to take tits, finches, sparrows and buntings; females often take thrushes and starlings. Larger quarry (such as doves and magpies) may not die immediately but succumb during feather plucking and eating. More than 120 bird species have been recorded as prey and individual Eurasian sparrowhawks may specialise in certain prey. The birds taken are usually adults or fledglings, though chicks in the nest and carrion are sometimes eaten. Small mammals, including bats, are sometimes caught but insects are eaten only very rarely.
La Ceja, Colombia.
Dione moneta
(The Mexican Silverspot / Pasionaria Mexicana)
Dione moneta occurrs from the southern USA to Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina.
This species is migratory in behaviour so can be found in almost any habitat, and at any altitude from 0-3500 metres. It is most frequent between 1800-2800m and is most often encountered in open sunny areas - these typically include riverbanks, rocky slopes, pastures and roadsides - in fact anywhere where there is an abundance of nectar sources. Both sexes nectar at a wide variety of flowers.
www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Andes - Dione moneta.htm
First is a Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar, next a Soldier Beetle, then a Ladybird and a Hoverfly. Please try viewing large. Thank you....
Saw this Whitetail buck licking and nuzzling the head and neck of this doe. She stood there while the buck attended to her for a few minutes. Not sure if this is a courtship ritual or if the facial glands on a doe will provoke this behaviour due to secretions when being in estrus.
Not sure what,s going on here.At first i thought the ants were moving their larvae to another location,but the first larvae is clearly a plant hopper nymph! So moving plant hopper larvae for security,or food?
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I was watching one of the log piles yesterday with my friend John, where I walk my Dog, when this tiny beauty was seen weaving in and out of the logs. The first one we have seen and been able to get photographs of. So you can imagine how excited we were. A great day and the perfect start to the weekend.
Size:
Pygmy Shrew 40-60 mm; tail 32-46 mm the Common Shrew size that I posted before being Size: 48-80mm, tail 24-44mm; tail less than 3/4 length of head and body.
Weight:
2.4-6.1g. Weight may decrease up to 28% in winter.
Diet:
They feed mainly on insects, arachnids and woodlice, requiring regular meals and eating up to 125% of their body weight in food daily. Unlike common shrews, they rarely eat earthworms.
Lifespan:
Peak mortality is at 2-4 months and the maximum lifespan is around 13 months.
Origin & Distribution:
Widespread throughout the mainland of Britain and Ireland, in most terrestrial habitats which offer sufficient ground cover. They are also found on the Isle of Man and Outer Hebrides, where common shrews are absent. Pygmy shrews are active day and night, largely above ground. They make and use "surface tunnels" in vegetation and will frequent burrows dug by other animals. They seem to be relatively more common on moorland than are common shrews.
Habitat:
Urban & gardens
Deciduous woodland
Grassland
Mixed woodland
Arable land
Behaviour:
As in all shrews, senses of smell, hearing and touch are well-developed. Pygmy shrews are solitary and aggressive towards conspecifics. Home ranges vary from around 500-2000 square metres, depending on habitat, with maximum densities of around 12 per hectare. Strict territoriality is only abandoned during the breeding season.
Breeding:
Pygmy shrews overwinter as immatures and breed between April and October, producing two or three litters of 5-7 young. Their main predators are owls and other avian predators, particularly those which hunt on moorland.