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Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015.[1] These species come in a range of colors, and many species have the ability to change colors. Chameleons are distinguished by their zygodactylous feet; their very extensive, highly modified, rapidly extrudable tongues; their swaying gait;[2] and crests or horns on their brow and snout. Most species, the larger ones in particular, also have a prehensile tail. Chameleons' eyes are independently mobile, but in aiming at a prey item, they focus forward in coordination, affording the animal stereoscopic vision. Chameleons are adapted for climbing and visual hunting. They live in warm habitats that range from rain forest to desert conditions, various species occurring in Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe, and across southern Asia as far as Sri Lanka.
Distinctive Peck's Skipper butterfly taking nectar from a wild Ox-eye Meadow Daisy.
Common and abundant.
A distinctive long-tailed shrike of open woodland and acacia scrub.
Image taken in the Mara North Conservancy, Masai Mara, Kenya.
Many thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.
A distinctive part of Edmonton’s skyline, the Muttart Conservatory offers a year round escape into the beauty of the world’s plant life. Since it opened in 1976, the Muttart’s vibrant, colourful, tranquil and inspirational pyramid display gardens have been a welcome oasis for visitors.
The Muttart Conservatory was designed by award-winning Canadian architect Peter Hemingway. It has four themed pyramids: Arid, Temperate, Tropical and Feature. The exhibits in the Feature pyramid change between five and seven times per year.
This weeks-old puppy is one of the eight children of a mixed-breed dog. While it's siblings either have a pure white or light brown fur, or a white body coloring with some brown patches, none of them has a distinguishing facial feature like this predominantly white puppy - which has a black mask-like design on its head.
Taken in Subic, Zambales, Philippines.
Large, mostly white stork with a distinctive yellow bill and bright red facial skin. It is more tied to wetland habitats than most other storks, and it forages with its bill partially submerged and open, stirring up prey in muddy pools with its feet. When it encounters prey it snaps its bill closed. It is a resident and partial migrant throughout its range, and although not particularly gregarious, it will congregate when food is abundant. The similar White Stork has a white (not black) tail, and it lacks the red facial skin and yellow bill of the Yellow-billed Stork. (eBird)
Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. February 2017.
Distinctive in his breeding plumage, the Eider drake is a handsome mix of bold contrast and subtle blush of black and white juxtaposed with delicate pale green nape patch and pink breast.
The distinctive red-brown fur and long bushy tail of the fox are a familiar sight almost everywhere in the British Isles. Foxes are intelligent, adaptable mammals, opportunistic, with unfussy palates, and they make use of a wide range of habitats, including those of towns and cities. They are social animals, living in family groups of a breeding pair, together with cubs in the spring, and sometimes other subordinate juveniles and adults. The latter are usually young born the previous year and help with the rearing of cubs, feeding, grooming and playing with them. Each group occupies a territory, which is marked with urine and scats. Dens (called ‘earths’) may be dug in banks or make use of (disused or occupied) badger setts or old rabbit burrows. In urban areas, favoured sites for dens are under buildings or sheds, and in overgrown gardens and cemeteries.
Foxes hunt and scavenge with keen senses of smell and hearing, and probably use the latter to locate earthworms, which can make up a large part of their diet.
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated.
A small and distinctive honeyeater that is primarily brown and white with strong black barring on the head and chest. Barring is less obvious in juvenile birds. Usually found in flowering trees near rivers or in swamps. Feeds on insects and nectar; usually quite inconspicuous. Endemic to northern Australia. (eBird)
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This lovely honeyeater gave us quite a show as it enjoyed the nectar from these flowers.
Do any of my Australian friends know the name of this flowering tree?
Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. October 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Tropical Australia.
These distinctive five-banded thynnid wasps are always a treat to see. We know this is a male since he has black antennae - females have orange antennae - and a dangerous looking "pseudostinger" for show only at the back end of his abdomen. All he does is mate with a female and drink flower nectar. Females are the busybodies, searching out May beetle (June bug) larvae down in the dirt and laying an egg on each one they find. Upon hatching, the five-banded thynnid wasp larvae burrow into the beetle larvae and eat them from the inside out. When finished, they pupate in the soil and emerge the following summer when the May beetle grubs are getting big and fat now in late July. By the way, these five-banded thynnid wasps are sometimes employed in turfgrass management since they kill those pesky May beetle grubs that eat grass roots and cause brown spots in lawns as a result of their injurious feeding behavior.
Male - Small distinctive hummingbird with a straight black bill. Males are mostly green with a rusty rump and tail, and noteworthy for an iridescent pink throat and white spot behind the eye. Females are green above and rusty below with a white teardrop behind the eye and a pale patch on the cheeks. Found in the understory of humid rainforest and visiting feeders at forest edges. ebird.org/species/brarub1
Happy Friday!
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© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.
The distinctive Crested Caracara “combines the raptorial instincts of the eagle with the base carrion-feeding habits of the vulture”. Called ignoble, miserable, and aggressive, yet also dashing, stately, and noble, this medium-sized raptor, with its bold black-and-white plumage and bright yellow-orange face and legs, is easily recognizable as it perches conspicuously on a high point in the landscape. In flight it can be distinguished by its regular, powerful wing-beats as it cruises low across the ground or just above the treetops. Known locally in some areas as the “Mexican buzzard”, the Crested Caracara is an opportunist and is commonly seen walking about open fields, pastures, and road edges, feeding on a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate prey, as well as on carrion, often in the company of other avian scavengers. The name “caracara” is said to be of Guarani Indian origin, traro-traro, derived from the unusual rattling vocalization that the bird utters when agitated.
While the Crested Caracara ranges from northern Mexico to Tierra del Fuego, in the United States it occurs only along the southern border, primarily in Texas and Arizona and occasionally in coastal areas of other Gulf states, and in Florida, where there is an isolated population in the south-central peninsula.
I found this one along Canoe Creek Road in Osceola County, Florida.
Gladioli are often known as sword lillies due to their long, pointed leaves. The distinctive tall flower spikes emerge in summer and come in a whole host of colours. ... They also look good in containers and make excellent cut flowers.
Distinctively patterned black and white wader with a long up-curved beak. This Schedule 1 species is the emblem of the RSPB and symbolises the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species.
Kilnsea, East Yorkshire.
One of the distinctive things about early morning birding and photography in the woods at Point Traverse is the availability of light. The centre of the woods is made up of clusters of Eastern Red Cedar and sparse bunches of Hickory. Birds, especially during migration, quickly find warmth, shelter from the wind, and an abundant supply of midges in May.
This Thrush was newly-arrived, and assessing options down low in the early sunlight. And the bird was about waist-high for me, which was a real thrill. I could get down on one knee (easier to write than to do these days) and the bird was on a great angle.
The species’ rufous tail, which is a key for me in the field for identification purposes, is evident enough in the image that I was happy with the way the light fell around the bird.
A distinctive wader that is easily recognised by its dumpy, rounded body, rather short legs and its incredibly long bill. The latter is used to probe vertically down-wards in soft mud, in the manner of a sewing machine, Captured at the Restharrow scrape at Sandwich Bay Kent.
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THANK YOU for your visit and any comments are always very apricated. Please don't fave and run !
Enjoy the Lords day, keep safe and well, God bless.......Tomx.
The Red-bellied Grackle is a distinctive rare blackbird of cloud forest in the Colombian Andes. It is large, long-tailed, and heavy-billed with a bright red belly and otherwise glossy black plumage. Red-bellied Grackles moves through the forest in groups, giving a variety of calls. While it has been recorded from all three ranges of the Andes in Colombia, contemporary localities are few.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...
That distinctive clatter as you drop your lens hood, and it rolls into Afon Disgynfa. Utterly useless 😬
Anyway, this is the very impressive Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall. As hoped, the river was in spate making for a pretty spectacular sight. Bit of a battle to keep the lens clean due to all the spray (or smoke 😉)!
Very distinctive when seen well with its brightly coloured plumage. The underparts are a bright orange-red, while the wings and back of the head are dark blue. The back, rump and tail are a bright, almost "electric" blue and usually draw attention to a flying bird.
The production of intense blue presents challenges to nature. Most vertebrates are unable to produce blue pigment. The orange of kingfisher plumage is the product of tiny pigment granules but its cyan and blue feathers contain no pigments. These colours are ‘structural’. They are created by the intricate structural arrangement of a transparent material which, depending on its precise make-up and thickness compared to the tiny wavelength of light, produces a range of colours by ‘incident light’ – in other words light shining on the sample.
Despite these bright colours, can be easily overlooked perched motionless on a branch beside a stream or river on the look-out for fish. During the breeding season, females have a small red patch at the base of the bill, which is not shown by adult males.
The distinctive nose of a DMIR tunnel motor leans into the curve at MP 26 and stares down the low-lying sun at Burnett, MN, powering empty ore jennies towards UTAC on Canadian National's Missabe Subdivision against a fiery backdrop of fall's golden splendor.
Small falcon with distinctive male plumage; gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, barred on back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of sparrowhawks and Shikra), and distinct dark spotting on breast. Fairly common in open and lightly wooded country, farmland, heathland; often seen over rough grassland beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel. (Courtesy e.bird)
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
Distinctive stocky waterbird. Adult is dark gray overall with a white bill and forehead shield. Immature has a pale breast and a duller bill that becomes brighter white with age. When walking on shore, note big feet with lobed toes. Inhabits both freshwater and brackish marshes, lakeshores, and riverways; occasionally on saltwater. Breeding pairs aggressively territorial but nonbreeding flocks can number in hundreds. Unmistakable throughout much of range, but compare with very similar Red-knobbed Coot in areas of overlap. Calls are diverse, and include various high-pitched squeaks, squawks, and shorter, more clipped notes. (eBird)
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I was not expecting to find out that the Eurasian Coot is a year-round resident of Australia. In fact, it has a huge range across Europe, Asia and Australasia. We saw them several times, but this was the only time one was close enough photograph.
Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia. October 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.
Brazilian Ruby - Male - Small distinctive hummingbird with a straight black bill. Males are mostly green with a rusty rump and tail, and noteworthy for an iridescent pink throat and white spot behind the eye. Females are green above and rusty below with a white teardrop behind the eye and a pale patch on the cheeks. Found in the understory of humid rainforest and visiting feeders at forest edges.
Happy Sunday!
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.
This large and distinctively-coloured pigeon is a familiar sight to many New Zealanders. This is because the New Zealand pigeon (or kereru) has a widespread distribution through the country, being present in extensive tracts of native forest, and rural and urban habitats, including most cities.
Foods include buds, leaves, flowers and fruit from a wide variety species, both native and exotic. In addition, they have been seen feeding on the fruiting bodies of the parasitic strawberry fungus Cyttaria gunnii found in beech forest.
Photographed Bushy Park Homestead, Kai Iwi, New Zealand.
Steve Hitchcock © All rights reserved
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
In the background: Lacy tree philodendron leaf (Philodendron bipinnatifidum).
Black-capped Tanagers (Tangara heinei) are vividly-colored tropical birds that occur from Venezuela to Ecuador. This species is primarily found in montane forest edges, at forest clearings (natural as well as man-made), and in tall second-growth forest. Black-capped Tanagers often occur in pairs and sometimes in mixed-species flocks, foraging in bushes and trees for insects and fruit.
It is one of the few species in the genus that shows obvious sexual dichromatism, with males primarily gray-blue in color with a distinctive black cap, and females yellow-green without a black cap.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...
A DISTINCTIVE WADER, which looks black and white at a distance, has a spiky crest. There can be few sights and sounds more evocative of the countryside than a lapwing performing a noisy display flight over its territory.
Seen at Elmley Nature Res. Sheppey Kent.
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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship, keep safe and well.
God bless you ..................Tomx
Small falcon with distinctive male plumage; gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, barred on back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of sparrowhawks and Shikra), and distinct dark spotting on breast. Fairly common in open and lightly wooded country, farmland, heathland; often seen over rough grassland beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel. (Courtesy e.bird)
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
Small falcon with distinctive male plumage; gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, barred on back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of sparrowhawks and Shikra), and distinct dark spotting on breast. Fairly common in open and lightly wooded country, farmland, heathland; often seen over rough grassland beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel. (Courtesy e.bird)
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
This small and distinctive family only has about seven species in it. The scientific name Ptychoptera refers to their 'folded' wings, i.e., a crease in the wing that can make the wing appear very narrow. The abdomen is mainly black with a small amount of orange, the 'thighs' are also orange in colour. The clear wings have a number of darker dots and these are larger towards the centre of the wings.
Habitat - Frequents water margins and marshy areas.
The adults are to be seen flying from May to October.
Larvae are aquatic, living in mud and litter in shallow water. They resemble long thin terrestrial 'leather jackets' with long breathing tube tails that extend to the surface of the water.
Fairly frequent and widespread in England and Wales.
Small and distinctive falconlike kite. Light underneath, blue-gray above with conspicuous black shoulders formed by black wing coverts. Juveniles have a scaly back and brownish-washed breast. Found in open savannah, semi-desert, and agricultural lands with scattered woods; frequently seen on exposed perches. Varied flight style, hovering like a kestrel or gliding like a harrier with deep wingbeats and raised wings.
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The distinctive creamy white eyebrows were the most noticeable distinguishing feature of this Woodlark seen in a clearing within a mixed woodland area of the New Forest. These prominent white eyebrows which meet on the nape became fully visible as I watched it preening and settling within the grasses.
La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Piranga rubra (Summer tanager / Piranga abejera)
The only completely red bird in North America, the strawberry-colored male Summer Tanager is an eye-catching sight against the green leaves of the forest canopy.
The mustard-yellow female is harder to spot, though both sexes have a very distinctive chuckling call note. Fairly common during the summer, these birds migrate as far as the middle of South America each winter.
The distinctive Gothic-style Valve Tower at the Zealandia Ecosanctuary, Wellington, New Zealand. The tower and reservoir were completed in 1878 to provide drinking water to the young city of Wellington. Both were decommissioned in the mid 1990s when the idea of converting the whole water catchment valley into a wildlife sanctuary was approved.
A very distinctive fish-hawk, formerly classified with other hawks but now placed in a separate family of its own. Along coastlines, lakes, and rivers almost worldwide, the Osprey is often seen flying over the water, hovering, and then plunging feet-first to catch fish in its talons. After a successful strike, the bird rises heavily from the water and flies away, carrying the fish head-forward with its feet.
Large, distinctive wader with long orange-red bill, black head, chest and upperparts and white underparts. It does not catch oysters as its name suggests but rather mussels and other types of molluscs and worms. Its special sword shaped beak means it can open certain types of shell which other waders cannot and parent birds pass on their own unique technique to their young!
Resident & winter visitor (from Iceland and the Faeroes).
Around 60,000 Oystercatchers spend the winter around the Irish coast.
Small owl of fairly open country, such as farmland with hedges and scattered trees, orchards, open woodland, and quarries. Distinctive, with white-spotted upperparts. Staring yellow eyes and white brows, together with frequently upright stance, often create alert appearance. Nests in cavities in trees and rocks. Sometimes active by day, perching quietly on posts or rocks, but mainly active dusk to dawn. Flight low and undulating. Vocalizations are comprised of a range of endearing squeaks and high-pitched hoots. (eBird)
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We searched the country roads around Waikuku twice before we finally found this Little Owl. He had found the ideal spot for some well-camouflaged sunning. Once found, we used the car as a blind to be able to get photos without spooking him.
Waikuku, Canterbury, New Zealand. March 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
Striking large shearwater with distinctive dark "M" pattern on upperwings. Also note crisp dark cap and clean white underwings and belly. Looks silvery-gray above when fresh, but worn birds can be more brownish. Graceful flight style. Usually easily separated from other shearwaters by wing pattern. Breeds on islands off New Zealand; ranges across the Pacific during nonbreeding season; uncommon off the west coast of the U.S. in fall. Rarely seen from land, prefers to stay offshore. Found singly or in flocks with other shearwaters. (eBird)
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One of our first shearwaters of the trip! He was hiding among the large rafts of Fluttering Shearwaters that we saw from the ferry between Tiritiri Matangi and Auckland. I had first identified it as a Fluttering Shearwater but an eagle-eyed Flickr user provided with the correct ID. An indication that this was going to be a trip full of seabirds.
Auckland, New Zealand. February 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Piranga rubra
(Summer tanager / Piranga abejera)
The only completely red bird in North America, the strawberry-colored male Summer Tanager is an eye-catching sight against the green leaves of the forest canopy.
The mustard-yellow female is harder to spot, though both sexes have a very distinctive chuckling call note. Fairly common during the summer, these birds migrate as far as the middle of South America each winter.
All dirty... Distinctive. Fairly small, plump, and short-tailed. Dark brown above with bold white spotting on underparts. Bill is slightly decurved. Disjunct range. Populations in Venezuelan tepuis and southeastern South America have bold white eyebrow; Andean birds lack this. Almost always found in the vicinity of forested streams, but tends to stay hidden, foraging on or near the ground. Uncommon. ebird.org/species/shtstr1
Wishing everyone a great Wednesday! HBW! happy Holidays!
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.
Distinctive but variable: all plumages are some bold combination of black, white, and gray. Shows considerable variation in plumage across the world, but never has a clear, thin and contrasting eye-brow like White-browed or Japanese Wagtail. Occurs in varied open habitats, from wild grassy areas and wetlands to paved car parks and grassy lawns. Usually seen as singles, pairs, or small groups walking and running around, pumping the long, white-sided tail up and down. Identified easily in flight by its loud, thick and distinctive “tsee-tsee’ call. (eBird)
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The very last species that we saw on our Singapore birding trip. This bird was enjoying some muddy fields on a very hot day. Somehow, he seemed impervious to the heat while we were turning into raisins.
Marina Bay East, Singapore. March 2024.
Birding Singapore.
Distinctive warbler with bold black-and-white stripes over entire body. Adult males have black throat and cheek; females and immatures have white throat and paler cheek. Creeps along branches like a nuthatch, searching for insects. Breeds in mature deciduous or mixed forests; winters in a wider variety of wooded habitats as far south as northern South America. Listen for high pitched “squeaky-wheel” song. Breeding male Blackpoll Warbler is potentially confusing, but note different behavior and face pattern. (eBird)
This warbler used strategically placed twigs to successfully evade the quest for the perfect portrait. Still, considering that all my previous photos have been of its undertail, I consider this one an improvement :)
NCC Trail 10, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. May 2022.
A highly distinctive medium-sized raptor. Black overall with a thick white breast band and rusty-edged white stripes on the belly. Slender crest may be held vertically or at an angle when the bird is perched, but tends to be hidden during flight. If seen flying from above, note the “checkerboard” patterning on upperwings. Favors foothill and lowland forests when breeding, but can be found in more open habitats on passage and in wintering grounds. Quite social outside of the breeding season, often soaring in large flocks and roosting communally. Gives a squeaky, echoing whistle, often while in flight. (eBird)
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As we were walking through the park, we caught sight of this lovely raptor. We were able to watch it for a while before it flew to another tree. An unusual find in Singapore as it showed as rare in the eBird checklist. We enjoyed seeing such a distinctive raptor. I discovered later that it had been overwintering in this city park, much to the joy of the local birders.
Pasir Ris Park, Singapore. March 2024.
Birding Singapore.
Small falcon with distinctive male plumage; gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, barred on back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of sparrowhawks and Shikra), and distinct dark spotting on breast. Fairly common in open and lightly wooded country, farmland, heathland; often seen over rough grassland beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel. (Courtesy e.bird)
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
Large pigeon endemic to New Zealand with distinctive blue-green iridescent plumage, white belly, and red eye. Makes conspicuous display flights in breeding season; often seen feeding on heavily fruiting trees or fresh leaves and flower buds in spring. Widespread where food is available. Only emits soft “oo” calls, but note distinctive wingbeat sound, especially when alighting or taking off. Chatham Island Pigeon, the only similar species, is larger and confined to Chatham Islands. (eBird)
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We'd seen these lovely pigeons several times during the trip, but never in a good spot for a photo. Finally, on almost our last day in New Zealand, this one was just too focused on the fruit on the vines and so let us come remarkably close to him. Finally, a chance to really see his iridescent lovely colours.
Maori name: Kererū.
Oban, Stewart Island, Southland, New Zealand. March 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.