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:
Mute Swan on the lake of Saint-Point, Jura, France.
Swan, largest waterfowl species of the subfamily Anserinae, is generally classified in the genus Cygnus. There are around 7 different species of swan found around the world. The size, colour and behaviour a swan individual is largely dependent on it's species and the area in which it lives.
Today swans are a threatened species of animal mainly due to hunting and habitat loss. Pollution (mainly water pollution) is also a major reason as why the swan populations are declining.
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after a quick lunch on some insects this african hoopoe (upupa africana) began to dance like a crazy :-)
it's probably something like a "display" behaviour.
hoopoe was in to the shadow and "dancing" 1/1600 isnt enough in these situations.but digital noise is lurking so we have to find a compromise.
although 4000iso here the 3K HD file:
www.flickr.com/photos/187458160@N06/49703926807/sizes/o/
Kruger national park ,SA
A black Swan attacking a Muscovy duck.
Hope you will enjoy this shot.
Many thanks to everyone who chooses to leave a comment or add this image to their favorites, it is much appreciated.
©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).
Swimming area for dogs - mostly lots of different dogs are romp around here - interesting to view their behaviour with each other.
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Badegebiet für Hunde - meist toben verschiedene Rassen von Hunden hier herum. Interessant, ihr Verhalten untereinander zu beaobachten.
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.
Many thanks for your visit, comments, invites and faves...it is always appreciated...
Peaceful Sunday
Dove and Red-headed Finch.
Many thanks to everyone who chooses to leave a comment or add this image to their favorites, it is much appreciated.
©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).
Tirumala limniace, commonly called the Blue Tiger, belongs to the Danaid group of brush-footed Butterflies. Seen almost all over India, this species shows gregarious migratory behaviour during the monsoons in South India.
captured in West Bengal India
Gonepteryx rhamni (known as the common brimstone) is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It lives throughout the Palearctic zone and is commonly found across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Across much of its range, it is the only species of its genus, and is therefore simply known locally as the brimstone.
The brimstone relies on two species of buckthorn plants as host plants for its larvae; this influences its geographic range and distribution, as these plants are commonly found in wetlands. The adult brimstone travels to woodland areas to spend seven months overwintering. In spring when their host plants have developed, they return to the wetlands to breed and lay eggs.[4] Both the larval and adult forms of the common brimstone have protective coloration and behaviour that decreases their chances of being recognised and subsequently preyed upon.
The adult common brimstone has sexual dimorphism in its wing coloration: males have yellow wings and iridescence while females have greenish-white wings and are not iridescent. This iridescence is affected by environmental factors
A very beautiful and colorful nuthatch found in many parts of the country, but hard to sight unless one knows where to look.
They are typical nuthatches in behaviour and defy gravity looking for insects, larvae and grub on the tree trunks and branches. The colors are quite amazing - velvet / purple colored and quite small, maybe 10-13 cms long. These are also resident in the country and found in deciduous forests often sighted on the trunk walking around. In the last trip, we sighted them on the lower part once in a while.
Also, 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, feedback and faves.
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.
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
It's always a bit concerning to see a hedgehog during daylight hours but this little fella looks to be in good health and has spent a few minutes wandering & feeding in my garden for the past two afternoons.
Although hedgehogs shouldn't really be wandering around in the daytime I do wonder if this one came out of hibernation during the warm spell and the sudden drop to freezing conditions has altered his usual nocturnal behaviour.
Hopefully he'll be fine - we've left him some water and a little hedgehog food as a helping hand and I'm pleased to say he has also taken up residence in one of the hedgehog houses in the garden.
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage. Starlings are native to Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific. Several European and Asian species have been introduced to these areas as well as North America, Hawaii and New Zealand, where they generally compete for habitats with native birds and are considered to be invasive species. The starling species familiar to most people in Europe and North America is the common starling, and throughout much of Asia and the Pacific, the common myna is indeed common. Starlings have strong feet, their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. Several species live around human habitation and are effectively omnivores. Many species search for prey such as grubs by "open-bill probing", that is, forcefully opening the bill after inserting it into a crevice, thus expanding the hole and exposing the prey; this behaviour is referred to by the German verb zirkeln. Plumage of many species is typically dark with a metallic sheen. Most species nest in holes and lay blue or white eggs. Starlings have diverse and complex vocalizations and have been known to embed sounds from their surroundings into their own calls, including car alarms and human speech patterns. The birds can recognize particular individuals by their calls and are the subject of research into the evolution of human language. 32694
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 beautiful and colorful bee eater that is quite uncommon / rare in our region, but a resident bird in the forest we visited last week. Its quite a shy bird unlike its cousins and its hard to get at eye level like this. The bird is just like the Green Bee Eater in pretty much every way except for the habitat - this is a forest bee eater. An insectivorous bird, preferring flying insects like Bees, dragonflies, moths and maybe some type of butterflies.
Shot this in a new forest area around 10 hours away from my place. We were exploring the forest and found dozens of Chestnut Headed Bee Eaters - in fact they were more common than the Green Bee Eaters. The birds were perched on thin branches and were diving to catch insects and coming back to the same perch. We spent an hour watching their behaviour and also trying to get some shots like this.
Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - very much appreciated.
First is a Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar, next a Soldier Beetle, then a Ladybird and a Hoverfly. Please try viewing large. Thank you....
Although the Eastern Spinebill is sometimes called Australia’s hummingbird due to its ability to hover while gathering nectar - the diminutive Brown Honeyeater is no slouch in this department either!
Hovering behaviour actually occurs more frequently than thought, not only in terms of the range of avian species but also in its occurrence within species. Recent research found that neither the geographical distribution of bird species nor their traits (size, body mass) are a limiting factor for hovering behaviour, but that plant traits are important. Quite simply when perches at the plants are inadequate or lacking, hovering is then more appropriate or necessary
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?
Thanks for your comments and faves,they are truly appreciated.
I wonder if it's the environment that does my birds look like they have rather a special attitude
Could it be me.....
hehehehe
This magpie was rather frenetic in her behaviour, very eager to eat at my food tray and having her mouth open for most of the time.
She actually missed my food tray too, poor lil one - well she was quite big actually
The sea was very keen on climbing the steps. For a short while I thought that perhaps it was heading for the local chippy, in order to secure a nice large portion of chips and some vinegar. These, I suspected, would go rather well with all the fish and the salt that the oceans are famous for.
It turns out though, that it was just high tide and that this behaviour was quite normal and nothing whatsoever to do with chips.
…
The Bathing Pool, Summerleaze beach, Bude, Cornwall.
Description in English, Dutch and German
Mr. Monster, the famous adventurous traveler from Rotterdam with Indian roots, had fled his house due to a conflict with his former Dutch neighbours. Were his neighbors really that bad or was he slowly becoming psychotic and was their violent behaviour only in his mind? He needed a break. On a cloudy summer day in August he was walking next to an impressive bridge in Regensburg. The bridge, known as the Stone Bridge of Regensburg, was built in the year 1135 and is considered one of the oldest bridges in the world still standing. This bridge was built with a mixture of limestone and sandstone and was supported by several large arches. It originally had two towers at the end, but only one remains today. The bridge connected the two banks of the Danube and was a crucial part of the old Imperial Road. Mr. Monster stopped and admired the view of the old bridge. He could see the colourful houses on the opposite bank, and the special cloud formation made him dream away. He continued walking, and the old bridge was a reminder of the tumultuous history of the city. Regensburg, known as the oldest city in Germany, had been founded by the Romans in 179 and had been under the rule of the Hapsburgs and the Bavarians. He stopped at the end of the bridge and looked at the river, reflecting on his journey. He had experienced so much since he had left his home in Rotterdam, and he was ready to continue his adventures. As he walked away, Mr. Monster was filled with a sense of excitement. His journey had only just begun, and he was eager to see what else the world had to offer. Suddenly his face turns pale and he looks back. Mr. Monster hears a deep male voice talking. He recognizes it immediately. It is the voice of his violent neighbor from the Netherlands. He grabs his head with both hands and...... To be continued.
Nederlands
Mr. Monster, de beroemde avontuurlijke Nederlander van Indiase afkomst, was zijn huis tijdelijk ontvlucht vanwege een langslepend conflict met zijn Nederlandse buren. Waren de buren echt zo slecht of was hij psychotisch geworden. Het was goed om er even tussenuit te gaan. Hij had inmiddels al veel mooie steden en dorpen gezien in het land van bier, braadworst en schlagermuziek tot hij op deze zomerdag aan kwam in Regensburg in het Duitse Beieren. Al snel naderde hij een imposante brug in het centrum van de stad. De brug, bekend als de oude stenen brug van Regensburg, werd gebouwd in het jaar 1135 en wordt beschouwd als een van de oudste nog bestaande bruggen ter wereld. Deze brug is gebouwd met een mengsel van kalksteen en zandsteen. Het wordt ondersteund door verschillende grote bogen. Het had oorspronkelijk twee torens aan het einde, maar er is er nog maar één over. De brug verbond de twee oevers van de Donau en was een cruciaal onderdeel van de oude keizerlijke weg. Mr. Monster stopte en bewonderde het uitzicht op de oude brug. Hij zag de kleurrijke huizen aan de overkant en de bijzondere wolkenformatie in de lucht deed hem wegdromen. Hij liep verder en het werd hem duidelijk dat de oude brug een herinnering was aan de tumultueuze geschiedenis van de stad. Regensburg, bekend als de oudste stad van Duitsland, was in 179 gesticht door de Romeinen en stond later onder de heerschappij van de Habsburgers en ook nog enkele Beierse heersers. Hij stopte aan het einde van de brug en keek naar de rivier, nadenkend over zijn reis. Hij had zoveel meegemaakt sinds hij zijn huis in Rotterdam had verlaten en was vastberaden om zijn avonturen voort te zetten. Terwijl hij wegliep, werd hij vervuld van opwinding. Zijn reis was nog maar net begonnen en hij wilde graag zien wat europa nog meer te bieden had.
Deutsch
Herr. Monster, der berühmt-berüchtigte abenteuerlustige Niederländer von indischer Herkunft, war aufgrund eines langanhaltenden Konflikts mit seinen niederländischen Nachbarn vorübergehend aus seiner Heimat geflohen. Waren die Nachbarn wirklich so schlimm oder war er psychotisch geworden? Es tat gut, dem Alltag zu entfliehen. Er hatte bereits viele schöne Städte und Dörfer im Land des Bieres, der Bratwurst und der Schlagermusik gesehen, bis er an diesem Sommertag im bayerischen Regensburg ankam. Bald näherte er sich einer imposanten Brücke im Zentrum der Stadt. Die als Alte Steinerne Brücke von Regensburg bekannte Brücke wurde im Jahr 1135 erbaut und gilt als eine der ältesten erhaltenen Brücken der Welt. Diese Brücke besteht aus einer Mischung aus Kalkstein und Sandstein. Es wird von mehreren großen Bögen getragen. Ursprünglich hatte es am Ende zwei Türme, von denen jedoch nur noch einer übrig ist. Die Brücke verband die beiden Donauufer und war ein wichtiger Teil der alten Reichsstraße. Herr. Monster blieb stehen und bewunderte die Aussicht auf die alte Brücke. Er sah die bunten Häuser auf der anderen Seite und die besondere Wolkenformation am Himmel ließ ihn träumen. Als er weiterging, wurde ihm klar, dass die alte Brücke eine Erinnerung an die turbulente Geschichte der Stadt war. Regensburg, bekannt als die älteste Stadt Deutschlands, wurde 179 von den Römern gegründet und kam später unter die Herrschaft der Habsburger und auch einiger bayerischer Herrscher. Am Ende der Brücke blieb er stehen, schaute auf den Fluss und dachte über seine Reise nach. Seit er sein Zuhause in Rotterdam verlassen hatte, hatte er so viel durchgemacht und war entschlossen, seine Abenteuer fortzusetzen. Als er wegging, war er voller Aufregung. Seine Reise hatte gerade erst begonnen und er war gespannt, was Europa sonst noch zu bieten hatte.
I hope this baby had a chance to become a big, healthy rhino in the meantime ....
The current rhino poaching crisis began in 2008, with increasing numbers of rhino killed for their horn throughout Africa until 2015. Thankfully, there has been a decrease in the number of rhinos poached (892 in 2018) across Africa since the peak of 1,349 in 2015. Yet, two and a half rhinos are still killed every single day: there is still a lot more to do.
More information about their desperate attempt to survive human greed and cruelty here at www.savetherhino.org
White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros calf / Breitmaulnashorn (Ceratotherium simum)
captured 8 years ago at Sweetwaters game reserve/Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya, Africa
Every day should be World Rhino Day and a day for all other species that are becoming extinct because of human behaviour on this wonderful planet !!!