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Kudu are highly alert and notoriously hard to approach. When they detect danger – often using their large, radar-like ears – they give a hoarse alarm bark, then flee with a distinctive, rocking-horse running motion, the male laying back his horns to avoid overhead obstructions.
The lesser flamingo (Phoenicoparrus minor) is a species of flamingo occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, with another population in India. Birds are occasionally reported from further north, but these are generally considered vagrants. It was moved from the genus Phoeniconaias to Phoenicoparrus in 2014.
Sometimes you’ll see me in someone’s home but I’d rather be out where I can roam. I normally eat lots of fruit and seeds they fill up all my hungry needs. I can screech real loud ’cause I feel very proud I’m a tropical bird that can really be heard.
Once I roamed the grasslands Free
Once Full quick alert vital Free
Nature framed my existence Now
Your barbed wire is all I see.
Green bee-eater hunts and eats different types of flying insects such as honey bees, grasshoppers, fruit flies, ants and wasps. Name "bee-eater" refers to the favorite type of food of this species - bees. Fruit and berries are occasionally on the menu.
Green bee-eater knows how to "disarm" dangerous prey. It removes stinger and eliminates venom by hitting and rubbing a bee against the branch.
Whether they are raiding the bird feeder, transplanting tulip bulbs, making themselves at home in the attic or delighting you with their antics, gray squirrels inspire joy and angst. One of the main attractions of backyard gardens, they are the second most watched wildlife in North America, after birds, and there's no denying their appeal with their long, fluffy tail, soft brown eyes and amazing acrobatic skills.
Drawn from his refuge in some lonely elm
That age or injury has hollow'd deep,
Where, on his bed of wool and matted leaves,
He has outslept the winter, ventures forth
To frisk a while, and bask in the warm sun.
Chiaroscuro (English: /kiˌɑːrəˈskjʊəroʊ/; Italian: [ˌkjaroˈskuːro]; Italian for light-dark), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achieve a sense of volume in modelling three-dimensional objects and figures. Similar effects in cinema and photography also are called chiaroscuro.
The animal kingdom is filled with almost an infinite variety of creatures. Scientists discover new species and subspecies every year. Each one is a wonder unto itself and one could labor for years to uncover its secrets. It is an unfortunate fact that the closest that most of us get to wildlife is through bars at the zoo. Our urban lifestyle has the effect of cutting us off from the glorious world of the animal kingdom. Every animal has a lesson to teach us that we are not hearing. We may think that we have evolved away from contact with animal kingdom, the question is, at what cost?
The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second-largest living bird by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. The emu's range covers most of mainland Australia, but the Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island subspecies became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788.
Drawn from his refuge in some lonely elm
That age or injury has hollow'd deep,
Where, on his bed of wool and matted leaves,
He has outslept the winter, ventures forth
To frisk a while, and bask in the warm sun.
He bows, ruffling his feathers
Dapper little gentleman
Poised in dress, to impress
Suited up in his best tuxedo
I send him a wink of approval
He twits back, tilting his head
His iridescent trail woos in style,
A life of its own in its opaline shades
Golden, blue, brown and green,
Colors of the earth, gloriously resplendent,
A gathered spectacle in his plumage.
The word ‘flamingo’ comes from the Spanish word ‘flamenco’ meaning fire, which refers to the bright pink or orange colour of the feathers.Flamingos are pink on the inside, too. These flamboyant birds are adapted to collect and metabolise carotenoid pigments – the chemicals found in algae, crustaceans and microscopic plant materials that form tones of orange, red, yellow and pink. Though the pink coloration is most obvious in a flamingo’s plumage, the carotenoids spread a lot further. Flamingo skin is pink and flamingo blood is pink.
Bushtits are sprightly, social songbirds that twitter as they fly weakly between shrubs and thickets in western North America. Almost always found in lively flocks, they move constantly, often hanging upside down to pick at insects or spiders on the undersides of leaves. Flocks of Bushtits mix with similar small songbirds like warblers, chickadees, and kinglets while foraging. Bushtits weave a very unusual hanging nest, shaped like a soft pouch or sock, from moss, spider webs, and grasses.
Drawn from his refuge in some lonely elm
That age or injury has hollow'd deep,
Where, on his bed of wool and matted leaves,
He has outslept the winter, ventures forth
To frisk a while, and bask in the warm sun.
As ostriches are the largest birds in the world they have the largest eyes of any bird in the world. Measuring at 5 centimetres in diameter from front to back, the ostrich eye is five times bigger than the human eye and any other land animal. Interestingly enough ostriches can see colour.
The lesser kudu is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, but it is extinct in Djibouti. It may have been present in Saudi Arabia and Yemen as recently as 1967, though its presence in the Arabian Peninsula is still controversial. The total population of the lesser kudu has been estimated to be nearly 118,000, with a decreasing trend in populations. One-third of the populations survive in protected areas. Presently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates the lesser kudu as "near threatened".
The Eastern Gray Squirrel has predominantly gray fur, but it can have a brownish color. It has a usual white underside as compared to the typical brownish-orange underside of the fox squirrel. It has a large bushy tail. Like all squirrels, the eastern gray shows four toes on the front feet and five on the hind feet. The hind foot-pad is often not visible in the track. When bounding or moving at speed, the front foot tracks will be behind the hind foot tracks.
The purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) is a small sunbird. Like other sunbirds they feed mainly on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. They have a fast and direct flight and can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird but often perch at the base of flowers. The males appear all black except in some lighting when the purple iridescence becomes visible. Females are olive above and yellowish below
The word "flamingo" comes from the Spanish and Latin word "flamenco" which means fire, and refers to the bright color of the birds' feathers. Not all flamingos are brightly colored, however, and some of the birds are mostly gray or white. The strength of a flamingo's coloration comes from its diet. Younger birds also have less coloration.
The animal kingdom is filled with almost an infinite variety of creatures. Scientists discover new species and subspecies every year. Each one is a wonder unto itself and one could labor for years to uncover its secrets. It is an unfortunate fact that the closest that most of us get to wildlife is through bars at the zoo. Our urban lifestyle has the effect of cutting us off from the glorious world of the animal kingdom. Every animal has a lesson to teach us that we are not hearing. We may think that we have evolved away from contact with animal kingdom, the question is, at what cost?
The green bee-eater (Merops orientalis), also known as little green bee-eater, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family. It is resident but prone to seasonal movements and is found widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and the Gambia to Ethiopia, the Nile valley, western Arabia and Asia through India to Vietnam
The Black-necked swan inhabits southern South America, from Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands northwards to Paraguay, central Chile, and southern Brazil. It lives in a wide variety of freshwater and saline habitats such as shallow coastal regions along the Pacific Ocean, estuaries, inland lakes, lagoons, and marshes. Particularly important are places that are rich with submerged aquatic vegetation.
These swans are highly social birds, and are gregarious outside of the time of the breeding season. They become territorial during the breeding season and divide up into mated pairs, nesting in small colonies or as solitary pairs, but they regroup once the young have hatched, each flock numbering thousands of birds. These flocks may move around, dependent on the climate and resources, but usually stay in the south of South America until migrating north. Black-necked swans are diurnal and most of their time is spent in water. If males need to defend their territory, they display aggressive behavior such as lowering their neck and thrusting the head forward. After fighting with beating its wings, the male returns to the female in triumph, continuously lifting its chin and calling.
The Black-necked swan eats aquatic vegetation almost exclusively, which it gathers from below the surface of the water. Fish eggs and insects may also be eaten, and the swans may also come onto the land and graze upon terrestrial plants.
Un bonito pájaro, generalmente ligado a las zonas húmedas, especializado en la caza, muchas veces al vuelo, de insectos.
Foto realizada en 2016, en el Delta del Danubio, Rumanía.
The Chinkara gazelle species native to Indian Subcontinent and is the smallest asiatic antelope. Chinkara is popularly known as India Gazelle live in arid plains and hills, deserts, dry scrub and light forests.
The Green Bee-Eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and twenty-seven species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea
The sun is nearly gone
I bid him my best, farewell
Grateful for a fleeting moment
Held gently, by wings of purity
The beauty of a Black Phoebe.
El alcaudón de mayor tamaño que tenemos en España. El otro, el alcudón común (Lanius senator) es un poquito más pequeño y de tonos marrones y negros. Pero ambos cazan insectos, pequeños roedores, reptiles, cualquier presa que puedan encontrar adecuada por el tamaño.
De los dos milanos que se pueden observar en la penísula Ibérica (milano negro y milano real), éste, el milano real, es sin duda el más bonito por su plumaje más contrastado y colorido.
La foto está tomada con la técnica del Digiscoping: Nikon D7100, Leica Apo Televid 77, Photoadapter Leica, distancia focal equivalente 800mm. f/11.
Junto con los reyezuelos es uno de los pájaros más pequeños de nuestro país.
Su sonoro "zip-zip-zip" que llega a nuestro oídos desde el aire, le delata. Luego podemos verlo posado en la maleza, en algún lugar alto desde donde controle su territorio, elevando su pequeña cola y buscando insectos para alimentarse.
Spoonbills are a genus, Platalea, of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name Platalea derives from Ancient Greek and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill. Six species are recognised, which although usually placed in a single genus have sometimes been split into three genera.
All spoonbills have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day.
The genus Platalea was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The genus name is Latin for "spoonbill" and is derived from the Ancient Greek platea meaning "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill. The type species was designated as the Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) by George Robert Gray in 1840
Macaws are perhaps the most easily recognizable birds in the parrot family. Colorful and entertaining, these birds have been kept as pets for hundreds of years.These birds are characters, each having different personalities, likes, and dislikes. Due to their size, macaws can be challenging to care for, but they are loyal companions who are worth the time commitment.. When properly taken care of, some macaw species, such as blue and gold macaws can live for an average of 60 years, and many have been recorded to live for up to 80 years or even more.Those who are interested in adopting a macaw are strongly cautioned to make sure that they are willing to commit enough time to care for their pet. It is not at all uncommon for these birds to outlive their owners, so make the same provisions for their care as you would for any other dependent.
La especialización de este pájaro consiste en tener cruzadas las puntas de su pico para utilizarlas como tenazas para extraer los piñones de las piñas.
Ya sabemos que es el más pequeño de nuestro pájaros y que es difícil que se esté lo suficientemente estático para que el fotógrafo consiga buenas fotos (salvo que desarrolle un trabajo exhaustivo con él). Pero no cabe duda que es muy, muy bonito.
Aquí os presento a un macho con la "corona" (ese penacho de plumas en la cabeza que le da el nombre de reyezuelo) completamente erizada.
Pero el detalle que más me llamó la atención, cuando vi la foto en el ordenador, es ese mosquito que aparece en su pico abierto.
Un pájaro procedente de Asia que hace años empezó a colonizar Europa, avanzando hacia el oeste, y que en España tiene ya grandes poblaciones en la zona centro y en Extremadura, vinculado siempre a las zonas húmedas.
Llamativos los machos en plumaje nupcial con su plumaje púrpura con manchas blancas.
Para ellos, hacer equilibrios no tiene secretos. Adoptan cualquier postura, por inverosimil que sea, para poder acceder a las semillas y los pequeños insectos que pueda encontrar en los puros de las eneas.
Para los fotógrafos es un desafío poder captarlos en estas posturas por el dinamismo que otorgan a la foto.
Peafowl is a common name for three species of birds in the genera Pavo and Afropavo of the Phasianidae family, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl as peahens
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), which occupies the same niche as the bald eagle in the Palearctic. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.
The bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder which subsists mainly on fish, which it swoops down and snatches from the water with its talons. It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any animal species, up to 4 m (13 ft) deep, 2.5 m (8.2 ft) wide, and 1 metric ton (1.1 short tons) in weight. Sexual maturity is attained at the age of four to five years.
Bald eagles are not actually bald; the name derives from an older meaning of the word, "white headed". The adult is mainly brown with a white head and tail. The sexes are identical in plumage, but females are about 25 percent larger than males. The yellow beak is large and hooked. The plumage of the immature is brown.
The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States and appears on its seal. In the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation in the contiguous United States. Populations have since recovered, and the species was removed from the U.S. government's list of endangered species on July 12, 1995, and transferred to the list of threatened species. It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the contiguous states on June 28, 2007.
The Black Phoebe is a dapper flycatcher of the western U.S. with a sooty black body and crisp white belly. They sit in the open on low perches to scan for insects, often keeping up a running series of shrill chirps. Black Phoebes use mud to build cup-shaped nests against walls, overhangs, culverts, and bridges. Look for them near any water source from small streams, to suburbs, all the way to the salt-sprayed rocks and cliffs of the Pacific Ocean.
Black Phoebes do well around humans. They don't come to seed feeders (though they may visit for mealworms), but they may use your backyard as a place to catch insects, or even build nests under eaves of a building, especially if there is water or mud nearby.
The male Black Phoebe gives the female a tour of potential nest sites, hovering in front of each likely spot for 5 to 10 seconds. But it’s the female who makes the final decision and does all the nest construction.
Black Phoebes don’t usually venture outside their breeding and wintering areas, but on rare occasions they are seen as far east as Florida. One misplaced bird showed up in Minnesota in the fall.
One pair of Black Phoebes got some unwanted house guests when a pair of House Finches moved into their nest. The finches added 5 eggs to the 6 phoebe eggs already there, and the two females alternated incubation duties for an entire week before both species abandoned the nest.
The oldest Black Phoebe on record was at least 8 years old when it was recaptured and released during banding operations in California in 1981
The Scarlet Ibis is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and islands of the Caribbean. In form it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. Ibises have curved slender bills that they use to probe into shallow water, mud or grass when foraging. As with flamingos, the brilliant red colour of the scarlet ibis comes from carotene found in the crustaceans on which it feeds. The scarlet ibis is a gregarious bird, living, travelling, and breeding in flocks.
Hummingbirds have tongues that are grooved like the shape of a "W".
Hummingbirds have tiny hairs on the tips of their tongues to help them lap up nectar similar to a cat.
A hummingbird's bill is longer in proportion to its body, as compared to other birds.
Hummingbirds have no sense of smell, but can hear better than humans.
Hummingbirds are attracted to all bright colors, although red is most prominently associated with these tiny birds.
Hummingbirds see in ultraviolet light and they can see further than a human.
Hummingbirds have a great memory – they remember every flower & feeder they've been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill.
The hummingbird brain is 4.2% of its body weight – this is the largest, in proportion, of the wild bird group.
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly like a helicopter… up, down, sideways, front, and back!
Hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds with over 300 species.
Hummingbirds have weak feet – they mainly use them just for perching.
When food is scarce and they are fatigued, hummingbirds go into a hibernation-like state (also known as torpor) to conserve energy.
A hummingbird's heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute.
Hummingbirds do not mate for life.
A baby hummingbird is roughly the size of a penny and is unable to fly.
The average life span of a hummingbird is 5 years, but they have been known to live for more than 10 years.
Hummingbirds fly at an average of 25-30 miles per hour, and are able to dive up to 50 miles per hour.
Some hummingbirds will travel over 2,000 miles twice a year during their migration.
Continúan extendiéndose por los campos los recién llegados críalos, buscando, de momento (ya que aún no hay nidos de otras especies donde poner sus huevos) las zonas ricas en insectos, especialmente de orugas, de los que se alimentan.
Un pájaro ligado a las zonas palustres que se mueve con rapidez entre la maleza y que tiene un canto sorprendentemente potente para su tamaño.
The white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) is a whistling duck that breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America. This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight. As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear three-note whistling call.
Unlike most waterfowl, white-faced whistling ducks often perch in branches and are known as tree ducks. When alarmed, these ducks stand straight and freeze. They feed on grass, seeds, and aquatic mollusks. Adult white-faced whistling ducks have a black and white head and a reddish chestnut brown breast. Breeding begins at the start of the rainy season. After breeding, white-faced whistling ducks undergo a flightless molt period that lasts from 18-25 days.
En la zona centro de la penísula ibérica no suele verse este pájaro; hay que subir al norte, sobre todo en los meses de invierno, para encontrarlo. En un lugar concreto me dijero que su nombre popular era "Cinco colores" y, efectivamente, su diseño, con ese número de colores, es de los más bonitos de nuestra avifauna.
Las carracas suelen capturar grandes insectos, algún batracio e incluso crías de otros pájaros Pero me sorprendió enormente ver a este ejemplar llegar al posadero con una culebra de collar, obviamente, una cría, no una adulta.
Trackless and bare are the sands of the desert
No verdure adorns them, no green tree is there;
Parched by the winds and the hot, scorching sun rays,
Strewn with white bones lying bleaching and bare,
Patiently, slowly, across the vast ocean
Plod the strong camels, so faithful and true; Ships of the desert, with merchandise laden,