Mating birds and other animals.
View allAll Photos Tagged breeding
Red Legged Partridge - Alectoris Rufa aka French Partridge
The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a gamebird in the pheasant family.
It is sometimes known as French partridge, to distinguish it from the English or grey partridge.
This partridge breeds naturally in southwestern Europe (France, Iberia and northwest Italy). It has become naturalised in flat areas of England and Wales, where it was introduced as a game species, and has been seen breeding as far north as Cumbria and eastern Yorkshire and the western Isle of Man. It is replaced in southeastern Europe by the very similar rock partridge (Alectoris graeca). It is a non-migratory terrestrial species, which forms flocks outside the breeding season.
This species breeds on dry lowlands, such as farmland and open stony areas, laying its eggs in a ground nest.
The natural range of the red-legged partridge is France, Spain and Portugal. However, it was introduced from France to Great Britain in the 18th century, and has since become an important gamebird there. As it is a mediterranean species, it thrives in hot, dry areas with sandy soil. The ability to breed two clutches simultaneously has led to it being extensively reared in captivity, and released for shooting. The breeding of chukars (Alectoris chukar) and red-legged/chukar hybrids is prohibited, due to its impact on wild populations of red-legs. The red-legged partridge is believed to be in decline across its range.
Kittiwake - Rissa Tridactyla (Juvenile)
Yorks
Kittiwakes are coastal breeding birds ranging in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. They form large, dense, noisy colonies during the summer reproductive period, often sharing habitat with murres. They are the only gull species that are exclusively cliff-nesting. A colony of kittiwakes living in Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in the north east of England has made homes on both the Tyne Bridge and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. This colony is notable because it is the furthest inland colony of kittiwakes in the world.
The black-legged kittiwake is one of the most numerous of seabirds. Breeding colonies can be found in the Pacific from the Kuril Islands, around the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk throughout the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands to southeast Alaska, and in the Atlantic from the Gulf of St. Lawrence through Greenland and the coast of Ireland down to Portugal, as well as in the high Arctic islands. In the winter, the range extends further south and out to sea.
In sharp contrast, the red-legged kittiwake has a very limited range in the Bering Sea, breeding only on the Pribilof, Bogoslof and Buldir islands in the United States, and the Commander Islands in Russia. On these islands, it shares some of the same cliff habitat as the black-legged kittiwake, though there is some localized segregation between the species on given cliffs.
Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea
The species is always associated with running water when breeding, although they may use man-made structures near streams for the nest. Outside the breeding season, they may also be seen around lakes, coasts and other watery habitats. Like other wagtails, they frequently wag their tail and fly low with undulations and they have a sharp call that is often given in flight.
This slim wagtail has a narrow white supercilium and a broken eye ring. The upperparts are grey and the yellow vent contrasting with whitish underparts makes it distinctive. The breeding male has a black throat that is edged by whitish moustachial stripes. They forage singly or in pairs on meadows or on shallow water marshes. They also use rocks in water and will often perch on trees. They have a clear sharp call note and the song consists of trills.
The breeding season is April to July and the nest is placed near fast running streams or rivers on an embankment between stones and roots. The male in display, makes short flights up into the air and descends slowly with fluttering flight accompanied by a rapid series of chipping high notes. In Europe the nests are often made in holes in manmade structures. The clutch consists of 3–6 speckled eggs and multiple broods may be raised with declining numbers in the clutch in subsequent broods. The usual clutch size is five in Ireland and the breeding success is about 80% with predation of eggs or chicks being the main cause of breeding failure. The Canary Islands population typically have smaller clutches and the breeding season is not as short and well marked as in populations at higher latitudes. The incubation period is about two weeks with chicks fledging within a fortnight. They live for a maximum of 8 years in the wild.
In some parts of the its range the white-throated dipper nests in the same habitats as the grey wagtail and there are some records of interspecific feeding of dipper chicks by adult wagtails.
Population:
UK breeding:
38,000 pairs
I call this kind of activity the "stancing/strutting" part of Sandhill breeding displays. Posts of core "dance moves" will be posted soon.
A short get-away to British Columbia earlier this summer started my love affair with these beautiful birds. This photo shows their summer breeding plumage. They have become my favorite to photograph and I love their haunting calls. You can listen to them below.
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Brown Hare - Lepus europaeus
Norfolk
The brown hare is known for its long, black-tipped ears and fast running - it can reach speeds of 45mph when evading predators. It prefers a mosaic of farmland and woodland habitats and can often be spotted in fields.
Thought to have been introduced into the UK in Roman Times (or even earlier), the brown hare is now considered naturalised. It is most common in grassland habitats and at woodland edges, favouring a mosaic of arable fields, grasses and hedgerows. It grazes on vegetation and the bark of young trees and bushes. Brown hares do not dig burrows, but shelter in 'forms', which are shallow depressions in the ground or grass; when disturbed, they can be seen bounding across the fields, using their powerful hind legs to propel them forwards, often in a zigzag pattern. Brown hares are at their most visible in early spring when the breeding season encourages fighting or 'boxing'. Females can produce three to four litters of two to four young (known as leverets) a year.
Widespread, but absent from northern Scotland and the Scottish islands, except Islay, I'm reliably informed.
In the famous Cafè Cicogne, in Marrakech, morocco, if lucky, it is possible to assist to several hatching couple of storks. Obviously, before hatching they must... Erm.. Be ready... And in the same way obviously we were there to steal the scene. What I like the most of this shot? The eye of the female... And now I'm wondering: who delivers the baby storks?
Very large, primarily ground-based cuckoo. Adults are streaked rusty brown in nonbreeding plumage. In breeding plumage the head and front are black. They can fly, but are more typically seen running/flapping across roads, or clumsily crashing into dense vegetation. Unlike many cuckoos this species builds its own nest and does not lay eggs in nests of other species. Voice is a familiar repeated ‘whoop,’ and a screeching cat-like hiss. (eBird)
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We heard coucals many times during our trip, but this was one of the very few times we actually saw one. It was in the midst of its morning ablutions and sun bath (hence the ruffled feathers on its back), when we came around the bend in the river. It stopped briefly to peer at us, determined we were not a threat (it was far away and very high), and went back to its bath.
Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. October 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Tropical Australia.
Yellow Waters Cruises.
Common Loon(non-breeding)
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Great Egret
From Birds and Blooms -
Already a striking bird with its clean white feathers and long graceful neck, the great egret becomes even more amazing during breeding season. The patches on their faces become a brilliant lime green, while their back feathers grow into lovely waving plumes. These same plumes, called aigrettes, caused a dramatic decline in this species at the end of the 19th century when they became popular adornments for ladies’ hats. Eventually, the backlash against the hunting of birds for their feathers led to the foundation of the National Audubon Society and the first National Wildlife Refuge in the United States.
Little Tern - Sterna Albifrons
This delightful chattering seabird is the UK's smallest tern. It is short-tailed and has a fast flight. Its bill is a distinctive yellow with a black tip. It is noisy at its breeding colony where courtship starts with an aerial display involving the male calling and carrying a fish to attract a mate, which chases him up high before he descends, gliding with wings in a 'V'.
Its vulnerable nesting sites and its decline in Europe make it an Amber List species. It is also listed as a Schedule 1 species in The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
This bird breeds on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia.
There are three subspecies, the nominate albifrons occurring in Europe to North Africa and western Asia; guineae of western and central Africa; and sinensis of East Asia and the north and east coasts of Australia.[4]
The little tern breeds in colonies on gravel or shingle coasts and islands. It lays two to four eggs on the ground. Like all white terns, it is defensive of its nest and young and will attack intruders.
Like most other white terns, the little tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.
At the beginning of the 19th century the little tern was a common bird of European shores, rivers and wetlands, but in the 20th century populations of coastal areas decreased because of habitat loss, pollution and human disturbance.
The loss of inland populations has been even more severe, since due to dams, river regulation and sediment extraction it has lost most of its former habitats. The Little Tern population has declined or become extinct in many European countries, and former breeding places on large rivers like the Danube, Elbe and Rhine ceased. Nowadays, only few river systems in Europe possess suitable habitats; the Loire/Allier in France, the Vistula/Odra in Poland, the Po/Ticino in Italy, the Daugava in Latvia, the Nemunas in Lithuania, the Sava in Croatia and the Drava in Hungary and Croatia. The status of the little tern on the rivers Tagus and lower Danube is uncertain.
A Great Blue Heron female standing over her newborn chicks waiting for the male to bring food for the youngsters. The breeding plumage creates a whole new look for this species.
Gangly wader with a long bicolored bill. Breeding plumage is dark brick-red below (male) or pale orangey (female); nonbreeding plumage is overall gray-brown with white belly; compare to Black-tailed Godwit. In flight shows rather plain upperwings with only a faint whitish wing stripe; white rump and finely barred tail. Mainly coastal away from tundra breeding grounds. Often in flocks feeding on mudflats and in brackish coastal lagoons, roosting in adjacent freshwater habitats. Feeds by probing its long bill into the mud. (eBird)
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This godwit had been keeping company with an Asian Dowitcher for several days. I had taken its photo in the vain hope that it was the dowitcher, but it turned out that the muddy bill obscured the pink at the base. So, no dowitcher, but a rather nice godwit image.
Cairns Esplanade, Queensland, Australia. October 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.
Breeding males are glossy black with purplish head and greenish sheen on body. Nonbreeding males have pale eyebrows and staring yellow eye. Females are plain dark brown and typically have dark eyes. Forages by walking on ground. Sometimes in mixed flocks with other blackbirds at feedlots. Also, walks along parking lots, golf courses, or roadsides. Females similar to Brown-headed Cowbird, but with longer, thinner bill and longer tail than cowbird. (eBird)
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This female was collecting the last of the evening caterpillars to feed her young. Dusk was falling fast by this time and she didn't have much more time to prepare for the night.
Kilpoola Lake, British Columbia, Canada. June 2022.
A small heron just 46cm long, can often be difficult to spot.
In breeding season they are found in southern Europe, and western, eastern, and southern Africa in freshwater habitats such as swamps, marshes, lakes, rivers, and wet grasslands. Northern populations are migratory and move south for the winter.
S'Albufera, Majorca
Spring is two months away, but this Great Egret has already donned breeding plumage. That's a nutria to the right of the egret, left in the photo. Riverstone Wetlands, Sugar Land, Texas.
Breeding males have obvious white blaze on forehead and broad green slash behind eye. Females are plainer brown with rusty sides. Females are very difficult to distinguish from female Eurasian Wigeon; note colder grayish-brown head on American that contrasts with warmer orangey sides. Also look for brighter white, not gray, underwings in flight, but this can be difficult to judge, especially at a distance. Widespread and common in North America, occasionally wintering as far south as northern South America. Typically in flocks on lakes and wetlands, often grazing in nearby fields. Regular vagrant to Europe. (eBird)
Beatton Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. May 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours Ultimate British Columbia.
Breeding males have obvious white blaze on forehead and broad green slash behind eye. Females are plainer brown with rusty sides. Females are very difficult to distinguish from female Eurasian Wigeon; note colder grayish-brown head on American that contrasts with warmer orangey sides. Also look for brighter white, not gray, underwings in flight, but this can be difficult to judge, especially at a distance. Widespread and common in North America, occasionally wintering as far south as northern South America. Typically in flocks on lakes and wetlands, often grazing in nearby fields. Regular vagrant to Europe. (eBird)
Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada. May 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours Ultimate British Columbia.
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A pair of American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) in pre-copulatory or breeding display on Chaplin Lake east of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The male has a longer, straighter based bill while the bill of the female is shorter and more up-turned.
The male is in the background while the female is crouched in the foreground. The male swishes its bill in the water as part of his courtship display.
20 May, 2013.
Slide # GWB_20130520_7537.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
After breeding in Arctic Canada, the N Wheatear (eastern Canadian Arctic population) migrates south to Africa via Greenland and Europe.. Sometimes blown off course, we occasionally see them along the coast of NF in the fall. This female was seen at Cape Spear yesterday.
Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea (M)
The species is always associated with running water when breeding, although they may use man-made structures near streams for the nest. Outside the breeding season, they may also be seen around lakes, coasts and other watery habitats. Like other wagtails, they frequently wag their tail and fly low with undulations and they have a sharp call that is often given in flight.
This slim wagtail has a narrow white supercilium and a broken eye ring. The upperparts are grey and the yellow vent contrasting with whitish underparts makes it distinctive. The breeding male has a black throat that is edged by whitish moustachial stripes. They forage singly or in pairs on meadows or on shallow water marshes. They also use rocks in water and will often perch on trees. They have a clear sharp call note and the song consists of trills.
The breeding season is April to July and the nest is placed near fast running streams or rivers on an embankment between stones and roots. The male in display, makes short flights up into the air and descends slowly with fluttering flight accompanied by a rapid series of chipping high notes. In Europe the nests are often made in holes in manmade structures. The clutch consists of 3–6 speckled eggs and multiple broods may be raised with declining numbers in the clutch in subsequent broods. The usual clutch size is five in Ireland and the breeding success is about 80% with predation of eggs or chicks being the main cause of breeding failure. The Canary Islands population typically have smaller clutches and the breeding season is not as short and well marked as in populations at higher latitudes. The incubation period is about two weeks with chicks fledging within a fortnight. They live for a maximum of 8 years in the wild.
In some parts of the its range the white-throated dipper nests in the same habitats as the grey wagtail and there are some records of interspecific feeding of dipper chicks by adult wagtails.
Population:
UK breeding:
38,000 pairs
"Great-tailed Grackles—especially females—learn to recognize individual researchers working in their breeding colonies, and will react with a chut alarm call when they see the researcher, even away from the nesting site."
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Photographed in the wild, San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico.
Great Egret (free) wading among a congregation of Alligators (captive), Alligator Breeding Marsh and Wading Bird Rookery, Gatorland, Orlando, Florida.
Shannon O'Shea Wildlife Photography
This is the start of the breeding time and the Herons are staring to build their nests. They are well located in the middle of lakes in between tall reeds and vegetation. Judging by the size of the materials, the nests are decent size - maybe half a meter to a meter wide easily.
I had never seen those chicks since they are always obstructed by vegetation. Have no hopes of catching a glimpse of the chicks this year as well.
Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.
Breeding male Bobolink rests for a minute before taking off to catch another bug and then back down. Bucks Co. PA.
Great Egret with breeding plumage and lores, Alligator Breeding Marsh and Wading Bird Rookery, Gatorland, Orlando, Florida
Taking photos in the afternoon is always a challenge, especially with harsh light, but I really like how this one came out. Male Sanderling in full breeding plumage pulling grubs out of the sand on a beautiful beach in Nova Scotia
A Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) protects its nest and egg during the early stages of nesting on an urban pond in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
4 June, 2018.
Slide # GWB_20180604_8986.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
Great Egret in it's breeding plumage and lores, Alligator Breeding Marsh and Wading Bird Rookery, Gatorland, Orlando
Had a brief fishing trip up north this past weekend so was in their breeding territory - was hoping for something very unique, but sometimes, you need to photograph what is there and available!