View allAll Photos Tagged preening
And he was successful. Seconds later, he caught a Zitting Cisticola for a meal. This is a migratory raptor from Central Asia that come in large numbers during winters to India. They can be commonly seen across the countryside and mostly in grasslands where they roost communally.
We sighted one on this fence preening and he spent around 5 minutes cleaning himself up. Then suddenly he dived flew behind the vehicle and landed in a far away field. He had a Zitting Cisticola, a small warbler in his claws which he finished pretty quickly.
Thanks so much in advance for your views, faves and feedback.
Three pelicans attend to their feathers at sunrise...
A few of their buddies are swimming in the background :)
A sandhill crane preens in early morning light.
Thanks so much to everyone who takes the time to view, like or comment on my photos!
© 2020 Craig Goettsch - All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use without permission is prohibited.
RKO_7918. Close-up shot of a large group of Flamingo's at Amboseli National park in Kenya.
Image 97/100 of the last Kenya trip.
Copyright: Robert Kok. All rights reserved! Watermark protected.
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A feral domestic goose doing some feather maintenance. I took this photo at Gilbert Water Ranch in Gilbert Arizona USA
The rookery at Avery Island, LA is known as "Bird City" and was created as a bird colony in the 1890's.
There are platforms built over the water (above the alligators) and lined with the locally grown bamboo.
This forms the base for the nests where the Egrets will breed and raise their little ones....
Each Spring...it becomes home to tens of thousands of birds, with a particular emphasis on Great White Egrets.
It's amazing to watch them nest-building, breeding, preening, & tending to their young. Such a sight to see !
Thanks for taking a look.
Have a great Saturday and beginning to our Memorial Day Weekend. It'll be a special one for sure..........
Jeff Hebert © All rights reserved
Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
It paused on the post for a few moments to rearrange its feathers.
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to view, fave or comment. It is very much appreciated!
Wildwood Park in the canal. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Sulphur-crested_cockatoo (wiki)
This photo and last two photos, the camera's settings are exactly the same. I just forgot to change the settings, lol ^^; How lazy I am.
This lens is amazing.
A large forest parrot native to New Zealand. One of four kaka gathered at a bird feeding station in our local eco-sanctuary where rats and stoats and the like have been excluded. Thanks very much if you have time for a comment.
You can hear its songs here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=puq1ai_gg14
Meet the calmest osprey I've ever had the pleasure to meet. This osprey was oblivious to camera attention. I think she liked it. I say she because of the telltale necklace that female osprey sport on their chest. Thank you Madam for giving us the pleasure of your company.
The mallard is one of the most widespread and most familiar species of duck in the world, and they are the ancestors of most domestic duck breeds.
Highly adaptable, these ducks are familiar to most, but they are always worth watching and always have something to teach both novice and expert birders. Taken with iPhone 11 pro.
Female mallards are far less colorful than mallard drakes. Their plumage is mottled brown, bright orange bill with black or gray, their wings show the blue speculum bordered with white lines, like the drakes, their legs and feet are bright orange.
This bland coloration serves female mallards well providing good camouflage for tending the nest and caring for hatchlings.
Dunlin keeping clean. First time after moving that I have some time to begin working on my backlog. I absolutely love the colours and mood in this scene. This Dunlin took a moment to clean itself here on a small pond during late spring migration at Ashbridge's Bay. It's a dream of mine to go up north and shoot all of these shore birds on their breeding grounds along the shores of Hudson Bay. Worth saving up for! Only problem will be polar bears :P
Painterly image creation of a trio of ducks pluming their feathers captured under the low light of shrubbery overgrowth.
Created using: Topaz Labs, and Topaz Studio
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Myiarchus cephalotes
(Pale-edged flycatcher / Atrapamoscas montañero)
Pale-edged flycatcher is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, distributed throughout subtropical montane forest in the Andes.
This species is typically a bird of humid forests and is one of the few species of Myiarchus that is restricted entirely to humid montane forest.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied grackle / Cacique candela)
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Birds have up to 25,000 feathers, and regular preening keeps each one of those feathers in top condition. Second only to feeding, preening is a common bird behavior easily observed in a yard, out in the field, or even among captive birds or pets.
Preening is a bird's way of grooming its feathers to keep them in the best condition. While preening, birds remove dust, dirt, and parasites from their feathers and align each feather in the optimum position relative to adjacent feathers and body shape. Most birds will preen several times a day to keep themselves healthy.
The uropygial gland, or preen gland, is an essential part of preening. This gland is found near the base of the tail and produces an oily, waxy substance that helps waterproof feathers and keep them flexible. While preening, birds spread this oil to each feather so they are evenly coated and protected.