View allAll Photos Tagged preening
Preening is one of the vital bird behaviours that determine the hygiene and health of the avians. Every bird has to perform this on a daily basis. The frequency and time depends on the species, habits, habitats, food and size of birds.
The Oriental darter or Indian darter (Anhinga melanogaster) is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia.
One from the archives as I'm just not getting any decent pictures during these dank, dark, winter days.
Images courtesy of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
www.allaboutbirds.org/cornellherons
Note: Cornell owns the copyright to all of the content being produced, and while we do encourage sharing (ideally with attribution to the Cornell Lab and hyperlinking to the cams), any commercial use has to be cleared with the Lab.
A different image from the same sequence as my last post. Keeping the feathers of the facial disc in top condition helps to focus sound on the ears, critical for location of prey. Of all owls, an interesting adaptation that only the Barn Owl has is a pectinate claw - a comb like structure on the central forward talon: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/sitemap/galleries/barn-owl-anatom...
This handy little device is apparently one shared by Herons, Bitterns, Egrets and Nightjars.
Weymouth.
You think your Yoga is hard, try to do it 30 feet in the air clutching to a branch!
Barred Owl is amazingly limber especially after having two babies!
Got this shot today; a different batch from the last lot. This time he was in for about 30 mins...feeding, fishing, preening, flying around...another great days photography! Taken at Clara Vale with my Nikon D70.
I know, you say....another shot from the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm's rookery, geesh! ....but I just love these birds because they are so beautiful and graceful....and very photogenic....I would have preferred a background with better contrast but I was pretty happy with this shot....I am very happy with the new lens too and recommend it for those considering it...Sigma said no chromatic aberration and they meant it!
The rookery at the alligator farm is a natural rookery where the different species of migratory birds are free to come and go as they please. While it is accessible to humans, the rookery is within a natural swamp inhabited by over 100 alligators. The birds come here each year to nest and lay their young because of the protection the alligators provide. No feeding or enticement of the migratory birds occurs here.
Taken near Fisherman's Warf in San Francisco near where the sea lions (or the harbor seals...not sure which) sun themselves. Textures by osolev and lenabem.
Best viewed on Black
Scientific classification
Domain:Eukaryota
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Columbiformes
Family:Columbidae
Genus:Zenaida
Species:Z. macroura
Binomial name
Zenaida macroura
Songs and Calls
Low mournful (hence its name) coo-ah, coo, coo, coo.
FamilyPigeons and Doves
HabitatFarms, towns, open woods, roadsides, grasslands. Found in almost any kind of open or semi-open habitat in temperate parts of North America, including forest clearings, farmland, suburbs, prairies, deserts. May be most common in edge habitats having both trees and open ground, but also found in some treeless areas. Avoids unbroken forest.
The mournful cooing of the Mourning Dove is one of our most familiar bird sounds. From southern Canada to central Mexico, this is one of our most common birds, often abundant in open country and along roadsides. European settlement of the continent, with its opening of the forest, probably helped this species to increase. It also helps itself, by breeding prolifically: in warm climates, Mourning Doves may raise up to six broods per year, more than any other native bird.
Feeding Behavior
Forages mostly on ground; sometimes will perch on plants to take seeds. Will come to bird feeders, often eating on the ground under elevated feeders. Eats quickly to fill crop with seeds, then digests them while resting. Regularly swallows grit (small gravel) to aid in digestion of hard seeds.
Eggs
2. White. Incubation is by both parents, about 14 days. Young: Both parents feed young "pigeon milk." Young leave nest at about 15 days, usually wait nearby to be fed for next 1-2 weeks. One pair may raise as many as 5-6 broods per year in southern areas.
Young
Both parents feed young "pigeon milk." Young leave nest at about 15 days, usually wait nearby to be fed for next 1-2 weeks. One pair may raise as many as 5-6 broods per year in southern areas.
Diet
Seeds. Feeds almost entirely on seeds (99% of diet). Favors seeds of cultivated grains, also those of grasses, ragweeds, many other plants. Occasionally eats snails, very rarely any insects.
Nesting
In courtship, male flies up with noisy wingbeats and then goes into long circular glide, wings fully spread and slightly bowed down. On ground, male approaches female stiffly, his chest puffed out, bowing and giving emphatic cooing song. Members of mated pairs may preen each other's feathers. Nest: Male leads female to potential nest sites; female chooses one. Site is usually in tree or shrub, sometimes on ground, sometimes on building ledge or other structure; usually lower than 40', rarely up to 100' or more above ground. Nest is very flimsy platform of twigs; male brings material, female builds.
While visiting the natural bird rookery at Gatorland in Orlando, we observed lots of activity going on - nest building, mating, sitting on the nest, feeding young ones, and lots of encounters and territorial disputes. Most involved the "white birds" - wood storks, snowy egrets, and in this case, great white egrets.
Particularly interesting was watching this one nest being "demolished" by some of the other white egrets, all the while the nest's owner white egret kept bringing in new sticks - only to have them taken away (i.e. stolen) by another. Poor thing must have wondered why not much progress was being made, despite so much hard work. :-)
For me, spring is the time of year that I love to observe the birds for their enhanced beauty.
There are not too many things as beautiful as a great white egret when it's decked out in its breeding plumage and colors. Those long and soft wispy plumes sown their back side are incredibly gorgeous. Their colors on their beaks and around the eye are also quite striking. They are always fussing about their feathers, making sure they get preened effectively and frequently. I love this image with the soft green bokeh of the nearby bushes and the way that the filtered light is reflected on the birds feathers.
It was such a fun day ... thanks Jess!
Here's looking forward to Friday tomorrow and the weekend to come shortly thereafter. For us in South Florida, I hope that the weather predictors are incorrect and that the weather is suitable for a few days of photography.
Thanks for stopping by to view and for all of your thoughts and comments.
© Debbie Tubridy / © TNWA Photography - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.
Website: www.tnwaphotography.com