Redheads by Redheads
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The redheaded flea beetle, Systena frontalis is small, about 1/8 to a ¼ inch long. It has a shiny black body with an orangish red head and moderate length antennae. Like other flea beetles, its hind legs are enlarged and made for jumping.
7DWF : Miércoles / Wednesday: Macro/Close up
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Thanks John Oates for the correction in identifying this bird it's a new Lifer for me.
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
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The redhead duck (Aythya americana) is a medium-sized, sociable North American diving duck known for the distinctive cinnamon-red head of the breeding male. They are a popular game bird and are unique for their high rates of brood parasitism, where females lay eggs in the nests of other ducks.
Key Features
Appearance:
Breeding males have a striking copper-red head and neck, a black breast and tail, and a gray body. They have a rounded head shape and a pale blue-gray bill with a black tip and yellow eyes. Females are a more uniform, plain brown with a similar bill coloration and brown eyes.
Size:
Redheads are about 16 to 22 inches (40–56 cm) long with a wingspan of roughly 30 inches (76 cm).
Habitat and Range:
They breed primarily in the Prairie Pothole Region of the north-central United States and south-central Canada. In winter, they migrate south, gathering in large flocks (called "rafts") in coastal marshes, bays, and large inland lakes, especially the Laguna Madre along the Texas and Mexico Gulf Coast.
Diet:
They are omnivorous, primarily eating aquatic plants such as pondweeds, wild rice, and grasses. During the breeding season, females and ducklings consume more animal matter like aquatic insects, mollusks, and snails to meet protein needs.
Behavior:
Redheads are diving ducks, using their strong legs to forage underwater in shallow areas. They are highly social, often forming large mixed-species flocks with canvasbacks and scaup. In flight, they are fast with erratic, shallow wingbeats.
Unique Facts
Brood Parasitism:
Female redheads are notable for laying their eggs in the nests of other ducks (including canvasbacks, mallards, and northern pintails) and even other bird species like American bitterns and northern harriers. Some females lay eggs parasitically before raising their own clutch, while others are entirely parasitic.
Courtship:
Males perform elaborate courtship displays, including a "head throw" where they bend their neck nearly in half until their head touches their tail, accompanied by a distinctive, cat-like "mee-ow" call.
Vocalization:
Males make purring or meow-like calls, while females have a more typical quack or a soft "errrr" note.
The redhead population is currently considered a species of Least Concern by the IUCN due to conservation efforts and careful hunting management, though wetland loss remains an ongoing threat.
Yellow-billed Cardinal Kona, Hawaii.
No post-processing done to photo, only cropped. Nikon NEF (RAW) files available. NPP Straight Photography at noPhotoShopping.com
This drake is floating in a mixed raft of Redheads and Greater Scaups on Presqu'ile Bay patiently waiting for the right time for the flock to continue its migration north to their breeding grounds.
And there's nowhere you can run
If the midnight strikes
And you lose your only sun
When the darkness comes
(La la la la la la)
Will you come undone
Think you know someone
Til' the darkness comes
♬♩ ᴘʀᴇss ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴏɴ ▶ ♭♪
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Thank you all so much for your wonderful words, awards, and the group invites. I truly do appreciate them all!♥
Swimming in an area of sunlit lake Ontario during a cold evening. It's tough to colour balance the head of this bird with the orange and yellow sunset light, even so I love the detail in this bird!