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Post by Horridus on Jul 25, 2011 20:44:28 GMT
Just for Niroot...a white-naped crane Grus vipio at Chessington World of Adventures...  |
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Post by Himmapaan on Jul 25, 2011 20:50:45 GMT
Awesome! Thank you, Marc.  *Saves picture* |
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Post by Meso-Cenozoic on Jul 28, 2011 5:35:22 GMT
Niroot, that green/blue hybrid peacock has magnificent colorings! I guess I'm a little more drawn to the blues because I grew up with one on my uncle's farm. When I was just a youngster, I always chased it around until it would drop a feather or two. Ugh, kids! But, I do remember always being in awe of its beauty, even at such a young age. BW, those cranes in the snow are simply stunning! I especially love the two together.  |
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Post by parasaurolophus on Jul 28, 2011 6:19:38 GMT
Right now, my fav birds are Sandhill Cranes. I see them quite often near where I live.
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Post by hkhollinstone on Jul 28, 2011 8:37:04 GMT
I love all cranes - the the japanese crane is my favourite though - where I live there's a guy who owns a pair, I thought they'd be quite aggressive but he told me to put my hand up to one and the bird just gently touched me with it's beak.  |
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Post by Himmapaan on Jul 28, 2011 14:21:01 GMT
Harriet, how lucky that you get to see them at such proximity!
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Post by totoro on Jul 30, 2011 4:35:03 GMT
Man, everyone's picking such great birds! I was sorely tempted to pick the reddish egret ( Egretta rufescens).  These birds are amazing. They come in two different color morphs, a white one and a slate blue one with a reddish head. Both are gorgeous and so gracefully destructive to fish. The most amazing thing though, is how they form these large feeding flocks of dozens, or even hundreds of egrets. I used to see these when working on barrier islands in the Laguna Madre, behind the Padre Island chain in South Texas. Once formed, the egret flocks attracted many other bird species seeking to benefit from the chaos the egrets were creating in the fish schools, so there would soon be terns and gulls flocking above them and diving in to feed, as well as ibises, ducks and and other egret species all joining in. The fish didn't stand a chance. Still, I have to go with two charming, if less bold, species - the piping and snowy plover ( Charadrius melodus and C. alexandrinus, respectively).  Piping Plover  Snowy Plover- Kentish Plover outside of the US. I spent the better part of 10 years chasing these birds from Canada to Mexico studying them, banding them, radio--tagging them and watching every little thing they ate, where they slept, etc. Impossible to bond as heavily with any other bird species after that. Sadly, both are threatened or endangered now, but are worth preserving, if for their beautiful melodic calls alone. And if you don't think so, look at the adorable precocial chicks they produce!   Snowy Plover Chick |
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Post by ichthyostega on Jul 30, 2011 7:52:34 GMT
Awww, cute birds ;D |
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Post by Himmapaan on Jul 30, 2011 12:36:20 GMT
I'm fascinated by your experiences with the plovers, Curt. And they are indeed wonderful, neat, compact little things.
The chicks must be one of the easiest things to paint: all one need do is wet the watercolour paper, dot in two circles for the head and body and allow the pigments to spread to create the fuzz, then when that's dry, paint in the legs, eyes, beak and markings. Et voilà. ;D
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Post by Horridus on Jul 30, 2011 15:42:10 GMT
That snowy plover chick looks like a head with legs!
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Post by hkhollinstone on Jul 30, 2011 16:15:49 GMT
That snowy plover chick looks like a head with legs! ;D ;D |
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Post by totoro on Jul 30, 2011 16:33:15 GMT
Haha, yes, the chicks really look a bit silly - like cotton balls on stilts. The legs are disproportionately large compared to the body, and can be banded soon after the chick hatches. They are very fast though, when they want to be!  Niroot, I so enjoyed just hearing you describe how you would paint the chicks! |
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Post by mmfrankford on Aug 11, 2011 12:46:02 GMT
Secretary Bird ( Sagittarius serpentarius)   This is my favorite also! Love watching them at the zoo. I also like the crow and wood duck. Attachments:
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weaver
Full Member
Icon by the great Djinni!
Posts: 156
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Post by weaver on Aug 26, 2011 21:48:25 GMT
Since moving to Colorado I have had a vertible army of feathered fiends at my feeders. Got Rufous and Broadtail hummers during the summer but I love seeing all the Stellers' Jay, Dark-Eyed Juncos, Northern Sapsuckers and Black-Billed Magies flocking to the seed-feeders in fall and winter. My window is on the lowest level of the house just below the feeder and it's such a treat to see the jays picking seed off the ground after a snowstorm. They are ridiculous birds these Stellers' Jays but they're my favorites.
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Post by EmperorDinobot on Sept 5, 2011 5:35:50 GMT
My favorite birds are the Andean Condor, the Resplendent Quetzal, the Guacamaya, the Gallito de ls Rocas, the Wandering Albatross and all sorts of toucans.
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Post by captainbobossa on Sept 9, 2011 21:30:18 GMT
the andean condor. HUGE-O BIRD
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Post by crazycrowman on Sept 9, 2011 22:13:46 GMT
Awesome thread, great to see everyones favorites. While I adore corvids, there is absolutely no way I can pick a favorite bird, and really, I think I would have a hard time picking 20 favorite birds. Its much easier to just say I like Aves. Here are a couple of bird photos that I took recently...  Tsavo, a 7 year old male Redbelly Parrot.  Samburu, a 6 year old hen of the same species & Tsavo's mate.  And one of their 2 nestlings! |
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Post by EmperorDinobot on Sept 17, 2011 9:22:53 GMT
What a precious hatchling!!
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Post by takama on Sept 17, 2011 13:10:40 GMT
Do those two adult Red Bellys talk?
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Post by Himmapaan on Oct 25, 2011 19:42:37 GMT
Who says peafowl can't fly? They just usually can't be bothered, simply. Here is a wonderful video of the peafowl of Guilin flying down a mountain in response to a keeper's call. A magical spectacle. Have this picture too.  |
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*Saves picture*
