Bird-watching mega-thread!

[User Name]

I've become very interested in birds lately. There is so much more diversity and beauty to them than I ever imagined that it is mindblowing. I've done months of research and it still seems never-ending. There are well over 10,000 species of birds known to exist.

I'll post some highlights to show what I mean.

There is a family of birds called "kingfishers," and within this family, there are 114 known species. Here are just a few.

This is one of my absolute favorites because of the wonderful colors of its feathers. It's called the "Oriental dwarf kingfisher," and it is endemic across much of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia:



This is another of the same species, but with different coloration:



Much more to come!

 

[User Name]

The "Banded kingfisher" is found in parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Brunei:

 

[Jefferson]

Whenever I see unusual creatures like this I rhetorically ask God, "What in the world have you made now?"

 

[User Name]

Starlings come in a wide variety of appearances. Here are links to a couple of image searches:

1) Emerald starling: https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=emerald starling&size=wallpaper

2) Greater blue-eared starling: https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=greater blue-eared starling&size=wallpaper

 

[User Name]

The resplendent quetzal is found in southern Mexico and Central America:

https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=resplendent%20quetzal&size=wallpaper

 

[User Name]

There are a number of Facebook groups dedicated to bird-watching. One of the best of these is "BIRDS and Nature." Here is a link to their photos page, it's well worth taking a few minutes to scroll down:

BIRDS & Nature

BIRDS & Nature. 83,549 likes · 72,135 talking about this. IN MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND WALTER REICHLING died: 31. 12. 2019 by Anna-Petra

www.facebook.com

 

[User Name]

A "resplendent quetzal" flying to its nest:

 

[annabenedetti]

I love birdwatching, from hummingbirds to turkey vultures. I've seen osprey catching fish from a lake, bald eagles soaring, watched mockingbirds dive-bomb red tailed hawks, a kingfisher watching the neighbor's koi pond, non-native flocks of parrots (red masked conures), and various garden birds like mourning doves, finches, wrens, towhees and sparrows who come for the bird feeders. I know crows are very, very smart - but I don't like them so much. They're always washing food in the birdbath. One bird I wish I could see here is the cardinal. What a beautiful red with that black mask! Against snow, the males are just stunning. And one of my favorite birds for sheer color beauty although I haven't encountered one myself is the indigo bunting. What a blue!

 

[annabenedetti]

I have the Merlin bird app by Cornell Labs on my phone and use it frequently to identify birds, it's a great resource.

They have a 24-hour feeder cam too, so much fun.

 

[User Name]

And one of my favorite birds for sheer color beauty although I haven't encountered one myself is the indigo bunting. What a blue!

If you like blue-feathered birds, try the greater blue-eared starling:

 

[annabenedetti]

If you like blue-feathered birds, try the greater blue-eared starling:

That's a gorgeous blue, overwhelming. Starlings have some wild eyes, don't they?

A long time ago I posted a video here of a murmuration of starlings. So mesmerizing... there are a lot of murmuration videos out there but this one remains my favorite because of the sheer awe and delight of the two young women in that magical moment in time.

 

[annabenedetti]

I've become very interested in birds lately. There is so much more diversity and beauty to them than I ever imagined that it is mindblowing. I've done months of research and it still seems never-ending. There are well over 10,000 species of birds known to exist.

I'll post some highlights to show what I mean.

There is a family of birds called "kingfishers," and within this family, there are 114 known species. Here are just a few.

This is one of my absolute favorites because of the wonderful colors of its feathers. It's called the "Oriental dwarf kingfisher," and it is endemic across much of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia:

View attachment 5036

This is another of the same species, but with different coloration:

View attachment 5037

Much more to come!

Such gorgeous colors on those birds, like rainbow sherbet.

The kingfisher I saw was possibly a belted kingfisher, with very muted, drab coloration, nothing like these beauties.

 

[User Name]

Wilson's bird-of-paradise is found in the rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta Islands off West Papua:

 

[User Name]

The Black-billed Streamertail is a species of hummingbird that is endemic to eastern Jamaica:

 

[Jefferson]

One bird I wish I could see here is the cardinal.

I see cardinals all the time here in Indiana.

 

[annabenedetti]

I see cardinals all the time here in Indiana.

You're lucky. Their range doesn't extend to the west coast, unfortunately.

 

[User Name]

Princess parrot:

 

[User Name]

A rare leucistic pale yellow robin in Australia:

 

[User Name]

Also from Australia, a pink robin:

 

[User Name]

The Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise, found only in far-western New Guinea, is shown here in various stages of display: