Bird-watching mega-thread!

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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:

Oriental dwarf kingfisher (3).jpg

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

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher - Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.jpg

Much more to come!
 

Jefferson

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

User Name

Greatest poster ever
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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:

 

annabenedetti

like marbles on glass
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!

indigo-bunting.jpg
 

annabenedetti

like marbles on glass
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

like marbles on glass
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. :)
 

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

2d1ldrr5xhw51.jpg
 
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