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Hey GAF, let's appreciate some birds!

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Edmond Dantès;47167709 said:
The Shoebill
Not the most beautiful bird, but certainly unique looking. Recently featured on BBC Africa.
Shoebill+2.jpg

TVO8585.gif
 
Also guys, we have three budgies (we had a fourth one but it died) who I'm pretty sure are having ILLICIT LESBIAN BIRD SEX. I often see them making out and grooming each other. Could this be them acting out after the death of their room mate, or maybe it's because there is no male bird in the cage with them?
 
Chick
We're so used to seeing them, we don't even bother mentioning them.

Probably because of guilt that we'd rather see it between two delicious butter biscuits.

None of these birds got nothing on the bowerbird:

LMAO that video. I had to google to see if this pair is monogamous... NOPE.

I also am a huge fan of hummingbirds. I only seen them a few times in my whole life but I was always in awe of how tiny, fast, and mostly beautiful they were.


I've lived in east texas most of my childhood and saw them migrate here a bit (from the west) and fed on our flower bushes. If I'd do a bird feeder, it'd be for them too.
 
Perspective tricking my eyes or is the eagle huge?

"The Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), sometimes known as the Eaglehawk (a slight misnomer, as it is among the largest raptors) in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, and is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail. Because of both its tail and its size — it is one of the largest birds of prey in the world — it can be identified at a glance as a "Wedgie" even by the non-expert.

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is one of twelve species of large predominantly dark-coloured eagles in the genus Aquila found worldwide. A large brown bird of prey, it has a wingspan of up to 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in) and a length up to 1.06 m (3 ft 6 in).[2]"

:)

Wedge-tailed_Eagle_Healesville3171060.jpg
 
On a related note I have a soft spot for local birds, our Oiriole...

MayaBirdCropCFnet.jpg


...and the Philippine Eagle

philippine-eagle-rich.jpg


majestic, ain't it?

"The Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), sometimes known as the Eaglehawk (a slight misnomer, as it is among the largest raptors) in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, and is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail. Because of both its tail and its size — it is one of the largest birds of prey in the world — it can be identified at a glance as a "Wedgie" even by the non-expert.

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is one of twelve species of large predominantly dark-coloured eagles in the genus Aquila found worldwide. A large brown bird of prey, it has a wingspan of up to 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in) and a length up to 1.06 m (3 ft 6 in).[2]"

:)

Wedge-tailed_Eagle_Healesville3171060.jpg

oh shit, dat size

Is it stronger than the Golden Eagle?
 
Peregrine-falcon.jpg


The Peregrine Falcon is the world's fastest creature, reaching speeds of 320km/h[200+mph]


Edmond Dantès;47130638 said:
Mandarin Duck


Male-Mandarin-Duck.jpg
Uh oh. Is this what I'm eating when I order duck at Chinese restaurant?
I'm never ordering duck at Chinese restaurant ever again.
 
A seagull managed to shit on me in Brighton railway station. I was impressed by the size of the dropping. Not that I appreciated it.

Yeah, that's bound to happen in Brighton, a coast town. Don't eat food on the pier either, they gonna steal that shit right off.
 
Eagle-Owl
This is not my picture, but this illustrates the size of eagle owls better.
(lots of great photos by Vitalij Kazackov)
I saw a large eagle owl at a local park's bird of prey festival. It was walking on the ground on a leash. It was like a toddler-sized dog with a beak walking on its hind legs. Definitely the most personable bird of prey I've personally met.

The other raptor that doesn't get enough love is the American Kestrel. They're incredibly beautiful, but due to their small (robin or smaller) size, they're also adorable. Again, not my picture - it's of Rob Jett, who runs a NYC birding blog.
(more great pictures by Rob Jett here)
One of these got a spray mist bath, loved it, and was one of the cutest things I've seen. When she was wet she looked really pathetic, though. Then a wild redtail crashed the party, landing in a tree overhead, and she went absolutely apeshit, shrieking at the top of her lungs at a very high pitch for more than five minutes after it left.
 
Kea Parrots

One of the baddest birds found in the animal kingdom. They are the only parrots found in sub-arctic temperatures, and have adapted accordingly by using their incredible intelligence and working together with flock members.

Look at these badass birds being badass badasses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twg4Yg4gFoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBdvRCkCNfo
Destroying a police car

images

kea.jpg

images

Even the babies will bite your fingers off:

tumblr_m2ohuzzbci1qzou5ko1_500.jpg

Damn what a display of intelligence.
 
I absolutely love owls, and am fascinated by kiwi birds (too bad they're way too far away to see by myself).

Here're some pictures I took of a small group of owls (two adults and two younger ones) I spotted while vacationing at Villa Gesell, and a male peacock I spotted on top of a chimney while in Cariló. I'm an amateur photographer at best, though, so the pictures might not be that good. There are also a few repeats, mostly since my cheap camera is a bit whimsical when it comes down to its automatic color correction.

 
The other raptor that doesn't get enough love is the American Kestrel. They're incredibly beautiful, but due to their small (robin or smaller) size, they're also adorable. Again, not my picture - it's of Rob Jett, who runs a NYC birding blog.
(more great pictures by Rob Jett here)
One of these got a spray mist bath, loved it, and was one of the cutest things I've seen. When she was wet she looked really pathetic, though. Then a wild redtail crashed the party, landing in a tree overhead, and she went absolutely apeshit, shrieking at the top of her lungs at a very high pitch for more than five minutes after it left.

I thought I recognized the bird. In the Netherlands we have the Falco tinnunculus, or common kestrel. We call it the torenvalk (tower falcon). I bet it has the same hunting tactics. Praying above a field, watching for its prey. And then plummeting down to catch it from above. Great to watch.
 
The Wikipedia article on them has a picture of one in flight. I guess their long, non-aerodynamic feathers probably make it harder for them to fly, tough.

Yeah it's the feathers that made me wonder if their flight is only for short bursts.
 
An oldie, but I just love this pic:
Describes how I feel when I go birdwatching with my dad. Dude's twice my age but still spots a tiny bird hiding on a branch at the other end of the woods before I even manage to pinpoint the direction of its chirps. He also hikes circles around my IT-nurtured arse. I really need to get into shape.

Bonus bird:
Common Starling. I love the shiny feather coat.
 
Murmurations are amazing, but starlings (and European house sparrows) have ravaged native bird populations in North America :(
 
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