THE BIRD THREAD - Post birds, discuss birds or even sniff birds.

[internet friend]

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I was probably six inches away from this fellow for minutes on end, snapping photos. They can be very tame birds. They’ll even let you touch them often times.

Edit: here’s another photo.

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Love a kooka. Just be careful when eating outside, they can be downright bandits!

 

[Um...]

Ducks!

Last one

Sorry I can’t help myself.
(Crows and ravens are really cool birds though.)

 

[Ventrue]

Crow funerals



If a crow spots a fallen comrade, it raises an alarm call to alert the other members of the “murder”. A mob of crows then settles down on the branches to observe the corpse, watching and contemplating. They break into intense cawing, as if grieving the death of their fallen brother. Sometimes it’s only a handful, other times up to 60 or 70 birds settle onto branches or whatever aerial perch allows good viewing of the corpse and the surrounding scene.



For a short time, the birds remain quiet and still, only to break into a chorus of shrill calls. Back and forth, silence and aggravation for about 15 to 20 minutes until nearly all at once the ink-black birds launch and disperse, leaving branches to quiver.



If they spot a predator approaching the dead crow, the birds resort to mobbing behaviors, diving over the predator and scolding them away.



Research seems to indicate that crows mob together over a dead crow not as a way to grieve his passing, but to analyze the circumstances of his death and assess the danger to the other crows. The information the crows gather from the death scene could be useful in helping the crows avoid a similar fate.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

Crow funerals

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If a crow spots a fallen comrade, it raises an alarm call to alert the other members of the “murder”. A mob of crows then settles down on the branches to observe the corpse, watching and contemplating. They break into intense cawing, as if grieving the death of their fallen brother. Sometimes it’s only a handful, other times up to 60 or 70 birds settle onto branches or whatever aerial perch allows good viewing of the corpse and the surrounding scene.

View attachment 7399357

For a short time, the birds remain quiet and still, only to break into a chorus of shrill calls. Back and forth, silence and aggravation for about 15 to 20 minutes until nearly all at once the ink-black birds launch and disperse, leaving branches to quiver.

View attachment 7399358

If they spot a predator approaching the dead crow, the birds resort to mobbing behaviors, diving over the predator and scolding them away.

View attachment 7399359

Research seems to indicate that crows mob together over a dead crow not as a way to grieve his passing, but to analyze the circumstances of his death and assess the danger to the other crows. The information the crows gather from the death scene could be useful in helping the crows avoid a similar fate.

CSI Crow Division

my bike commute includes a bit over a small creek, which most of last week had a couple of anhingas drying their wings very nature photography style looking on a big ol branch over a stream
I'll try to stop and get pics next week when I'm back at work, but usually I've been in a bit of hurry to stop for photos

 

[Um...]

So many goldfinches today.

They’re just about at peak color right now. They fade to barely yellow over the winter then start to brighten up in spring.

 

[Um...]

The first of this year’s baby bluebirds have shown up, brought round to the feeder by dad.

He/she (too early to tell gender) follows dad around yelling to be fed. Later they’ll learn to eat from the feeder themselves.

They’re so cute and speckled. I need a better camera though, these are embarrassingly bad.

 

[Diet Coke 4 Life]

The first of this year’s baby bluebirds have shown up, brought round to the feeder by dad.
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He/she (too early to tell gender) follows dad around yelling to be fed. Later they’ll learn to eat from the feeder themselves.
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They’re so cute and speckled. I need a better camera though, these are embarrassingly bad.

As a fellow potato-phone user, your pictures are fine to me.

We have the same in the back yard here - except its fights between Daddy Bluebird and grackles and robins while Baby Bluebirds yell by the bird bath.

Love your setup, btw!

 

[Um...]

As a fellow potato-phone user, your pictures are fine to me.

Aww, thanks.
Got a better view of one of the juvie bluebirds when this one stopped by my window feeder.

You can see his speckles better and the first hints of blue on his wing. This one seems more mature than the one from yesterday, coming around to the feeders independently. I have two sets of babies this year, one male was last year’s baby. He came back this year with a new mate and they set up housekeeping, so I have two sets of babies that hatched at different times.

Bald eagle cam
(Those two mangy-looking things that look like buzzards are the eaglets that hatched this year.)

 

[ToroidalBoat]

A dove (most likely a mourning dove) has made a nest right outside where I live IRL.

 

[Friend of Dorothy Parker]

There's a bird thread??? I am late to the party.

My yard list is sitting at 47 species. I really want to get it up to 50. I currently have three baths, a mixed seed hopper feeder, and a nyjer feeder, but when I have time I also put out a suet feeder, hummingbird feeders, and and an oriole feeder. I have tried mealworms (dry and live) in the past in the hopes of attracting Western Bluebirds, but no takers. I feel bad leaving the mealworms to die in the sun in vain. It's frustrating because I know bluebirds frequent the nearby park. Come to my yard!

Ooh, I'm at 34 based on recorded bird songs (35 if you count hummingbirds that afai have experienced don't make noise I can record), no feeders or water yet but I want to do that soon!

 

[Sexy Potoo]

 

[Diet Coke 4 Life]

Awww, much cuter sounds than the feathery turd in my house.

He growled and called me a bitch before telling my bicycle trainer to shut up before calling it (or me, the verdict is out) a bad bird and telling it that it wasn't getting a peanut just because his lights went out while I was trying to finish a very long ride. Guess that's what I get for having his roost cage in the workout room.

 

[Arbiter]

no feeders or water yet but I want to do that soon!

Do it! You'll be shocked by how many things water alone will bring, especially since you're already recording so many species. I always recommend people start with a shallow water source before a feeder. Bonus points if you can make it "running" water, like with a cheap solar powered little fountain:

The hummingbirds around here are pretty loud, especially during breeding season. The sound of an Anna's display dive is the sound of spring. Here are some hummers having a party:

They like sunflower seeds. I get the ones with no shells, just seeds cut into smaller bits (sunflower chips.)

Ooh interesting, my seed mix is mostly black oil sunflower, but in the shell. Maybe chips will be the secret to finally getting them, thanks! Beautiful thrasher. I love mimids.

 

[Um...]

The sound of an Anna's display dive is the sound of spring

Yeah they buzz like giant bumblebees.

 

[Argos]

BIRBS!

Watching thus thread so I can peruse it when feeling down.

 

[Levi]

One of the only times I care to see some crap on the news made me smile. It's World Parrot Day! I love you parrots.

 

[Most Wanted Banana]

I remember once there was a bird inside a warehouse where I worked. With the help of a coworker, I caught it and brought it outside. I put it on the ground, and it flew off and crashed headfirst into a wall.

It was very strange.

 

[Mac Monster]

A green-winged macaw giving himself a shower. Parrots are such intelligent little creatures.

 

[Yellow Rose Of Texas]

 

[Piss Bear]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=7uih8Y5TybU

I fucking love Australian magpies, the way they patrol and defend their little patches of grass every day without fail always cheers me up. I want to befriend the nearby ones but they don't seem too interested sadly. I try to buy their friendship with food, but the food attracts the pigeons, and they HATE pigeons.

Sometimes when I want to feed pigeons I give an offering of food to the magpies first so they leave the pigeons alone. It usually works lol.