tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] photographed in mystery world location. [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours, unless I've eaten them all first]
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This flock of birds is easy to ID, so I am "upping the ante" by also asking you to give me these birds' scientific name, traditional geographic range, age and gender! Can you do this?
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This is a flock of Psittacus sucrosus, the common peep, in its five subspecific varieties: P.s.sucrosus, the yellow, then P.s.purpuris, the purple, P.s.magentus, the pink, P.s.glaucus, the white, and P.s.caeruleus, the blue.
They are all adults.
P. sucrosus is the only known avian that is a hermaphrodite.
Their traditional range is cosmopolitan, although they are mostly found in urban regions of North America and Europe.
Chocolate easter bunnies. Theobroma Äostre, believed to have originated in Alsace but now found world-wide. Despite being domesticated (they're good eating!), its reproductive habits are unclear (possibly a hermaphrodite?).
We used to ask an extra credit question relating to these, at Colorado State. Turns out they build their nests with plastic grass and lay candy eggs!
Can I still play!!!?!?!
Sucrosis peepius (S. peep), presented here in its five subspecies, S. peepius originosa, S. peepius porphyra, S. peepius roseus, S. peepius blanc, and S. peepius kyanos. The natural habitat is plastic grass in the basket subspecies (Poacaea plasticus basketus), and the many colors are thought to be an adaptation enabling camouflage from predators such as small children (Homo sapiens irritans) and chocolate bunnies (Sylvilagus cocoa).
Due to high predation rates, the peep's mating habits are not well known, though the many jelly beans found in the habitat may be evidence of reproduction.
I think the jelly beans are their excretions.
cute, sci! not cute, bob.