birds
grrlscientist | May 30, 2010tags: Eurasian Kestrel, Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Common Kestrel, also known as the Eurasian Kestrel or just as the Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, photographed in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 19 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm VR lens, with 1.4 x extender ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/800 sec.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Even though this bird is an African species that most of you have probably not…
grrlscientist | May 29, 2010tags: Collared Pratincole, Common Pratincole, Glareola pratincola, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Collared Pratincole, also known as the Common Pratincole, Glareola pratincola, photographed in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300s, 600 mm VR lens, with 1.4 x extender ISO 400, f/8, 1/400 sec.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This African species' morphology and feeding behavior are seemingly incongruous (although wing…
grrlscientist | May 28, 2010tags: Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis, photographed at Luonnontieteellinen keskusmuseo (University of Helsinki Museum of Natural History), Helsinki, Finland. [picture of the same species with its muscle and feathers]
Image: GrrlScientist, 18 May 2010 [larger view]
Canon SX100 IS.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
EEEK! It's another completely bare-nekkid bird for you to identify! Can you ID this bird species? (Yes, it's going to be very challenging to ID species, but…
grrlscientist | May 27, 2010tags: Heermann's Gull, Larus heermanni, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Immature (1st winter/second summer?) Heermann's Gull, Larus heermanni, photographed somewhere along the Pacific coast of the United States [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joe Fuhrman. I encourage you to purchase images from this professional photographer.
NOTE: Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This species has a special natural history character that makes them especially vulnerable to extinction. Can you tell me what that is?
Heermann's…
grrlscientist | May 26, 2010tags: animal adoption, pets, birds, parrots, Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, San Francisco
Image: orphaned (like the birds).
In response to an email I received on Sunday morning, I wrote a short plea for help finding homes for some of San Francisco's famous Telegraph Hill parrots. But the situation these birds face was far from clear, so I did some investigating to learn more about these birds' plight.
For those who might not be familiar with them, these parrots were made famous by the 2005 documentary, "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill," [regular people's DVD and collector's DVD] based…
grrlscientist | May 26, 2010tags: Dickcissel, Townsend's Sparrow, Townsend's Bunting, Spiza americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Dickcissel, occasionally (at least historically) known as Townsend's Bunting or Townsend's Sparrow, Spiza americana, photographed at Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 26 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to…
grrlscientist | May 25, 2010tags: House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus, photographed in a backyard in Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 28 March 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/640s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This species has an interesting feature that provides insight into its life history -- can you tell me what that feature is and what it reveals about this…
grrlscientist | May 24, 2010tags: Blue Grosbeak, Passerina caerulea, Guiraca caerulea, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Female Blue Grosbeak, Passerina (Guiraca) caerulea, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] [For your reference, here's a male of the species in breeding plumage]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery…
grrlscientist | May 23, 2010tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children's books.
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited…
grrlscientist | May 23, 2010tags: Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda rothschildi, photographed on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Midway Island, Hawai'i [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joe Fuhrman, March 2010. I encourage you to purchase images from this professional photographer.
NOTE: Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 23, 2010tags: animal adoption, pets, birds, parrots, Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Image: orphaned (like the birds).
For the last five years or more, the San Francisco peninsula parrot rescue organization, Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue, has been taking in injured or sick members of the wild Telegraph Hill parrot flock and finding homes for them. At this time, Mickaboo is overwhelmed with wild parrots. Jennifer Erlichman, the wild parrot rescue coordinator for Mickaboo is seeking homes for these birds -- I believe, but don't know for sure, that she wants these birds to go to homes that are…
grrlscientist | May 22, 2010tags: Kori Bustard, Ardeotis kori, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Kori Bustard, Ardeotis kori, photographed in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, ISO 400, 1/2000 sec, f/8. Exp Comp -1.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This African mystery bird is quite remarkable: if you can identify this recognizable species, then you'll also be able to tell me why this bird is so remarkable. I'm also wondering if it's possible…
grrlscientist | May 21, 2010tags: Razorbill, Ruokki, Alca torda, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Razorbill, known in Finland as the Ruokki, Alca torda, photographed at Luonnontieteellinen keskusmuseo (University of Helsinki Museum of Natural History), Helsinki, Finland. [Fully feathered specimens]
Image: GrrlScientist, 18 May 2010 [larger view]
Canon SX100 IS.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This mystery bird lacks all plumage hints that might give you clues as to its identity, but it is showing you plenty more hints that will guide you to your ID.
22 May…
grrlscientist | May 21, 2010tags: Pay Attention to Penguins, birds, penguins, environment, global warming, ethics, climate change, Dee Boersma, TEDTalks, TED Talks, streaming video
Think of penguins as ocean sentinels, says Dee Boersma -- they're on the frontlines of sea change. Sharing stories of penguin life and culture, she suggests that we start listening to what penguins are telling us.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on…
grrlscientist | May 20, 2010tags: Barnacle Goose, Valkoposkihanhi, Branta leucopsis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Barnacle Goose, known in Finnish as Valkoposkihanhi, Branta leucopsis, photographed on Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: GrrlScientist, 16 May 2010 [larger view]
Canon SX100 IS.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
I photographed this lovely mystery bird a couple days ago in stunning Helsinki, Finland, can you ID the species and tell me how it got its peculiar English common name?
This goose was…
laelaps | May 19, 2010An Inca tern (Larosterna inca) about to crush a clump of dirt, photographed at the Bronx Zoo.
grrlscientist | May 19, 2010tags: Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 17, 2010tags: Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, photographed Wisconsin. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Bardiac, 15 May 2010 [larger view].
Canon Eos, 70x300 zoom + 2x.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This bird is remarkable among all its family members for one of its special features, can you tell me what that feature is?
The Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, is the smallest North American species of icterid blackbird. Due to their small size and…
grrlscientist | May 16, 2010tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children's books.
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited…
grrlscientist | May 16, 2010tags: Augur Buzzard, African Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo rufofuscus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Augur Buzzard, also known as the African Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo rufofuscus, photographed at the Ndutu Safari Lodge, at the south end of the Serengeti ecosystem, just outside Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, ISO 400, 1/250, f/6.3, +2 Exp comp.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.