Category: Birds
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The Really Stunning Courtship Behavior of the Great Egret Part II
The courtship and mating behavior of the great egret is full of intricate movements designed to attract a mate while also halting the advances of the competition. Aside from the stunning displays, the Great Egret’s mating ritual is an annual extravaganza that includes the development of special feathers and color changes.
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Roseate Spoonbill: The Flaming Bird
Look closely at nature. Every species is a masterpiece, exquisitely adapted to the particular environment in which it has survived. Who are we to destroy or even diminish biodiversity? – E. O. Wilson Public Excitement In Florida, very few birds produce a public commotion when spotted. And the Roseate Spoonbill is one of them. This […]
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The Stunning Courtship Behavior of The Great Egret, an Unmissable Spectacle!
The great egret has a behavioral repertoire that includes over 16 different displays. And only some of them are more prominent during courtship with the aigrettes, the spectacular scapular plumes, playing a critical role in helping magnify the optical effects of the displays.
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The return of the wood stork to South Florida
The wood stork is an endangered species in Florida. Although it is nowhere near the historical population that foraged and nested in the Everglades and surrounding areas, it is making a slow comeback mirroring the efforts to restore the iconic River of Grass, as Marjory Stoneman Douglas used to call what is now Everglades National Park.
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Are we doing enough to protect the magnificent hornbills?
Although the snake does not fly, it has caught the hornbill, whose home is in the sky Apparently not enough, especially in some African countries like Ghana and Cameroon where uncontrolled hunting and habitat degradation is decimating the hornbill population. If you don’t know what hornbills are, I encourage you to read my previous two […]
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Part II: Nuts About Hornbills: What’s So Special About Them?
“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” -William Blake There are many fascinating things about these amazingly weird looking birds; a couple of them are pretty obvious their colorful and in some species huge casques and large bills. The other one, which is not so obvious, but very interesting, is […]
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Nuts About Hornbills: A Fascinating Evolutionary Story
The extraordinary habit of the male, in plastering up the female with her egg, and feeding her during the whole time of incubation, and until the young one is fledged, is common to several of the large hornbills, and is one of those strange facts in natural history which are “stranger than fiction.” -Alfred Russel […]
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Much Ado About Puffins
“Seabirds are ideal symbols for ocean conservation… Because they live in a variety of habitats-including oceans, islands, estuaries and beaches-they can show visitors how all coastal life is connected and spark new interest in coastal conservation. Long-term conservation success hinges on public understanding and community support.” – Stephen Kress They look like cartoon characters taken […]
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Surprisingly Wonderful Newfoundland: OUR PLANET Geological History At Its Best
I WENT TO PHOTOGRAPH PUFFINS, BUT I ENDED UP WITH SO MUCH MORE “It’s the place where land, water and sky embrace like old friends”. -Newfoundland Saying At the beginning of 2012 I began looking for a destination for my next photo safari, after being in Africa the previous year I must confess it was […]
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And The Winner is The Secretarybird…
“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.” Aesop, (620 BC – 560 BC) from The Jay and the Peacock Yes, I’m still talking about beautiful animals. How can’t I, after being in such an amazing place where nature is at its best? A sight to be seen, this peculiar and gorgeous bird […]
Conservation and Photography 