Bird of the Week

Bird 05 – California Quail

So this is the final Bird of the Week for 2017, which means it is time to crown the Bird of the Year.

And I mean really, has there been any other bird that has touched our lives more in 2017 than the California Quail? It always had to be this way. You knew it.

I don’t think anything else needs to be said, than to leave you with the glorious images that is the 1920s flapper of all birds.

Sometimes they fly.

Sometimes they hang out in the snow.

Sometimes they hang out on cacti.

They even get around in Australia (on banksia).

Really they’re the perfect bird.

Stay tuned next year for more fun filled Mondays of birds. Or maybe I’ll get bored of this bit, who can say?

18/12/17

Bird 04 – Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise

Monday morning, and time again for that sweet, sweet bird hit with the penultimate Bird of the Week for 2017.

And this week it’s a Bird-of-Paradise, but which one, there are so many that we could do one a week for about a year. Well there can be only one, and I reckon Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise is where it’s at. Check out this little guy:

One of the smallest Birds-of-Paradise, they’re super elusive, and have a touch of the OCD when it comes to keeping a tidy shop. They were only caught on film for the first time in 1996 when David Attenborough scattered leaves on the forest floor and tricked them into coming down to clean them up. They also have a fun moustache for a tail. And they have a throat fan, for reasons that are too obvious and numerous to point out. And check out the colour of those feet.

There are some 40 odd Birds-of-Paradise, but who can say if we’ll check out another one. Maybe one day … maybe one day.

Special thanks to Brad this week for point out that the Guardian has named the Magpie as the winner of their bird of the year. They have that killer instinct so you can’t not but love them.

Stay tuned for next week, as we announce the Bird of the Week, Bird of the Year for 2017.

11/12/2017

Bird 03 – Greater Frigatebird

Monday morning and Bird of the Week has come home to roost in your inbox.

We had a request to feature North Korea’s national bird today, but I am pretty changeable and decided the nation that really needed highlighting was Kiribati, obviously.

And what golden bird would that be, dear subscriber/hostage to my whims? I’m glad you asked. It’s the Greater Frigatebird*, which, if I may say so, is pretty fancy.

Except, as you can see, normally it isn’t golden. Let down…

It’s a bit of a sea-going bird. But it’s also the frog of birds, as it has a fun penchant of inflating that red thingy on its throat.

Males inflate these throat sacks to impress the ladies, because nothing says sexy like a giant red bag of air under your chin. Am I right?

Woowee what a guy. So yeah … that’s a thing that exists in the world.

Until next time, this has been the Bird of the Week.

04/12/2017

*Yes, there is a Lesser Frigatebird.

Bird 02 – Chinstrap Penguin

It’s Monday so that means it’s time for another installation of Bird of the Week. That’s right, I have reminders in my calendar, it’s a thing now.

Today, it’s my favourite penguin, the emperor of penguins, the king of penguins if you will. It’s the Chinstrap Penguin.

No one knows why they’re called Chinstrap Penguins, but with their little army hats they’re easily the most militaristic of all penguins, which is pretty special I should think.

Then there’s this guy:

Fun fact, when penguins slide on their stomach it’s called tobogganing

As always, this has been Bird of the Week.

27/11/2017

Bird 01 – Hoatzin

Welcome to your new weekly service: Bird of the Week. Each week I will highlight a bird which I think is pretty neat.

This week’s bird: the Hoatzin from South America.

It’s freaky-deaky, hey. It belongs to a unique taxonomic order of which it is the only living member. Their babies have claws on their wings for climbing and whatnot. They’re like little dinosaurs. You can kind of see in the pic below. Woaaaahhhh get out of town.

Well, that’s done.

If anyone doesn’t want to be included on the Bird of the Week mail list, just let me know and I’ll pop you on the Bird of the Day mailing list.

Until next week!

20/11/2017