Bird of the Week

Bird 326 – Harlequin Duck

Today we’re going to meet not only one of the most handsome ducks getting around, but also one of the great avian adrenalin junkies: the Harlequin Duck.

So where to begin? Well, I guess we can’t go past that plumage. The Harlequin Duck is so named because of the varied and bright colours that males sport during the breeding season. They contain a mix of blue, chestnut, black, white and grey. As is tradition, the females are more plainly attired in browns and greys.

You will find the Harlequin Duck living in far Northern America, along the Canadian and Alaskan coast. During the summer they favour fast flowing streams and rapids. They are adept at navigating the roughest currents and easily scurry about over wet and slick rocks.

They dive and dabble to find their food, favouring molluscs and crustaceans. During the winter months they move to the coastline and spend some time out on the ocean. They are a type of sea duck after all.

But the Harlequin Duck loves rough water. Even in the winter when they leave the rapids of their streams, they will favour coastlines that have the roughest swell and most powerful waves. They just love fighting big swells and strong currents when they go for a swim.

But this adventure seeking nature comes at a high price. Some ornithologists estimate that no other bird suffers as many broken bones as the Harlequin Duck. Most museum specimens show birds with multiple healed breaks in their bones. It is suspected that this comes about from throwing themselves into rapids and against rocks.

But you know what, a couple of broken bones is worth it for this thrill seeking little duck.

12/11/23

Photo credit

1: “Harlequin Duck” by Rennett Stowe

2: “Harlequin ducks” by YellowstoneNPS

3: “Harlequin Duck” by GlacierNPS

4: “harlequin ducks watching the action” by marneejill

Bird 325 – Topknot Pigeon

Did someone say it’s pigeon time? It’s always pigeon time and I’ve got a real beauty from Australia today: the Topknot Pigeon.

Now, sometimes the Crested Pigeon is confused with the Topknot Pigeon, but the two birds really don’t have a lot in common. The Crested Pigeon has a point crest like a mohawk while the Topknot Pigeon has an Elvis-like quiff. Very fashion forward.

The other major difference between these two pigeons is how they live. The Crested Pigeon is on the smaller size of what constitutes a pigeon and they spend the majority of their time on the ground looking for seeds and the likes. Topknot Pigeons are bigger and they hang out in forests, living the high life in fruiting trees, which is where they get most of their food from.

Because the Topknot rely primarily on fruit they also tend to be highly nomadic. They go wherever the trees are berry-ful. They have a habit of disappearing for long stretches at a time. Sometimes they won’t be seen in an area for years and then suddenly they’ll turn up out of nowhere, stuff their pigeon faces with whatever is on offer and then peace out again.

Thanks to forest clearing the population of Topknot Pigeons is greatly reduced from what it once was. But because of some introduced species of fruiting trees that have taken up resident in peoples’ gardens, the Topknot is still about in frequent numbers that they can be commonly sighted along the east coast of Australia and even in Sydney, mixing with the other city pigeons.

05/11/2023

1: “topknot pigeon” by Jenny

2: “Topknot Pigeon, Central Coast NSW” by Kai Boesen and ”Crested Pigeon” by James Niland

3: “Topknot pigeon 1 (15081251676)” by Jim Bendon from Karratha, Australia

Bird 324 – Black-crested Coquette

After reviewing my records, it looks like we haven’t featured a hummingbird for over a 100 weeks, and that is unacceptable. So this week we will rectify it with a real beauty, the Black-crested Coquette.

Sometimes described as being a bit like an insect because of its diminutive size, agility, speedy flight and nectar feeding ways. But this is no bug, it’s a bird, and what a bird!

Hummingbirds always have the most delightful names and our Coquettish friend is no different. Traditionally a coquette is a flirtatious woman. And let me say, I am more than willing for this Black-crested fellow to get flirty. Just look at it.

The Coquette is unmistakable. A feathery black crest that flashes iridescent green, yellow polka dots set against their downy white crests. Heck, it even kind of looks like they have a dreadlock beard.

The Coquette lives in Central America, and unlike some of their close cousins, they don’t migrate. Rather, they hang about in their mountain jungle homes all year around. What is maybe surprising though is that we still know relatively little about how these hummers live and breed. How do they nest? We really don’t know.

We do know that like other hummingbirds, the males use their impressive facial and crest plumes to woe the females during daring ariel displays. And having something the size of a bee flash like a disco ball must be quite the captivating sight.

That is some top shelf flirting.

29/10/2023

Photo credit:

1: “Black-crested Coquette, Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica 1” by Roger MacKertich

2: “Black-crested Coquette (male)” by ryanacandee

3: “Black-crested Coquette (male)” by ryanacandee

Bird 323 – Sabine’s Gull

So Seagulls have a bad reputation, right. They’re loud, messy, aggressive, always trying to steal your chips. Although to be fair, an aggressive chip acquisition policy is behaviour I can really get behind. Respect.

But the world of Gulls is a big one. There are some 50+ Gulls out there, and today we meet one of the more unique: Sabine’s Gull.

You’re not likely to come across Sabine’s Gull. They breed up in the high artic during the northern summer, before migrating south to escape the harsh winter. They have two wintering grounds, the west coast of southern Africa, and the west coast of South America.

For my money, Sabine’s Gull is one of the most elegant Gulls we have. They have instantly recognisable colourings. When in flight they have a bold tricolour patterning of grey, white and black spread over their wings. This is combined with a pure white dove tail and a coal black hood over their head. Of all the Gulls, Sabine’s is one of the most distinct.

Sabine’s Gull is named after a pair of English naturalists brothers, Joseph and Edward Sabine. Edward was the first European to collect a specimen of the Gull, while on an expedition to find the Northwest Passage with John Ross (who fun fact also has a Gull named after him).

Because these days some people are growing increasingly uncomfortable with how many birds bear the name of Europeans, this Gull is sometimes called the Xeme Gull. However, it seems this word was invented by a different naturalists and apparently has no meaning… We could always call it the Swallow-tailed Gull… if only there wasn’t already a different bird with the exact same name.

Names aside, Sabine’s Gull has a certain gorgeous grace all of its own. Far from the screaming quayside bully we’re used to seeing in our everyday life, Sabine’s Gull makes for a pleasant change. Although to be fair, their call is just as harsh and raspy.

22/10/2023

Photo credit:

1: Alan Tate: https://www.aabirdpix.com/

2/3: Photographer unknown

Bird 322 – Wallcreeper

This week we meet a beautiful bird with a slightly disturbing name: the Wallcreeper.

Why are these birds creeping about on walls? What are they doing, who are they creeping on, seems kind of suspicious. But the Wallcreeper is a highly specialised bird who is a one of a kind.

And when I say they are one of a kind, I mean it. They have no close relatives on the bird family tree. They are native to the mountain regions of Europe and Asia, living at altitudes between 1000 and 3000 metres.

As you can see they have striking plumes. Mostly slate grey, but with a bold flash of crimson and black on their wings. These wings are large for their size and they hold them at a strange angle, which has sometimes led people to liken them to butterflies.

Their slate grey feathers help them to blend in on the cliff faces they call home. So they’re really more of a cliff creeper than a wallcreeper. They have a peculiar foraging technique. They will start at the base of a cliff or rock face and systematically crawl (or creep if you will) up the cliff, using their extra long beak to probe into nooks and crannies, looking for any tasty bugs. When they get to the top of the cliff, they will turn around, dive back to the bottom and start again from a different spot.

During the breeding season, males and females pair up to defend their territory from rival creepers that might want to push into their cliff face. During the winter months they can be a bit more solitary, and if they live in an area that gets heavy snow, they can even be altitudinally migratory. They will descend down the mountain, and its during this time of year that they can be found near human settlements. In France they are known to favour visiting cathedrals during the colder months. They go well with the gargoyles, just another creepy dude adorning the walls.

15/10/2023

Photo credit:

1: Imran Shah: Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

2: Pierre-Marie Epiney: Tichodrome échelette

3: Mladen Vasilev: Wallcreeper with fly

4: Imran Shah: Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) captured at Borit, Gojal, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Bird 321 – Volcano Swiftlet

So last week in a throw away line I said there were birds that live on volcanos. Well, I wasn’t joking, and today we get to meet the Volcano Swiftlet.

On first blush if you take a look at this bird there isn’t a real lot to distinguish them from any other Swift. They’re small, fast, highly agile flyers. They specialise in hunting small insects on the wing, like how most Swifts do. Nothing special.

This Swift is particular is native to the island of Java in Indonesia. But here’s the kicker, these Swifts are rather rare. They only have five known nesting sits, and every one is on the slopes of an active volcano. These little guys like to live on the edge: boiling lake of liquid hot lava, no problem, it’s not that hot, gees.

Like many of its close relatives in the genus Aerodramus (which includes the famous Edible-nest Swiftlet), the Volcano Swiftlet nests in caves and builds its nest out of its own hardened saliva. And I mean, I know property prices are expensive, but kinda glad I don’t have to build a home out of spit.

They are also one of the few birds that are known to use echolocation to help find their way around in the dark. Unlike a lot of bats though, the chirps they use for navigation are in the same frequency that we hear in.

But why volcanos? Why are they such daredevils? I’m not sure, but they do like to live at high elevations, so I suspect, it just so happens that where they live the volcanos are the tallest mountains, so maybe that’s what draws them to the dangerous slopes. Or maybe they’re just really badass, who can say?

08/10/2023

Bird 320 – Cattle Egret

Today I have a bird that no matter where you live in the world, you would have had half a chance to see it. That is unless you live in the frozen tundra, or … maybe like … the inside of a volcano. And you laugh, but there are birds that live inside volcanos, story for another week.

This week, we are meeting one of the most widespread birds in the world: the Cattle Egret.

These elegant white fellows with the long slender necks are member of the Heron family. But they are a little odd. Most Herons wade about in marshlands or along river banks and lakes. But not the Cattle Egret. They rarely get their feet wet. Instead, as the name suggests, they have developed a special relationship with livestock. They like to cruise about in fields, near big grazing animals, staying close so they can snap up any bugs or insects that the bigger beasts disturb.

But maybe the most remarkable thing about the Cattle Egret is not how they live, but where they live. Our little Egret has the rare distinction of being widespread across pretty much every continent (except Antarctica; there are notoriously few cows down there).

Even more interesting is the fact that this is a recent phenomenon. The Egret wasn’t present in the Americas until the 1870s when they flew across the Atlantic Ocean. And they only arrived in Australia for the first time in the 1940s.

In part, their rapid spread around the world has been a consequence of us people. As we have converted more and more land for livestock, we have unwittingly created prime habitat for the Egret. And they have been more than willing to move in.

Usually when we talk about people and the impact we have on the world, it is about how we destroy the environment and drive out the native fauna. And indeed we do. But every now and again there is one animal that we end up helping by accident. The Cattle Egret is one.

A species having a global range is quite rare among birds. In fact, there are only four others who can boast an equally widespread natural range. Who are those four other birds? Well, you will have to listen to our most recent podcast episode to find out more.

01/10/2023

Photo credit:

1: By Pedro Lastra – https://www.flickr.com/photos/…,

2: By Nagarjun – https://www.flickr.com/photos/…,

3: “Cattle Egret Caught in the Rain” by Charles Patrick Ewing

4: “Cattle Egret” by <a href=”http://www.beontheroad.com

” class=”redactor-autoparser-object”>www.beontheroad.com

Bird 319 – Crested Grebe

This week I’ve got one of the super stars of the bird world for you, the Great Crested Grebe. Well may you wonder why these birds have superstar status. Is this something I’ve just made up on the spot? Almost certainly. But not without good cause.

And that is because the Grebe is the star of the synchronised water dance. As part of their mating display two Grebes will approach each other and engage in a series of mirrored head flicks. If all goes well, they will then dive to the bottom of their lake and bring up a clump of weed. Holding it in their beaks, they will then launch their bodies out of the water and do a little tap dance of sorts on the surface. It’s a strange display that is hard to describe, so maybe best for you to watch for yourselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?…

But this is only the beginning of the Great Crested Grebe’s oddness. As you can see, they are water birds, kinda like a duck with a long elegant neck and sharp pointy beak. They hunt fish, propelling themselves with strong webbed feet under the water. And all that is nice and normal, but their webbed feet are weird. Rather than skin connecting all the toes, each toe is separately finned with stiff horny flaps, technically referred to as lobate webbing.

Also Grebes don’t have tails, at least not functional ones. Instead, they have evolved to use their feet as tails for steering, both below the water and in the air. While in flight, their feet stick out behind them prominently and perform the same function that tails do for other birds.

So yes, the Grebe is a bit of a freak. But they do have one cute habit. They ferry their babies around on their back and it is super adorable. Sure they also feed their babies feathers (presumably it helps with their digression, because famously feathers have very little in the way of nutritional value), but no one’s perfect. (They’re kinda perfect!)

Grebes: great crests, but a little freaky!

24/09/2023

Photo credit:

1: “Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus), Parc de Woluwé, Brussels” by Frank.Vassen

2: Flying Grebe by RICHARDP

3: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Bird 318 – Eastern Bluebird

Today we meet one of the United States’ favourite birds. It’s the zippity-do-da bluebird on your shoulder, the Eastern Bluebird. And since Twitter has recently rejected the little blue bird, we need to show it some extra love.

These happy chaps are members of the thrush family, which is the same family that the American Robin belongs to. And indeed they are sometimes referred to as the Blue Robin. Their little red breast helps to create the effect.

Maybe the most interesting thing about the Eastern Bluebird is the way the male attracts his mate. The male will go out scouting, looking for a good place to make a nest. Bluebirds favour a variety of nesting sites. They like to nestle in cavities, like abandoned woodpecker holes, or other such nooks.

When the male has found a good place he will display to the female, attempting to catch her attention and show off the prime piece of real estate he’s uncovered. He even goes so far as to start making the nest. He will ferry bits of building material into the hole, setting up shop, being helpful and handy and the like.

Of course, this is all a ruse. If the female is impressed and decides to mate, that is the male’s cue to leave. He will abandon the half finished nest, leaving the female to do the rest of it herself. She also has sole responsibility of incubating and hatching the eggs. Admittedly, he does turn up when the babies are born and helps to feed them. Probably only because his family has shamed him into pulling his weight.

17/09/2023

Photo credit:

1: “Eastern Bluebird” by AcrylicArtist

2: “Eastern Bluebird” by fishhawk

3: “eastern bluebird couple1” by Patricia Pierce

Bird 317 – Plumbeous Water Redstart

Today I have a bird with one mouthful of a name: the Plumbeous Water Redstart. Woowee, there is a lot to break down in that name, so where should we start?

Let’s start with the water bit.

The Plumbeous Water Redstart is a cute little insect eating bird that lives in Asia. They can be found over a wide swarth of land, anywhere between Afghanistan and South East Asia. However, there are specific environments they favour. They tend to be found at higher elevations, some even live way up in the Himalayan Mountains. But the one thing that they love is water. They tend to live by flowing streams and rivers, where they hunt waterborne insects like mayflies and their larvae.

Now, let’s do the last part of their name: redstart. Well, looking at them you can probably guess what this references, as they have a bright red butt. Although this is only the males, the females have pale white butts. The term ‘start’ though is old timey speak for tail… not something I’ve ever come across, but hey, there you go.

And that just leave the Plumbeous part. If you can cast your mind back to high school chemistry, you might be able to guess what that word means. The old Latin name for lead was plumbum, which is why its atomic symbol is Pb. So it is with our little redstart, the Latin name refers to their lead grey colouration. (Also why plumbers are called plumbers, because the pipes all used to be made out of lead.)

But anyway, that’s an awful lot of words to tell us that this bird is a grey, with a red tail and lives near water. But really, when you consider how darn cute these little guys are none of that seems to matter.

10/09/2023

Photo credit:

1: “Plumbeous Water Redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa)” by gilgit2

2: “Plumbeous water redstart. Spotted near Baijnath temple, Uttarakhand, India.” by _paVan_

3: “Plumbeous Water Redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa)” by gilgit2

4: “Plumbeous water redstart” by T_Monk