Bird beaks come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from the petite to the preposterous. Well, sitting out there on the preposterous end of the spectrum is the Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus). These little guys are shore birds. They spend their days wandering the tidal zone, using their exceptionally long beaks to probeContinue reading “Bird 169 – Long-billed Curlew”
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Bird 168 – Galah
Welcome to a new year with new birds. To kick us off, I thought we’d spend a few weeks introducing you to some fun words unique to the ornithological world. But first, we should meet our bird, the Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla). These little buggers will be a familiar sight to just about every Australian. WithContinue reading “Bird 168 – Galah”
Bird of the Year 2020
So… to state the obvious, it’s kinda been the year from hell. But look on the bright side, it’s also been a year full of birds. Today we’re going to look back on a couple of the real winners from the last 12 months and then crown the Bird of the Year. 2020 started withContinue reading “Bird of the Year 2020”
Bird 167 – White-browed Tit-warbler
It’s the end of the year, so let’s go out with a pretty one. Meet the White-browed Tit-warbler (Leptopoecile sophiae). There ain’t no doubt, this little fellow is a real looker. But what the heck is going on with that name? I’m sure you noticed this bird boasts a lot of colours. We’ve got pinks,Continue reading “Bird 167 – White-browed Tit-warbler”
Bird 166 – Christmas Imperial Pigeon
With the festive season upon us, I wanted to share the most holly-jolly bird I could find. And I think I nailed it: Look at this Pigeon, it’s got it all: jet-black plumes, intense eyes, strangely feathered legs, and a gluttonous desire for berries. I also enjoy the glint in its eye that says, ‘IContinue reading “Bird 166 – Christmas Imperial Pigeon”
Bird 165 – Macaroni Penguin
Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni… What the heck is macaroni in this context? Is he talking about pasta? Is he saying the feather looks like macaroni? And why? Is this a thing? I have so many questions. Well, like all theContinue reading “Bird 165 – Macaroni Penguin”
Bird 164 – Thick-billed Longspur
Today we’re going to meet possibly the dullest birds we’ve ever featured. The Thick-billed Longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii). I know what you’re thinking. This is a Sparrow. Well, you would be wrong, it’s a Thick-billed Longspur. And yes, they’re kinda related, but the Longspur belongs to the family Calcariidae whereas Sparrows belong to the family Passeridae.Continue reading “Bird 164 – Thick-billed Longspur”
On the Naming of Birds
The other day I was perusing the internet, the way one does, and I stumbled on a Twitter flame war centred around a bird. Oh yes, the birding community is nothing if not a passionate bunch. This particular stoush was focused on a little North American bird known as McCown’s Longspur. As you can see,Continue reading “On the Naming of Birds”
Bird 163 – Elf Owl
Here’s a question. How small can an Owl get? If you said, ‘hmmm about the size of an elf’, you would be right. Meet the Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi). Just how wee be this bird? Well, on average they’re about 12cm in length and weigh 42 grams. Similar in size to a Sparrow. Here’s aContinue reading “Bird 163 – Elf Owl”
Bird 162 – Golden Fruit Dove
On the far-flung islands of the Pacific there is a little-known bird that rules over its tropical kingdom: the Golden Fruit Dove (Ptilinpus luteovirens). If ever there was a bird that could be described as a golden glittering god, this is it. They reign over the Fijian fruit trees. Other birds bring them homage ofContinue reading “Bird 162 – Golden Fruit Dove”
Bird of the Week 