Posts Tagged With: birds

Give us a V for Parrot!

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Give us a V for Parrot!

We wanted to meet one of the parrots of Madagascar! We were lucky enough to spot them in the trees on our afternoon trek yesterday! Let’s all get to know this bird together!

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Date: 3/22

Location: Madagascar

Greater Vasa Parrot Fun Facts:

  • Vasa Parrots are dark grey to black in color.
  • Their dark beaks turn bright white during breeding season.

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  • Females are dominate and live with 3 to 8 males. This social set-up is highly unusual in parrots.
  • Vasa parrot eggs only incubate for 18 days. It’s the shortest incubation period for any parrot.
  • They are known to be voracious eaters.
  • Vasa parrots are vocal and intelligent.

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We loved watching this interesting birds! They are not heard of much in the US or in the pet trade. We love to see parrots in the wild!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t Buzz Off Buzzard!

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Don’t Buzz Off Buzzard!

After sleeping in after our last two night adventures, we got up and did a little bird watching! We were happy to find one of Madagascar’s raptors!

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Date: 3/15

Location: Madagascar

Madagascar Fun Facts:

  • Madagascar buzzards are old world buzzards.

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  • They call many parts of the island home, including forests, open forest and rocky hillsides.
  • Some lemurs have alarm calls for the buzzard, so some scientists think they may prey on them.
  • Madagascar buzzards have broad wings for soaring.
  • They have yellow eyes and talons.
  • Madagascar buzzards chicks are born in September and October.

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We had a lovely time watching a few of these buzzards soar in the skies. Raptors will never cease to amaze us!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hornbills

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hornbills

We enjoyed the best day learning more about some super neat birds- the Southern Ground Hornbill. We headed back to camp after getting to know them and then enjoyed a lovely night at base camp listening to the lions roar.

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Date: 2/16

Location: Serengeti

Southern Ground Hornbill Fun Facts:

  • Southern Ground hornbills earned that name, because they spend most of their time on the ground foraging for food.
  • They are the largest of the hornbill family.
  • Females have a blue/black patch on their red throat pouch.
  • Southern Ground hornbills live in small family groups with a dominant pair.
  • The other birds help the dominate pair raise the young.
  • They are famous for their low pitches, haunting call.

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  • Ground hornbills can live up to 50-60 years.
  • They are known to groom warthogs to eat the parasites that live on them.

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We love these vocal birds! They have such personalities! And the best eyelashes to help keep dirt out of their eyes. That is a great adaptation out on the Serengeti plain!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We Found a New Secretary

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

We Found a New Secretary

Today we hung out with one of most favorite birds, the Secretary Bird. We wanted him to come be our new secretary at HQs, alas he decided to stay in the Serengeti- probably a good plan!

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Date: 2/14

Location: Serengeti

Secretary Fun Facts:

  • Secretary birds are diurnal (they’re active during the day) and nests in Acacia trees at night.
  • They have long powerful legs that they use for striking prey.
  • It’s thought that they were named after English secretaries because the crests on their heads look like quills that secretaries used to write with, but it’s now thought that is it comes from an Arabic word meaning “hunter bird”.

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  • Secretary birds walk more than they fly. They can walk up to 15 miles a day in search of food.
  • It is admired in Africa for its hunting skills, especially its ability to kill venomous snakes.
  • It’s even part of the Coat of Arms for South Africa.

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We love these graceful menacing looking birds. You better watch out if you’re a snake in this bird’s path!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pinkies!

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Pinkies!

We’re back- after having an internet issue out here in the Serengeti, we got our signal back. We headed off to meet some bright pink birds! Flamingos are always one of our favorites!

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Date: 2/9

Location: Serengeti

Lesser Flamingo Fun Facts:

  • Lesser flamingos have black edges on their wings.
  • They have deep red bills and crimson legs.
  • Flamingos have no sense of smell.

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  • Lesser flamingos are famous for their group mating dances. These can include a few bird or up to several hundred.
  • Male and females incubate the egg.
  • Lesser flamingos travel around lakes to find food.

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We had fun watching these fabulous flamingos dance around and eat. We love long legged birds and flamingos fit the bill. Hehehe!

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello Birdie!

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Birdie!

After spending the day on the boat whale watching, we decided to chill on the shore and have a picnic while bird watching. We found a group of black birds called pelagic cormorants who were quiet entertaining!

 

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Date:1/23

Location: coast near the kelp forests

Pelagic Cormorant Fun Facts:

  • Male and females look the same.
  • They are not very efficient flyers, due to short wings.
  • Those short wings help with diving for prey.
  • Pelagic cormorants are also clumsy walkers on land.
  • Unlike other water birds, cormorants do not have waterproof feathers. They must dry and preen them on shore.
  • They do not nest in large colonies, but in small groups.

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  • Both male and females help incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.

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We had a lovely afternoon watching the cormorants and the other shore birds. Pelicans are still our favorites with their big beaks. Having a healthy population of shore birds is often an indicator for healthy oceans. But like marine mammals, our shore bird friends suffer from ingesting plastic! So keep up the recycling and throw away that trash!

 

 

Categories: Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bird of the Sea!

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Bird of the Sea!

We spent the day on the cliffs bird watching. So many sea birds to love and learn about. We were especially thrilled to spot some black and white birds, reminiscent of penguins in appearance, but better fliers!

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Date: 1/12

Location: kelp forest coastline

Common Murre Fun Facts:

  • Common murres are not very agile flyers, but are amazing at diving.
  • Common murres use their wings to propel them deep in the water to catch fish.
  • They have been recorded diving at depths of 590 ft.
  • They are related to gulls and terns.

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  • Common murre eggs are pointed on one end. They are also different colors.
  • It is thought the eggs are different colors to help the breeding pairs tell them apart.
  • After mating season, both females and males molt. During the molting season they can not fly.

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We had a great time watching these birds dive and hang out on the rocks. It was a great way to end the week!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, oceans, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Puffins Rock!

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Puffins Rock!

After watching walruses we took a late flight over to Nova Scotia so that we would arrive early in the morning. We were on a mission to to meet the awesome bird the puffin! These sea going birds are one of our favorites! We were excited to see them.

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Date: 12/13

Location: Arctic circle/Nova Scotia

  • The Atlantic Puffin is a highly social bird that lives in large colonies on rocky coasts and islands.
  • They have bright orange beaks that are brighter during mating season. They also have bright orange feet. They’ve been called the “sea parrot” because of their bright coloration.
  • Male and female Atlantic Puffins incubate eggs.
  • Atlantic Puffins spend their winters out in the open ocean.
  • They are excellent swimmers and divers. They can dive up to 200 ft deep.

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  • They can catch several fish at one time.
  • Atlantic Puffins are the Provincial (official) bird of Newfoundland, Canada.
  • Although they look like those flightless birds the penguin, puffins are not related to them.

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Puffins are so gorgeous with their bright colored feet and beaks. These birds are masters at diving like their cousins the flightless penguin, but they do it from high in the sky! We could have watched them all day!

 

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fluffy White Owl

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Fluffy White Owl

We started out our Arctic circle adventure looking for one of its most famous residents. We went out looking for the snowy owl. These large owls are known from the Harry Potter books. They are amazing and so cool to see!

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Date: 12/6

Location: Northern Canada- arctic circle

  • Snowy owls are covered in long white feathers. The feathers cover every part of them including their feet and beak.
  • They are most active at dusk and dawn, but are diurnal (active during the day) during the summer when there is little darkness.

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  • Females are larger than males and have molted or spotted brown colors on their feathers. This helps them blend in with the ground.
  • Snowy owls nest on the ground.
  • They have excellent hearing and eyesight.
  • Snowy owls mate for life and both the male and female take care of the chicks.
  • Snowy owls are ambush predators!

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After watching these amazing predators for several hours, we headed back to our cabin for the rest of the day to warm up. We had to rest up to meet tomorrow’s animal.

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Sooty Sooty

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Sooty Sooty!

We spent our last day in the lovely temperate rainforest meeting the Sooty grouse! These funny birds were so fun and gregarious. We had never met a grouse- so it was exciting to meet this one!

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Date: 11/30

Location: Temperate Rainforest

  • Sooty grouse spend most of their time foraging on the ground.
  • They will eat pine needles in trees during the winter.
  • They are closely related to dusky and blue grouse.
  • Males sing deep loud songs and strut with their tail feathers raised and their neck feathers puffed out!

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  • Females incubate the eggs and raise the chicks, who follow their mother around.
  • Chicks are full grown at 13 weeks.

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We had fun watching these birds walking around and heading up into the trees to eat. We love their funny tail feathers. We think the grouse look like a peacock and a turkey had a baby! They are cute and funny looking at the same time!

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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