crow feathers

Rough-legged Hawk II

Rough-legged Hawk I

Swainson’s Hawk II

Swainson’s Hawk I

Let the raptor spam commence! 　

Northern Pintails (by wild prairie man)

(via magicalnaturereblogs)

verybluebird:

The Fairy Stretching ( by verybluebird )

Prothonotary Warbler, stretching on the boardwalk at Magee Marsh Ohio.

Turkey vultures urinate (not poop) on their legs for evaporative cooling, this is called urohydrosis. 

This made me laugh…one of my favorite birds.  Not to mention their effortless soaring or their amazing olfaction. 

(via ellapantheraleo)

Photos from bird banding last week. Top to bottom: male SY blackburnian warbler, male ASY black-throated green warbler, and AHY Northern waterthrush.  Cool birds!

earthandscience:

30 years ago, efforts began to save the California condor, an iconic species on the brink of extinction. Since then, a lot of progress has been made, and the last count revealed 405 known California condors. The population is split between 179 individuals living in zoos, and 226 living in the wild. But while the progress that has been made so far is encouraging, it’s too early to say that the California condor has been saved.

Key among issues are lead poisoning caused by condors eating animals, or gut piles from animals, shot with lead ammunition.

(via California Condor Population Rebounds to 405 After Near Extinction : TreeHugger)

rhamphotheca:

dendroica: Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensyvanica)

(photo by polarlow on Flickr)

Malachite Kingfisher, Alcedo cristata

Western Tanager by USFWS Pacific Southwest Region @ Flickr CC.

A Serpent Eagle takes flight in the Mayong Reserve, India