the lesser prairie chicken is, despite its name, a member of the grouse family that is native to north america. it lives in a fraction of its former range, impacted by habitat loss, hunting, and climate change.
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Tag: birding
bird of the day: tufted coquette
the tufted coquette is a small hummingbird native to parts of south america.
the male tufted coquette is easily recognizable by its orange crest and plumes from the face and neck.
females have similar coloration, but do not have the plumes or crest of the male.
like other hummingbirds, tufted coquettes mainly feed off of nectar, as well as some small insects.
the tufted coquette is currently rated as least concern by the iucn.
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This picture has three species of Ibis in it! From left to right we have the Scarlet Ibis, the Hadada Ibis, and a Madagascar Crested Ibis!
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today’s birds are: these ibises!
a short eared owl tilting its head to look behind itself. owls can turn their heads almost 270 degrees. they are one of the few birds with both eyes facing forward, and they have a limited range of vision, so their ability to twist and turn their heads in bizarre ways compensates for their limitations.
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the palm-nut vulture is a bird of prey native to africa. these unusual vultures are the only member of their genus, and have strange diet habits for vultures – over 60% of the adult’s diet consists of palm fruit. they are also the smallest old world vulture, and don’t have a completely naked head like most vultures.
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american goldfinches primarily feed off of seeds from flower heads, with some preferred foods being thistle and sunflowers. their diet has an incredibly high percentage of seeds, though it is supplemented by fruits, berries, and insects.
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both male and female eastern bluebirds are devoted parents that take turns caring for their young. eastern bluebirds typically raise at least two broods per breeding season, and on occasion older siblings assist in the feeding and raising of younger nestlings.
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belted kingfishers are the only member of the kingfisher family native to large parts of north america.
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a side by side comparison of a male and female american goldfinch. the species is sexually dimorphic, but when the males are in their muted olive colored winter plumage it can be harder to differentiate between them.
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a palm nut vulture, native to africa, in flight. palm nut vultures, unlike other vultures, eat little carrion, preferring palm nuts, crustaceans, fish and eggs.
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today's bird 