scoot is mean but oh so photogenic
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@elodieunderglass I made some friends today! I stopped to admire pretty birds, and then a man was putting birds on my head and it all happened very quickly, and at one point I think I was holding, like six? Six pigeons? It was An Experience.
When the moon covers the sun, we have a solar eclipse. What do you call it when birds do that?
Sometimes all of these guys seem a little bland to look at, but once the sunlight hits them right, it exposes the wealth of colours they have.
Stained Glass Bird Suncatchers
See our #Etsy or #Stained Glass tags
#artsypickle ?
Shiro you were a wonderful bird and a fantastic friend. I knew you for the longest time and was so exited when I was offered the chance to own you and your friends. I know you missed your last owner, but you quickly came to love your new home and your new flock.
Shiro came into my life 2 years ago at 12 years old when his old owner had to give him, along with Momo and Pipin, up since her dog kept trying to harm them. His old owner was one of my many band moms and knew that I took in birds and loved and cared for them dearly. She was so heart broken but happy that they were going somewhere safe and with someone who would love them. Shiro and Momo were a heavily bonded pair, I would call them boyfriends, and Pipin was caged with them so and were all very close to each other. Momo would sing for Shiro every morning and preen his head and Pip would hide out with them if he felt scared.
Shiro loved to bother Roosevelt and Sigma whenever they would sing by running up to them and getting in their faces. He would think that if someone is singing it must be directed towards him. Him and Skylar didn’t really get along since he was always flirting with her boyfriend but would share treats with him. Shiro and Candy were good friends and would eat and share perches all the time. Candy didn’t seem to care if Shiro bothered Sigma while he sung and would leave her helpless boyfriend be hide to fight for himself.
Shiro liked to watch me fill food dishes and clean the floor. He was my second nosiest tiel after Candy and just loved to get in my way. He liked asking for scritches and then biting me then asking for more scritches. He liked knocking all of the nutriberries out of the food dishes so they fell between the grate. He also liked to monopolize the foraging box so no one else can use it or he would bother Skylar if she was doing the same. He used to love to look out the window and great me through it when I would come home. Then he would rush to the front of the cage, with everyone else, to say hello and get some love.
He was easy going, a flirt, never bit hard, and was very curious about the world. His favorite foods were oats and herbs but he only really liked the stems. He didn’t really care for my singing or playing but liked my baking and toy making.
Momo still calls and sings for him every morning. Pip seems to be hyper aware now and has been sticking to Momo’s side like gum to the bottom of one’s shoe. Roosey and Sigma haven’t been in the mood to sing and everyone’s mood still seems down. I’m hoping time will help lift everyone’s mood, I’m mostly worried about Pip since he has a history of plucking when he’s stressed.
Shiro, your were one hell of a tiny bird and the biggest flirt I’ve ever seen. You had the best chops and cheeks in the world and were able to carry a tune better than I could. I was happy to have know such an awesome little bird like you and I can’t wait to hear your song again. But until we meet again, fly high tiny friend and say hi to Pearl for me.
My all time favorite animal.
The red-bearded vulture.The bearded vulture, or lammergeier, lives on a steady diet of bones (more specifically the marrow) and dyes its own feathers blood red.
Bearded vultures come in various shades, from pure white to orange-red. Soils stained with iron oxide give the birds their fiery appearance. Lammergeiers apply the dirt with their claws and then preen for about an hour to ensure a bright orange/red glow. They are also attracted to other red things, like leaves and red wood. Captive birds also partake in this behavior, which suggests the activity is instinctual, not learned.
The soil doesn’t have any practical purposes; it certainly doesn’t make for good camouflage (though the birds have no natural predators anyway). Scientists have noticed that the birds’ age and size are directly correlated to the intensity of color. It is theorized that the hue is a status symbol. More soiled feathers indicates that the lammergeier had the time and resources to find an adequate place to bathe; the brightest-colored vultures should have the most territory and knowledge of their surroundings. Interestingly, these baths are done in secret, so most of the information gathered has been through spying on captive birds.
Bearded Vultures are most commonly monogamous, and breed once a year. Sometimes, especially in certain areas of Spain and France, bachelor lammergeiers will join a pre-existing couple to create a polyandrous trio. Females accept secondary mates because it increases the chances of producing offspring and doubles her protection. The birds usually don’t lay more than three eggs, so they can use all the help they can get.
These giant birds can grow up to 4 feet tall. They have a wingspan between 7 and 9 feet and usually weigh around 10 to 15 pounds.
In other words, this bird is awesome and I love it forever.
That is one impressive bird!
Top image courtesy Lyanda Lynn Haupt
When beginning a new writing project, naturalist and author Lyanda Lynn Haupt takes her research seriously. For her new book, Mozart’s Starling, Haupt dutifully traveled to Austria, to see Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthplace and the famed composer’s grave. But then she took one big step further.
Because her book is inspired by the little-known fact that Mozart kept a pet starling, Haupt decided to adopt one of her own. She rescued a 5-day-old nestling, named it Carmen and embarked on an adventure — the likes of which she never could have imagined.
Find her conversation with NPR Music’s Thom Huizenga here.
– Petra
today's bird 