Images

lifewithdeadbirds:

One of the most incredible specimens that we have in our collection of jarred birds is this Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis). “But Kaitie, there are no parakeets anywhere near the Carolinas!” Well, no, voice intruding into my post, there aren’t. At least, there aren’t any parakeets there anymore.

Carolina Parakeets were the only parrot species native to the eastern United States, pressing much farther north than other species. It lived in large flocks that captured the attention of European colonists. Their beautiful red, yellow, and green plumage made them one of the brightest birds in the area, and then, around 1918, they were gone.

A number of things may have added to the extinction of the Carolina Parakeet. Large amounts of deforestation due to increasing agriculture took away a home and a food source for the parrots, and many farmers shot them for eating the seeds and fruits of their crops. The parakeets’ flocking behavior made it very easy for humans to kill large numbers of them at once. Ironically, the Carolina Parakeet was key to controlling an invasive species of cocklebur plants, which became more troublesome to humans after parakeet populations declined. Parakeets were also removed from the wild for use as pets and to be killed for their feathers.

There are only a few hundred specimens of these birds left in institutions world-wide, so getting to see this bird was really an honor. It was a strong reminder of why we need to gain knowledge about natural history and ecology, and our need to use that knowledge to protect our world.

asaxophony:

Carolina Parakeet. Haven’t done a realistic rendering since the end of last semester so eh. Didn’t really use references either which is always a mistake. This one only took my around day, these used to take me about week so some progress that way. Still need to clean it up a bit before I use it but I was tired of working on it. I’ll prolly just stick masks. over it in Indesign. Next are Ivory Billed Woodpecker and a honeycreeper.

currentsinbiology:

All-women ‘army’ protecting rare bird in India

On a cloudy day in July, in a remote village in northeastern India, Charu Das excitedly imitates the awkward movements of a stork with her hands.In a few months, the greater adjutant stork—called hargilla,
which means “swallower of bones” in Sanskrit—will descend on this
hamlet, situated in Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley, to breed in large
numbers.

Thanks to the efforts of the Hargilla Army,
a conservation brigade of 70 local women, the region is now “the
biggest greater adjutant nesting colony in the world,” says Purnima Devi
Barman, a wildlife biologist with Aaranyak, a conservation nonprofit in
Assam.