before and after you told him he’s pretty
Images
January 16, 2015 – Mitred Parakeet or Mitred Conure (Aratinga mitrata)
Native to Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, these parrots have been introduced to parts of California, Florida, and New York City. Like many parrot species, they eat seeds, nuts, and fruits. Often traveling in small flocks, they gather into larger flocks of hundreds or even thousands when breeding or roosting. There are at least 4 subspecies of Mitred Parakeet, each with slight color variations.
This piece was inspired by Zach, a Mitred Parakeet I visited recently.
October 28, 2016 – Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis)
Requested by: @ryanhodnett
These now extinct birds were one of only two species of North American parrot and were found from the East Coast of the United States to the Great Plains. Their diet consisted of fruit and seeds. Large flocks would often feed on agricultural crops, such as apples and wheat. They were known to have eaten the toxic seeds of cockleburs, which may have made them unpalatable to predators. Not much is known about their nesting habits, but many females seem to have shared one tree cavity nest, each one laying up to two eggs. Many factors contributed to their extinction, including deforestation, being hunted as a crop pest and for their feathers, and the introduction of honey bees, which may have competed with them for nesting sites. The last reported Carolina Parakeet was seen in 1910.
Carolina parakeets went extinct in 1918. I wasn’t sure what you meant by “last reported” (presumably in the wild). It’s always nice to see art of them though.
Thanks for the correction, I definitely could have worded this better and should have had the 1918 date in there. According to the IUCN, the last captive Carolina Parakeet died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918. The last specimens were collected in 1904 and the last wild record was of the subspecies ludoviciana in 1910.
June 8, 2014 – Bourke’s Parrot or Bourke’s Parakeet (Neopsephotus bourkii, formerly Neophema bourkii)
Requested by: cetaa
These small grass parrots are native to Australia. They eat seeds and grasses, which they forage for on the ground. Their pink and brownish colors help them blend into the dirt in their wild habitat. The female incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks, but is fed by the male during this time. These parrots are kept in captivity, where a variety of color mutations have been developed. These include mostly pink or rosy, cinnamon, cream, lutino, and rubino.
Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)
September 1, 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon. Over three billion of these birds once lived in North America, darkening the sky for hours as they passed in huge flocks. Because of their habit of nesting in large colonies and 19th century advances in technology, they were wiped out within a 40 year period. Their incredible abundance led people to believe that no amount of hunting or killing could make much of an impact on their population, until it was too late.
I was always fascinated and saddened by the Passenger Pigeon and its story as a child. I usually don’t draw extinct birds for Bird Studies, but I just had to draw this one.
This site has some more information about them and seems like an interesting project: http://passengerpigeon.org/index.html
Alright, flock! Here’s the doodles I have been doing.
PLEASE CLICK FOR BETTER QUALITY
From left to right:
Willie Wagtail for @naxios10
Quaker Parrot for anonymous
Screaming Conure for @sparklinganxiety
Painted Bunting for @asianchica22
Magpie for @fantastic-mister-bugbug
Golden Conure for @logicallyweird
Goffin Cockatoo for @dallonbeaks
Zebra Finch for @nuclear-gay
Pigeon for @baileythecookie
Two Conures for @oleanderwaspOmg i love them all!! The pidge is so cute!!
Your artwork is amazing and i love it, thank you!
todays bird is: pablo the sun conure!
3 Ways To Bird-Proof Your Windows
My latest article on Hobby Farms
A 2014 article in Science News provided
some disturbing statistics on the relationship our feathered friends
have with windows. While our invasive feline companions lead the way in
wild-bird mortality, killing up to 3.7 billion wild birds annually, windows are not far behind.In the U.S., it is estimated that between 365 million and 988 million
birds a year—mostly migratory songbirds—meet their end by crashing into
a pane of glass. Over half of those deaths occur on the windows of
buildings less than 11 stories high, so it’s not skyscrapers doing the
bulk of the damage. Single-family homes shoulder a sizable portion of
the blame. Fortunately, there are some simple solutions that can help
birds establish a better sense of depth perception in the face of an
otherwise invisible opponent.
today's bird 