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tori | she/they | 23 - let's enjoy some birds together :)

[awaiisho]

Taking a break

Hey - been off Tumblr for the last week or so, and that’s helped me decide I wanna stay away for a bit longer. Nothing particular caused it, just the standard New Years’ reorganisation of my time and interests - tho I’m not less interested in birds or anything, let’s be clear.

I’ve been on pretty much every day since I made my current account four years ago on Jan 1st 2017, and had another account for a while before that too, so I think that anniversary is a nice note to step out on. I’m sure I’ll be back eventually. they always are

I wish everyone a great 2021, if that’s not too much to hope for! At least I hope you see some cool birds. That’s more concrete and attainable.

[staudnhuckn]

0 - 1 - 2 Euopean beaver (Castor fiber) sign

Tennengau, Salzburg, Austria

[tiz-aves]

Species | Adélie penguin

The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a penguin, abundant around the entire coast of the Antarctic. They have a few predators, including leopard seals, but also orcas and giant petrels, but the latter two rarely kill adults. Chicks may be preyed upon by South polar skuas and eggs are eaten by kelp gulls and snowy sheathbills.

They themselves feed mainly on small aquatic creatures such as krill, but they won’t hesitate to eat squid or various species of small to medium sized squid. Their diet varies with their geographical locations. Around 200 years ago, adélie penguins experienced a sudden change from a fish-based diet to krill. Although researchers aren’t 100% sure, it is widely believed and accepted that this is most likely due to the decline of the Antarctic fur seals and baleen wales. The reduction of competition made the more available food source easier to exploit.

Photo credits: Mark Carmody

[kleeberkley]

[klemd]

Twitter | Instagram

[staudnhuckn]

Common raven (Corvus corax) on it’s perch

Berchtesgaden National Park, Bavaria, Germany

[tiz-aves]

Species | European roller 

Like kingfishers or bee-eaters, the European roller (Coracias garrulus) is a member of the coraciiformes order. Its range extends to the Middle East, Central Asia and Morocco. They are carnivorous birds and feed on insects, small reptiles, amphibians and rodents. The diet of nestlings predominantly consists of grasshoppers and such. 

Although they used to be a Near threatened species, they have been downgraded in 2015 to the status of least concern. From 1990 to 2000 the European population (which now is at up to 333 000 individuals) declined by 25%, which earned them their previous status. Now they have a somewhat stable total population of possibly 660 000 individuals and a large range. 

If you hate good smells then the following is a fun fact! European roller chicks have a defence mechanism that involves vomiting a foul-smelling orange liquid onto itself, in order to deter predators. A nice side function of the smell is that parents are warned when returning to the nest.

Photo credits: 2mag7

[blogbirdfeather]

Cormorant - Corvo-marinho-de-faces-brancas (Phalacrocorax carbo): landing

Oeiras/Portugal (15/12/2020)

[Nikon D500; AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5,6E PF ED VR; 1/1600s; F6,3; 640 ISO]

[blogbirdfeather]

Turnstone - Rola-do-mar (Arenaria interpres)

Oeiras/Portugal (15/12/2020)

[Nikon D500; AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5,6E PF ED VR; 1/2000s; F8; 400 ISO]

[birdmemorandum]

トラツグミ。 Scaly Thrush.

[tiz-aves]

Species | Eurasian capercaillie

The Eurasian capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) has many names, which include Western capercaillie, heather cock, wood grouse or merely capercaillie. Despite some evidence of population decline, the Eurasian capercaillie continues to be a species of least concern. After all, they have a range of possibly 10 000 000 km² and a population of 2 million individuals in Europe alone.

They’re highly specialised herbivores and feed on a wide variety of foods, including berries, buds, conifer needles and grasses. Chicks are in need of proteins and thus prey mainly on insects, spiders or worms for the first few weeks. 

Although they much prefer the ground as their habitat, Eurasian capercaillies spend much of the winter in trees. There they feed on coniferous needles of spruce, pin and fir as well as buds from beech and rowan. In order to digest a such kind of food, they are in need of grid and therefore they commonly eat stones on purpose.

Photo credits: Kalle Wahlbäck, Gabriel Leboff, Paolo Lombardo, Natalija, Matti Pohjolainen

[tetsuaki-kawazu]

シジュウカラ

[tetsuaki-kawazu]

モズ

[wanderingbirdwatcher]

Common Nighthawk

(Chordeiles minor)

[tiz-aves]

Species | Arctic skua

The arctic skua (Stercocarius parasiticus) is a bird of many names. These names include arctic jaeger, parasitic skua and parasitic jaeger. Sometimes, they’re also called avian pirates, which they have earned themselves through their aggressive nature, as much of the food they eat is stolen from other birds, such as puffins. 

They strike their victim by attacking mid-air, forcing them to drop their food in flight. Sometimes, arctic skuas team up to overwhelm other birds and they are known to be relentless when chasing down their “prey”. This behaviour is called kleptoparasitism. Kleptoparasites are parasites that actively steal the food of another species.

Photo credits: Claudia, Bjarni, Peter Beesley 

[hideki-koga]

トモエガモ（Baikal Teal）

[expressions-of-nature]

Montréal, Quebec, Canada by Akhil Verma