#contact call

[ornithological]

took an absolutely ass photo of a herring gull and i'm crying over the inaturalist suggestions

[flock-talk]

Not dumb at all! It’s a mix of body language, context, and vocal tone! @rorindiel

In that video the scream is a consistent pattern of slow spaced out repetitive screams. It’s a little hard to see in that clip but Newts side to side swaying/ jolty motion is a behaviour for being excited, both birds are thin but not outright skinnied out, and they bounce back and forth on where they’re looking.

If they were screaming out of fear we’d see super thin body language, the wings usually look like they’re being held away from the body a bit, as well as them fixating on the particular thing that’s triggering them and the scream is typically a very loud repetitive screech that runs in super quick succession. In most cases this is followed by flying away at high speeds but not always.

Then you’d have contact call screams which are typically one or two short shouts where the other bird responds with virtually the same sound. With these body language can vary but it’s usually decently relaxed (unless the bird is anxious and panicked trying to find its friend). Newt is nice and fluffed up and looking around but not overly worried.

Of course different species have different calls but that’s some bare bones stuff to consider!

[ornithological]

was looking up stuff about hawfinches and turns out they are WAY bigger than i expected what the fuck

(photo source)

[ornithological]

i forgot i made this but i am extra feeling it today <3

[ornithological]

got a storm petrel book for my bday and this pic is killing me

[ornithological]

some people in the notes of the sparrow poll are annoying and saying stuff like "why are you voting for an invasive species!!!", as if every voter is an american lol

anyways i love house sparrows and i love living in their native range!! they often hang out in my garden hedge and their chirps are very nice to listen to. unfortunately they are an amber-listed breeding bird in ireland :( sending good luck to my local sparrows

photo source

[ornithological]

my brain invented a new type of duck in my dream the other night: colouration like a female mallard but with pale "frosting" on the head. knobby bill like a velvet scoter. stiff tail feathers like a ruddy duck and also 1 long tail feather like a pintail/long-tailed duck??? here's my artist's impression