One of the more common large birds you may see overhead throughout North America is the turkey vulture, especially in the spring as they migrate in large numbers northward. One of their features to help identify them when they are in flight, even if they are at a great distance away, is their flight style….
While out hiking in a field, you spot a little american kestrel in a telephone wire. Its back is to you and you notice an interesting pattern on the back of its head, which appears to resemble eyes. These feather patterns aren’t eyes though, they are called ocelli, or false eye spots. This adaptation can…
Birds of prey have excellent vision, they need it to be able to see prey from perched in a tree or soaring high above the ground. Though, something can get in the way of their vision, making it difficult to clearly see, especially when out in the open, and that is the sun. Many times…
If you look at the bills of some duck species, you may see it lined with fine comb-like structures. These little projections are called lamellae and are made of keratin. These slightly flexible structures are used to filter and strain food from mud or water. These structures will be seen mostly in dabbling ducks along…
The tomial tooth, or the mandibular tomia, is not really a tooth at all, but a projection that can be seen in the outer edge on beaks of falcons, kites, and shrikes. This “tooth” also corresponds with a divot on the lower bill, called the mandibular notch; these together act like a pair of scissors…
In the bird world, if you say ear tufts, you would probably instantly think of the ear tufts on owls. This feature is found on many owl species, about 50 of the 200 plus owl species have ear tufts, seemingly mostly occurring in nocturnal, forest dwelling species. But there are many other species that possess…
If you asked someone what their favorite bird species is, many will respond with some species of owl. What’s not to like? They are a beautiful group of birds, full of mystery and not as often seen as other birds who are active during the day. When you see one, it tends to be the…
On August 30th 2020, a steller’s sea eagle was seen at Denali National Park in Alaska. This was not the first time this species has been seen in this state, but it was unusual in the fact that this individual was seen so far inland. Afterwards, on March 10, 2021, it was then spotted at…
As an artist and lifelong birder, its always been in my head to do a huge art project revolving around birds. The idea that most stuck out to me was drawing all the birds of North America. But just drawing all those species just didn’t seem like enough, even though drawing all those species in…
Kori Bustard (Ardeodis kori) This large bodied bird is native to the deserts and savannas of southern Africa. Standing at a height of about three feet and males weighing up to 40 pounds, they are the heaviest flying bird on earth. The kori bustard is a cryptically colored ground bird consisting mostly of browns and…