#ornithology
Tumblr posts tagged #ornithology from across Tumblr — no login required.
ALT the yellow-mantled widowbird, a bird in the weaver family which lives in an assortment of open-sky habitats in much of subSaharan Africa. their scattered populations all occur south of the Sahara and north of the Kalahari, sandwiched between the two. beyond their dislike for closed canopies, they generally prefer damp grasslands affected by seasonal flooding. this sometimes lands them in rice fields. their slight dimorphism outside the breeding season becomes orders of magnitude stronger during the breeding season, where males molt into glossy black coats and much longer tails. i suspect the tails not only serve as an indicator of an individual’s health - only a well-fed bird could grow so much damn feather! - but also come in handy for keeping one’s balance when perched on swaying grass stalks, the height being to further project a song. for the rest of the year, males keep only their eponymous yellow mantle. this mantle, in fact, varies in appearance by region, unsurprisingly for a bird with such an extensive range. the males that reside in the higher-elevated parts of Uganda and Ethiopia only bear yellow on their shoulders, the complete “mantle” being absent. males elsewhere have yellow on both their shoulders and their backs. ALT ALT they roam seasonally to follow rainfall, travelling in flocks which roost together en masse at night. their diet is mainly composed of grass seeds, but they also sometimes feed on arthropods. termites especially are a favorite - when winged termite alates depart from their birth colony to start their own, they are eagerly caught out of the air. 16 June 2026 ALT ALT
ALT the remarkably ornate speckled tanager. several populations exist, scattered between the mountains of northern South America. a forest dweller, visiting forest edges and deeper portions alike. rarely found alone, usually in the company of at least one same-species bird, and at most, they join large flocks composed of many different other types of tanager! ALT ALT these critters don’t have any super significant level of sexual dimorphism - i’m wondering if this is a trait common among birds which don’t migrate - or maybe those which live in the tropics - or maybe both. in any case, i’m sure these hyperdiverse equatorial rainforests have no shortage of pigmented foods which the resident birds can exploit. ALT their diet is mainly composed of fruit, and they’re often seen visiting fruit feeders meant to attract frugivorous birds. they also eat arthropods, mainly plucked from the sides of trees they were already visiting. certainly not picky about forests at all, being a resident of both old- and new-growth woodlands, at high elevations and low. they’ll also check out plantations and rural gardens. 11 June 2026 ALT
ALT this is the Esmeraldas antbird. its range is along the west slope of the Andes, specifically in western Colombia and Ecuador. this critter lives low to the ground in damp, shady canyons. it bears a suble but recognizable sexual dimorphism - females have rust-tinted bodies and slightly spotted throats, whereas males are all slate-grey. they’re otherwise highly similar, including their striking red eyes. hence, i find it amusing that this bird of all dimorphic neotropical birds was once confused as two different species. granted, they’re rather secretive, but come ON, seriously?? ALT ALT they overall tend towards the antisocial end of bird behavior, usually living alone or sometimes in pairs. as their name and hook-tipped beak might suggest, they’re almost exclusive insectivores. their name specifically comes from a behavior shared amongst many species in its family, that of following army ants as they move along the forest floor. army ants never build permanent nests, instead travelling in “swarms”, hunting and foraging as they go. such a mass of highly aggressive animals predictably causes animals small enough to be threatened by them to flee from cover in an attempt to escape their path - insects that do, however, are often caught by antbirds, which follow the swarm for these easy meals. 15 June 2026 ALT ALT
if u were wanting a bird to draw may i please ask for the not-so-humble Red Wattlebird .....
I hadn’t heard of this guy before this suggestion, but what a dinosaur of a guy!! I love him! wasn’t able to fit it on the graphic but these guys live mostly in woodlands and forests of Southern Australia! As always this is also on my birds blog @mossandmagpies :)
ALT Finding out that Blue Grosbeaks ( Passerina caerulea ) are technically in the cardinal family fundamentally changed how I look at them. They are essentially shiny, cobalt-blue cardinals! 😭💙🌻 I saw this stunning reference photo by Kathy Gonder Photography and I had to paint him. I had fun dappling all those rich, textured layers of deep blues and bright cinnamon wing patches against the warm, golden sunflower background. ALT ALT
today was awesome. i got to pet a bunch of stray kitties and some local’s dogs and then i got to go to a bird refuge and see a bunch of cool birds up close. oh and i bought an albatross pin and tonight i might go see some albatross nests nearby bc the dude checking us out was super cool and told us some nearby spots. god i love being a bird nerd this is awesome
Why are baby birds so suicidal. They barely have feathers and they jump from the fucking roof like 15 meters down in my stables 😭 This guy is the 6th I’ve found so far this year and the only one I’ve found alive and with a decent amount of feathers. All the others were all pink and dead when I found them. I think they died from overheating since their nests are right under the metal sheet roof and the parents threw the bodies out of the nest. Last year I found two like this little one but they got caught by a neighbour’s cat when I was feeding the horses. There are no wildlife centres around me and the vets don’t take them so I guess I’m stuck babysitting again. Anyone has any tips on bird care ? I’ve got a cat and a dog inside so I don’t think it’s safe to bring him in.
ALT third consecutive lower African bird - we’ve got a streak going! the Herero chat of western Namibia and a tiny bit of southwestern Angola. its name comes from the Ovaherero, a people from southwestern Africa; they’re traditionally pastoralists, with cattle as their primary and most valued herd animal. the Herero chat’s range is far more restricted than the people it’s named for. they solely live in areas with scattered trees near rock outcroppings or escarpments, which usually lands them near streams or rivers. their range is primarily dominated by arid savannah, the more open areas of which they avoid. ALT ALT primarily insectivorous, roving across the ground in search of food; it hunts in shrubbery and around the bases of trees, sometimes digging for termites, ants, grubs, and/or other ground-living insects. it also eats seeds and berries. berries especially are an easy food source during nesting, being a common staple among expecting parents. both parents contribute childcare, and newly fledged chicks follow their parents on foraging outings. they seem to live in pairs or small groups even outside of their nesting season, which i suppose is a given with how particular their habitat preferences are. i suppose fighting over turf isn’t a particularly valuable use of time for anyone involved. 10 June 2026 ALT ALT
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