Yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
Black-headed yellowbird (Cephaloxanthus cephaloxanthus)
a bird i saw who saw me
Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassinus), family Muscicapidae, order Passeriformes, Sikkim, India
photograph by Paneendra BA
The angles….. just stunning
Eurasian Jay
📸 @adam.cesnak
this northern cardinal has the bright red hues the males of the species are known for, but lacks the signature black ‘mask’. it’s likely that this bird’s unique appearance is due to leucism (a partial lack of melanin) or a similar genetic mutation. leucism is not inherently harmful to birds, but can impact their lives in many ways; melanin strengthens feathers, so some birds with leucism may have more brittle feathers. additionally, some birds may have trouble finding a mate or suffer from increased attention from predators (particularly all-white birds); however, as this cardinal’s differences are fairly minor, he likely goes about life as any other cardinal would.
This is so cool!!
I got curious, since I usually see the term Leucism applied to animals with white coloration. Turns out leucism is an umbrella term covering several types of pigment deficiencies.
So I think this cardinal can be indeed be called “leucistic”, then more specifically “amelanistic”—it’s lacking in black melanin pigments, while the red carotenoid-based pigments remain. (Although the eye is melanated).
I think this exact mutation is what causes the classic Lutino cockatiel.
If anyone has more info/knowledge, please share!
Also this tag made me lol
Pennant-winged Nightjar (Caprimulgus vexillarius), male, family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes, South Africa
photographs by Manfred Suter
“Gray like the color of gunsmoke, eyes that glow like living embers, wings sheathed in silence, and gripping feet tipped with daggers - these are the elements of a nightmare. And if ruffed grouse or snowshoe hares dream, the image of the great northern goshawk haunts their nights just as the living bird haunts them by day.”
- Northern Goshawk, Book of North American Birds
I have come into possession of an ornithology book from the 1930's and they had such a way of describing birds back then, modern publishers of birding booking should take note! Here are some of the bangers.
yes, this book refers to the anhinga as a water-turkey
Science lost a lot when we started pretending to objectivity
I love this with my whole heart. I haven’t seen all these birds, but for the ones I have, the descriptions are spot-on. This is the kind of stuff that you can’t learn from field guides, it’s the hard-won reward of the one who spends long hours observing. There’s nothing like getting to know the personalities of birds- it really is like they’re your neighbors.