the ABCs of birds - letter B

[dale]

I wish I had seen all this in the feather, but here it is anyway...

BOAT-BILLED HERON

from wikipedia: 
Cochlearius cochlearius, - colloquially known as the BOATBILL - is an atypical member of the heron family, and was formerly thought to be in a monotypic family, Cochlearidae. It lives in mangrove swamps from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil. It is a nocturnal bird, and breeds semi-colonially in mangrove trees, laying 2-4 bluish white eggs in a twig nest….This species feeds on fish,mice,water snakes,eggs, crustaceans, insects and small amphibians. Its calls include a deep croak and a high-pitched pee-pee-pee.

speaking of which, gotta love the "song" - a least its momma probably does…

 http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/BHRXQZEQFL/10a2.mp3

[Annette]

Bateleur - a bird of prey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bateleur

[Donna]

B is for Barn Owl

Molly's babies


The Barn Owl is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica, and on many oceanic islands as well. It has been introduced by people to some of the few places it did not already occur, namely Hawaii, the Seychelles Islands, and Lord Howe Island.

[MAK]

Blue-faced Booby
They have long pointed bills,webbed feet,and pointed wings for plunge diving from great heights into the ocean for fish.They nest on steep sea cliffs and rocky islands, and sometimes in trees.

[schlaf374]

  B is for Bobolink


A distinctive bird of open grasslands, the Bobolink is the only American bird that is black underneath and white on the back. This coloring makes the male stand out while he is performing his displays. After breeding he changes into a drab, camouflaged plumage to spend the rest of the year.

[anneintoronto]

B is for Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small icterid blackbird that averages 18 cm long and weighs 34 g. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore. At one time, this species and the Bullock's Oriole, Icterus bullockii, were considered to be a single species, the Northern Oriole.

[The Baltimore Orioles, a Major League Baseball team in Baltimore, Maryland, were named after this bird. It is also the state bird of Maryland.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Oriole

Anne in Toronto

[gayle]

Boobies

I have long been interested in the reproductive strategies employed by various species to maximize their odds for survival.  Boobies lay two eggs.  The strongest chick, usually the oldest,  gets more food, becomes even stronger, and ultimately commits fratricide by kicking the weaker out of the nest.

Blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos.

Boobie with egg.

Boobie with chick.

Boobies being eyed by a marine iguana.

Blue-footed boobie portrait.

Gayle

[gayle]

More boobies from the Galapagos.

Red-footed boobie.

Masked boobie.

Gayle

[gayle]

Black-legged kittiwake

The black legged kittiwake is a small to medium sized gull common on the northern Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America.  It breeds on cliffs and is pelagic in winter.

ID photograph from Cornell Lab.

Kittiwakes resting on ice berg off Labrador.

Gayle

Addendemum

The black-legged kittiwake is the predominent gull in many parts of Alaska.  They hang out at the mouths of glaciers.  When an iceberg calves, it stirs up the water and brings prey to the surface.

[gayle]

Brown Pelican

When I first moved to California in the 60s, there was not a pelican to be seen.  They had been as decimated as their Louisana relatives.  I first saw them in a small rookery on an island off Baja.  The population rebounded but now faces new threats.

Brown pelican in the Galapagos.

Many pelicans on the roof of a fish packing plant, Bahai Magdelena, Baja.

Gayle

[dale]

I was going to comment on what good birds people were choosing - and then I realized I would be hard put to name a "bad" bird.
Well, except for when my parrots would chew up books.
And the robin that sings in my tree all night all spring and summer.

[Aafke]

B is for Brambling
It was a big surprise to see this Brambling at my feeder during a snowstorm in February 2009
It was the first and last time that I saw a Brambling.

The Brambling is similar in size and shape to a Chaffinch

Movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r09iNqSV28

greetings Aafke

[Donna]

B is for Brambling
It was a big surprise to see this Brambling at my feeder during a snowstorm in February 2009
It was the first and last time that I saw a Brambling.

The Brambling is similar in size and shape to a Chaffinch

Movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r09iNqSV28

greetings Aafke

I'm lovin the snow...can't wait!

[Patti from Kentucky]

Hey guys,
we seem to have gotten a day ahead of Aafke's proposed schedule, in which she suggested two days per letter.  Is the consensus that one day is enough...or should we try to get back to her schedule?  Here was Aafke's schedule:

For Monday, November first and Tuesday, November second we have the letter A
For Wednesday, November third and Thursday, November fourth , we have the letter B
For Friday and Saturday, November 5 and 6, we have the letter C
For Sunday and Monday, November 7 and 8, we have the letter D.

[Donna]

Hey guys,
we seem to have gotten a day ahead of Aafke's proposed schedule, in which she suggested two days per letter.  Is the consensus that one day is enough...or should we try to get back to her schedule?  Here was Aafke's schedule:

For Monday, November first and Tuesday, November second we have the letter A
For Wednesday, November third and Thursday, November fourth , we have the letter B
For Friday and Saturday, November 5 and 6, we have the letter C
For Sunday and Monday, November 7 and 8, we have the letter D.

Well, I never did follow directions very well. I just follow!