ABC of birds - L

[dale]

LANNER FALCON

photo of one in Namibia, by Alastair Rae

The Lanner is a hierofalcon. These are four closely related species of falcon which make up the subgenus Hierofalco:
   ▪   Lanner Falcon, Falco biarmicus
   ▪   Laggar Falcon, Falco jugger
   ▪   Saker Falcon, Falco cherrug
   ▪   Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus

They represent members of their genus which are similar to species like the Peregrine Falcon in outward appearance, but usually with more phaeomelanins which impart reddish or brown colors, and generally more strongly patterned plumage reminiscent of hawks. Their undersides usually have a lengthwise pattern of dark blotches, lines or arrowhead marks. They hunt usually in level flight, more like goshawks than Peregrines with their dive attack or hobbies with their acrobatic pursuits. (wikipedia)

dale

[gayle]

Lilac-breasted Roller

This is another beautiful sub-Saharan bird.  It is about 14 inches tall.  It has an interesting feeding strategy.  It perches high on the outer exposed branches, showing off its brilliant coloration.  Insects think it is a flower and by the time they figure it out, it is too late!

Photograph is a screen capture from safari.tv.

Gayle

[dale]

LYREBIRD

here's Attenborough's piece on the lyrebird: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y
(youtube has a number of parodies of this)

and here's that other wonderful one from a news story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1kl7w3sdDE

A 19th century print by John Gould:

dale

[dale]

Gayle,
 
Looks like you got in there with a paintbrush. 
Why "lilac-breasted"? 

[gayle]

Lesser Scaup

The Lesser Scaup is one of the more common diving ducks with wide distribution.  It does migrate to Central America.  It prefers fresh water.  This is a drake in non-breeding plumage that I found in a pond in the San Francisco Baylands.

Gayle

[gayle]

The predominant color on its breast is lilac!

[dale]

and the Laggar Falcon; as mentioned in the post about the Lanner, a hierofalcon

wikipedia says: It resembles the Lanner Falcon but is darker overall, and has blackish "trousers" (tibiotarsus feathers). Fledglings have an almost entirely dark underside, and first-year subadult birds still retain much dark on the belly.

Here is a link to a nice photo of one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24580998@N08/3644590288/

and this is the shot from Wikipedia:

[Annette]

Lapwing, Northern

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

[MAK]

Loon(Common)

The eerie yodel of the Common Loon is a symbol of the wild North. The territorial call of the male loon can be heard from lakes across Canada to the very northern United States
(Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

[dale]

Quote from: Annette on Today at 10:17:08 AM
Lapwing, Northern

Annette - I was happy to see this lapwing!
I used to see them in Siberia, way out in the steppes - noticed them for their crests!

I did a quick internet search and found a different lapwing, with a nice name, a critically endangered bird: the SOCIABLE LAPWING, also called the sociable plover

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/mar/30/sociable-lapwing-syrian-hunters-endangered
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071020093330.htm

dale

[Donna]

OK, what's more romantic than Lovebirds.

 

They are a social and affectionate small parrot. Eight species are native to the African continent, while the Grey-headed Lovebird is native to Madagascar. Their name stems from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods in which paired birds will spend sitting together. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seed. Black-winged Lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and the Black-collared Lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs, making them problematic to keep in captivity.

Some species are kept as pets, and several color mutations were selectively bred in aviculture. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years. (WIKI)

[Kris G.]

Limpkin: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/341570/limpkin

[dale]

Limpkin!
Kris, I'd never heard that name before, I don't think!
Terrific bird!
wikipedia image:

[Kris G.]

Limpkin!
Kris, I'd never heard that name before, I don't think!
Terrific bird!
wikipedia image:

Here's another site where you can listen to its sound-also called the Crying Bird:

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=BD0131

[Annette]

Lorikeet, Rainbow

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