Wild Bird Wednesday 661 - Blue-Headed Quail-Dove

 The Blue-Headed Quail-Dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala) is a bird that is endemic to Cuba.  The fact that it also has the common name of Blue-Headed Partridge-Dove gives you a clue that people have not been all that confident about what sort of bird it is - although there is consensus that it has a blue head!

This bird has a mainly cinnamon-brown body with a bright blue crown, black eye stripe, and a white facial stripe.  This species lives mainly on the forest floor where it feeds on seeds, berries, and snails. 

Some sources suggest "It is generally found in pairs" - but I think there were more than two of these birds around the feeders in Rocio's Gardens - Los Hondones, Cuba.

Some recent taxonomic work has been done on this species,  and the study concludes that 'this dove is not closely related to species in Australia or the Americas. Instead, it stands apart from all known doves and pigeons'.  (The reference to Australia may surprise some people, but in the past it had been suggested that some of the birds features were more similar to some Australian species than to broadly American species)

The study further concludes that “This species is even more evolutionarily distinct than the dodo was". 

 

Remarkable.  (You can read a summary of this research here)

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 660 - Northern Giant-Petrel

The Northern Giant-Petrel (Macronectes halli) is large, thicket set petrel the size of many albatross.  It has a significantly large beak, and a generally threatening kind of look.  If I was a small animal I would not like to meet one on a dark night!

This species occurs through the Southern Ocean, but it does not reach Antartica - hence 'Northern' in its name.  It can be separated from the very similar 'Southern Giant-Petrel (which does reach Antarctica) by the colour of the end of its break.  

The Northern GP has a contrasty reddish tip to the beak - this contrast is not seen in the Southern GP.  As you can imagine, being able to zoom in on pictures taken of the bird in 'real time' helps a great deal with the identification.

As with almost all of my pelagic seabird pictures, these were taken on a trip out from Eaglehawk Neck in Tasmania.

It's an impressive bird.

As ever, to join in with WBW click the link below.  Cheers  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 659- Whitehead

The Whitehead or Pōpokotea (Mohoua albicilla) is a small bird that is endemic to New Zealand.  It is about 15 cm long and weighs in at approximately 18.5to 14.5 g.  It is not hard to see where it got its 'English' common name.

This species has white underparts and head, with a contrasting black bill, eyes and legs and pale brown upper parts. It lives in groups in the high canopy of forests and scrub of the North Island: so I was pleased to see it in lower vegetation on a predator free island near Auckland.

Give how dark it was when I took these pictures - winter, rain, tree canopy overhead - I am pleased with them.

As ever, to join in with WBW click the link below.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 658 - White-Bellied Sea Eagle

The White-Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is a  large diurnal eagle that weighs in at about 2.8 kg.  The White-bellied Sea-Eagle is the second largest raptor found in Australia, they are a common sight in coastal and near coastal areas of Australia, including inland river systems. The largest raptor is the Wedge-Tailed Eagle (Aquila audax).

Males are 66–80 cm long while Females are slightly larger, at 80–90 cm. The wingspan ranges from 1.78 to 2.2 m.

Globally, the White-Bellied Sea Eagle is found from Mumbai eastwards in India,Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in southern Asia, through all of coastal Southeast Asia southern China and also throughout New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago as well as in Australia.

This bird was following our boat back inshore to Eaglehawk Neck in Tasmania after a pelagic birding trip. This bird is one of a pair that is well known in the area, and they often follow commercial fishing boats, fishing charter boat and (as shown here!) returning pelagic seabird trips!

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below.  You will be pleased to know I survived my self inflicted torture of being at work for the last week - but I do need some time in the outdoors to recharge!

Hope all is well.  S

Wild Bird Wednesday 657 - Soft Plumage Petrel

The Soft Plumage Petrel (Pterodroma mollis) is a bird of the Southern Ocean between the east coast of South America and New Zealand.

Like almost all of the pelagic birds I have seen, this one was encountered on a trip out to sea from Southern Tasmania.

The Soft Plumage Petrel is a medium-sized petrel. Its plumage is dark grey and white, and its wings are narrow and with a pointed tail distinct in flight. It has a dark grey head with prominent white feathers on the cheeks and throat.

I have to say that I was a little confused by this individual bird due to the extensive darker plumage around the hood.  However, you can see the pale plumage in some of the pictures, and people that know far more about sea birds than I do have confirmed that this is indeed a Soft Plumage Petrel!

 

I may have made a mistake, as I seem to have volunteered to be back at this work this week!  Wish me luck.

As ever to join in with WBW click the link below.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 656 - Feeder Birds

During my trip to the UK at the start of 2024 I was reminded of just how popular bird feeders are in that country.  In Australia they are much less common - and in some ways the debate about 'are feeders actually a good idea' is still active here.   What ever the truth if the matter in this debate, one thing can be said for sure - that even if I did put out UK style feeders and food, I would not get that many native birds using them.

I visited a number of RSPB reserves on my trip and bird feeders were a regular and popular features.  These pictures are of some of the birds that I saw around the feeders at Titchwell.   I have chosen these as they are species that I used to see on a near daily basis around the house I grew up in.

Female Blackbird

Female Blackbird

Dunnock - or Hedge Sparrow

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Great Tit

Wood Pigeon

Sitting, watching these birds was very nostalgic.  My next trip to the UK should yield some of the visiting spring migrants.  I'll have to brush on my (very rusty) warbler identification skills!

As ever to join in with WBW click on the link below.  SM