705 - Wild Bird Wednesday - White-Breasted Nuthatch

Before I went to Cuba I spent a wonderful time in Canada, hosted by David from Travels with Birds.  

One of the birds I was looking forward to seeing in Canada was the White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis).  As a kid in the UK seeing the European Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) was always a source of excitement.  I believe this species has expanded its range in the UK in recent years and is now more 'visible' than in the past - but we have no nuthatches in Australia so I was keen to catch up with one.

The White-Breasted Nuthatch is the  largest nuthatch in North America.  This species is found in much of southern Canada, most of the United States and areas of Mexico. This species shows a good deal of variation over its range and it has been suggested that it is in fact not a single species, but four separate species.  At present this suggestion has not been accepted by the taxonomic powers that be.

As you can see from these pictures this is a species that will readily come to bird tables and feeding stations - so maybe this weeks WBW should really be called Partially Wild Bird Wednesday!

We are experiencing some terribly hot weather here, so I is very nice to see some pictures from a much cooler time and place!

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

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Wild Bird Wednesday 704 - Turkey Vulture

I spent last week with my family on a four day bush walk in Tasmania, so WBW this week comes from the archives!

In late 2023 I was fortunate enough to visit Cuba with David from Travels with Birds. And what a great trip it was!

One of the birds we saw pretty much every day was the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura).  This is  the most widespread of the New World vultures being found from Southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America.  Although it probably won't win any beauty contests (and neither will I) it's an impressive bird.

Like most other vultures, the Turkey Vulture lacks a syrinx - the part of the 'throat' that birds use to make complex sounds- , so it can only utter hisses and grunts.

The Turkey Vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion, and can often be seen feeding on road kill. It is a large bird, with a wingspan of 160–183 cm, a length of 62–81 cm , and weight of 0.8 to 2.41 kg. The Turkey Vulture is gregarious and roosts in large community groups, breaking away to forage independently during the day. 

They may not be good looking, but they are rather wonderfully well adapted. 

The next two pictures show a Turkey Vulture standing with their wings fully outstretched. This behaviour is known as the "horaltic pose" or "sunning". This behaviour is important for thermoregulation, hygiene, and feather maintenance.  The Sun's UV rays help kill bacteria and parasites (like feather lice and mites) that accumulate in their feathers, as well as drying out bacteria that may have been transferred to the bird's feather from from decaying meat.  This pose is a great example of a behavioural adaptation. 

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

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Wild Bird Wednesday 703 - Brown Falcon

The Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) is a relatively large falcon native to Australia and New Guinea.  There are about 40 other species in the genus Falco - including Peregrines, Hobbies and Kestrels.

The Brown Falcons upper-parts are generally dark brown and the underparts are pale buff or cream, although there is considerable variation in their plumage colour. One field guide I have describes them as a ''rather scruffy, loose plumages falcon'. The sides of the head are brown with a distinctive dark tear-stripe below the eye.

This species occurs over all of Australia, and there is a sub-species that occurs in New Guinea.

These pictures were taken on two contrasting days of weather - one grey, but dry, and the other wet with some sunshine.  I'll leave it to you to work out which is which.

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the blue button below.  Cheers  SM 

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Wild Bird Wednesday 702 - Red-kneed Dotterel

The Red-Kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus) is a small colourful, plump wader with relatively long legs. Technically it does not really have red knees, as the part of the leg that is red is actually its ankle (anatomically). 

This bird is the only species in the genus Erythrogonys and basically you have to come to Australia to see one.  There are records from New Zealand and PNG, but it's probably best to consider this bird an Australian Endemic.

This bird was feeding at Werribee, and I thought it had caught a worm of some form.  But on closer inspection of the pictures I think it was a piece of vegetation that it picked up and then rejected.

There is little doubt that this is an attractive, and distinctive species. 

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

Cheers - SM

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