Friday, January 27, 2012

Cocatoo

A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes. Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of parrots are unresolved

African Crowned Crane bird

The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats.

Cardinal

The northern cardinal is so well loved that it has been named the official bird of no fewer than seven U.S. states. Bright red cardinals are easily identified by even casual bird watchers, and are often seen frequenting backyards and bird feeders. When foraging elsewhere the birds eat insects, seeds, grain, fruit, and sap.
Cardinals are active songbirds and sing a variety of different melodies.
Males can be aggressive when defending their territory, and they frequently attack other males who intrude. This tendency sometimes leads cardinals to fly into glass windows, when they charge an "intruding bird" that is really their own reflection.
Cardinals are fairly social and join in flocks that may even include birds of other species. During mating season, however, groups dissolve into pairs. Male birds feed their monogamous partners as they incubate clutches of eggs—typically three per season.

Goldeneye

The common goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck found in in the lakes and rivers of boreal forests across Canada and the northern United States, Scandinavia and northern Russia. This one was photographed in Finland.

Mandarin Drake


Zebra-Winged Butterfly

The petals of a white flower set off the white stripes of this zebra-winged butterfly at a children’s zoo in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Male Blue Morpho Butterfly

A male blue morpho butterfly’s wings shine iridescently in this mounted specimen.