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GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in OpenLab2009.

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Bufflehead

Topic Categories: Image of the Day • Photography
Posted on: April 8, 2008 2:59 PM, by "GrrlScientist"

tags: Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola, birds, Image of the Day

The first in a series by this photographer.

Male Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola.

Image: John del Rio. [larger view].

Find more posts in: Life Science

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Comments

Thanks for choosing my photo Devorah. A little backround on this particular Bufflehead: he lives in the aviary portion of the polar exhibit at the San Diego Zoo along with Longtails, Siberian Red-breasted Geese, Smew and King Eiders. The majority of the birds in this exhibit were raised by a fantastic aviculturist named Arnold Schouten and his wife Debbie in Washington. They are specialists in sea duck species. The Aviculture Society of America just recently had their annual conference (www.asabirds.org) and Mr. Schouten was one of the speakers. The crowd was very pleased to learn what he had to teach about sea ducks.

I am always amazed at the pristine feather condition of waterfowl and especially sea ducks. They do not appear real even when they are only a few feet away. AWESOME!

Posted by: John Del Rio | April 8, 2008 3:54 PM

thank YOU john, for sharing your gorgeous images with my readers! and thanks for the story about the image, too.

Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | April 8, 2008 4:24 PM

John takes some phenomenal photos and am glad that you will be carrying them. Looking forward to seeing more.

Posted by: Nancy Newman | April 8, 2008 5:14 PM

Gorgeous photo! Great job of capturing this bird on digital (I guess I can't say "on film"). I agree that the feathers are so perfect and the colors and iridescence so intense it is as if the beautiful duck is not real - and the amazing thing is that the birds in real life are even more lovely!

Clapping,

Chardyspal

Posted by: Chardyspal | April 8, 2008 9:14 PM

That's very nice!

Posted by: Bob O'H | April 9, 2008 1:16 AM

We have a pair of these visit our small pond on the way to their breeding grounds. They are usually here in late March and sure enough, they showed up to grace us with their presence. It was delightful to see them dive for food and pop up in some other place. Thanks for the photo!

Posted by: G in INdiana | April 9, 2008 12:43 PM

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Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)