ornithology
grrlscientist | May 19, 2010tags: Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 17, 2010tags: Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, photographed Wisconsin. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Bardiac, 15 May 2010 [larger view].
Canon Eos, 70x300 zoom + 2x.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This bird is remarkable among all its family members for one of its special features, can you tell me what that feature is?
The Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, is the smallest North American species of icterid blackbird. Due to their small size and…
grrlscientist | May 16, 2010tags: Augur Buzzard, African Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo rufofuscus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Augur Buzzard, also known as the African Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo rufofuscus, photographed at the Ndutu Safari Lodge, at the south end of the Serengeti ecosystem, just outside Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, ISO 400, 1/250, f/6.3, +2 Exp comp.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 15, 2010tags: Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Bubalornis niger, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Bubalornis niger, photographed at the Ndutu Safari Lodge, at the south end of the Serengeti ecosystem, just outside Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, ISO 640, 1/640 sec, f/6.3, Exp Compenstation at -.3.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 14, 2010tags: Yellow Warbler, Dendroica petechia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Yellow Warbler, Dendroica petechia, photographed at Sabine Woods and Sabine Pass area, Port Arthur, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 28 April 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/160s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 13, 2010tags: Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 12, 2010tags: Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 21 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
For those of you who know exactly what this bird is, I have several questions for you: first, How is this species distinguished from a…
grrlscientist | May 11, 2010tags: Swainson's Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush, Catharus ustulatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Swainson's Thrush, also known as the Olive-backed Thrush, Catharus ustulatus, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 10, 2010tags: Bald Eagle, White-headed Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Bald Eagle, also known as the White-headed Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus photographed in Lyman County, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 17 January 2010 [larger view]. You are encouraged to purchase photographs from this photographer. I am happy to email his contact information to you.
Canon 50D, 400 5.6L lens.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This is an immature Bald Eagle, as you…
grrlscientist | May 9, 2010tags: Brubru, Nilaus afer, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Brubru, Nilaus afer, photographed Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 200-400 VR lens, at 400 mm. ISO 500, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, Exposure compenstation +1.
Okay, this lovely little bird's ID will drive you crazy (although it is possible that either Adrian or Carel might be able to figure it out), so I will be most pleased if you manage to correctly identify this bird's taxonomic family.
Please name at…
grrlscientist | May 8, 2010tags: Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht, photographed Arusha National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/640, Exposure compensation +.7
This African bird has a truly peculiar scientific name (can anyone tell me how it got this weird name?), but if you can't identify the species, you can at least tell me which taxonomic family this bird is placed in.
Please name at least…
grrlscientist | May 7, 2010tags: American Avocet, Blueshank, Recurvirostra americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] American Avocet, also known as the Blueshank, Recurvirostra americana, photographed at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 6 June 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/640s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This bird has a peculiarly-shaped beak.
Can you tell me the technical (…
grrlscientist | May 6, 2010tags: Painted Bunting, Rainbow Bunting, Passerina ciris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Painted Bunting, also known as the Rainbow Bunting, Passerina ciris, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 5, 2010tags: Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, Guiraca cyanea, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Adult female Indigo Bunting, Passerina (Guiraca) cyanea, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/350s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 4, 2010tags: Blue-headed Vireo, Vireo solitarius, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
The Blue-headed Vireo is a common and vocal bird of northeastern forests. Formerly lumped as a "Solitary Vireo" with the more western Plumbeous and Cassin's…
grrlscientist | May 3, 2010tags: Sora, Sora Rail, Sora Crake, Porzana carolina, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Sora, also known as the Sora Rail or sometimes as the Sora Crake, Porzana carolina, photographed at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Can you tell me why this bird's tail is so short?
A short tail is reportedly found in birds that specialize in fast flight, such as loons, ducks, grebes and…
grrlscientist | May 2, 2010tags: Lake Victoria Weaver, Victoria Masked-Weaver, Entebbe Weaver, Gambian Black-headed Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Yellow-collared Weaver, Black-headed Weaver, Ploceus melanocephalus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-headed Weaver, also known by numerous other common names, including the Yellow-collared (or Yellow-backed) Weaver, Gambian Black-headed Weaver, Victoria Masked-weaver, Lake Victoria Weaver, or the Entebbe Weaver, Ploceus melanocephalus, photographed Ndutu Safari Lodge, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen,…
grrlscientist | May 1, 2010tags: Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Chlorophoneus nigrifrons, Telophorus nigrifrons, Laniarius nigrifrons, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, Chlorophoneus (Laniarius) (Telophorus) nigrifrons, photographed in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 12 January 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens, ISO 800, F/5.6, 1/200 sec.
This is a challenging bird to identify, so I am asking you to instead try to identify the taxonomic family.
Please name at…
grrlscientist | May 1, 2010tags: Bird House, humor, funny, satire, fucking hilarious, Robinson's Be Natural, advertizing, television, streaming video
This hilarious video shows up a glimpse of life from a canary's point of view. The skill of the animal trainer is apparent, and I am astonished at the attention to detail in this commercial.
tetrapodzoology | April 30, 2010Can you identify this peculiar odontocete? As always, dead easy. IF you know the answer. Thanks to Markus Bühler for the image.
Oh, and while I'm here...
On a completely different topic... I was once told that numerous birds die while flying close to or over offshore oil platforms [adjacent pic from wikipedia].
Supposedly, the birds are poisoned by the vented gases, and gather in some numbers on the decks. Is this complete nonsense, or might there be some truth to it? Can you provide more information? Having looked - and, believe me, I've spent a lot of time tracking down literature on…