Theme of The Week is: Little Raptors

You can submit your photos in either the Trekkie's Forums or in the relevant GBT Flickr Group Discussion . Remember a winner is selected each month end.


Pygmy Falcon by jackie.during, on Flickr

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VOTE FOR THE April 2012 GLOBALBIRDTREKKERS AND GBT FLICKR GROUP THEME OF THE WEEK WINNER! YOU CAN POST YOUR VOTE HERE, OR IN THE GBT FLICKR GROUP DISCUSSION TOPIC.

#1 CHINSPOT BATIS BY DANIE VAN DEN BERGH

#2 BLUE WAXBILL BY RAMKAT/BOSKAT

#3 YOUNG SUPERB FAIRY WREN BY JENNIE

#4 BELTED KINGFISHER BY JAY STOTTS

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CONGRATULATIONS TO ERIC WALKER, THE FEBRUARY 2012 TOTW WINNER!

HUMMINGBIRD BY ERIC WALKER

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SNOWY-BROWED FLYCATHCER BY DANIEL RUYLE

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LARGER VIEW, OR MORE OF DANIEL'S PHOTOS, PLEASE CLICK HERE >

ABOUT THE PHOTO...

Daniel says...

Taken on March 13, 2012 on Angka Nature Trail at the summit of Doi Inthanon, the tallest mountain in Thailand, famous for its variety of birds.
Camera: D700
400mm
ISO 3200
f/4.0
1/320 sec

I caught a glimpse of this bird on my first visit to the trail, but it retreated into the forest before I could get a shot. A couple days later, I returned hoping to see it again. Although I found Green-tailed Sunbirds, Rufous-winged Fulvettas, Chestnut-crowned Laughing Thrushes, White-browed Shortwings, Dark-backed Sibia, Ashy-throated Warblers, etc., I caught no sight of this little flycatcher until I started heading back. I was happy that it didn't flit away so soon this time!

ABOUT THE BIRD SPECIES...

The food of the Snowy-browed Flycatcher consists mainly of small insects, spiders, small earthworms and some berries.  It searches for food at the lower levels of forest edges and clearings, and may run mouse-like over the ground in undergrowth and along fallen branches.  It often flicks its tail and holds its wings slightly drooped but may also sit motionless on a perch for long periods.  Outside the breeding season, this species is usually solitary.  Its quiet song consists of three or four wheezy high-pitched notes, “tsit-sit-si-sii”

The nest is a cup or oval with a side entrance made from moss, fine plant fibres and feathers, and is built by both sexes.  It is usually placed in a hole in a tree trunk or stump, or on the ground in a hollow between tree roots or boulders.  Both sexes incubate the 2 to 4 eggs and feed the young.

Source: Birding in Taiwan

The Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Source: Wikipedia

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Cape Parrot Count 2012

Public Event for BirdLife South Africa · By Martin Taylor

• • May 5 at 7:00am until May 6 at 1:00pm

• Eastern escarpment, South Africa

• Join us in our annual evening and morning Cape Parrot count to help save one of South Africa’s most endangered birds. For more information contact: Contact: Prof Colleen T. Downs School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Tel: 033-2605127/04 (w), 033-3860947 (h), 0829202026 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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 Raptor Quest, March 2012

Some casual birders probably have a romanticised view of birding for a living, in terms of being a birding tour leader anyway. It’s good fun for the most part, but does involve a lot of hard work. Try getting 12 individual birders onto each bird seen, explaining branch-by-branch how to move up the tree to find the bird – after explaining tree-by-tree how to find the right tree, that is. Then do that 990 times in 13 days… After doing birding safari upon birding safari, one doesn’t quite get bored or ‘gat vol’, or fed up, as our wonderful South African saying goes, but it’s still nice to set little challenges to keep things interesting.

On my last safari, from 4^th to 16^th March, I laid down the challenge of seeing more than 32 diurnal raptor species on the safari. This wasn’t an arbitrary figure, as Nic Squires (who was co-leader on this trip with me) and I had seen 32 raptors on a previous safari in March 2008, and in fact on a one-vehicle safari this February, of only seven days’ duration, I managed to see 31 raptors. So 32 seemed to be the figure to beat, and I informed my group of 12 UK birders at the start of the safari of my goal and soon had everyone keenly looking out for raptors.

On day one, on our way from Johannesburg to Dullstroom, we logged number one with a Black-shouldered Kite, a small rodent-hunting raptor common along the N4 Highway, where they hunt in the grassy verges and adjoining fields. Turning off the main road to Dullstroom onto a dirt road for some afternoon birding we saw two other common raptors, Steppe Buzzard and Amur Falcon, both visitors from Europe and Asia, with the Amur being the most abundant raptor of the trip. On day two, which we spent in the beautiful high-altitude grasslands of the Dullstroom region, we logged ten different raptors, including two endemics (Cape Vulture and Jackal Buzzard); the enigmatic Secretarybird; the ubiquitous African Fish Eagle, which has spread thanks to man’s damming of small rivers; Black-chested Snake-Eagle atop a electricity pylon near Tonteldoos; Long-crested Eagle, a hunter of the grassland / plantation edge; and the superb Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk with a fresh kill to finish off the day.

On day three, which took us from the highlands to the montane forest of the escarpment and on to the rocky crags of the Blyde River Canyon, we logged a further three species to take the total to 13, the highlight being a Black Sparrowhawk in flight over the canyon. On day four the list began to grow rapidly as we headed into the superb raptor country of the Kruger National Park. 7 new species were seen, the highlight of which was the Taita Falcon, South Africa’s rarest resident breeding bird. A pair of these bullet-like Falcons nest high above the road on the Abel Erasmus Pass, and on this occasion we got great in-flight views of one of the pair chasing Speckled Pigeons flying to and from their perches high on the iron-oxide stained cliffs. Day five took the list all the way up to 24 with five new species, including Martial Eagle, the Lion of the bird world; a massive ‘flock’ of several hundred eagles (most likely Steppe, Tawny and Lesser-spotted Eagles, though only the latter two were counted) circling over an enormous Red-billed Quealea nesting colony; both normal and melanistic forms of Gabar Goshawk; and Lesser Kestrels hovering over the Mavumbye Plains north-east of Satara Rest Camp. On day six we found all four savannah Vultures (White-backed, Hooded, Lappet-faced and White-headed Vultures) occupying the trees around a kill site, as well as African Hawk-Eagle (the Leopard of the bird world) and a superb male Montagu’s Harrier to take the list to within sight of the 30 species barrier. On day seven we recorded a sub-adult African Goshawk being mobbed by Bulbuls, Starlings and Puffbacks along the Sabie River and we saw the season’s last Yellow-billed Kite as we left Skukuza for Pretoriuskop. The Kite was the only new species for the day, showing the typical ‘decreasing marginal returns’ theory of birding. On day eight we bagged the two raptor specials for the broadleaf savannah around Pretoriuskop – Lizard Buzzard and Dark Chanting Goshawk, to level the score at 32, with five days still in hand. While sorting out luggage and getting settled into our chalets at Maguga Dam, Swaziland, in the late afternoon of day eight we recorded a couple of European Hobbies hawking insects overhead to push us into the lead at 33 species.

Day nine, a travelling day, didn’t bring any new species, while day 10, spent exploring Mkuze Game Reserve in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, delivered one of our ‘big three’ raptors in the form of an African Crowned Eagle in display high overhead. On the other end of the scale we had a brief view of a Little Sparrowhawk late in the afternoon to take us to 35 species, and at a marsh in the back country between Utrecht and Wakkerstroom we recorded African Marsh-Harrier to take us to a final total of 36 diurnal raptor species. Throw in the four Owl species (Pearl-spotted Owlet, African Scops-Owl, Verreaux’s and Spotted Eagle-Owls) and you have a sum total of 40 species of predatory birds seen on one safari!

All in all it was a very rewarding trip, with some superb bird species seen. The highlight for me was a massive flock of several thousand Amur Falcons gathering on the last afternoon of the trip in anticipation of their imminent departure for Asia via the Indian Sub-Continent. By any accounts 36 is a fantastic number of raptors, representing more than 10% of the total number of birds seen on the trip. I’m looking forward to my next late-summer safari to see if 36 can be beaten!

Below is a slideshow of a few of the species seen (though the photographs are from my archives, except the Amur Falcon, which was take in Wakkerstroom on the safari).

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NORTHERN HARRIER BY CINDY HANSEN

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LARGER VIEW, OR MORE OF CINDY'S PHOTOS, PLEASE CLICK HERE >

About the photo...

 Taken 14 March 20102, using a Nikon D90.

A bout the bird species...

The Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) or Northern Harrier (in North America) is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. 

The female gives a whistled piih-eh when receiving food from the male, and her alarm call is chit-it-it-it-it-et-it. The male calls chek-chek-chek, with a more bouncing chuk-uk-uk-uk during his display flight

This medium-sized raptor breeds on moorland, bogs and (in Europe) farmland. The nest is on the ground. 

This is a typical harrier, with long wings held in a shallow V in its low, contour-hugging, flight. Hen Harriers hunt small mammals and birds, surprising them as they drift low over fields and moors. This harrier tend to be a very vocal bird while it glides over its hunting ground

Source: Wikipedia

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NESTING LAYSAN ALBATROSS BY PHILHABER

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LARGER VIEW, OR MORE OF PHIL'S PHOTOS, PLEASE CLICK HERE >

About the photo...

Phil says... " These two were doing something that certainly looked like a dance when I took this photo, involving bobbing up and down and seeming to click their beaks together."

This photo was taken on March 11, 2012 in Princeville, Hawaii, US, using a Nikon D300. 

Exposure: 1/640

Aperture: f/7.1

ISO: 400

Focal Length: 400mm

About the bird species...

The Laysan Albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis, is a large seabird that ranges across the North Pacific.

The Laysan Albatross averages 81 cm (32 in) in length, and has a wingspan of 195–203 cm (77–80 in).

Courtship entails especially elaborate 'dances' that have up to 25 ritualized movements.

The Laysan Albatross is normally a silent bird, but on occasion they may be observed emitting long "moo"-ing sounds, descending whinnies, or rattles.Female Laysan albatrosses bond for life, so they can cooperatively raise their young.

The IUCN has classified the Laysan Albatross as vulnerable due to drastic reductions in populations; however recent studies show that the population may be rebounding.

Source: Wikipedia

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 Protrack Anti Poaching Unit's Abre leant a helping hand, taking a young Wahlberg's Eagle, who seemed to have been poisoned, to the Hoedspruit vet.

Since then it has been determined that it was not poisoned, but perhaps just a very yourng bird who was "struggling to make it in the wild". The raptor has now been transferred to a rehabilitation centre in Hoedspruit and Protrack will keep us updated as they get information on the bird's progress.

Note from Admin: Protrack Anti Poaching Unit is now recruiting:

Hi friends, family and supporters. I would like to put a word out there for those that may be interested or may now some one that is. We will be taking a new intake of guys for the 26th of March 2012 on our training course with guaranteed work after completion. If you have the will, passion and a dream to save our wildlife then contact Zayne Barkas (training, recruitment Manager) at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it office: 015 79 32 585 Cell: 082 388 4105. Europeans with no valid South African ID book may join on our 8 week Volunteer program as well.

click here for more info. on Protrack Anit Poaching Unit

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SAVANNA HAWK BY FELIX.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LARGER VIEW, OR MORE OF FELIX'S PHOTOS, PLEASE CLICK HERE >

About the photo...

This photo was taken on October 22, 2011 in Arauca, Arauca, Colombia, using a Canon PowerShot S95. 

Exposure: 1/1000

ISO: 320

Aperture: f/5.6

About the bird species...

 The Savanna Hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis) is a large raptor found in open savanna and swamp edges.  It breeds from Panama and Trinidad south to Bolivia, Uruguay and central Argentina.

The call is a loud scream keeeeru.

The Savanna Hawk feeds on small mammals, lizards, snakes, crabs and large insects. It usually sits on an open high perch from which it swoops on its prey, but will also hunt on foot, and several birds may gather at grass fires.

Source: Wkipedia

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 BRONZED DRONGO BY SANDEEP

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LARGER IMAGE, OR MORE OF SANDEEP'S PHOTOS, PLEASE CLICK HERE >

About the photo...

 Sandeep says...

The Bronzed Drongo is a small bird belonging to the drongo group. They are resident in the forests of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They capture insects flying in the shade of the forest canopy by making aerial sallies from their perches. They are very similar to the other drongos of the region but are somewhat smaller and compact with differences in the fork depth and the patterns of gloss on their feathers. They are found singly or in a group of two to three and can be very noisy. I was alerted to the presence of this bird by its cries. The photo was clicked from the bedroom window.

This photo was taken on February 23, 2012 in Kannur, Kerala, IN, using a Canon EOS 550D.

About the bird species...

The Bronzed Drongo (Dicrurus aeneus) is a small Indomalayan bird belonging to the drongo group. They are resident in the forests of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They capture insects flying in the shade of the forest canopy by making aerial sallies from their perches.

They are found singly or in a group of two to three. They actively forage for insects under the forest canopy by making aerial sallies, often returning to their favourite perches. They sometimes join mixed-species foraging flocks.

Source: Wikipedia

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AFRICAN SCOPS-OWL BY LEON MARAIS

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF LEON'S PHOTO'S PLEASE CLICK HERE >

OR HAVE A LOOK AT LAWSON'S SAFARIS WEBSITE

About the photo...

Leon says...

One of the most photographed owls in the country: African Scops-Owl, Satara Rest Camp.

Basics are Canon 5D Mk1, Ef 35 - 350 mm lens, Satara Rest Camp.

Exposure: 1/90

ISO: 800

Focal length: 350mm

Aperture; f/8.0

About the bird species...

African Scops-Owl (Otus senegalensis)  is a slender little  "eared" owl with two forms, grey or rufous-grey all over. It is endemic to South Africa.

African Scops-Owl lives in well-wooded savannahs, sometimes in mangroves and gardens.

It hunts primarily on small animals, diving from a low perch and pick up off the ground and is a nocturnal species.

Source: http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-african-scops-owl.html

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PEREGRINE FALCON BY JOSE IVAN CANO MARIN

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LARGER VIEW, OR MORE OF JOSE'S PHOTOS, PLEASE CLICK HERE >

About the photo...

Jose says...

The fastest bird in the world, stops to look at me...

The day began slowly; the air is cold in the city where I live now... Manizales (Caldas, Colombia) is located at 2200 meters, and is the the annual meeting place with the farmers who live in the mountains of Los Andes, who as per usual, are brought into town for a little vacation provided by the management of the Foundation on ECOANDES. This year we once again need to thank the Special Unit of Colombia's National Parks for their support, and especially, Mountain Hostels Manizales for all the logistical support in continuing building this dream. To see the photo album of this activity, visit this link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.298716420151688.68640.115134461843219&type=3

That morning, after sharing with the farmers some best practices knowledge regarding the environment, we went on a tour of the city, guided by the Tourism Police Manizales, which took us to "climb" the icon structure in the city: The Cathedral. As we climbed over 1000 steps, Camilo, one of the people who helped us with logistics, appeared at one of the small windows in the main tower and told me about the presence of a bird, which apparently was not one of the usual dove’s. When, with some scepticism, I looked out the window, I saw that a beautiful bird was perched on the head of an angel. First, I spoke with the bird (mentally and in indescribable language),  asking permission to take its photographs; I thought it seemed to agree, and that's when I started taking the shots. I drew the attention of the bird with the sensual sound of Canon EOS T2i (the bird and I share a fascination with this particular sound of the EOS); I shot it from every angle, but I chose this photograph because it was taken with the farmers present as I was sharing with them the importance of this bird ... apparently, the bird said "yes, that be wonderful ... I’m the fastest animal in the world, and like you, today I stop to look at them, and contemplate."

About the photo:
06/12/2011, 03:53pm
ISO 3200
250 mm
f/6,3
1/320 seg.

About the bird:
The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a species of bird falconiforme Falconidae family. Its body length varies between 34 and 58 cm, and its wingspan is 80 to 120 cm, the back is bluish-gray and whitish underside with dark spots, the head is black and has a wide and distinctive mustache also black color. It can fly at a speed of 100 km / h, but when making an attack hunting dive, can reach over 300 km / h, making it the fastest animal in the world.

More information about this bird: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/106003622/0

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Photo Contest #36

Theme: Seabirds

First place is a awarded to Sean Browne with 21 points!

Jay Stotts comes in second place with a total of 12 points!

Congratulations to Sean and Jay!

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