Legs eleven? No, just nine for the mother bird keeping her little chicks warm

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Birds of a feather: The piping plover parent provides warmth for its four chicks


Are you pulling my leg? This bird got a photographer twitching with excitement when it went for a walk on the beach.

At one point, the piping plover looked like it had a staggering nine legs as it took its four newborn chicks under its wing to keep them warm.

It would have 'had' ten limbs but one was obscured by the others.

The chicks are able to walk and feed themselves within a few hours of hatching but they have to huddle together for the first week to keep warm. They can fly after one month.

Photographer Michael Milicia, 53, snapped away as the young shorebirds hid from view at Sandy Point State Reservation in Massachusetts in the U.S.

The reservation is a popular nesting site for the threatened species and access to the beach nesting areas is often restricted.


Home to roost: One of the chicks decides to brave the elements while its siblings remain undercover


Michael said: 'The chicks are very independent and wander in all directions with no control from the parent.

'If they wander too far, the adult bird will call and the chicks will return.

'For the first week after hatching, the chicks are unable to maintain their own body temperature. They must periodically return to one of their parents to be brooded under the warmth of their protective wings.

'I took the picture as the adult plover took the four chicks on a stroll to feed outside of the protected nesting area.

'In one image, there are four chicks under the parent. One leg of one chick is mostly obscured by another so there are only nine legs clearly visible.

'The chicks are less than a week old as the parent will only brood chicks for the first seven days or so after hatching.'

Michael, from Massachusetts, said it was unclear whether the brooding parent was male or female because they look 'pretty much identical'.

He added: 'I most often lie flat on the beach and move around by crawling commando-style with the camera mounted on a ground pod.

'This not only yields more intimate, eye-level images but also serves to disassociate you in the mind of the birds from the form of a threatening human.

'Once you are down on the ground, you are quickly accepted into the birds' environment and will often have shorebirds approaching you from all directions.Some of them even come too close to focus.

'When I am finished photographing, I either wait for the birds to move away from me or I slowly back well away from them before standing.'


source: dailymail

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Best Rare-Bird Pictures of 2010 Named

Marvellous Spatuletail
Photograph courtesy Daniel Rosengren via The World's Rarest Birds

The third place winner in the "endangered or data deficient" category is a picture of Peru's marvellous spatuletail. (Watch video of the rare bird's courtship display.)

A "stunning" hummingbird restricted to just two sites, the bird's population is estimated to be less than a thousand, and it's decreasing due to deforestation for cash crops such as marijuana and coffee, according to a World's Rarest Birds contest statement.

Great Indian Bustard
Photograph courtesy Csaba Barkoczi via The World's Rarest Birds

A shot of the Great Indian bustard in mid-flight snagged fourth place in the "endangered or data deficient" category.

Widespread hunting for sport and food in India is driving the bird to extinction, according to BirdLife International.

Brazilian Merganser
Photograph courtesy Savio Freire Bruno via The World's Rarest Birds

A "captivating" photo of a Brazilian merganser and her ducklings won second prize in the "critically endangered or extinct in the wild" category, according to a World's Rarest Birds contest statement.

In a sign of hope for the species, recent data from Brazil suggest that the merganser's status is better than previously thought, according to BirdLife International.

Christmas Island Frigatebird

Photograph courtesy David Boyle via The World's Rarest Birds

A picture of a Christmas Island frigatebird flying over the Indian Ocean snagged third place in the "critically endangered or extinct in the wild" category.

The bird, found only on the Australian territory of Christmas Island (map), is disappearing due to habitat loss, phosphate mining, marine pollution, and overfishing, among other causes.

Palila
Photograph courtesy Eric A. VanderWerf via The World's Rarest Birds

A "superb study" of a palila in Hawaii received sixth place in the "critically endangered or extinct in the wild" category, according to a World's Rarest Birds contest statement.

Habitat loss, cat predation, and drought have contributed to the species' ongoing decline in its native Hawaii. The bird's numbers are expected to plummet by 97 percent over the next 14 years, according to BirdLife International.

Honduran Emerald

Photograph courtesy Robert E. Hyman via The World's Rarest Birds

A photograph of a Honduran emerald perched on a branch earned fifth place in the "critically endangered or extinct in the wild" category.

Found only in Honduras, the hummingbird exists in an "extremely small and severely fragmented range," which is declining due to habitat loss, according to BirdLife International.

Kakapo
Photograph courtesy Shane McInnes via The World's Rarest Birds

One of the rarest birds of all is New Zealand's kakapo. The above picture of the large, flightless bird approaching the camera snagged first place in the "critically endangered or extinct in the wild" category.

Only 124 animals remain in the wild—the species has been largely wiped out by introduced predatory mammals such as feral cats.

Orange-Bellied Parrot
Photograph courtesy David Boyle via The World's Rarest Birds

This "touching image" of two orange-bellied parrots won the category for critically endangered migrating birds, according to a World's Rarest Birds contest statement.

The small parrot breeds only in southwestern Tasmania (see map) and migrates to southeastern Australia in the winter, where agriculture and development are crowding out its habitat. Probably fewer than 150 animals remain in the wild, according to BirdLife International.

Red-Crowned Crane
Photograph courtesy Huajin Sun via The World's Rarest Birds

Named a second place winner in the "endangered or data-deficient" category, the above picture shows a red-crowned crane making a courtship display.

Though the bird's population is stable in Japan, the mainland Asian population is declining due to habitat loss and degradation of wetlands for agriculture and development, according to BirdLife International.

Forest Owlet
Photograph courtesy Jayesh K. Joshi via The World's Rarest Birds

A picture of central India's forest owlet earned fourth place in the "critically endangered or extinct in the wild" category.

The species lives in a severely fragmented forest habitat that continues to be destroyed, according to the nonprofit BirdLife International.

Scaly-Sided Merganser
Photograph courtesy Martin Hale via The World's Rarest Birds

Two endangered scaly-sided mergansers glide across the water in a picture that won fifth place in the "endangered or data deficient" category.

Habitat loss and illegal hunting have reduced the bird's population to about 2,500 individuals in Russia and China, according to the nonprofit BirdLife International.

Overall, the competition received photos that represent 90 percent of the 566 rarest bird species.


Asian Crested Ibis
Photograph courtesy Quan Min Li via The World's Rarest Birds
A picture of an endangered Asian crested ibis soaring over China is a first-prize winner in the first annual World's Rarest Birds international photo competition, organizers announced in January.

Launched in 2010, the competition ranked pictures of birds that fall into three categories determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature: endangered or data deficient, critically endangered or extinct in the wild, and critically endangered migratory species.

The above shot took top honors in the "endangered or data deficient" category. The Asian crested ibis once thrived in Russia, Japan, and China, but its population has shrunk to about 250 in China's Shaanxi Province. Agricultural activities have probably affected the bird by reducing available feeding grounds, according to the World's Rarest Birds website.

(Related: "Birds in 'Big Trouble' Due to Drugs, Fishing, More.")

A panel of five independent judges—including two wildlife photographers, a wildlife artist, a citizen interested in birds, and a book editor—rated the entries on image quality, subject rarity, and aesthetics. Winning images will be featured in the book The World’s Rarest Birds, to be published in 2012 by WILDGuides.

The book's "key message is poignant—a large proportion of the world's birds, including every one depicted, is threatened with extinction," Andy Swash, managing director of WILDGuides, said in a statement.


Source:news.nationalgeographic

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‘Get the food in mum, we still can’t fly’: Amazing pictures of warbler chicks at feeding time

By Richard Hartley-parkinson


Grumpy: These three chickens look unhappy that they've had to wait so long for food, unaware that their mum is just behind them with a treat


They are cute, they are funny and they are just like human offspring.

These stunning photographs show the lives of warbler chicks and their relationships with their mother, but while they may be birds, they have striking resemblance to our own children.

All day long they sit around, tweeting, waiting for mum who is on a constant battle to keep them stocked up with food.

Hungry: These chicks look shocked that their mother has returned without food

Open wide: A grasshopper is brought to this waiting chick

Incey wincey: The chicks will make easy work of this spider


The demanding warbler chicks can't fly yet so they perch precariously on tree branches waiting for their mum to bring delicious grubs and grasshoppers and there's much excitement when they arrive.

The images display the incredible lengths the mother birds will go to in order to feed their hungry brood who are just days old.

The pictures, captured by photographer Octavianus Darmawan in Jakarta, Indonesia, show their incredible skill as they hover with the tasty treat and feed them in mid air.

The 56-year-old said when he takes the pictures he can take anything from a few days to week to capture the perfect shot of the mother and her chicks together.

He said: 'I take pictures to showcase the beauty of nature around me.

Perched: This caterpillar's days are numbered as this chick prepares for its next meal

Tweet me: They may be hungry but these young warblers expect mum to come to them with food

Birdsong: A chorus emits from these youngsters competing for this delicious treat

Fast food: The birds stand precariously on the thin branch as their mother comes and goes at great speed


'I'm always impressed when I see the mother birds feeding their chicks because I can see how difficult it can be to find food and raise their kids.

'They have to face dangers like snakes and cats and it can be a struggle but they work hard.

'I became appreciative of my own parents after watching these birds and it made me thankful for the struggle they'd gone through to teach me and raise me well.'

Under pressure: A long-suffering mother passes a grub up to her chick who looks big enough to go and get its own food

Pick me! Pick me! The two on the right compete for food while the chick on the left looks like its been elbowed out

Midnight feast: There's no rest for this warbler parent as she continues foraging and feeding late into the night


A mother's work is never done


Source:dailymail

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I didn't think you'd miss a hair or three! Cheeky crow feathers his nest at horse's expense

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Mind the crow's feet: Retired police photographer David Offord captured this jackdaw pinching hair from a horse's back while on holiday in Buston, near Norwich, Norfolk


When you’ve got a young brood to look after, home improvements have to be done on the hop.

So this determined jackdaw took a plucky approach to feathering its family nest.

The cheeky crow was caught pinching hair from the backs of unsuspecting horses to make a comfortable home for its chicks.

Retired police photographer David Offord captured the bird on camera while on holiday in Buston, near Norwich, Norfolk – then searched for three days until he found its cosy hair-lined nest on top of a chimney on a nearby home.

The 66-year-old, from Stowmarket, Suffolk, said: 'I'm always on the look out. I saw this jackdaw landing on the horses back and thought it was picking insects off it or something.

'But then I saw it was picking up hair. It took me two or three days to work out where it was taking the hair to and then I found the nest on the top of a chimney.

'The horse didn't seem too bothered at all so it must not hurt it too much.'


source: dailymail

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Vermin...or awesome bird of prey? The red kite is back in British towns

By JONATHAN PETRE AND VALERIE ELLIOTT

Flying high: Back from the brink of extinction, the red kites are flourishing across Britain


In Victorian times they were treated like vermin and hunted to the brink of extinction.

But red kites are once again flourishing across Britain, thanks to the efforts of conservationists...and local councils who leave household rubbish to pile up.

The birds of prey are natural scavengers, and experts believe the growing amount of food thrown away, combined with less frequent bin collections, is helping the species thrive.

In Reading up to 60 red kites have been spotted from the roof of a multi-storey car park, apparently watching for the roadkill on which they like to feed.

Earlier this month, BBC1’s The One Show featured a flock attracted to the waste left at a roadside cafe in Oxfordshire, and there have also been sightings in Leeds, Gateshead, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry and Hampstead and Hackney in North and East London.

Despite the efforts of conservationists, the numbers of red kites plunged to just a handful of breeding pairs in the 1960s, confined to rural mid-Wales.

But a concerted reintroduction programme begun 20 years ago means that there are now thought to be 1,800 breeding pairs across the country.

In medieval times, red kites proliferated in Britain.

By snatching discarded food from the streets, they helped keep towns and cities clean – and kites were protected by a Royal decree, with the death penalty for killing one.

William Shakespeare wrote about their habit of stealing laundry to adorn their nests, and they are known to have carried away dolls, teddy bears and toy cars.

However, by the 16th Century, kites were considered vermin, with a bounty placed on their heads.

By the 1890s, they had been virtually wiped out by landowners who wrongly believed they killed their lambs.

But in the early 1990s, the RSPB released a batch of red kites into the wild in the Chilterns, the first of several such reintroductions across Britain.


Soaring again: A red kite spotted over houses near Slough in Berkshire. Up to 60 have been seen in Reading


One of the sites used was the Buckinghamshire estate of the late American-born multi-millionaire Sir Paul Getty, who hired security guards to protect nests from egg collectors.

Wildlife experts said red kites are drawn to cities because they do not like live prey.

Grahame Madge from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said: ‘The red kite is a scavenger, not a hunter, and the birds will gather to feed on carrion, mainly dead rabbits, mice and pheasant, and animals killed on the road.

‘They are not the fearsome predators that people in the Victorian era thought them to be and they are not like a sparrowhawk or kestrel, which would go for a live prey.

‘There have been complaints about red kites attacking dogs and cats but I think these would be very occasional instances.’


Experts believe the growing amount of food thrown away, combined with less frequent bin collections, is helping the red kite species thrive


John Bryant, an urban wildlife expert, said that the amount of food thrown away by families was fuelling the wildlife invasion.

‘The problem is that we’ve got all these bin bags that are raided at night by foxes, rats and squirrels, then the contents are strewn on streets and in gardens,’ he said.

‘Red kites are scavengers and it is not surprising they are also now being spotted in towns.

‘If wheelie bins are too full because the rubbish is not collected as frequently as it once was, people will leave black bags on top or put them inside but not close the lid, so the wildlife can still get at them.

‘In some areas, people are expected to leave black bin bags in the street to be collected. That is an invitation to scavengers.’


source: dailymail

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