Category Archives: Animals

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photos Of ‘Giant Bird’ (10 Pics)

Nature is full of beauty, and every now and again, we get hit with a perfect coincidence that leaves us in awe

This is exactly what happened in the images below when a flock of birds formed a shape-shifting cloud (murmuration).

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

The scene was captured over the Costa Brava in Spain, it is a real treat to see and often attracts bird watchers from all over.

The murmuration of birds will consist of hundreds, or sometimes thousands of birds, moving around in what appears to be a single organism.

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

It looks like the group of birds is coordinated, often moving into some amazing shapes.

The starlings most likely moved in this way as a result of a predator such as a hawk being in the local vicinity.

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

It was almost like they were creating this enormous giant single bird to show their predators how big they are.

The photos were captured by wildlife photographer Daniel Biber of Germany and earned him a prize in an international photography competition.

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

What’s more, is that Mr. Biber didn’t even realize what he had captured until later on, “Only when I checked the pictures on the computer later, I realized what formation the starlings had created,” he told the Daily Mail.

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

“I was so concentrated on taking pictures at the time that I hadn’t realized that the starling murmuration had created a giant bird in the sky.”

“I’ve tried to photograph the starlings but it never worked out as well as I hoped for.”

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

“I eventually drove to the spot every day for four days in a row in order to capture them. I picked a spot where I thought they would turn up and picked a matching foreground and backdrop in order to put them in a scene.”

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

“It took less than 10 seconds for the birds to create that formation”

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

“I realised that I had captured a unique snapshot, technically, sharp and in high quality”

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

“It usually happens that birds of prey turn up and the starlings then create bizarre forms. It can be quite erratic and completely random”

Photographer Captures One In A Million Photo, Doesn't Realize It Until He Gets Home

“A number of people were watching this display but they were observing it from other spots and might not have seen what I captured”

Image credits go to Daniel Biber.

SUFFUSED WITH A SUIT OF ELECTRIC BLUE THIS BUNTING’S SCINTILLATING LOOK IF FINISHED OFF WITH A VEST OF ROSE RED AND SALMON PINK!

A beautiful bunting wearing an electric blue and rose-pink-colored vest!

THE ROSE-BELLIED BUNTING

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/ecologist_josh

The rose-bellied bunting or Rosita’s bunting (Passerina rositae) is a 3.5 to 14.5 cm (5.3 to 5.7 in) long bird and weighs in at around 19.5 to 20.5 g (0.69 to 0.72 oz). The male’s crown is purplish-blue and is electric blue on the rest of his upperparts that fades from darker to lighter towards the tail. His chin is grayish, the throat and chest blue, and the belly and vent area salmon pink.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/daffiesphotos

Meanwhile, the adult female’s head and upper parts are gray-brown with a bluish tinge at the rump.

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A spectacular combination of flashy coloring is scattered across a tiny body, producing a finely feathered avian standout!

Her belly and chest are pinkish buff, warmer on the throat becoming paler towards the lower belly.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/birds_adored

This bird can be found in and is endemic to a very small area of the pacific slope of southern Mexico.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/angelicaschober

The rose-bellied bunting prefers to inhabit semideciduous forests and thorn scrub.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/rafaelrodriguezbrito

The rose-bellied bunting forages alone or in pairs in the lower to mid-level of its habitat. Its diet consists of seeding grasses and fruit from trees and bushes.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/thecaracaramx

These birds are usually seen singly or in pairs none more so than at breeding time. Though little is known about breeding or nesting behavior two nests were described in June and July of last year. The nests were built of an open cup made from dead leaves, shredded bark, and fine weed stems. Both were built in a sampling, one 1.5m, the other 4m above ground level. 3 to 4 eggs were laid within.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/cimarronmayor

The IUCN has assessed the rose-bellied bunting as Near Threatened “because it has a small range, which may be in decline owing to habitat degradation and infrastructure development.”

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/danielledwit

WATCH AND LISTEN TO THIS BIRD RIGHT HERE IN THE VIDEO BELOW:

H/T Wikipedia – Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

STONE THE CROWS, ALMOST ONE OF A KIND, A RARE WHITE BIRD APPEARS OUT OF NOWHERE!

AN EXTREMELY RARE WHITE CROW WAS RECENTLY SEEN IN TAKASAKI, GUNMA, EASTERN JAPAN BY A VERY LUCKY LOCAL MAN.

Experts estimate that the chance of seeing such a crow is probably around one in tens of thousands. Mokoi Okada, 88, first saw the crow searching for food alongside a flock of black crows in a field near his house on May 21. Since then, his luck continued as he saw the rare bird almost every evening.

Photo Courtesy of Motoi Okada

“At first I didn’t think it was a crow, and thought it might be a pigeon. I was surprised,” he said.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/eswildlifephotoimages

Two albino carrion crows are currently being raised at a Niigata Prefecture facility that specializes in birds.

Related Reading:

Six birds who changed their suits of color for a suit of white, creating a stunning juxtaposition in contrasts!

Both have pure white bodies with red eyes. The Takasaki bird is also thought to be a carrion crow, though its head is light brown and its eyes black.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/stuckthrotle

Professor Shoei Sugita of Tohto University, who is an expert on crows, told the Mainichi Shimbun, “Since the head is brown, it is not a bird that has lost melanin pigment synthesis, but perhaps an animal that turned white due to weak synthesis. I receive information on white crows once every few years.”

YOU CAN SEE A RARE WHITE CROW TAKING A BATH HERE IN THE VIDEO BELOW:

H/T mainichi.jp – original by Tetsuya Shoji, Maebashi Bureau.

A GLOSSY VELVET-BLACK BIRD SPORTING A STRIKING SCARLET-CHESTED IRIDESCENCE!

A spectacular, glossy velvet-black bird with a striking scarlet daub on the chest and an iridescent green crown and throat.

THE SCARLET CHESTED SUNBIRD

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/kenyanbirder

The scarlet-chested sunbird (Chalcomitra senegalensis) has a height of about 15 cms and weighs in at 14 gms. The male’s plumage is black, with an iridescent emerald green crown and chin. The throat and upper chest are scarlet. The feet, legs, and bill are black. The eyes are brown.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/dirk_van_zijl

The male Chalcomitra senegalensis has physical features that are slightly different from the female bird.

Related Reading:

Suffused in a suit of electric blue, this bunting iridescent look is finished off with a vest of royal rose red and salmon pink!

The female Scarlet-chested sunbird’s plumage is greyish olive above, with heavily mottled underparts, which helps to distinguish them from the female African black sunbird.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/catarinainthewild

This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from southern Mauritania and Guinea to Ethiopia and south to northern Namibia and north-eastern South Africa.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/dirk_van_zijl

The scarlet-chested sunbird is primarily found in dry savannas and scrublands. However, they can also be found in dry grasslands, orchards and rural gardens, arable land and urban parks and gardens.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/animalthen

The scarlet-chested sunbird feeds on nectar, insects, and spiders. This sunbird favors nectar from aloes and will feed by either perching or hovering.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/kenyanbirder

While Scarlet-chested sunbirds can breed year round, this varies between different parts of their range. The female builds an oval-shaped nest suspended from the tip of a branch, around 2-10 m above the ground. The nest is made out of grasses, dead leaves, plant down, and spider web, decorated with seeds, leaves, strings, feathers, and sometimes even pieces of paper. Within the female lays up to 3 cream, greenish or pinkish eggs with dark markings. She incubates them for around 13 to 15 days. Once they hatch the chicks are fed by both parents and become fledged 15-20 days after hatching.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/renate.photography

This bird is regarded as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, having a very large breeding range, and is described as abundant and widespread in savanna woodlands. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/penguinpapper

YOU CAN WATCH THIS BIRD RIGHT HERE IN THE VIDEO BELOW:

H/T Wikipedia – Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

WHITE CHEEKS AND A SPORTY BRIGHT-RED FLASHY LOOK SEEM TO GO GO HAND IN HAND WITH THIS BIRDS HYPERACTIVE STATE!

A tiny bright-red bird that is unmistakable not only because of its color but also because of its hyperactive state!

THE RED WARBLER

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/cimarronmayor

The red warbler (Cardellina rubra) is a small passerine, measuring 12.5–13.5 cm (4.9–5.3 in) in length, weighing in at 7.6 to 8.7 g (0.27 to 0.31 oz). Adult birds are red overall, with either a white or dark gray (depending on the subspecies) auricular patch on each side of their heads. The wings and tail are slightly darker, dusky red, and edged in pinkish-red. The legs are a dull red-brown, and the bill is a pinkish-gray with a dark tip. The iris is dark brown to blackish.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/cimarronmayor

Plumage varies little between the sexes, although the female tends to be a little duller or more orange-tinged.

Related Reading:

-A glossy velvet-black bird sporting a striking scarlet-chested iridescence!

Adult pairs separate and molt fully from August, after the breeding season.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/cimarronmayor

This species is endemic to Mexico, being found from southern Chihuahua all the way down to southern Hidalgo.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/world.snapshot.hub

The red warbler prefers to live in humid and semi-humid pine, pine-oak, fir, and to a lesser extent, oak forests, located at high altitudes. They are present at altitudes of 2.000-3.500 m.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/alejandrogonzalezt_photo

Red-faced Warblers prefer to forage in trees with dense foliage, particularly in conifers, where they glean a variety of insects, especially caterpillars, from the outer branches. This species also hover-gleans like a flycatcher to catch insects.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/cimarronmayor

The Red-faced Warbler builds its cup-shaped nest in a hollow on the ground. The nest site is often on a slope in the open or at the base of a woody plant. Sometimes the nest site has an overhang provided by a plant stem, log, or rock, which helps to conceal and protect the nest. The nest is built by the female and is made of bark, leaves, or pine needles with a lining of grasses or animal hair. Only the female incubates the eggs for 16 days, but both parents feed the young when they hatch. Chicks become fledged after 10-11 days.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/cimarronmayor

This species is regarded as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, having a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram/audubonsociety

WATCH AND LISTEN TO THIS BIRD RIGHT HERE IN THE VIDEO BELOW:

H/T Wikipedia – Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

3-Legged Kitten Adopted By Amputee Girl Becomes Her Best Friend

How cool! Animals adjust without a thought. This kitten will be a blessing. They can learn together. 🤙👌
Such kindness and love is shared between them 🙏♥️🤍 We think this little girl and her kitten’s lives are complete with each other…! 💕

Scarlette Tipton, now two-years-old, had her ‘left ar.m’ completely [am.puta.ted] because of can.cer when she was 10 months old; Doc, a rescue kitten, had [lo.st] her paw after she tried to sleep under the hood of a car to stay warm.

So on Christmas eve, the Tipton family, from California, went to the shelter. The two found each other on Christmas eve, after the Tipton family learned about the cat on TV. By Wednesday, Doc is adopted and was part of the family ever since…

Mom Scarlette share: We wanted a little kitten to have [Scarlette] grow up with, so she has something that’s just like her. She did notice that Doc had staples on her side and said ow.ies. I let her know that she had owi.es just like her, and she placed her hand on her side and just nodded.
She recognizes that the cat has similar struggles as she does.

So glad they found each other. The kitten will help that little girl in ways that no one else can.
Thank you for giving the kitty a forever loving home ❤️🏡

What a blessing for all and what a wonderful mom she has!
That’s so adorable god’s blessing to you both 🙏♥️🤍❤️⭐️🍀❤️🤍♥️

Beautiful happy ending am so pleased they are both together and can be best friends. It’s heartwarming ❤️❤️❤️

Bless there little hearts. So adorable, they now have a amazing love, friendship that will be now forever and eternity 💖 ❤ 💗 💕 God bless these 2 beautiful baby. 😍🙏🙏🙏

H/t: Love Meow

 

Goose Taps On Animal Hospital’s Door, Comes To Comfort In.ju.red Mate

She stayed at the doorway during his whole surgery & recovery, never leaving his sight!

Arnold the Canada goose is well-known around the New England Wildlife Centers in Massachusetts. When staff noticed Arnold was [lim.ping and fa.lling] over, they brought him in for an exam and learned that he had two open fra.ctu.res on his foot. While they don’t know for sure how this happened, they believe a Snapping turtle or other [pr.ed.ator at.tac.ked] him while he was swimming.

They knew if they wanted to save his foot, they would have to perform su.rg.ery and a pa.rtial am.putation. They put Arnold on pa.in me.dic.ations and ant.ibi.otics and prepped him for su.rgery, but they never expected what happened next.

Before his su.rg.ery, staff heard a tapping at the clinic door. When they went to look at what it was, they were pleasantly surprised to find Arnold’s mate trying to get into the clinic. Unbeknownst to them, the mate somehow located Arnold and was demanding to see him. She stayed at the doorway during the whole surgery, never leaving Arnold’s sight!

Thankfully, Arnold’s sur.gery was a success and his foot will heal in time. Once he woke up from an.est.h.esia, they brought Arnold to the door so he could see his mate, whom staff named Amelia. They opened the door, and Amelia began grooming him. A calming presence came over both of them once they were reunited.

Arnold had to remain under their care while his foot healed so they could continue to change his bandages and keep a close eye on him. Amelia continued to visit the door daily, and staff would bring Arnold near her so they could see each other. They even set up a temporary pen so the two love birds could share a meal together!

Once Arnold was healthy enough, he was returned to the wild. Amelia was right there waiting for him, and they took off together for a swim in the pond.

We are so happy that they have the opportunity to do it together. Arnold’s foot has healed well and today we got to see him both fly and swim. Confident that he will have no tro.uble keeping up with his partner Amelia.

Some animals mate for life . Mayb us humans can learn a few things from them . We’re glad she found him ❤️❤️❤️ It shows how much they mean to one another. Arnold certainly has a very close relationship with Amelia.
God Bless them. 😊💗👏🏻👏🏻

  • Watch the video below:

Otter seeks re.fuge on Man’s Boat as he barely es.ca.pes jaws of k.i.ller Whale!

That’s called being at the right place at the right time!
He was very smart about getting on the boat he went around the back where it was lower to get in. I think that’s not his first time he has been escaping an orca or shark.

Donellas, who works with an Alaskan exploration company and provides area boat trips. He was out on his boat when he saw a commotion taking place in the water. He realized something was rapidly swimming closer and closer to his boat to avoid being e.at.en by a k.i.ller whale. The whale’s dorsal fin can be seen closing in as an otter hurriedly tries to avoid being k.i.lled.

The otter pops up out of the water and takes refuge on the boat with Donellas, who cannot believe what he is seeing.
For the next several minutes, the otter stays safely aboard the boat as the k.i.ller whale circles his prey. At one point, the otter goes back into the water and then changes his mind in favor of the boat.

Glad he found a safe place to hide 🥰 What an intelligent Otter!

The very close encounter lasted a while, as the otter eventually plunged back into the water once the [k.i.ller whale] distanced himself from the boat.

Clever otter well done safely on board!

The look on his little face is like right on dude that was close 😅

Well done for saving this otters life 👏
God 🙏 bless that fisherman for helping that little otter. 🙏🙏🙏

Watch the video of what happened below:

 

Man swims with a Polar Bear that he had raised for over two decades!

Precious breauful that’s trust love right there 🙂♥️🐻 love it!

It takes a lot of courage to even be around apolor bear. Even if he swam with it they are still wild animals.
That’s so amazing but a little sc.ary glad the bear really likes and trust you!

Mark Dumas, is taking pet ownership to totally new heights.
Polar bears are magnificent and iconic creatures. They are among one of the most beloved animals in the world, as well as lots of people are working hard to assure that they live as well as prosper in the wild.

One more interesting truth regarding polar bears is that they are not white in any way. They have light-reflecting clear hair that makes them look like white as snow. Due to the fact that their skin is basically coal black, this helps them blend in with their environment.

Mark isn’t just the globe’s only man swimming with a polar bear; he’s also the world’s only 60-year-old man swimming with a polar bear. And it so takes place that polar bear is his continuous buddy.

Agee, Mark’s 16-year-old polar bear who evaluates 800 extra pounds, delights in routine dives in Mark’s pool. Agee is kissed, hugged, and also battled by Mark. He also sinks his head right into her massive paws. Mark is a polar bear trainer from Abbotsford, British Columbia, that has actually worked with animals for over 40 years.

Mark claims that he can check out Agee and determine just how to interact with her securely. He is aware that she is in charge, and also he complies with her instructions.

That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen❤❤❤ Agee is happy, well cared for , and has all the love she could ask for. Her dad running up to her, and she jumps into the pool is adorable. Like a affectionate, 800 pd. ❤❤

Bears raised as babies imprint on humans and after a while, can’t be released except put in a zoo or wildlife park, geese are the same

Amazing so lucky to interact with this beautiful girl! Rare & wonderful!! A privilege for both!🧡
Good luck and bless him…! 🙏🙏🙏

Watch the precious video below:

H/t: News235media

Loyal Dog Joins the Procession for His Mom’s Funeral


 

We know that a dog’s love and loyalty knows no bounds, but sometimes it still comes as a surprise to see just what lengths our wonderful companions will go to demonstrate their devotion.  When an elderly woman in Malaysia died, family members were shocked to see her dog Bobby accompanying them to her funeral.

 

 

The family was on their way to the place where the woman’s body was to be laid to rest when her great-grandson noticed that a dog was trotting alongside the procession of vehicles.  It was Bobby, his grandmother’s dog.  He walked with them for the entire two miles.

“I don’t think anyone knew he was following,” Leong Khai Wai told The Dodo.

 

 

Bobby did not appear to have been offered a lift, but he didn’t need one, and made his way there right along with the caravan.  Once they arrived at the burial site, Bobby lay down next to the hole, refusing to move, as if to show mourners that he belonged there just as much as anyone else.

 

 

“They said it was the first time they’d ever seen such extreme loyalty in a dog,” Leong explained.

Bobby’s fealty to his caretaker served him well; after the funeral, Leong and his great-uncle took Bobby in.  Hopefully the love they all shared for this woman will bond them and help them grieve and move forward in their lives.