Who can recognize this little nondescript bird?  What major ways can we use to identify it?  First, notice its shape and size to categorize this as a perching bird or passerine, because we can identify some birds just by their silhouette (small – 7 inches, pointed bill, thin legs, short tail). Next, the small, thick…

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What is this Tricolored Heron doing? Perhaps, purposefully engaging in the Greeting Ceremony they use when exchanging places to care for their nestlings. The arriving bird with feathers fully erect passes a twig to their mate, points its head upwards, then down towards the nest…what might it be communicating? “Honey, I’m home!” “Hi, remember me?”…

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Have you ever spotted a furtive Green Heron lurking along the shoreline of a pond or ditch, skulking amongst reeds in shallow water or fishing from an overhanging stalk or mangrove branch? This small heron is unique and very clever as it can solve complex problems by utilizing a “tool,” unlike many mammals.  Green Herons…

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The Black Vulture, a predator designed for eating carrion, is invaluable in cleaning up animal carcasses killed by our vehicles, windows, cell towers, and wind turbines.  Note this handsome portrait photograph by JR Williams’ Canon 50D with an EF 100-400mm lens.  The bare head allows clean retrieval of innards without dirtying feathers that would draw…

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