Fall Find

This bird was spotted on our trip to Indonesia while on Komodo Island.  We didn't see many komodos here, but this fellow was worth it.  This is a wallacean drongo.   It seems as unique to me as each of the students I have this year.  They each bring such sweetness and beauty to our environment. 

• Dull blue-black plumage with greenish gloss
• Well developed feathers at base of bill extending forwards over culmen
• Long and deeply forked tail, tips slightly upcurved
• Thick, heavy and highly arched bill, ending in strong downward curve
• Red bill

Sexes similar but females slightly smaller. Juveniles have a dark brown eye.
The different subspecies differ mainly in size, bill size and glossiness. The only drongo in its range. Feeds on insects. Perches under canopy, sallying from a branch to seize insects.
Usually seen singly or in pairs, on Sumba sometimes in bigger groups of up to 10 birds. Often near groups of Crab-eating Macaques on Sumba.
Only a few data about breeding on Flores. One nest was 10m above the ground, eggs were laid from October to December.
A resident species.

Wallacean Drongo

Dicrurus densus


The Wallacean Drongo or Greater Wallacean Drongo (Dicrurus densus) is a species of bird in the Dicruridae family. It can be found in the countries of Indonesia and East Timor. Contrary to the independence of East Timor, the Wallacean Drongo continues to be considered an endemic. It breeds in both countries. Its natural are subtropical or tropical moist lowland , subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Blue Jay of May

 

I've been trying to capture this fellow for quite some time.  He's been hanging out here the last few days.  He makes quite a lot of noise. He reminds me of a couple of my students.  He pulled a baby bird from out cypress trees and ate it.  Here's some interesting information about blue jays:

© MMATM

The “blue jay” of dry Western lowlands, the Western Scrub-Jay combines deep azure blue with dusty gray-brown and white. The rounded, crestless head immediately sets it apart from Blue Jays and Steller’s Jays. These birds are a fixture of dry shrublands, oak woodlands, and pinyon pine-juniper forests, as well as conspicuous visitors to backyards.

Cool Facts

• The Western Scrub-Jay’s calls are a hallmark sound of the open West. Some 20 call types are known, and perhaps the best description comes from naturalist W. L. Dawson in 1923: “No masquerader at Mardi Gras has sprung such a cacophonic device upon a quiveringly expectant public. Dzweep, dzweep: it curdles the blood, as it is meant to do.”
• Western Scrub-Jays have a mischievous streak, and they’re not above outright theft. They’ve been caught stealing acorns from Acorn Woodpecker caches and robbing seeds and pine cones from Clark’s Nutcrackers. They even seem aware of their guilt: some scrub-jays steal acorns they’ve watched other jays hide. When these birds go to hide their own acorns, they check first that no other jays are watching.

Spring has Sprung

To celebrate Spring, here is a Saddlebill Stork from Tanzania, our only favorite safari. I just bought an exotic looking flower at the nursery that reminded me of the  exotic wildlife we saw in Africa.  The colors, shapes and sizes are always amazing.  Spring is a busy time of mothers taking care of their babies.  I just found out I will be teaching young children again which I am very excited about.  Here is more information on this beautiful bird.  I got it from the San Diego Zoo's children's site.

Area: 

Africa

Habitat: 

marshes, edges of rivers, and lakes

Food: 

fish, crabs, large water beetles and other insects, frogs, reptiles and small mammals

Size: 

Up to 5 feet tall; wingspan about 8 feet

Babies: 

Fuzzy white chicks are fed by their parents for about 3 months

You can tell the sex of a saddlebill stork by looking at its eyes: females' are yellow, males' are brown.