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02:57 am
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New Avatar: Tucano de papo amarelo
The new avatar depicts a Black-mandibled Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus), scanned from the array of Toucan busts printed on the inside cover of Tucanos das Américas, illustrated by Eduardo Brettas.
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02:29 am
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Yellow and Black
 European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) exhibit seasonal bill morphology in that during the breeding season, the beak is an ostentatious yellow (likely by unconjugated carotenoids) that seems to be recognized as the Starling's signature, while at the onset of post-breeding molt, the bill keratin becomes a less strikiing black in color by deposition of melanin. Typically seasonal color change observed in the bill of many species serves as a sensory cue involved in sexual and social interactions.
( mechanical "mumbo jumbo" )
One possible explanation for the seasonal bill morphology is that the energetic cost of carotenoid-colored bill keratin, while vital for spring activities, need not be afforded during the non-breeding, winter months.
Or, based on the argument of mechanical utility, deposition of melanin granules, which increases hardness of bill keratin, may be less costly ultimately than the accelerated rhamphotheca growth rate that would be requisite to compensate for increased wear during foraging activities, for example, of winter months.
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03:02 am
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A Preview of the New Specimen: Greater Yellownape
Picus flavinucha
 | Last week (24 June), I acquired a post-necropsy specimen from the Wildlife Diseases Laboratories for the Zoological Soceity of San Diego.
Aside from bird checklists and an account of polymorphism, the species seems to be scarcely represented in the literature. I know only that there are 9 - 10 suspecies.
Regarding this specimen, I have been told that she was female, and I have been supplied with her tracking numbers, thanks to the well-organized Senior Pathology Technician at the zoo laboratory. |
Here is just a screen shot of preliminary CT images:
These data were acquired using facilities at Moores Cancer Center of UCSD Medical Center.
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06:25 pm
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San Clemente House Finch
Carpodacus mexicanus clementis
29 December 2008 outside of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, CA
( Steady now! )
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01:59 am
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Good Night
I have spotted Ronen and Bulbulicious in an inter-order slumber party.
16 June 2008
Bulbulicious is the first bird whom I have known to experience seemingly extended periods of deep mammalian-style REM sleep. If even I tip-toe past the roosting site of any other bird, including Bulbulicious's conspecific, Boris, eyes are opened, and the sleep state is disrupted instantly. Bulbulicious, on the other hand, slumbers through my late night homecoming for example, despite the clicking of the lock, the jingling of keys, and the shuffling of my books and papers and things. She did once wake up and approach me when she heard me struggling with the packaging of some individually wrapped biscotti (that sound being a Pavlovian bell signalling of the opportunity for sweet icing just as the suctiony sound of the refrigerator door being opened seems to guarantee mealworms). Bulbulicious also sleeps later than any of my other birds, again including Boris who makes his announcements as early as 6:00. Bulbulicious even sleeps through that din for half an hour to an hour longer. I have known her to sleep later than me on some occasions, around 10:00 or so, when she was much younger. Could she have learned this sleep pattern?
Tags: bulbulicious, zebrafinken
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12:04 am
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Yellow Hooded Blackbird Update
Roman sent photos as evidence of Xanthus's progress with the rafia.
1 June 2008
( Territory staked out by Blackbirds )
Tags: nid
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06:43 pm
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High Five!
Roman sent me a photograph of a juvenile dove exhibiting penta-pamprodactyly. ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) thorazinekizzez has already posted video of this dove which she identified as a White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica).
22 June 2008 at the Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
( Symmetric Polydactyly )
Tags: columbiformes, dactyly, rogers
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07:21 pm
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¡Pequeños Huéspedes de México!
These birds were most unusual guests to the Project Wildlife Care Center and with a story. They were first confiscated at the Mexican border from alleged smugglers. Their temporary custodian, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer, was travelling for the holidays, so we had an opportunity to host them. They were timid and frightened, and they did not chirp a single note that morning! After the New Year (photos were taken on 22 December 2006), they were to be "deported" to their homeland.
Blue Grosbeak/Picogordo AzulPasserina caerulea
They were formerly classified in their own
genus (Guiraca). | 
Fellow Cardinalidae are depicted on the seed
label in the background. |
( Más azul )
White-collared Seedeater/Semilleros de collar
Sporophila torqueola
She was the calmest most petrified of the
visitors. |
Whereabouts of his tail -- unknown |
 These Seedeaters would not even touch the spray millet offered to them!
Both species are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The Blue Grosbeaks claim Southern California and the south states in general as breeding territory. The White-collared Seedeaters are included on the list, as small marginal flocks cross into southern Texas during the summer months.
Tags: project wildlife
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04:16 pm
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Pretty Bird
Inspired by thorazinekizzez's post featuring Miss Terra Grackle, I present Dino:
9 February 2008
He has quite prominent pigmentation to his cheeks despite his mutation (Chestnut Flanked White), but the photo makes one wonder if it is not cosmetic!
( Dino is a pretty boy. )
Tags: zebrafinken
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02:17 pm
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Малиновка
14 June 2008, at Bird Crazy with a price tag of $459.99
This lone Robin (Erithacus rubecus) has resided at a local bird store for nearly two years now. During all of my visitations, I have never seen the little one in an enclosure larger than 0.2 m³, by generous estimate. And the current price tag seems to preclude chances for speedy rescue.
( a smaller one )
+ A juvenile Robin, who dabbled with the idea of domesticated life, as photographed by paccar_killa can be viewed here.
Tags: market
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08:49 pm
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Lolbulbul
Well, after infecting myself with the lolcats for the past week and having stumbled upon this inspiration recently,
I could not resist:
Tags: bulbulicious
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05:08 pm
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Rock Pigeons and Inca Dove
22 February 2008 at Pratt's Pets & Feed, in Glendale, AZ.
Inca Dove (Scardafella/Columbina inca)
A lone and seemingly misplaced Inca Dove was in the pen at the end with
a few other Rock Pigeons. I first saw one at the hotel in Phoenix, and I was
impressed by fineness of lacing in the plumage. I decided at that moment
that Inca Doves must be the most attractive of New World doves.
( Coo-coo )
Tags: columbiformes
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02:05 am
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Frugivory in Red-faced Crimson-wing (Cryptospiza reichenovii)
At least at my place . . .
22 September 2007
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12:14 am
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Cedar Waxwing in the "Drunk Tank"
Bombycilla cedrorum
19 April 2007 at the Project Wildlife Care Center
( profile of a well-mannered alcoholic )
Tags: project wildlife
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11:41 pm
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Mouth Markings!
6 December 2006
( +1 )
Tags: zebrafinken
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10:59 pm
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Cuckoo conducts skin elasticity/hydration test
While the photograph does capture well the character, it does not capture the striking zygodactyly of the species, which was somehow the first feature that I noticed. They share a family with Roadrunners, but the modern Cuckoos do not seem so cursorial in habit. Interestingly, there is a Miocene fossil having genus name of Cursoricoccyx.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
25 May 2008 at the Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
( Zygodactyly can be seen here ... somewhat )
Tags: dactyly, rogers
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10:43 pm
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Sudan Golden Sparrow
We decided to drive through Waxahachie, TX, a rather infamous city among high energy physicists and residents of Dallas/Fort Worth area. The carcass of the ill-fated Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) project is located near Waxahachie.
SSC might have served the city had the project not been abandoned. Aside from the castle-like Ellis County Courthouse, the only other attraction that we could find was a pet store vending a pair of one of my favorite birds: Sudan Golden Sparrows (Passer luteus).
 
 
 
25 May 2008, at a pet store in Waxahachie, TX with a price tag of $299.99/pair
Tags: market
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10:20 pm
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Birds of UCSD: May 2008
In addition to this Song Sparrow, I have spied (as posted to ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) ucsd):
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
1 May 2008, at my office window
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
30 May 2008, on the granite placard in front of the southern entrance to EBU II
In the case of the second photo, I did not realize that my subject had a snack until after I studied the photo.
Tags: ucsd
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11:58 pm
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Relationships can be challenging.
A complicated relationship can stir up feelings of self doubt in us and leave us defenseless beyond the borders of our comfort zone.
31 May 2008
Note: After some on and off and futile chasing, at last at 22:47 tonight, I heard and saw Boris sing and dance for Borjomi for the first time!
Tags: bulbulicious
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11:07 pm
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Albino Blue Jay
At the Austin Nature and Science Center there lives and has lived for the past 20+ years
an albino (and I do not mean to write leucistic) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). 
24 May 2008
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