Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) near Harlingen, South TX, USA. No matter how many times one sees it, giant pink birds taking off is always a thrill.
photo by M. Fuller
Blue Bellied Roller
What are the tubes on seabirds for?
function of the tubes on Procellariiformes
as you may or may not have noticed several species of seabirds like albatrosses, petrels, fulmars and shearwaters all have tubes on their bills called narnicorns. These tubes earned the order their name tubenoses but what function do they serve? It turns out that these tubes help the birds remove salt from their systems by forming a saline solution which is either dripped or ejected through the nostril. Procellariiformes also have a tubular nasal passage which helps the birds smell prey in the open ocean.
Cool! I remember learning that in Ornithology class, but I totally forgot since then.
(via rhamphotheca)
Just a big Peter Aurisch appreciation post.
Amazing!
Peter Aurisch is one of my favorite artists!!
(via bearstation)
rufous hummingbird
(photos by turk images)
