#marky mutchler

[sitting-on-me-bum]

An eastern black rail, among the most elusive birds a biologist can study, walks through marsh grass.

Photograph by Marky Mutchler, Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab

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Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor), male, family Cardinalidae, order Passeriformes, Arizona, USA

photograph by Marky Mutchler

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[2550/11080] Collared inca - Coeligena torquata

Order: Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds) Family: Trochilidae (hummingbirds) Subfamily: Lesbiinae

Photo credit: Marky Mutchler via Macaulay Library

[cypherdecypher]

Animal of the Day!

Lucifer Sheartail (Calothorax lucifer)

(Photo by Marky Mutchler)

Conservation Status- Least Concern

Habitat- Southwestern United States, Northern Mexico

Size (Weight/Length)- 10 cm

Diet- Nectar; Insects

Cool Facts- The lucifer sheartail hummingbird is an expert of the arid desert. They contribute to pollination of agave plants and desert wildflowers as they seek out nectar. Males are highly territorial and chase off birds several times larger than themselves. During the breeding season, male lucifer sheartails put on a dazzling display. They hover several dozen meters above the ground and then dive at full velocity, their tail making a distinct snapping noise. The female raises the chicks by herself, incubating the eggs for only 15 days. The chicks fledge in a little under a month and set off to find their own territory full of flowers.

Rating- 13/10 (Named for being ‘light-bearing’.)

[battle-of-the-birds]

Remember to read about the contestants before voting!

Southern Cassowary

Everyone has heard tales of the Southern Cassowary. With long, gut-wrenching claws and an aggressive and territorial demeanor, the Cassowary is a very scary bird. However, their diet mainly consists of fallen fruit, and there actually are only two reported human deaths caused by cassowaries (one of these humans was trying to beat it to death with a stick). They also mainly attack or charge because of expecting food from humans after being fed by them for a while. Learn More!

American Robin

Don’t be fooled by the American Robin, these guys are also little hunters. They don’t eat many fruits or berries, only eating them when necessary. Instead, they stalk and pounce on their prefered prey: earthworms. The common Robin behavior of running along the ground, stopping, and stretching out its head is the Robin hunting it’s next catch. They stop, look, and maybe even listen. They are mainly sight based predators, looking for movement of the earthworms. They are also possibly listening too, tilting their head to hear better. Learn More!

(Southern Cassowary photo by Luke Shelley) (American Robin photo by Marky Mutchler)

[flight-freeze-frame]

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

© Marky Mutchler

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[2829/11080] Crowned chat-tyrant - Silvicultrix frontalis

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Tyranni Family: Tyrannidae (tyrant flycatchers)

Photo credit: Marky Mutchler via Macaulay Library

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[2088/11056] Caribbean martin - Progne dominicensis

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Passeri Superfamily: Sylvioidea Family: Hirundinidae (swallows, martins and saw-wings)

Photo credit: Marky Mutchler via Macaulay Library

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[1682/10977] Broad-winged hawk - Buteo platypterus

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae

Photo credit: Marky Mutchler via Macaulay Library

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[1691/10977] Bronze-olive pygmy tyrant - Pseudotriccus pelzelni

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Tyranni Family: Tyrannidae (tyrant flycatchers)

Photo credit: Marky Mutchler via Macaulay Library

[battle-of-the-birds]

Remember to read about the contestants before voting!

Herring Gull

A menace of the skies, the Herring Gull lies in wait as you eat delicious fries… only to snatch it right out of your hands. A scavenger that has highly adapted to the presence of us humans, the Herring Gull is resourceful. They even have special glands above their eyes to extract salt from salt water, allowing them to drink sea water when fresh water is scarce. They will also pant to cool off. Learn More!

Green Heron

The Green Heron has been shown to bait the water, waiting for a tastey fish to swim up. They will use bread, feathers, and insects to entice their meal to the surface. Then, they strike! Although they usually hunt on the shores, sometimes a heron will dive into the water to catch deeper prey! Learn More!

(Herring Gull photo by Gates DuPont) (Green Heron photo by Marky Mutchler)

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[181/10,977] American Gray Flycatcher - Empidonax wrightii

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Tyranni Family: Tyrannidae (tyrant flycatchers)

Photo credit: Marky Mutchler via Macaulay Library