Wigeon x Mallard hybrid, putative intersex
This presumed hybrid Eurasian Wigeon / Pfeifente (Anas penelope) x Mallard / Stockente (Anas platyrhynchos) has been wintering in Vienna since at least 2012 (there seem to be no sightings from summer, which points to …
Continue readingGreat Tit mimicking calls of Siberian Chiffchaff
While Great Tit / Kohlmeise (Parus major) rather frequently imitates the calls of Common Chiffchaff / Zilpzalp (Phylloscopus collybita collybita) – see recordings here – I’ve not heard it giving a (to my ears) rather …
Continue readingKestrels ground-nesting in a high-density situation
Within a colony-like breeding situation of five pairs, Common Kestrels were breeding on the ground in a wooden shack.
Continue reading„Eye flashing“ in a displaying Woodpigeon
A male Woodpigeon showing rapid dilation and constriction of pupils during courtship.
Continue readingCarrion Crow kills adult Reeve
While Carrion Crows / Aaskrähen (Corvus corone) – as picture-book generalists – are known to feed on a wide variety of things, this was the first time that I witnessed a crow preying on an …
Continue readingA male-like female Reed Bunting
Some female Common Reed Buntings / Rohrammern (Emberiza schoeniclus) approach the visual appearance of males. This is one such bird that initially caused some confusion. But its head is blackish-brown, not black as in males …
Continue readingPlumage variation in female Red-backed Shrikes
Females of Red-backed Shrike / Neuntöter (Lanius collurio) show some variety of plumage features. While the „typical“ female has a brown head and nape with a slight grey tinge and medium (reddish) brown ear coverts, …
Continue readingCommon Moorhens mating
When Common Moorhens / Teichhühner (Gallinula chloropus) mate, the female lies down on her tarsi and arches her neck, looking down to the ground. If the copulation happens in shallow water, this leads to the …
Continue readingOne fish is not enough to take a break
After this Osprey / Fischadler (Pandion haliaetus) had caught a medium-sized fish, it didn’t fly off to eat it. Instead, it repositioned over the water again and continued to hover. In the meantime, the fish …
Continue readingThe winner of the Eastern Marsh Harrier look-alike contest
The plumage of Western Marsh Harriers / Rohrweihen (Circus aeruginosus) can be amazingly variable thanks to different morphs, individual variation and depending on sex and age. Some variation in adult male Western Marsh Harriers: I …
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