I spot her at the edge of a forest together with Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus). She moves with quick, precise hops along a concrete sidewalk in the mining town of Carajás, near the city of Parauapebas on the lower Amazon. At first glance, she looks like any other young female Silver-beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo). The… Continue reading Young Silver-beaked Tanager female with a crossbill-like beak
Category: Rare Bird sightings
Specialities
Eurasian Hoopoe feeding the offspring
Anyone who observes a Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) raising its young quickly notices how purposeful these striking birds are in their actions. An adult bird repeatedly returns to the nesting site with a green caterpillar in its beak. At first glance, it almost appears as though it is catching the same type of prey every… Continue reading Eurasian Hoopoe feeding the offspring
Spotted Flycatcher in attack
You’re sitting comfortably in your garden chair, listening to the bustling feeding of the great tits – and suddenly the drama starts. A Spotted Flycatcher darts up, chases the tit away from its nesting box, snarls, barks, and sometimes just flies bows of indignation. This isn’t a hunting scene, it’s not a coincidence – it’s… Continue reading Spotted Flycatcher in attack
Black-winged Stilt Pulli escape to Sheep Pasture
Sometimes it pays to simply stop and observe. On a road near Blankensee, right on the border between the districts of Teltow-Fläming and Potsdam-Mittelmark, I pull over on a slight rise near the Gut Breite estate. Two Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) fly directly toward and over me, calling loudly. To my delight, I spot four… Continue reading Black-winged Stilt Pulli escape to Sheep Pasture
Birding Yelkouan Shearwater in Sicily
The light over the Sicilian coast is even softer in the early morning. And the sea has only just begun to shift its hue from a deeper, metallic gray to an ever-brighter blue. I stand on a rocky headland facing the Isola delle Correnti, scanning the horizon where the boundary between water and sky blurs.… Continue reading Birding Yelkouan Shearwater in Sicily
Notable Bird Migration Along the Pomeranian Coast
On a windy June day along the Pomeranian Baltic coast near Dziwnów (formerly Dievenow), there was suddenly plenty to see. A strong westerly wind was blowing across the sea, and several species of ducks and waders were migrating from east to west along the narrow coastal strip. At first, 8 Northern Shovelers (Spatula clypeata) in… Continue reading Notable Bird Migration Along the Pomeranian Coast
Black-winged Stilt in one of Brandenburgs meadows
Amidst shallow pools, wet meadows, and resting wading birds, two elegant birds with strikingly long, red legs suddenly catch the eye. Wandering along the Ungeheuerwiesen near Trebbin you can perform an extraordinary sighting. A Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is spending time here together with its mate. The scene does not go unnoticed: a Northern Lapwing… Continue reading Black-winged Stilt in one of Brandenburgs meadows
Black Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
The roaring of the cocks can be heard from the edge of village, high on the Ore Mountains ridge. You don’t have to travel far to witness the wild spectacle of Black Grouse on their courtship display. Every spring, before and about two hours after sunrise, something wild happens in Europe’s remaining natural open moorlands.… Continue reading Black Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
Cinnamon Tanager near Garganta del Diablo at Iguazú
We arrive a little after 8:00 a.m. at the small landing stage near Garganta del Diablo. The morning still feels untouched. No visitors, no voices, only the wide murmur of the river and the humid air rising from the forest. A lone Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata) stands on the railing of the walkway, as if… Continue reading Cinnamon Tanager near Garganta del Diablo at Iguazú
Gold-ringed Tanager in Tatamá mountains, a region in Colombia
The first time you notice it, it almost feels unreal. A small bird moves through the subcanopy, and suddenly a flash of gold catches the eye. For a moment it looks like a ray of sunlight caught in feathers. When the bird turns again, the pattern becomes clearer: a dark body, contrasted by striking golden… Continue reading Gold-ringed Tanager in Tatamá mountains, a region in Colombia
Hazel Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
In the spring, as I was wandering with binoculars through species-rich, moist spruce forests near Nové Hamry (Neu Hammer), about 8 km south of the German border near Breitenbach, I suddenly noticed a gentle rustling in the undergrowth. Suddenly, a buzzing sound of takeoff. A brown-gray bird began its flight from an area of low… Continue reading Hazel Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
Bicolored Antvireo: a poorly known species of antbird
I am not expecting it. The morning along the edge of Tatamá National Natural Park in Risaralda is already generous with tanagers and mixed flocks moving through the mid-elevation forest. Then a dark shape shifts quietly inside a dense tangle of bamboo. At first it is just movement and shadow. When the bird turns, the… Continue reading Bicolored Antvireo: a poorly known species of antbird