Bronze ravens created by Christine Kosiba sit on large rocks on Main Street, Brevard, near the Times Arcade Alley. The birds are native to high elevations in Western North Carolina.
Bird Sculptures on Rocks
Closeup of Bird Sculpture
An owl sculpture – Little Hoot, by William Locke, at the Sculpture Celebration in Lenoir, North Carolina
Little Hoot – by William Locke
Interesting, colorful art in the foreground with water fountains and ducks in the background at the Sculpture Celebration at Broyhill Walking Park in Lenoir, North Carolina
Colorful Art at Broyhill Park
Birds sculpted in metal are artistic too at the Annual Sculpture Celebration in Lenoir, North Carolina.
Metal Bird
Even birds are nestled (as the sculpture below is named) on a metal art piece at the Sculpture Celebration in Lenoir, NC
Nestled – by Scott Harris
We end the series of bird images from Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Neck, North Carolina. The scarlet macaw is one of the most impressive birds ever, with their vibrant feathers full of rainbow colors. It is the national bird of Honduras.
Sylvan Heights is home to some of the world’s rarest waterfowl breeding populations. In some cases, fewer than 250 individuals of these species remain in the wild, and the collaborative captive breeding programs here may be their last barrier against extinction.
We hope you enjoyed images of unique birds!
Macaw Profile
Macaw Closeup
The scarlet macaw can be found from southern Mexico to Peru, as well as Bolivia, eastern Brazil, and the island of Trinidad. It prefers to spend its time in tall, deciduous trees in forests and near rivers, usually in large, noisy groups. Here is a scarlet macaw posing differently at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
Poses of Scarlet Macaw
The Victoria crowned pigeon is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, a maroon breast, and red irises. It is part of a genus of four unique, very large, ground-dwelling pigeons native to the New Guinea region, and it is the largest extant species of pigeon. Here is a beautiful one at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
Victoria Crowned Pigeon Closeup
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
This is a large parrot, at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, with long tail feathers, mainly blue and yellow. The forehead is green, the upper part of the body brilliant blue, and the sides of the neck and body golden yellow. These macaws also have black around the chin and cheeks, and the naked skin of the cheeks is pinkish-white with lines of very small, isolated black feathers. Macaws are often monogamous, remaining bonded for life. They are usually seen flying in large flocks, and the bonded pairs fly close together, their wings nearly touching.
The blue-eared pheasant is a large pheasant endemic to China. Although rare, it is regarded as the least concerning species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is a large gray terrestrial bird with an elegantly frilly tail. Its bright red face and upswept white facial plumes (“ears”) are unique in its range—this one at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
Blue-eared Pheasant
The South Georgia pintail, also misleadingly known as the South Georgian teal, is the nominate subspecies of the yellow-billed pintail. South Georgia pintails are omnivorous and feed by foraging along shores, diving for shrimp or clams, and sometimes feeding on the carcasses of small animals like seals. Here is one trying to hide in a log hole at the Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
South Georgia Pintail
The lesser flamingo is a tall, large-bodied bird with a long neck and small head. Most flamingos, including this species, have pale pink plumage, legs, and bills. This species has a highly specialized diet consisting almost entirely of microscopic blue-green algae and benthic diatoms found only in alkaline lakes, salt pans, saline lagoons, and estuaries. Here is one reaching for water at Sylvan Heights Bird Park and creating reflections in the water.
Lesser Flamingo Reaching for Water
A Lesser Flamingo and a Scarlet Ibis are side by side at the Sylvan Heights Bird Park
Birds of a Different Kind
Reflections of American Flamingoes at the entrance of Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Scotland, North Carolina.
Rippling Reflections of American Flamingos
Reflections of American Flamingos
The rhinoceros hornbill is a large species of forest hornbill. In captivity, it can live for up to 35 years. It is found in lowland and montane, tropical and subtropical climates, and in mountain rainforests up to 1,400 metres in Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and southern Thailand.
Here is a close-up of one in Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
Rhinoceros Hornbill
The Cape Barren Goose, at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, is a very large, pale grey goose with a relatively small head. Its stubby triangular bill is almost concealed by a very prominent greenish-yellow cere (skin above the bill). It has rows of large dark spots in lines across the scapulars (shoulders) and wing coverts. The legs are pink to deep red and the feet black.
Cape Barren Goose
Flamingos spend about 15% to 30% of their time during the day preening. This is a large percentage compared to waterfowl, which preen only about 10% of the time. Flamingos preen with their bills. An oil gland near the base of the tail secretes oil that the flamingo distributes throughout its feathers.
Here is a Lesser Flamingo preening at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
Lesser Flamingo Grooming
The Lesser Flamingo, at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, is a tall, large-bodied bird with a long neck and small head. Most flamingos, including this species, have pale pink plumage, legs, and bills. The lesser flamingo is one of the smallest and brightest of the flamingos. The smallest of the Flamingo species is the Lesser Flamingo. This native of India, Southern Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa can live for over 50 years in the wild.
Lesser Flamingo
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The masked lapwing is a large, familiar, and conspicuous bird native to Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea. It spends most of its time on the ground searching for food such as insects and worms, and has several distinctive calls.
This is one at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
Masked Lapwing with Open Mouth
Masked Lapwing
Male peacocks, also known as peafowl, are easily recognizable by their vibrant blue or green plumage and long, ornate tail feathers, also known as trains. This long tail is a key feature for courtship displays to attract peahens (female peacocks). The term “peacock” refers to the male bird, while the female is a peahen, and the whole group is called peafowl.
Here is one looking away at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
Peafowl