The Barred Owl is a large gray-brown owl with dark eyes, a rounded head, and elongated stripes below, and it is widely distributed in the United States and Canada. The Barred Owl’s rich baritone hooting is a characteristic sound in southern swamps, where members of a pair often call back and forth.
Barred Owl
Blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos are the smallest of all boobies. Juveniles are entirely brown or blackish gray, with a black bill, black facial skin, and gray legs. Immatures have patchy underwings without a definite pattern, a white back, a mottled gray-brown head, and red or brownish legs.
Juvenile Blue-footed Boobie
The Double-toothed Kite gets its name from its most distinctive morphological trait: two tomial “teeth” (not visible here), tooth-like emarginations on the cutting edge of the maxilla (upper mandible). A small hawk of tropical forests, mainly in the lowlands, that overall looks a lot like a loosely built Sharp-shinned Hawk. The eyes are a bold, piercing red or deep red-orange.
Double-toothed Kite
The barn owl is a medium-sized nocturnal bird of prey recognized globally by its distinctive white, heart-shaped face, pale golden-buff plumage, and silent flight. It belongs to the family Tytonidae, not the typical true owls.
Barn Owl
The Eurasian Eagle-owl is one of the world’s largest owl species. Native to Europe and Asia, these impressive birds are recognized by their bright orange eyes, prominent feather tufts, and powerful build. Adults can stand nearly 30 inches tall and have wingspans exceeding six feet. Saw this one at Wing Haven in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Eurasian Eagle
It takes a pretty impressive bird to live up to the name “King,” and the King Vulture does not disappoint. The King Vulture is arguably one of the world’s most beautiful vultures. It has a white eye and a red eye ring, an orange-red beak, and a head and neck that are a rainbow of colors, including orange, pink, yellow, purple, grey, and black.
King Vulture
The Lanner Falcon is a powerful, swift, and well-equipped hunter. In addition to long, powerful talons, it has a special notch on its beak called a tomial tooth, like most other falcons. Lanner falcons can reach speeds of 90-100 mph in a dive, making them exceptionally quick hunters, though not as fast as peregrines.
Lanner Falcon
The spectacled owl is a large tropical bird of prey native to the rainforests and lowlands of Central and South America, easily recognized by the striking white feather markings around its bright yellow eyes that resemble a pair of glasses.
Spectacled Owl
Photographed a Toco Toucan looking sideways at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Scotland Neck, North Carolina
Toco Toucan Sideways
The short, thick-necked Western Cattle Egret spends most of its time in fields rather than streams. It forages at the feet of grazing cattle, bobbing its head with each step, or rides on their backs to pick at ticks. Originally from Africa, it reached North America in 1953 and quickly spread across the continent.
Western Cattle Egret
The Toco Toucan is the largest and most recognizable toucan species, famous for its massive, colorful orange-yellow bill. The toucan’s beak looks heavy but is actually light. It is hollow, made of the protein keratin with thin rods of bone for support, and is similar in consistency to a hard sponge.
Photographed this bird at Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck, North Carolina, which features an astonishing variety of birds from around the world.
Toco Toucan Sideways
A bird is actually a type of animal, as all birds belong to the biological kingdom Animalia. Thus, we will post pictures of birds in animal portraits.
Scarlet macaws have very vibrant plumage. Their coloring is suited to life in Central and South American rainforests, with their green canopies and colorful fruits and flowers. The birds boast large, powerful beaks that easily crack nuts and seeds, while their dry, scaly tongues have a bone inside them that makes them an effective tool for tapping into fruits.
Macaw
Along with flowers and plants, there were birds in Fullerton Botanical Garden.
The Egyptian Goose is an odd waterfowl species, with an unusual color pattern highlighted by a reddish-brown eye mask, dark collar, and irregular breast patch. Despite its name, this bird is more like a large duck than a typical goose.
Egyptian Goose
Egyptian Goose Sideways
A mix of ducks and a lonely bird on the tree top at Yorba Linda Regional Park
Ducks at Yorba Linda Regional Park
Lonely Bird at Yorba Linda Regional Park
A ring-billed gull found a fish at Coligny Beach in Hilton Head and was ready to devour it
Ring-billed Gull with Catch at Coligny Beach_
Ring-billed Gull Eating the Fish at Coligny Beach_
Hilton Head Island’s beaches are more than a scenic escape—they’re critical to the island’s identity, economy, and ecology. In order to preserve the beach, an infusion of sand is needed along some of the coast to ensure the sandy shoreline is wide enough for everyone
The beach is a vital habitat for both migratory birds and nesting sea turtles
Birds at Coligny Beach Renourishment Project
The 2025–2026 Hilton Head beach renourishment project was underway in the Coligny Beach area when we visited. The project involves adding 2.1 million cubic yards of sand to counteract erosion, pumping sand 24/7 from offshore to reshape the beach.
Here are images of the equipment and even birds looking for food.
Closure for Coligny Beach Renourishment Project
Coligny Beach Renourishment Project Equipment
Birds with Coligny Beach Renourishment Project Equipment
During a walk on Barony Beach at Hilton Head, we spotted this ring-billed gull enjoying the rays of the sun
Ring-billed Gull at Barony Beach
The Georgia Queen can carry 1,000 passengers on cruises, even a bird!
Bird in front of the Georgia Queen
It was perfect timing to photograph an eagle on top of Forsyth Park Fountain in Savannah, even flappimg the wings
Eagle on the Forsyth Park Fountain
Eagle Flapping Wings
Eagle with Robed Woman on top of Forsyth Park Fountain
Eagle Flapping Wings on the Forsyth Park Fountain