Birds in Gir

While lions are the main attraction in Gir National Park, India, there are also a lot of birds. Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher is an attractive medium-sized flycatcher with blue upperparts and orange-and-white underparts, with the most orange on the chest and the throat. Spotted Dove is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent.

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher
Spotted Dove

Costa Rica Birds – Tanagers

Incredibly, well over 900 species of birds have been seen in Costa Rica. Many look exotic and even better, many are common and easy to see! Some of the more beautiful of those exotic Costa Rica birds are the tanagers. Small and brightly colored, they frequent a wide array of habitats and several can be seen in hotel gardens as they feed in fruiting trees and bushes. 

Costa Rica Birds – Tanagers

A Red-wattled Lapwing

Spotted a red-wattled lapwing at our resort in Gujarat, India. The red-wattled lapwing is an Asian lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. 

Red-wattled Lapwing Stepping Up
Red-wattled Lapwing Balanced

Tadoba – Birds

The existence of River Andhari inside the Tadoba National Park in India gives way to a wide diversity of water birds, and raptors. There are approximately 195 species of birds that have been recorded in the park, including three endangered species, including the grey-headed fish eagle, the crested serpent eagle, and the changeable hawk-eagle. Not a big bird watcher, but captured some bird images in the park.

Facing Away
Bird Silhouette
Indian Black Ibis

Santa Monica State Beach

Located just west of Downtown Los Angeles, the 3.5 mile Santa Monica beach is an iconic example of the famed beautiful beaches of Southern California. 

Clouds Over the Ocean

The beach sign below has cutouts for the umbrella and the birds so that the colors change depending upon the shade of the sky in the background.

Cutout Beach Sign

King Vulture

The King Vulture is an uncommon, large, and spectacular bird of lowland tropical forest, mainly in wilder areas and not around human habitation. Most often seen soaring overhead in mid-late morning, often fairly high up; rarely seen perched. Striking adult has a colorful head and neck, piercing white eyes, and mostly white plumage with a black trailing edge to the wings and tail. Here is a captive, perched vulture at Carolina Raptor Center, North Carolina.

King Vulture 

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings.

Some bald eagles in captivity at Carolina Raptor Center, Huntersville, North Carolina.

Bald Eagle Posing

Bald Eagle

Eurasian Eagle Owl

The Eurasian eagle-owl is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Eurasia. It is one of the largest species of owl, and females can grow to a total length of 30 inches, with a wingspan of 6 ft. 2 in, with males being slightly smaller. This bird has distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish coloring and tawny. The wings and tail are barred and the underparts are a variably hued buff, streaked with darker coloring.

Here is a male Eurasian eagle-owl at the Carolina Raptor Center, North Carolina.

Eurasian Eagle Owl Male

Eurasian Eagle Owl Male Piercing Eyes

Eyes of the Lanner Falcon

Outstandingly maneuverable, Lanner Falcons use their large tails and relatively low wing loading to perform exceptionally to the lure and can take a range of small birds as prey. The piercing eyes of a Lanner Falcon at the Carolina Raptor Center, North Carolina.

Eyes of a Lanner Falcon Male

Lanner Falcon Male Closeup

Lanner Falcon

The Lanner Falcon is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and Asia and is a bird of open country and savanna. Males and females look alike, but the browner young birds resemble Saker Falcons even more. However, Sakers have a lighter top of the head and less clear head-side patterns. Here is a male Lanner Falcon in captivity at Carolina Raptor Center, North Carolina.

Lanner Falcon Male Perched on a Rock

Tethered Lanner Falcon Male