"Island" Birds

Here are birds from my 2024 visits to the Columbus Zoo's Australia and the Islands aviary.

Red-billed leiothrix. This bird is something of an obsession because of its nifty wing feathers.

Bali myna

metallic starling

chestnut teal

Luzon bleeding heart dove

Nicobar pigeon

straw-necked ibis

Nicobar pigeon. I couldn't decide which shot I liked more, so I included both.

Victoria crowned pigeon

scarlet-faced liocichla

Victoria Crowned Pigeon Nest

At the Minnesota Zoo in May, a pair of Victoria crowned pigeons worked on a nest.

The gentleman--I assume--delivered a piece of nest material...

and presented it to the lady.

The lady placed it just so.

The gentleman went for more. He flew right by and disappeared on the ground into the foliage behind me.

These birds are the size of a large chicken and are gorgeous. I've posted about the Columbus Zoo's pair.

Victoria crowned pigeon

The Victoria crowned pigeon is not one of my favorite birds, but it can be a great subject.

A Victoria crowned pigeon on its nest (Toledo Zoo).

The following pictures are from the Columbus Zoo.

Interesting legs.

Dorothy (lower) are Teddy are a bonded pair. I have seen them multiple times sort of building a nest on this spot. October 22, 2020.

Teddy brings nest material to Dorothy. Sometimes it's just a long, skinny leaf. He drops it, and it falls to the ground. Here, Dorothy seems to accept a stick, but it will fall, too. January 25, 2021.

They have successfully nested at least once, because this is their son.

The handsome fellow. He was standing as above, and I spotted him from a different angle though a gap in the foliage.

2019 favorites

Of photos I haven't posted, here are some of my favorites of 2019.

Juvenile silvered langur (Columbus Zoo)

Aldabra giant tortoise (Columbus Zoo)

eastern bluebird (Columbus Zoo)

honey bee (wild at the Columbus Zoo)

A 17-year-old western cattle egret (Columbus Zoo)

silver-spotted skipper (wild at the Columbus Zoo)

Twiggy, an African elephant gets a pedicure (Toledo Zoo).

Victoria crowned pigeons (Columbus Zoo)

Asian elephants (Columbus Zoo)

laughing kookaburra (Columbus Zoo)

Lake Erie water snake (grayish) and easterm fox snake (yellow/red and black) (Columbus Zoo)

unknown freshwater fish (Toledo Zoo)

I'm lookin' at you

Watusi cattle (Toledo Zoo)

 

San Esteban chuckwalla

western cattle egret

silvered langur

Reeves's muntjac

king cobra

Florida manatee

Victoria crowned pigeon

dromedary camel

All photos are from the Columbus Zoo except as noted.

Colorful birds

I first called this post "Beautiful birds," but all birds are beautiful. (I'm not fond of European starlings, however.)

red-and-green macaw (Detroit Zoo)

Indian peacock (Detroit Zoo)

These brothers are blue-throated macaws (Toledo Zoo). There's a third that's off-exhibit, and they're named Larry, Curly, and Moe.

coconut lorikeets (Columbus Zoo)

Lannister, a Reeves's pheasant (Columbus Zoo)

Nicobar pigeon (Columbus Zoo)

Victoria crowned pigeon (Cincinnati Zoo)

Superb starlings seem to have jewels on their wings (Columbus Zoo).

There are a number of color variations of Gouldian finches (Toledo Zoo).