Morelife Birding & Safaris

01/09/2020

This is an introduction to the World of Birds, discussing their key characteristics and exciting facts. Enjoy this talk where Washington Wachira explains his...

27/03/2020

white-backed vulture?
The white-backed vulture is the most common and widespread vulture in sub-Saharan Africa. It is recognizable by its dark-brown face, long, white neck, and of course, a white backside that can only be seen when the bird is in flight. Its wings, which are white on top and brown on the bottom, can reach a span of up to 7.5 feet. Its mostly bald head helps the white-backed vulture regulate its body temperature during hot days and cool nights, as well as stay clean while it eats because feathers can trap germs.

This large scavenger is vital to its ecosystem. It only feeds on carrion—the carcasses of dead animals—and, by eating flesh before it rots, the vulture prevents dangerous bacteria and viruses from growing on decomposing carcasses. Its stomach acids also neutralize pathogens, which limits the risk of spreading diseases to humans and other animals. By picking carcasses clean so quickly, vultures also suppress insect populations that are linked with eye diseases.

20/03/2020

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Laysan Albatross courting pair on Midway Atoll. Photo: Enrique R. Aguirre/Alamy

News

10 Outrageous Ways Birds Dance to Impress Their Mates

Nature has way better moves than the Funky Chicken.

By Hannah WatersSenior Associate Editor, Audubon magazine

February 14, 2019

Some people are simply born to dance—and the same goes for birds. Many species, once grown, find themselves overcome with a primal urge to bust a move.
Some male birds gather in leks, not unlike nightclubs, to dance in a group and invite curiosity from nearby females. Others perform feats of strength and endurance to prove their value. And in some species, males and females dance together to form a pair bond while putting on a show.

Without further ado, here we present a sampling of the best bird mating dances out there. Watch, learn, and maybe even take a few notes.

Laysan Albatross

At around three years old, young Laysan Albatross return to their birthplace to start learning the ways of courtship. Deep in their bones they know the dance moves needed to woo a mate, but they haven’t yet developed their talent. At first, young birds gather in small groups to practice. As the years go on, those groups grow smaller, until finally the confident birds are ready for their big finale: a partnered dance. A new Laysan Albatross pair works hard to perfect their dance, combining stock moves like the “sky snap,” “rapid bill clapper,” and “bob strut” into a sequence unique to that couple. Only then will the birds lay their first egg, typically at age eight or nine.

Red-capped Manakin

In Central American forests, male Red-capped Manakins keep their wings tucked and heads down to draw a female’s gaze to their brilliant yellow thighs—and fancy footwork. The birds slide and glide along a branch as if living in a frictionless world, hopping and pivoting to change direction, all to catch the eye of a female with exceptionally high standards. Their pièce de résistance? A moonwalk that rivals Michael Jackson's.

Magnificent Riflebird

The Magnificent Riflebird, one of about 40 bird-of-paradise species, isn’t afraid to let loose on the . . . tree branch. He stretches his elegant black wings and then dramatically whips his head from side to side to display his blue iridescent throat. But don’t think that he wants to dance with the object of his affection; no, if a female approaches, he will continue dancing on his own, flicking his wings more strenuously while hopping toward her. Then, the choice is hers: to copulate with him and then raise the brood by herself, or wait for a better show.
The Magnificent Riflebird isn't the only bird-of-paradise with exceptional dance skills. Take a gander at the Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise sliding around with a bright blue frown.

Costa’s Hummingbird

A male Costa’s Hummingbird is better named Squidface. He begins flirting by swooping and diving over his perched crush, and twists his body acrobatically in the air. That takes a lot of energy and strength—but it’s not enough to impress her. Then, he flexes muscles in his face, and his gleaming magenta feathers flare out. When the sun’s rays hit them at just the right angle (from the female’s perspective), he hardly looks like a bird, and more like a Cthulhu with wings.

Blue-footed B***y

At first, you might mistake the male Blue-footed B***y for a demure romantic. He begins his dance by shyly drawing attention to his feet. He might also give the object of his affection a bow, or tickle her with his beak. But then, once both are warmed up, he brings out the big guns: He rotates his shoulders so his stretched long, dark wings frame his face, all while stepping delicately to remind her about those sexy blue feet. If he’s lucky, she’ll slow step right along.

Western and Clark's Grebes

If you’re looking for elegance in the bird world, you can’t do much better than Western or Clark's Grebes. In both closely related species, courtship begins with one bird mirroring the other’s movements, twisting and bowing their long necks behind them. And then, when the moment is right, they take the leap: Like ballerinas wearing pointe shoes, they rise fully out of the water, running side by side on the water’s surface with their wings stretched behind them. Their dance is both a feat of strength and a transcendent spectacle. (You can see examples of both species in the video shown here.)
If you prefer tango to ballet (or even if you don't like either), definitely also check out the bonkers mating display of the Hooded Grebe.

Sandhill Crane

The dance of the Sandhill Crane is iconic, and also extremely awkward. The male begins by doing all he can to attract attention—stretching his wings behind him, bending his neck backward toward his body, and even throwing grass or clumps of dirt into the air. Once he’s caught a female’s eye, the pair begin their gangly dance. They exchange bows and then leap into the air and flap their wings, sometimes completing a 180-degree mid-air turn. It might not seem very romantic, but then again, we aren’t cranes. Who are we to judge?

Jackson’s Widowbird

Jackson’s Widowbirds, which live in Kenya and Tanzania, keep it simple when proving their worth with a good old-fashioned jumping competition. The males, sleek in shiny black feathers and brandishing a long, luxurious tail, gather in a field. Then, they jump as high as they can and for as long as they can. The winner of this endurance test can expect attention from mottled brown females watching nearby.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse are the tap dancers of the bird world. At dawn, males gather in a group and begin their show: They rise up—with wings outstretched, heads bowed down, and tails up—expand their purple air sacs, and rapidly stamp their feet. They almost look like wind-up toys as they move forward, backward, and in circles, accompanied by the mechanical patter of their feet pounding the earth.
Love these moves? Learn more about the behaviors of the Sharp-tailed Grouse by downloading the free Audubon Bird Guide app.

Greater Sage-Grouse

What is there to say about the dance of the male Greater Sage-Grouse? It must be seen to be believed. The enormous chicken-relatives sport a regal look, with a spiked tail fan, frilly cravat of bright white feathers, and abundant chest displayed proudly. Then, just when sunrise hits the lek, they perform what’s known as a “strutting display:” The birds heave their chests forward to expand a pair of bright yellow esophageal air sacs (sometimes crudely called “chesticles”), generating a bizarre sound known as a “plop” that resounds for miles. That way, females know just where to find it.

12/03/2020

6 ways travelling professionals can cut their carbon footprint

How to traverse the planet while doing it the least harm
We can all take steps to reduce the environmental impact of our work-related travels.

Individual actions - like the six described here - can cumulatively help prompt more collective changes, but it helps to prioritise by impact.

As the saying goes: be the change you want to see in the world.

For those who, like us, operate in work environments that demand significant amounts of travel, the toll it can take on both their health and the planet is significant - but eco-conscious professionals concerned about their environmental footprint can take tangible and impactful steps to reduce it while they are on the road.
This is how 'flight-shaming' has affected travel

The gateway to carbon pricing? Air pollution policy

Here are six ways we recommend you get started, in order from the easiest to implement to the most environmentally impactful:

1) Travel with trust: When looking for a place to stay, look for accommodations that utilize various sustainability standards. This may include facilities that use renewable energies or are a part of coalitions such as We Mean Business that are striving to reduce waste in all aspects of their operations. Use the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s list of trusted standards used in different countries as a guide.

2) Travel light: Just like at home, travelling is an opportunity to think carefully about what you consume and how. Minimize your use of the mini toiletries at your hotel (most of which are being phased out since they are single-use, non-recyclable plastics). Reduce your overall water footprint by opting for “green choice” programs to reuse your towels and sheets during your stay. Better yet, leave a note saying you would like to see more package-free, sustainable purchasing in all of the hotel’s operations! Take a step further by reducing or eliminating your own waste by bringing your own items, like a reusable coffee cup, water bottle and other utensils. (Foldable cups, bottles and utensils are ideal for most business baggage and are a great way to impress clients and colleagues.) More impactfully, change your dietary choices by opting for red meat-free or plant-based meals.

3) Travel small: Whether flying, on the ground, or in your room, small is generally better. If you must fly, get better carbon savings by staying in economy. If you can’t take a train or bus and need to take a car (taxi, ride-hailing, or otherwise) opt to pool, and look for a small hybrid, or ideally an electric vehicle (EV).

4) Travel slowly: Avoiding air travel all together is an impactful way to reduce your carbon emissions. Compared to most of our European counterparts, those of us in North America have a hard time getting a good train or bus; but Amtrak, VIA Rail, regional transit and bus services are improving and, throughout the world, many of these options are readily available. “Slow travel” is gaining traction around the world and offers opportunities to travel not only with lower emissions, but more comfortably, too.
5) Travel regeneratively: Concepts like carbon offsetting can be complex, but the principle behind them is simple: if we cannot avoid certain negative impacts in what we do, we must always search for ways to mitigate those impacts. To be fair, there are many valid and varied critiques of carbon offsets and other mechanisms like them. However, so long as air travel and other environmentally significant travel are options that cannot be avoided, negotiate with your employer to purchase carbon offsets as a meaningful way to help repair some of the damage we inflict while doing sometimes unavoidable work.

6) Travel carefully: The most important decision that someone who travels for work can make is whether or not they need to travel at all. Telecommuting isn’t always ideal, but the energy associated with travel — particularly for high-income or high-ranking professionals — is immense and one has to really be able to make a clear rationale for why a particular trip matters. Use carbon calculators and have a clear sense of the metrics you’re measured on, as to how this trip can contribute (or not) to your work.

26/02/2020

31/12/2019

Hello all thank for your support in 2019 ,l wish a great New year 2020

How Birds See The World Compared To Humans
BY ANASTASIA ARELLANO

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Have you ever wondered what animals’ vision must be like? I used to ponder that concept often as a kid. And the science community has too, although their recent scientific research into the question “how do animals see?” has yielded some amazing results – we are now privy to a whole world of vision diversity across the animal kingdom. For example, did you know that a dragonfly’s brain works so fast that it sees movements in slow motion? Also, snakes pick up on infrared heat signals from warm objects, thus being able to detect prey. Horses and zebras both have eyes pointed sideways, which enables them to have peripheral vision and escape danger. While insects have compound eyes that are made up of thousands of tiny lenses that look like a honeycomb.

Isn’t nature just so cool? Well, to add to the visual diversity, there really is no better stand out than the vision of birds. While you may think to yourself “why? What’s so special about their vision?” let me just show you. It’s actually pretty cool.

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Normally speaking, birds are pretty bizarre creatures when you start learning more about them. For example, penguins only have two taste ranges: salty and sour. And the Palila birds – native species to Hawaii – only eat the seeds of the māmane plant, which contain a level of toxins that could easily kill any other small animal. There’s also the fact that pigeons, of all animals on Earth, are believed to be the best at color detection and are often employed in search and rescue missions. While the various types of birds all have their own unique specialties and superpowers, there is one thing that they all have in common: eyesight that is far superior to most human vision.

In the graphic, you can see the comparison of the human spectral range to that of a bird’s. Birds are what are known as tetrachromats, meaning they see four colors: UV, blue, green and red. By comparison, we humans are trichromats and can only see three colors: blue, green, red. Keep in mind, that the magenta UV “color” that we see is a “false color” since it had to be made visible to us humans for the demonstration. In nature, the definition of UV light is having no color.

Photo: Klaus Schmitt

Joe Smith, an ornithologist, explains that birds have the amazing ability to see a whole spectrum of colors, which are invisible to humans. In 2007, scientists, along with the assistance of a spectrophotometer, analyzed the colors of 166 North American songbird species, specifically looking at the ones who didn’t have an apparent physical difference between the sexes.

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From a human’s perspective, in 92 percent of species, both the males and females look alike. However, during the study it was showed that these birds actually have colors, which are undetectable to the human eye, that they can see in order to differentiate between their genders.

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Photo: Reddit / ThatKidWithHerpes

For example, the male Yellow-breasted Chat has a yellow breast that we can see – however in the bird world, both rivals and potential mates can also see ultraviolet feathers on his chest, and that is what sets him apart from the female Yellow-breasted Chats. The theory was proven again during another study where scientists placed taxidermied male and female Chats out in the wild in order to see how their living counterparts would react. Males stayed true to their territorial nature and attacked the stuffed male Chats while trying to win over the taxidermied females. This proved that the birds were clearly seeing something within the feather colors that the scientists couldn’t see.