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 s*xy 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.

27/02/2020

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 s*xes.

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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.

02/12/2019

They targeted birders.

BIRDERS.

We’re a group of people who will trek for hours, days, even weeks in some of Earth’s harshest, most miserable environments. All for nothing more than a chance we might add a bird to our life list.

We’ll punish ourselves by driving for hours only to stand on hilltops in the New England winter which may or may not have snowy owls, because we think it’s fun.

Many of us have made careers out of just these things: Relentlessly pursuing, studying, and cataloging the avian world, going to the same sites over and over again, to the point where we know every detail of our local birds to the point where some have obtained birder nirvana that they can literally identify birds blindfolded.

Do these people have any idea how many afternoons wasted, binoculars broken, and money spent trying to expand our life lists? Only for all of this to be referred to as bragging rights?

These anti-conservationists honestly think this is a battle they can win? They try to pretend they care about birds hit by wind turbines? Try to push the blame away from the impacts of the highly destructive fossil fuels they celebrate? Birders aren’t shy about making our voices heard, or even writing ourselves. They think bombarding us with nonsensical lies and concern trolling is going to stop us? We deal with anti-scientific nonsense whenever we argue with feral cat apologists. They picked a fight against a group that’s already fine-tuned to spot details, fabrications, and birds where they do not belong. Who enjoy seeping through streams of information to find the bigger picture. Who take it as a challenge when someone says their favorite fossil fuel project won’t hurt birds. Our obsession with unveiling the complexities of the natural world after telling us they are “just birds” is so deeply ingrained from years of dealing with dismissive friends and relatives laughing at how “pathetic” our hobby is that proving anti-conservationists wrong has become a very real need; a honed reflex.

Birders are competitive, hard core, by nature. We love a challenge. The worst thing you did in all of this was to challenge us. You’re not special, you’re not original, you’re not the first; this is just another Big Day.

(This post is only half joking. Birders do need to rise up, but probably not with joker memes.)

25/10/2019

Childhood By Nature
We bring you the ideas. Nature does the rest.
child birding
From building critical observation skills to connecting with nature, birding is an often overlooked but amazingly rewarding hobby. A year-round activity, birding is an excellent family activity that will bring rewards for years to come. Here are just a few of the many reasons to start your child on birding.

Birding helps kids tune in to nature

To find birds, you have to listen. You have to look, first for sudden movements, and then focus in on the bird to look for distinguishing marks, colors, behavior. In essence, you have to tune in to nature to be a birder. Tuning in to the sights, smells and sounds of nature is beneficial for your child from improving attention and focus abilities to sensory processing function. But it doesn't always come easily. Patience is key to a quality experience of tuning in to nature. And what child couldn't use a little more work at developing patience?

Build powers of observation and develops attention to details

There are about 10,500 species of birds in the world. Some are of course ubiquitous and easy to identify like a robin. But believe us, birding can be as much of a challenge as you make it. Many species look almost identical, perhaps a faint eyering distinguishes the species from other species. Characteristics like color, markings, size, shape, calls, songs, behaviors are all critical to bird ID. Even within a single species of bird, plumage will change depending on the season, s*x and stage of development. The key—being a good observer and paying close attention to details, both in the field guide (or ID cards) and in nature.

Birding doesn’t require lots of equipment

Forget expensive skis or mountain bikes. To go birding, a simple pair of binoculars and a decent reference book or card is all you need. As your child gets more interested and experienced, they might want to upgrade their binoculars or get a spotting scope.

Bird identification books, or field guides, list birds by region and help you tell ID birds with physical characteristics, calls, songs, maps of seasonal bird territory and preferred habitat.Bird Guides are considered the "bible" for many birders, though there are many excellent alternatives.

But even an ID book isn't critical initially as there are a host of websites and online resources such as this excellent online guide from Audubon with you need to know the birds in your area. Also, it's becoming more common for nature-friendly libraries to lend out bird watching kits with binoculars and bird guides so you might want to start there first.

Birds are always around us (& often taken for granted)

From your backyard to parks in Kenya or salt flats in Coastline, birds live there! Almost any habitat has a variety of birds. Birds are always around us, yet most kids (and adults) never “see” them. Sure, they might know a sparrow or a pigeon. But there are nearly 1100 species of birds in Kenya 10%, 10,500 species of birds in the world. City dwellers don’t get a free “clueless” pass. Nairobi Natonal park in the city, 400 species of birds. Which is a birding hotspot as it’s a flyover zone for birds.

You can head out to see birds any season of the year

No matter where you are or what season, birds are probably right outside your door. Even in the dead of cold weather or dry look outside and see birds like sparrows, starlings, doves depending on where you live. Birding is a year-round activity. You can head out to see warblers in the winter head out to see raptor in T-savos migration , owls at night, shorebirds in the coastal Kenya, etc etc etc. A highlight of birding is, of course, Octember -April Migration, events that move billions of migrants around North America alone. Experiencing migration with your kids can open up endless inquiries as it is truly fascinating. How do birds navigate to the same spot each year? How do small birds like warblers make it across continents?

Birds are disappearing

These are critical times for birds. Not enough attention is given to the astounding fact that humans are decimating populations of birds due to the way we live on this planet. A new large-scale study shows that bird populations in Kenya are undergoing massive and unsustainable declines. The populations of more than 75 percent of songbirds and other birds that rely on agricultural habitat in Kenya have significantly declined since 2000. The culprit: the world's most widely large scale Farming.

Kids need to know what’s in their backyard

When you know the species in your own backyard, or neighborhood park or forest, you’re more likely to feel a connection to nature. Yet, oddly, many Kenya children know the animals of the big Five, but not the birds in their neighborhood.

Birding is not easy but it is incredibly rewarding when you learn more species and know what you're looking at in nature. It's also crucial for the future of our earth. If we raise a generation of birders who care about the fate of birds, who appreciate their innate beauty and their rightful place on our planet, we might move toward being a more caring and careful society. But only if we can "see" the birds around us.

Morelife birding & safaris
Nature for Kids.

04/10/2019

Birds Exploring Story

Rollers get their name from their impressive courtship flight, a fast, shallow dive from considerable elevation with a rolling or fast rocking motion, accompanied by loud raucous calls. ... The Lilac Breasted Roller will perch on a dead tree, surveying the area for prey

How many colors does the lilac breasted roller have?

The lilac-breasted roller could have just as easily been called the “rainbow roller.” They have around 8 colors; green, white, black, yellow, turquoise, dark blue, reddish brown, and of course lilac. That is one colorful bird!

03/10/2019

Learn the “Language of the Birds”
　　The cries of birds are multivariate and complicate. They are important methods for birds to communicate with one another. The cries of birds can be classified into two types, i.e. “chirping” and “singing”. Birds' chirping is rather simple but it means a lot. Birds chirp to indicate danger, warning and communication. Both male and female birds can chirp. The singing of birds is quite sweet and agreeable, often with a melodious tone. In most case, male birds will sing in mating seasons. It's the signal of a male bird to seek for spouse after occupying a territory.

　　It’s quite interesting to listen to the chirping of birds. Attention must be paid to the syllables and changes of the chirping when listening. People should judge whether the chirping is in single syllable or in plural syllables；whether it is in a continuously repeated tone or in varied tones； and whether it is rather course or is refined. People should also judge whether the chirping is like whistling or the friction sound of metals? If the chirping of birds is accompanied with concords, it will be more beneficial for people to recognize and to memorize them. The chirping of cuckoo is like “bugu”；the chirping of hawk cuckoo is like“beibeilou” or“cuiguya”； small cuckoo's chirping is like“youqian dajiu hehe”, while the chirping . Attention should also be paid to the reaction of birds while listening to their chirping. So to speak, the chirping for their communication can let all birds of the same kind gather together； while the warning chirping will make the birds disband and fly away in no time. If you often observe their chirping, you’ll get to know their language and become an expert in understanding birds.

23/08/2019

It’s thought that tail wagging in birds may help flush out insects, or act as a signal, either to others in the group, maybe as a dominance display, or to potential predators (“I’m alert: you won’t catch me”). Evidence from other tail-wagging species supports each hypothesis, but in wagtails specifically it’s unclear. Recent observations support the idea of it being a predator signal, which seems reasonable.

21/08/2019

Bird conservation is a field in the science of conservation biology related to threatened birds. Humans have had a profound effect on many bird species. Over one hundred species have gone extinct in historical times, although the most dramatic human-caused extinctions occurred in the Pacific Ocean as humans colonised the islands of Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia, during which an estimated 750-1800 species of bird became extinct.[1] According to Worldwatch Institute, many bird populations are currently declining worldwide, with 1,200 species facing extinction in the next century.[2] The biggest cited reason surrounds habitat loss.[3] Other threats include overhunting, accidental mortality due to structural collisions, long-line fishing bycatch, pollution, competition and predation by pet cats,[4] oil spills and pesticide use and climate change. Governments, along with numerous conservation charities, work to protect birds in various ways, including legislation, preserving and restoring bird habitat, and establishing captive populations for reintroductions.

See Late Quaternary prehistoric birds for birds which disappeared in prehistoric and early historic times, usually due to human activity (i.e., starting with the Upper Paleolithic Revolution). For birds having gone extinct in modern times (since 1500),

13/08/2019

It ran alongside other more conventional treatments – medication, counselling and mindfulness all helped – but the introduction of birdwatching as a form of self-care was the one consistent change that helped me to find stability. The consistency and stability of nature and its myriad patterns gave me some focus. The natural environments I became interested in offered me the time and space to reflect, not to mention the benefits of being outside. I reached out to people with similar interests, made friends and learned from them. The opportunities to gain and embed knowledge seemed endless: weather patterns, feather markings, suitable habitats and bird migration became topics of interest. Topics to escape into.

It is the escapism that any immersive hobby can give us that I found so beneficial to my wellbeing. No matter how difficult things are, I can always stop at my local patch and allow it to overtake my senses and cleanse my mind. The heath in spring is pure multisensory enchantment; the tropical scent of coconut gorse wafts in the warming air, yellow and lurid, the flowers seem to glow in the vernal sunshine. Skylarks serenade from above, each scattering their springtime melody, skittering and bubbling, over the arid landscape. Removing all the complications and expectations of our hectic lives to reveal this innate connection with the land has been a revelation.

I wrote in my book Bird Therapy that “birds are consistent in a way that people rarely are” and I stand by this. Too often, we are let down by those we believe care about us, but I know that if I look out of my kitchen window, my garden bird community will still be there. I also know that during spring, our returning breeding birds will travel across desert and ocean to sit on the hawthorn bush in front of me and stake out their territories with their warbled song. And that’s just magic.

•In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international su***de helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

Welcome toBefrienders WorldwideProviding emotional support to prevent su***de worldwide.We listen to and help people without judging them. Latest News!     Befrienders Worldwide October 2018 Newsletter - Click Here   Further details of BW's European Regional Conference at Vilnuis in June 2018 - ...