Hello everyone! As you’ve likely noticed I have not posted in a while. This is due to a combination of mental health and keys on my keyboard breaking (making me unable to format posts correctly - I am poor and getting a new keyboard or pc is a little bit of a challenge haha) - however I’ve realised I have a, albeit slightly inconvenient, solution for the second issue, so I will be able to begin posting again!

I’m unsure if posts will be consistently daily, however I will work on building up a queue so I can once again bring you fun bird facts!!

Thank you for your support and happy birding!

-BOTD 🦅

Have you seen muscovy ducks before? They live in my area and they're so silley

I have seen captive ones! They're indeed very silley, I love their wacky red faces. All ducks are certified Silly Guys(tm).

P.S. I am sorry for the inconsistency of this blog. I get back into the groove for a bit, then my brain decides it's done again. I apologise.

BOTD: Japanese Robin

^Image credit: Alnus

Japanese Robin (Larvivora akahige)

The Japanese Robin is an abundant species of robin in Japan. Its scientific name means "caterpillar eater", referencing its diet of invertebrates, beetles, milled worms, crickets and other small insects, but also fruits. They are considered omnivorous.

BOTD: Long-Tailed Tit

^Image credit: Francis C. Franklin

Long-Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Despite their name, Long-Tailed Tits aren't actually true Tit birds, rather belonging to a similar genus Aegithalos, the Bushtits. Their nest are elaborately constructed with spider's webs, lichen, feathers, and moss, with over 6000 pieces used for a typical nest. In cold weather, they tend to huddle together for warmth.

BOTD: Blue-Billed Duck

^Image credit: JJ Harrison

Blue-Billed Duck (Oxyura australis)

The Blue-Billed Duck is endemic to Australia, preferring to live in both natural and artificial wetlands. They are almost entirely aquatic, having difficulty walking. They are omnivorous, eating invertebrates as well as the fruit, seeds, and buds of aquatic plants.

BOTD: Lesser Scaup

^Image credit: Basar

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 

The Lesser Scaup (adult female pictured) is extremely visually similar to the Greater Scaup, which it forms a superspecies with. Despite having the largest population of any diving duck species in North America their population has been declining steadily since the mid-1980's, with indications that their breeding success is decreasing, though exactly why remains uncertain.

BOTD: Crested Auklet

^Image credit: F. Deines

Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella)

Crested Auklets have a range of remarkable traits used for mating. These include their crests, loud 'trumpet' calls, and a distinct scent like that of citrus fruit. Crested Auklets with larger crests are more likely to obtain mates.

^Image credit: Lip Kee

Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli)

Rüppell's Vulture, also known as Rüppell's Griffon Vulture (not to be confused with the Griffon Vulture) is considered the world's highest-flying bird, with confirmed evidence of flying at 11,300 meters (37,000 feet) above sea level. They are mainly native to Africa, particularly East Africa and the Sahel region.

BOTD: White-Necked Jacobin

^Image credit: Charles J. Sharp

White-Necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)

The White-Necked Jacobin was first described in 1743 by the English naturalist George Edwards in A Natural History Of Uncommon Birds. He used the name 'white-belly'd huming bird'. It is typically seen high in trees, but flies lower at forest edges and clearings.

BOTD: Antarctic Shag

^Image credit: Liam Quinn

Antarctic Shag (Leucocarbo bransfieldensis)

The Antarctic Shag is the only species of the cormorant family found in the Antarctic. On average, they dive 25 meters (82 feet) to feed on fish, but their maximum dive depth is around 60 meters (196 feet). They are unique in the cormorant family in that they don't need to spread their wings and dry off their feathers after becoming wet.

BOTD: Bermuda Petrel

^Image credit: Richard Crossley

Bermuda Petrel (Pterodroma cahow)

As of making this post, the Bermuda Petrel is the second rarest seabird on the planet. Also known in Bermuda as the Cahow, it was believed to be extinct for 300 years until eighteen nesting pairs were found in 1951. Female Bermuda Petrels lay only one egg per breeding season, with 40-50% of these eggs failing to hatch.

BOTD: Common Ground Dove

^Image credit: MarshBunny

Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina)

The Common Ground Dove typically forages on the ground, feeding on vegetation, seeds, and fruits. They often eat whilst still moving and searching for other food items. There are 17 recognised subspecies of the Common Ground Dove.

BOTD: Black-Crowned Night Heron

^Image credit: Chuck Homler

Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Black-Crowned Night Herons, as their name suggests, are mainly nocturnal, feeding at night or in the early morning. When hunting, they stand still at the water's edge, waiting to ambush prey, which includes a wide variety of aquatic and non-aquatic creatures. They are one of several heron species to have been observed engaging in 'fish baiting', tossing objects into the water to distract fish and striking when they get close.

BOTD: Peregrine Falcon

^Image credit: Ambquinn

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

The Peregrine Falcon is famous for being the fastest animal on the planet, reaching up to 200 mph (320 km/h) during their steep hunting dives. The highest measured diving speed recorded by a Peregrine Falcon is 242 mph (389 km/h). They typically nest on cliff edges, but will also nest on tall buildings in some of its range.

BOTD: California Quail

^Image credit: Jörg Hempel

California Quail (Callipepla californica)

As its name suggests, the California Quail is the state bird of California, a title which was selected in 1931. They are highly sociable birds, gathering in small flocks known as 'coveys'. They commonly engage in communal dust bathing, wriggling and flapping about in small indentations in soft ground that they create with their bellies.

BOTD: Ural Owl

^Image credit: Jyrki Salmi

Ural Owl (Strix uralensis)

The Ural Owl was given its scientific and common names by Peter Simon Pallas in 1771, due to the type specimen having been collected in the Ural Mountains of Russia. It is referred to in various languages by various names, some of which translate to "attacking owl", "long tailed owl", and "goshawk-owl". They are thought to be closely related to Tawny Owls.

BOTD: Red-Breasted Goose

^Image credit: Dick Daniels

Red-Breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis)

Classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, the Red-Breasted Goose gets its scientific name from a Latinised form of Old Norse Brandgás "burnt goose" and Latin rufus "red" and collis "necked". They often nest close to the nests of birds of prey, such as Snowy Owls and Rough-Legged Buzzards, which helps to protect it from mammalians that may predate it such as the Arctic Fox. The closer it is to the bird of prey's nest, the safer it is from being predated, and they rely on these birds for defense.