A large, dark nectar feeder endemic to New Zealand. Easily distinguished by two curled white feather tufts (“poi”) visible on the throat. Tail and wings have blue, purple, and green iridescence. Found throughout much of New Zealand, including Auckland, Kermadec, and Chatham Islands, though mostly absent from Canterbury. Favors native forest and scrub, also venturing into suburban parks, farmland, and rural gardens. Often detected by its unique voice consisting of melodious notes intermixed with croaks, coughs, clicks, and wheezes. Also listen for its noisy whirring flight. Similar to male Eurasian Blackbird, but easily identified by its white throat feathers and iridescence. Song can be easily confused with that of a bellbird, but listen for distinct loud coughs, grunts, and wheezes in Tui song. (eBird)
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we were thrilled to see this beautiful endemic bird on our first day in New Zealand. He was busy preening in the sunlight, which really showed off his colours. The Tui was a constant presence throughout our tour, usually heard rather than seen.
Auckland Domain, Auckland, New Zealand. February 2024.
Tags: Auckland New Zealand Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Canon EOS R6 Meliphagidae Adult Least Concern Endemic
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We have finished our New Zealand birding trip and are going home via Singapore and Dubai. We’ll be in Singapore for eight days, exploring the city and its birds. Singapore is 8500km from Auckland, New Zealand and it takes 10 hours to make the trip. We arrived early evening after being awake for 23 hours. We had a quick beer while admiring the sunset before hitting the sack for some much needed sleep. Lots more photos to come.
Changi Village, Singapore. March 2024.
Tags: Singapore iPhone 13 mini
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Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as 3,724 metres (12,218 feet). It sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers. Aoraki / Mount Cook consists of three summits: from south to north, the Low Peak (3,593 m or 11,788 ft), the Middle Peak (3,717 m or 12,195 ft) and the High Peak. The summits lie slightly south and east of the main divide of the Southern Alps, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier to the southwest. Mount Cook is ranked 10th in the world by topographic isolation. (Wikipedia)
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We have just six days left of our amazing New Zealand birding trip. Fabulous birds, beautiful scenery. Today we visited Mount Cook. Our guide tells us that it is only the second time he has seen these mountains so clearly. Usually they are hidden by the clouds.
Mount Cook, New Zealand. March 2024.
Roadrunner Birding Tours.
Tags: New Zealand iPhone 13 mini Roadrunner Birding Tours
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We arrived in Auckland, New Zealand yesterday for a 25 day birding trip. Today is our “emergency” day (an extra day in case of flight delays). Since the trip was on time, we had time to visit the Auckland Domain - a huge park with a museum, sport fields and many wonderful trails. We found 18 species of birds, including four lifers. A fabulous start to the trip. The birding begins in earnest tomorrow.
Auckland, New Zealand. February 2024.
Tags: New Zealand iPhone 13 mini
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Squat-looking bird with short legs and low-profile body. Adults are mostly sandy-brown with white belly, sometimes with blurry streaks on sides of breast. Look for bold head pattern, especially black mask and chest band. Throat color varies from yellow to white. Namesake horns on head are sometimes visible at close range. Juveniles can be confusing; they are messy-looking, grayish-brown with bold white spots and scallops on the upperparts. Note bill shape to help separate from sparrows or longspurs. Widespread in open habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Typically seen in flocks, sometimes mixed in with other open-ground songbirds, running along the ground in open areas with little to no vegetation. Listen for lovely jumbled song, as well as variable high-pitched calls when flying over. (eBird)
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Another closeup of the Horned Lark on snow. A few of the large flock stayed on the roadside, even as I got out of the car to take photos. The rest joined the Snow Buntings nearer to the grain silos on the farm.
Navan, Ontario, Canada. January 2024.
Tags: Canada Ontario Ottawa Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Canon EOS R6 Adult Basic Alaudidae Least Concern
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