Bird

Macaulay Library’s Greatest Fowl Pictures 2024

6 January 2024
theplutoscience.com

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There are greater than 50 million pictures within the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library archive. Listed below are among the finest from the previous 12 months.

From the Winter 2024 concern of Residing Fowl journal. Subscribe now. When you like this picture essay, you’ll additionally take pleasure in final 12 months’s Better of Macaulay essay.

For our 2024 picture essay we’re celebrating great pictures in 5 themes: the high-speed motion of Thrill of the Chase, a take a look at our avian neighbors with Birds in Constructed Environments, a sampler platter of meals varieties with Feeding Time, spectacular poses in Birds By no means Stop to Amaze, and a peek at among the world’s rarest birds with Uncommon Glimpses. Within the closing part, we are saying thanks to all of the photographers who make the Macaulay Library archive such a uniquely wealthy useful resource.

Thrill of the Chase

As a visible catalog of the life histories of greater than 10,000 avian species, the Macaulay Library comprises dramatic pictures that present a uncommon look into how birds work together with perceived foes—equivalent to an egret jockeying with an elephant seal for area on the seashore—and dependable prey, equivalent to a spring cloud of bugs pierced by a sallying Yellow-rumped Warbler. 

A small yellow bird flies towards a larger brown, beige and greenish bird.A small yellow bird flies towards a larger brown, beige and greenish bird.
A Yellow Thornbill mobs a Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo in Australia. Picture by Martin Anderson / Macaulay Library.
a white, thin bird with a long neck jumps away from a sea lion.a white, thin bird with a long neck jumps away from a sea lion.
A younger elephant seal appears none too happy when a Nice Egret will get too shut. Picture by Roger Zachary / Macaulay Library.
A small black and red bird flies after a large white and russet-orange larger bird.A small black and red bird flies after a large white and russet-orange larger bird.
Pink-winged Blackbirds are fearless when defending their territories—even going after Barn Owls. Picture by Neo Morpheus / Macaulay Library.
A small gray and yellow streaked bird flies through a sky full of insects.A small gray and yellow streaked bird flies through a sky full of insects.
A Yellow-rumped Warbler takes to the sky to chase down insect prey. Picture by Amber Joseph / Macaulay Library.
A blue bird chases another white and iridescent blue bird.A blue bird chases another white and iridescent blue bird.
An Japanese Bluebird chases a Tree Swallow. Picture by Brad Imhoff / Macaulay Library.
A brown and white hawk hovers over a grassland.A brown and white hawk hovers over a grassland.
A Northern Harrier threatens a Better Prairie-Hen (click on hyperlink to see full picture). Picture by Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay Library.
A Parasitic Jaeger (also called Arctic Skua) chases down a Frequent Gull in Norway. Picture by Sylvain Reyt / Macaulay Library.
2 beige and brown streaked birds, one chasing the other.2 beige and brown streaked birds, one chasing the other.
An American Goshawk chases a Nice Horned Owl. Picture by Woody Goss / Macaulay Library.
Two Semipalmated Plovers face off on a Rhode Island seashore. Picture by Kara Zanni / Macaulay Library.
Hundreds of birds fly at sunset over a dark city.Hundreds of birds fly at sunset over a dark city.
Purple Martins fill the sky in Brazos, Texas. Picture by Jonathan Taffet / Macaulay Library.

Birds in Constructed Environments

Macaulay Library pictures present spectacular proof that cities might be filled with birdlife—with pictures of iconic species nesting, roosting, and migrating from Rome to Kathmandu to the grounds of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Photographer Jonathan Taffet captured a picture of Purple Martins swarming above the Texas A&M College campus. “It was an incredible sight to behold,” he says, “much more superb that this was not in some nationwide wildlife refuge or state park, however on a campus traversed by 70,000 college students.” 

The head of a white bird with a yellow bill with an ancient urban background.The head of a white bird with a yellow bill with an ancient urban background.
A Yellow-legged Gull with the domes and rooftops of Rome within the background. Picture by Christoph Moning / Macaulay Library.
A gray bird with spotted neck and shoulders perches on a pipe.A gray bird with spotted neck and shoulders perches on a pipe.
A phenomenal Noticed Dove in Kathmandu, Nepal. Picture by Ian Hearn / Macaulay Library.
large bird flying with beautiful white building in the background.large bird flying with beautiful white building in the background.
A Bar-headed Goose flies with the Taj Mahal within the background (Click on hyperlink to see full picture). Picture by George Armistead / Macaulay Library.
A dark bird speckled with white.A dark bird speckled with white.
A European Starling in Dorset, England. Picture by Steve Kitchen / Macaulay Library.
3 young stripey birds sit on a building ledge.3 young stripey birds sit on a building ledge.
Juvenile Eurasian Kestrels of their city nest in Radešínek, Czech Republic. Picture by Lenka Steuter / Macaulay Library.
A black bird with a red eye in a nest balanced on cables.A black bird with a red eye in a nest balanced on cables.
A trio of cables in Australia is an ideal place for this Spangled Drongo. Picture by Zebedee Muller / Macaulay Library.
A iridescent green hummingbird with a super long bill uses it to gather nectar from a flower.A iridescent green hummingbird with a super long bill uses it to gather nectar from a flower.
A Sword-billed Hummingbird’s spectacular invoice reaches nectar in a flower, in Ecuador. Picture by Jeff Hapeman / Macaulay Library.

Feeding Time

Many Macaulay Library pictures characteristic anxious nestlings awaiting meals or an grownup chowing down, offering scientists with imagery to review hen diets. Photographer Steven Meisel documented the supply of damselflies to Tree Swallow nestlings at a pollinator backyard close to St. Paul, Minnesota. “The dad and mom have been very busy feeding the 2 hatchlings,” he says, “about each 5 minutes.“ 

A close up of a food exchange at a nest cavity between two white and dark indigo birds,A close up of a food exchange at a nest cavity between two white and dark indigo birds,
A Tree Swallow delivers an insect to its cavity nest. Picture by Steven Meisel / Macaulay Library.
A bird sits on the water and gulps down a fish into its giant pouchA bird sits on the water and gulps down a fish into its giant pouch
A Brown Pelican gulps down a fish. Picture by Jill Casperson / Macaulay Library.
A green-gray patterned bird with white facial markings at its nest full of 4 chicks.A green-gray patterned bird with white facial markings at its nest full of 4 chicks.
A Blue-headed Vireo in North Carolina has 4 hungry mouths to feed. Picture by Emilia Deino / Macaulay Library.
A black bird flies towards its chicks and partner with food.A black bird flies towards its chicks and partner with food.
A Black Tern delivers meals to its household in Ontario, Canada. Picture by Josiah Vandenberg / Macaulay Library.
A gray bird with an orange eye holds a large insect in its bill.A gray bird with an orange eye holds a large insect in its bill.
A Tawny Frogmouth in Australia. The photographer reported that it took a number of makes an attempt to swallow its insect snack. Picture by David Ongley / Macaulay Library.
A colorful bird with green, yellow and russet-brown patterns gets ready to grab a butterlfy.A colorful bird with green, yellow and russet-brown patterns gets ready to grab a butterlfy.
European Bee-eater by Andrés Rojas Sánchez / Macaulay Library.
A black bird with white markings sits on the water and gulps down a crustacean.A black bird with white markings sits on the water and gulps down a crustacean.
A White-winged Scoter in Quebec, Canada. Picture by Christian Briand / Macaulay Library.
a blue and brown kingfisher holds a freshly caught fish in its beak.a blue and brown kingfisher holds a freshly caught fish in its beak.
An uncommonly lovely Frequent Kingfisher in India. Picture by Abhijit Mishra/ Macaulay Library.
Four brilliant blue hummingbirds with black heads feed from a red and green plant.Four brilliant blue hummingbirds with black heads feed from a red and green plant.
Velvet-purple Coronets have a candy drink in Ecuador. Picture by Ngoc Sam Thuong Dang / Macaulay Library.
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill in Colombia by Heiler Uribe / Macaulay Library.

Birds By no means Stop to Amaze

Birds typically do the weirdest issues. When photographers are there to catch these uncommon moments—just like the unbelievable interplay of a Dunlin standing atop a Willet—they unlock new details about hen species. Sharing these distinctive pictures with the Macaulay Library helps to construct a sturdy archive of little-known hen behaviors. 

A stripy bird in thick reeds looks at the camera with its bill upwards.A stripy bird in thick reeds looks at the camera with its bill upwards.
Least Bittern by Matt Felperin / Macaulay Library.
Two like-colored beige/brown birds, one perched on the other, look the same but are different sizes.Two like-colored beige/brown birds, one perched on the other, look the same but are different sizes.
A Dunlin finds an ideal perch atop a Willet in California. Picture by Steven Hunter / Macaulay Library.
A green and brown patterned bird with a yellow mandible, opens its impressively curved bill.A green and brown patterned bird with a yellow mandible, opens its impressively curved bill.
White-tipped Sicklebill in Colombia. Picture by Pablo Ortega / Macaulay Library.
A large grey-brown patterned bird with yellow eyes and a crown of feathers looks at the camera.A large grey-brown patterned bird with yellow eyes and a crown of feathers looks at the camera.
A powerful Crested Serpent-Eagle in Bhutan. Picture by David Kirsch / Macaulay Library.
A gray bird puts its head underwaterA gray bird puts its head underwater
An American Dipper in Vancouver, Canada, takes a plunge. Picture by mark daly / Macaulay Library.
A skinny-headed bird with a long, yellow bill, sticks its head out of plant-coated water.A skinny-headed bird with a long, yellow bill, sticks its head out of plant-coated water.
An Australasian Darter in New South Wales, Australia. Picture by David Irving / Macaulay Library.
A brown bird with yellow and white patches and a sharp, curved bill, perches on pink, spikey flowers.A brown bird with yellow and white patches and a sharp, curved bill, perches on pink, spikey flowers.
A Cape Sugarbird in South Africa. Picture by Zach Visagie / Macaulay Library.
A gray bird with a "skirt" of fluffed out gray and white striped feathers.A gray bird with a "skirt" of fluffed out gray and white striped feathers.
A Floor Cuckooshrike shakes it up in Queensland, Australia. Picture by Laurie Ross / Macaulay Library.
A green and yellow parakeet with wings and tail spread against a blue sky.A green and yellow parakeet with wings and tail spread against a blue sky.
A Burrowing Parakeet in San Diego, California. Picture by Marky Mutchler / Macaulay Library.
A bright orange, plump looking bird with a yellow-green head, perches on a branch.A bright orange, plump looking bird with a yellow-green head, perches on a branch.
An Orange Dove in Fiji. Picture by Chris Venetz / Macaulay Library.
A brown and beige owl is patterned just like the tree where it perches.A brown and beige owl is patterned just like the tree where it perches.
A Eurasian Scops-Owl disappears into tree bark in Israel. Picture by Liron Grau / Macaulay Library.
A green bird with a green bill, purple patch behind the eye, and black face markings, starts on a forest floor.A green bird with a green bill, purple patch behind the eye, and black face markings, starts on a forest floor.
A Sumatran Floor-Cuckoo in Indonesia—one in all simply 17 pictures of this species within the Macaulay archive. Picture by JJ Harrison / Macaulay Library.

Uncommon Glimpses

A number of the most prized pictures within the Macaulay Library are pictures of the world’s most reclusive and cryptic birds. Picture documentation places a face to the names of those uncommon and weak species, which helps gas the trigger for his or her safety and conservation. 

A chubby black-brown bird with a sharp bill stands in rocks.A chubby black-brown bird with a sharp bill stands in rocks.
The Inaccessible Island Rail is the smallest flightless hen on this planet. There are solely two pictures of this species within the Macaulay archive. Picture by Brian Gratwicke / Macaulay Library.
A brown-winged bird with a gray head, white chin and yellow abdomen perches on a branch and is almost hidden by the plant's leaves.A brown-winged bird with a gray head, white chin and yellow abdomen perches on a branch and is almost hidden by the plant's leaves.
The Kangean Tit-Babbler is endemic to only one island in Indonesia. Picture by Alex Berryman / Macaulay Library.
A dark hummingbird, with hints of green and blue stands on a plant.A dark hummingbird, with hints of green and blue stands on a plant.
A Black-breasted Puffleg, a critically endangered hummingbird native to a small area of Ecuador. Picture by Andres Vasquez Noboa / Macaulay Library.
An Andaman Crake from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands within the Indian Ocean. Picture by Shakti – Tribesmen.in / Macaulay Library.

Thank You, Photographers

Picture by picture, hen music by hen music, the Macaulay Library has grown due to the gracious contributions of birders all over the world sharing their pictures, sound recordings, and movies. Consequently, the Macaulay Library is a world ornithology useful resource for the world, serving to to additional analysis and conservation.

Yearly, scientific journals publish a whole bunch of analysis papers based mostly on analyses of audio recordings, pictures, and movies from the Macaulay Library. For instance, scientists in Peru used the Macaulay Library to raised perceive the impacts of plastic on seabirds by assessing pictures of birds entangled or trapped in plastic. Their outcomes have been printed final 12 months within the journal Environmental Conservation. Contributions from the worldwide group of birders are making a distinction and bettering our understanding of birds and their environments. None of this is able to be potential with out the generosity and dedication of contributors to the archive.

Under are simply among the greater than 40 photographers featured on this article. From everybody on the Macaulay Library and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, thanks to your time and efforts; we will’t wait to see all that we’ll obtain collectively in 2024.

Jill Casperson, United States.
Man perched on a rocky mountain outcrop.Man perched on a rocky mountain outcrop.
Alex Berryman, United Kingdom.
Man stands on a cliff in a red-rock canyon.Man stands on a cliff in a red-rock canyon.
Brad Imhoff, United States.
Girl with curly hair and hat stands in front of a waterfall.Girl with curly hair and hat stands in front of a waterfall.
Amber Joseph, United States.
Man with glasses smiles at the camera.Man with glasses smiles at the camera.
Steven Meisel, United States.
Young man in the woods.Young man in the woods.
Zebedee Muller, Australia.
Man stands on a forested path.Man stands on a forested path.
Pablo Ortega, Colombia.
Young man with binoculars around his neck.Young man with binoculars around his neck.
Andrés Rojas Sánchez, Spain.
Woman sits on a wooden chair in the woods.Woman sits on a wooden chair in the woods.
Lenka Steuter, Czech Republic.
Young man with binoculars around his neck.Young man with binoculars around his neck.
Jonathan Taffet, United States.
Man in blue shirt with tropical mountains in background.Man in blue shirt with tropical mountains in background.
Heiler Uribe, Colombia.
a person holding a camera stands in a snowy foresta person holding a camera stands in a snowy forest
Josiah Vandenberg, Canada.

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