The Prothonotary Warbler

Indeed, Prothonotary Warbler is one of the most striking wood-warblers of North America, intrigues and delights those who visit its swampy world. The prothonotary warbler “Protonotaria citrea” belongs to warbler family, the only member of genus Protonotaria. The prothonotary warbler is a small songbird just 13 cm long and weighs 12.5 g. The gorgeous warbler has an olive back with blue-grey wings and tail, vivid yellow underparts, and a long pointed bill with black legs. The immature and female birds are slightly duller along with yellow head; however male bird has bright orange yellow head. It is extremely rare vagrant to western states mainly in California, but habitually it breeds in hardwood swamps in extreme southeastern Ontario and eastern U.S.  

This is the only warbler that nests in natural or artificial cavities, but many times it has used old downy woodpecker holes. Therefore, the male bird often builds various incomplete and unused nests, however female builds the real nest. Normally the nest contains 3 to 7 eggs. Well, the bird is named after prelates in the Roman Catholic church known as the protonotarii, who wore golden robes, and earlier it was famous with golden swamp warbler. 

The Prothonotary warbler likes foraging habitat is dense, woody streams, in low foliage, mainly for insects and snails. The bird call is very simple, but loud rigging sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet. The song of this bird call is a loud, dry chip, like that of a hooded warbler and its flight call is a loud seeep. Though this bird has been studied fairly well in breeding areas, information about effects of habitat loss on migrating and wintering populations is at present lacking and is precarious for future conservation and management of the species. The Prothonotary warbler number is endangered in Canada, and their population is declining due to loss of habitat. However persists in protected environments such as South Carolina’s Francis Beidler Forest currently home to over 2000 pairs. 

These birds are also parasitized by the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), or outcompeted for nest sites by the house wren (Troglodytes aedon). The prothonotary warbler became known in the 1940s as the bird established a connection between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss. Thus, Hiss likes to enjoy bird-watching, and once bragged about seeing a “prothonotary warbler”. Therefore, later on, Hiss testified to the similar incident, causing several members to become convinced of the pair's acquaintance. The birdwatchers don't often get a chance to see this lovely golden swamp warbler unless they’re in the suitable habitat, making the sight of a prothonotary an unforgettable experience. Source: Charismaticplanet.com

The Wilson’ Bird of Paradise

The Wilson’ bird of paradise (cicinnurus respublica) is a species of passerine bird belongs to Paradisaeidae family, lives on the hill and lowland rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta islands in West Papua Indonesia, where it reported to be frequent in suitable habitat. The exotic bird has the unique outlook with striking scarlet, yellow, green and blue plumage, specially, the turquoise dome of Wilson' bird of paradise is hairless. It's just bare skin and two long curved tail feathers also play a vital role in helping the males attract partners. The male bird looks more colorful as compare to females, which has light brown plumage with dark blue dome. The male bird entice to female by clean the leaves or debris to make their own stages in forest. Wilson's bird-of-paradise is small, up to 21 cm long, can reach 6.3 inches in length and 1.8 to 2.2 ounces of weight. The blue bare skin on the crown of the bird's head is so vivid that it is clearly visible by night; the deep scarlet back and velvet green breast are lush, the curlicue tail gleaming bright silver. The bird mating season of Wilson's bird of paradise takes place two times per year: from May to June and in October.

The bird habitually passing from branch to branch on the flat ground by bending their body in different postures, spreading the colorful iridescent plumage and chirping. The male bird shake head lean neck or turn up tail and open their mouths in front of female to entice their partner.  The bird is discovered in 1850 when its courtship dance was recorded by the famous naturalist David Attenborough in the wild. The Wilson's bird-of-paradise diet is consists mainly of fruits, small insects and arthropods. The name "Wilson's bird of paradise" is coined by Napoleon's nephew who described unidentified bird that was purchased by British naturalist Edward Wilson.

Moreover, this is a poorly known species and no population estimates are available. Due to continue habitat loss, this species occurs within a very small range, and is likely to have a moderately small population, the bird is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The rate of decline is not thought to be more rapid as this species apparently persists in selectively logged forest. Hunting for skins may also contribute to the decline. The BBC cameraman David Attenborough first time filmed his unusual behavior in 1996 by dropping leaves on the forest floor, which irritated the bird into clearing them away. With the impressive colorful plumage, Wilson's bird of paradise is considered the world's most beautiful bird. Source: Charismatic Planet

The Marvellous Spatuletail

The nature’s most beautiful bird is The Marvellous Spatuletail “Loddigesia Mirabilis” is just a 15cm long bird. The medium size hummingbird adorned with different colors, white green and bronze with blue crest feathers, and a brilliant turquoise gorget and black line on its white underparts. The bird is sexually dimorphic and only member of the monotypic genus Loddigesia. This bird can be found at the forest edges of Rio Utcubamba region in Peru. This Peruvian endemic bird was first discovered in 1835 by the bird collector Andrew Matthews for George Loddiges, after whom the genus is named. The bird is extremely unique in just having four feathers in its tail. However, male bird is having two long racquet-shaped outer tail feathers that cross each other and end in large violet-blue discs or “spatules”. The breeding season starts from late October to early May, which coincides with rainy season. 

The marvellous spatuletail is unique among birds in having just four feathers in its tail. Its most remarkable feature is the male's two long racquet-shaped outer tail feathers that cross each other and end in large violet-blue discs or "spatules". The marvellous spatuletail bird can move them independently. The population of Marvellous Spatuletail in limited numbers and it is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  The population is estimated to fall between 300 to 1000 mature individuals and equivalent to 375-1,499 individuals in total, rounded here to 350-1,500 individuals. Another threat to this species is hunting by locals, who believe that the male marvellous spatuletail’s heart is an aphrodisiac and this may account for the skewed sex ratio in this species, as adult males are habitually killed with slingshots and so are greatly outnumbered by females and immature males. 

The bird call has been described as a thin, sweet, rising ‘wsst’, however displaying to the female the male marvellous spatuletail produces a snapping sound. The Marvellous Spatuletail has been featured in the PBS TV series Nature and the BBC TV. The BBC camera team was also the first to record the male marvellous spatuletail hummingbird displaying to a female, and his whole mating display from start to finish. The male marvellous spatuletail displays to a female by hovering in front of her, waving his tail feathers. Therefore, the courtship display of the male Marvellous Spatuletail is so energetically demanding that it can only be performed for very short periods. The Marvellous Spatuletail feeds consist on nectar, red-flowered lily, Bomarea formosissima. This is a solitary bird for most of the year, and moves around continually throughout the day, flying through dense thickets faster and with greater maneuverability than other hummingbirds.

Therefore, in 2006 American Bird Conservancy provided support to protect and manage 100 acres of significant habitat for jewel of this bird. They’ve planed more than 30,000 saplings of native trees and bushes to increase the bird’s numbers, which is best of its in Peru. The Marvellous Spatuletail hummingbird is among the rarest and striking of birds and uncommon due to its extreme mating behavior. The bird body size is slightly fluffy ping-pong ball, and beak in the size of matchstick. Source: Charismatic Planet

Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus baglafecht) in Ethiopia by Paul van Giersbergen.

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) courtship dance, in Rajasthan India by Ains Priesty.

Amur Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone incei) family in Malaysia by Lawrence Neo.

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) in New-Mexico, USA by James Ownby.

Amazing close-up of Purple-bibbed Whitetip (Urosticte benjamini) in Ecuador by Larry Gridley.

Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) in California, USA by Chai Dai.

African Golden Weaver (Ploceus subaureus) in Tanzania by Paul van Giersbergen.

African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus) in Uganda by Tadeusz Rosinski.

African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus) by Hugh Chittenden.

A Royal Sunangel Hummingbird (Heliangelus regalis)

A pair of Red-backed Fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus) in Australia by Graeme Toft

Blue-Footed Booby

Blue-footed boobies take great pride due to their marvelous feet. During mating rituals, male birds normally show off their feet to prospective mates with a high stepping strut. The blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) is a marine bird in the family Sulidae, which includes ten species of long-winged seabirds. Therefore the bluer the feet, the mate considered more attractive.  The booby species are thought to take their name from the Spanish word (bobo), means “stupid, clown, and Fool”.  Because the blue-footed booby is clumsy on land regarded as foolish for their apparent fearlessness of humans. Blue feet also indicate the current health condition of a booby, thus, the feet are rapid and honest indicators of a booby's current level of nourishment. The blue feet are signs that reliably point toward the immunological and health condition of a booby, coloration is favored through sexual selection.

These impressively beautiful feet birds live off the western coasts of central and South America.  The Galápagos Islands population includes about half of all breeding pairs of blue-footed boobies. The female bird is somewhat larger than the male and can measure up to 90 cm long with a wingspan of up to 1.5 m. Similar to other boobies the blue-foot nest on land at night. The boobies are flew in search of seafood, may fly far out to sea keeping an eye for schools of small fish in cooperative groups such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and flying fish.  These seabirds are exceptional divers, fold their long wings back around their streamlined bodies and plunge into the water from as high as 24 meters and swimming underwater in search of its prey. Even, they can also dive from a sitting position on the water’s surface. These birds hit the water around 97 km/h and have ability to go to depths of 25 meters below the water surface.

Both sexes start breeding between 1 to 6 years. The blue-footed booby usually lays 1-3 eggs at a time, and they’re very caring to their chicks, use their webbed feet to cover and keep them warm. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs, and the incubation period is falling between 41–45 days. Both male and female birds share parental responsibilities. The male will provide food for the young and chicks feed off the regurgitated fish in the adult's mouth. The boobies’ natural breeding habitats are tropical and subtropical islands of Pacific Ocean. The blue-footed booby wings are brown color, neck and head are light brown with white streaks, belly and underside full white plumage. The boobies’ are having distinctive yellow color eyes with excellent binocular vision.

 The blue-footed booby's hunts singly, in pairs, or in larger flocks. Blue-footed boobies make raucous or polysyllabic grunts or shout and thin whistling noises and their ritual displays are also a form of communication, hence mates can identify each other by their calls. The blue-footed booby population appears to having trouble breeding and thus is slowly declining. The decline is feared to be long-term, but annual data collection is needed for a firm conclusion that this is not a normal fluctuation. Food problems may be the cause of an observed failure of the birds to even try to breed.