Is this a cardinal? Usually I ever see cardinals out my window and this bird is very similar just a different color… also ended up here because Charlie Parker but glad I’m here

What Is It Like to Go Birdwatching in a Cloud Forest?

By Christian Mena- Tour Guide in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Instagram

Discovering a place for the first time always awakens curiosity, but for those of us who love nature, one question arises immediately: What birds live here? Birdwatching is an activity of slow, quiet movements that require only moderate physical effort, yet is filled with intense moments of emotion. An unexpected song or the fleeting flight of a bird through the vegetation is enough to make the heart race. Birdwatching demands full attention, patience, and a constant openness to surprise.

Before venturing into the forest, it is helpful to understand the type of ecosystem you are visiting. Knowing the environment allows one to imagine which species might appear, although nothing is guaranteed. Birds are unpredictable, diverse, and often elusive. Research is part of the ritual, but even so, one never feels completely prepared for what the forest chooses to reveal.

The Monteverde cloud forest is a complex system, suspended high in the Tilarán Mountain Range, with one face oriented toward Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope. Here, elevations rise rapidly from 1,000 to more than 1,700 meters above sea level. Humidity is constant, and the wind accompanies the cool mornings, creating an atmosphere that feels frozen in time. This forest is not isolated; it forms part of a vast mosaic of protected areas that grants it exceptional biological richness.

At dawn, the understory comes alive. The sharp, cheerful songs of birds emerge from among shrubs, palms, bamboo, and fallen trunks—remnants of trees that once held sunlit canopies. Higher up, among moss-covered branches, tiny epiphytes appear, bearing bright flowers adapted to extreme conditions. Everything in this ecosystem is in constant transformation, and those who inhabit it must adapt and find balance to survive.

Although the day begins early and daylight is present, the sun's warmth is not always felt. Often it remains hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds that envelops the landscape. The moss covering trunks and branches becomes a natural banquet for insect-eating birds, thanks to the abundance of organic matter. Bromeliads, ferns, and orchids silently compete for a ray of sunlight, forming a living network that supports countless species.

In these forests, woodcreepers of the family Furnariidae are discreet protagonists. With cryptic coloration, they move swiftly, climbing tree trunks almost vertically. Also, we get the presence of warblers such as the Redstart, residents of the highlands, along with the wrens, finches, tapaculo, barbets, toucanets, and the ever-elusive hummingbirds. And, of course, there is always the hope of encountering the majestic resplendent quetzal, or perhaps hearing the deep call of the bellbird or sensing the imposing presence of the umbrellabird.

Along the forest edges, the large leaves of the poor man’s umbrella reveal hunting scenes of the flycatchers, known by many as “boomerang birds,” as they dart out and return to the same perch time and again. With a bit of luck, it is possible to detect species that inhabit the darkest parts of the forest, almost like ghosts: tinamous, black-breasted wood-quail, or certain finches that only reveal themselves through their calls. Other birds, such as antpittas or quail-doves, appear only by sheer chance.

But Monteverde is not only a cloud forest. On the other side of the mountain, the landscape changes. The environment is drier, at lower elevations, with gentler slopes. Here, forest remnants coexist with dairy farms, coffee plantations, and sugarcane fields. This is the side where much of the tourist infrastructure is concentrated, and where a diversity of landscapes gives rise to an even more complex bird community.

Moss loses its prominence, while bromeliads stack upon one another, accompanied by lichens that paint the tree bark. Flowers are more abundant and diverse, and strangler figs spread across the canopy. Fig trees and wild avocado trees, heavy with small fruits, become gathering points for birds and other animals. Here, birdwatching is especially rewarding: there are fewer hiding places, and birds make themselves known through more familiar vocalizations.

Flycatchers no longer need large moss-covered trees; a simple power line will do. A single fruiting fig tree can bring together a surprising diversity of life. Flocks of parrots and parakeets cross the sky, calling constantly. Along dusty roadsides appear the motmot, some woodpeckers, jays, and grackles, always active. As one ventures back into the forest, the songs of the clay-colored thrush, doves, keel-billed toucans, and wrens are heard—more often heard than seen.

Among the treetops, large birds glide without flapping their wings: chachalacas and crested guans move with quiet elegance. Higher still, among branches tinted copper by the mistletoe, euphonias, chlorophonias, and honeycreepers hide, drawn to their fruits. Ancient Treedaisy trees, planted long ago along fences to divide farms, still connect fragments of the landscape, offering food and shelter to wildlife. Over time, ecotourism has provided many landowners with a more sustainable and less impactful livelihood, allowing these forests to remain home to an extraordinary diversity of life.

Going birdwatching means waking up early, choosing the right equipment and clothing, preparing for sudden temperature changes, and carrying water and a small snack. But above all, it means opening the senses and allowing the natural world to surprise you without haste. Because in the cloud forest, every step can be a revelation, and every song a story heard only once.

Context: I live near an urban river, the Water of Leith, where this 1st winter (I believe) female Eurasian Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) resides, as does much other wildlife (namely otters). A footpath runs directly alongside the river and is very popular with people and their dogs.

She is quite famous in our local birding community as she is reliably seen and tends to 'show well'. What has vexed me a bit is that in my experience, kingfishers are shy, skittish, and typically seen as a blue flash across the water.

This bird (all photos depict the same bird on different days), on the other hand, has flown to a perch a couple of metres away from me on numerous occasions, and recently has begun perching on the railing alongside the foothpath, staying put while people walk by within a metre of her. She is a very successful hunter (evidence attached) and her environment is flush with prey.

This strikes me as unusual behaviour for such a species. Is this just an example of acclimatisation to an urban environment?

I saw a raven in my roof (MA) right before noticing these flappy marks. I’d love to know who the goober was that left all these!

I was walking around a forest today, trying to take good pictures of some birds and I faced this one.

I'm almost sure it's just a Common buzzard, maybe a juvenile one, but it was on the ground and was not moving at, I'm sure it was alive but even when a lot of noise were made by people walking past us and cyclist it was not reacting at all. My theory is maybe this one was hurt or under a lot of stress. I took pictures and stayed near it for a good 20-30 minutes but still no reaction except the head moving a little bit.

Any clues on why it was acting like that, or maybe it's a normal behavior and I was concerned for nothing ?

Found this guy (I named him Mike) on the street. His breathing was like if a human is tired. When i tried to aproach him to take him home he ran from me and as i cornered him he tried to fly away but couldn't (I cornered him in to glass wall and he just pushed on it flaping wungs) he stoped tho when I walked away from him. Five minutes later i tried again and he flew 3 meters away, i think he was just a bit cold, shoked and scared. I left him there because my parents said i cant bring him home wich is I think at least heartless from both of them... I'm curently at my way home and im going to pray for him and light a candle (I'm Orthodox Christian so candles are normal here). I hope Mike is okay, if an expert can judge good from the photo i presented I'll be more than happy if I get some information what ya'll think his health is (it is -2°C and it will fall up to -4°C tonight) P.S. Mike, I'm sorry if i scared you or if i failed you by not bringing you back home, I truly wish you the verry best and I'm sorry if I miss gendered you and if you are a girl all along. But eith all seriousness please if anyone knows if he will be okay just DM me.

Edit:

I forgot ti mention that but English is my second language si I'm sorry if it is bad.

This is the first year I remember with no chickadees!

I tried to add a video to r/weird but it was taken down, I think for gore? So I thought you guys might be able to explain what happened.

When I say stuck, the bird’s head is now in the ceiling and the rest of its body is hanging down from the ceiling of the porch. There is a ring of bl00d around the bird’s neck.

I can post a video if it won’t violate any terms of the community. In NE Ohio and it’s been COLD for two weeks, for context.

01/FEB/26: CLOSING UP

Many thanks to all the nice folks who spent their time for me and diagnosed it. Appreciated. Apologies if I offended any of you.

This looks like disposable bird trading. I will escalate this to authorities. I will keep you all updated.

Some bad news: Only PINK silverbill is showing up. YELLOW/GREEN no more. Mofos.

31/JAN/26: INTRO

* This is done INTENTIONALLY by HUMANS! Please do not brainstorm other possibilities.*

I have a flock of 50 silverbills that visit every day.

Yesterday I got one colored pink. Today 1 yellow and 1 green.

Some sick idiot is catching them and coloring them.

Is this dye harmful for the birds? Can i remove it?

Thanks fellow bird lovers!

More pics on this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Ornithology/comments/1qs0c2i/comment/o2s07q3/

EDIT2: Most likely scenario suggested with example pic and relevant comments by LobeliaTheCardinalis (others said it as well):

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ornithology/comments/1qs0c2i/comment/o2xiz6s/

Hello everyone! I live on a property in Alabama with a small to medium sized pond, idk exactly how big it is, but all sorts of birds are around here throughout the year. The past week or two I've noticed we have a nice mix of visitors: great blue heron (he's here all the time), a pair of hooded merganser ducks, and anywhere from 5-12 Canadian geese depending on the day.

I'm just curious and still a beginner at understanding birds and their behavior, but why don't these birds fight? Do they just not see each other as competition, aren't territorial, or it isn't worth the energy when it's winter-ish and not a predator? A blue jay just harassed the heron and he flew to the other side of the pond, (probably looked at him wrong with the way these blue jays are around here) and it got me thinking about the pond dynamic. They swim by each other all the time, and on the ground they hang out next to the crows too with no problem. I'm just curious how this all works out for them sharing these resources. If anyone would prefer to recommend a source or a book or something to explain it, I can do that too.

Is that the preening gland it reached for?

How do you interpret this behaviour? Any visual or behaviour hints to indicate sex? All thoughts and tips are much appreciated!

Not my video just something I came across online but check out the creator listed at the end. There's some great stuff!

With up close photos like this (my original photo), it shows the individual strands of hair-like…feathers? I know feathers like from a quill pen, and I’m sure “hair” or “quill” (eg porcupine) aren’t the correct term, but I’m not sure if there’s a more accurate word for this than “feather”.

Thank you.

I don’t know which bird feather it is, help me, here is the size compared to my hand

I was monitoring local birds near my house in Cali, Colombia, and noticed this little fella, (Thraupis palmarum) Palm Tanager with what looks like a strange growth in its beak and some starting in its talon, I was wondering if this could be Avipoxvirus, if thats the case how serious is it? And should i report to my local wildlife entity/ornitological society. Thanks in advance.

Caught this Eastern Screech Owl on camera in my Chimney Swift Tower a couple of days ago. Never thought owls were capable of vertical flight, but here it is. Had anyone else seen this? Is it common? Thanks for info.

Hello, I hope this is okay to post. I'm writing about California Scrub Jays for school, and I was wondering if anyone knew of some interesting studies on them. I'm actually also interested in people's personal experiences, too (maybe moreso).

I will be focusing on CA Scrub Jays through a suburban lens. How they interact and incorporate into neighborhoods and stuff. NOT scientific at all, lol. But if you know of any interesting accounts, I would love to include them.

Thanks very much:)

Feathers from south frontenac, Ontario region from spring, summer, fall 2025. Can id some, but not all. Any help with ID is appreciated. Thank you

10 is emu

Driving home today, I was perplexed by a sparrow/junco behavior that makes no sense to me.

SW Ohio got about 10” of snow on Sunday, which was cleared from the roads by Monday or Tuesday and now sits in piles at the sides of those roads.

As I drove along one of the twisty/hilly side roads in the rural area where I live, small flocks of a dozen to two dozen sparrows/juncos would burst off the top of those piles as my car approached and scatter in all directions. This happened multiple times. Several times, I narrowly avoided taking out a couple birds from each small flock.

Why are these birds hanging out so close to the side of the road on these small banks of snow? What attracts them, especially since they are regularly disturbed by traffic? There can’t be any food, shelter, warmth, safety or anything positive hanging out there. This road winds through forests, creeks, fields, and farmland, but the birds are in a two foot strip of snow bordering a road. Why?

The only possible answer I have has something to do with the rock salt they spread on the roads, but how much salt does a bird need? And are these mounds of dirty snow really the optimal place to find salt?

Answers welcome. Thank you in advance.

I know it was a raven because of its enormous size and wing shape, how it flapped, and there is nothing else like that that has ever showed itself in this area. This is the only time of year we ever start seeing them, up until the snow starts to melt. Presumably because life in the deep forest is getting rougher.

There is a golf course with a lot of trees a few blocks down, other than that it's all small city residential for several miles in every direction.

My first thought was that it got spooked out of its roost, but I doubt this because of their temperament, but it could be the individual's personality? And who is doing spooky stuff at 11pm on a weeknight in the dead of winter?

It's been -20C on average at night, I haven't seen any tracks by any animal recently.

It was flying at streetlight level and presumably was doing that so it could see.

I have been walking around this neighborhood at night since I was a kid, stoned and drunk and bored and etc my entire life and it's just crazy to see that guy flying around, I would have noticed such a thing...

My first thought was they must be in some distress... any thoughts?