Birds

A Mariana Fruit-dove, extinct on Guam, but alive in the San Diego Zoo

(Photo by Dick Daniels, carolinabirds.org via Wikimedia Commons)

The Mariana Fruit-dove—a vibrant creature decorated with what looks like multicolored puffs of spray paint across it chest and crest—is just one bird of many on the forested island of Guam that will never again be spied through a birder’s lens. The pigeon disappeared famously along with many other native birds in the wake of an invasion by brown tree snakes after World War II. Only now are scientists starting to piece together the effects—among them a thinning forest canopy increasingly riddled with holes, like Swiss cheese, the researchers say.

For decades I’ve traveled to southeast Florida with my family. But it wasn’t until a trip two years ago that we discovered Wakodahatchee Wetlands thanks to a friend. Now, every time I’m there, I drag whomever I’m with to the manmade marsh.

This time, it was my mom.

Belugas are born gray and turn white as they mature. Photo: myprins/CC BY-ND 2.0

UPDATE: We've selected the finalists, now it's up to you to choose the winner!

Every week we post a funny animal photo that’s begging for a caption, like this shot of a young beluga and a gull. Join in the fun! You’ve got til 11:59 pm (Eastern time) on Sunday to enter your suggestion (click “Read more” below). On Monday we’ll choose our three favorite captions and list them under the image.

A female Gunnison sage-grouse. Photo by Shell Game/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Like most North American birds, the Gunnison sage-grouse is gearing up for breeding and nesting season. These birds, though, kick things off with a bit more zest than many other species, with a courtship display that is elaborate, unique, and extravagant. The males attract females by calling and strutting around while flapping their wings. But what they’re best known for is inflating two yellow air sacs on their white breasts and making a popping sound. It is one of the bird world’s great spectacles   a true sight to be seen   but it may not exist for long.

Photo: Arno Meintjes/CC BY-NC 2.0

UPDATE 4/8/2013: Thanks for all of the fantastic entries! Our three finalists are below. Cast your vote for the winner.

Every week we post a funny animal photo that’s begging for a caption, like this shot of a southern ground-hornbill. Join in the fun! You’ve got til 11:59 pm (Eastern time) on Sunday to enter your suggestion (click “Read more” below). On Monday we’ll choose our three favorite captions and list them under the image.

Cliff swallows nest under a bridge on US 90 in Louisiana. (Photo by Carol Foil/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Cliff swallows could be the Evel Knievels of the bird world. They have an affinity for living in extreme places—cliffs, buildings, under bridges, in the crevasses of railroad tracks—and they appear to be getting better at cheating death. 

An endangered Swift Parrot (Photo copyright David Stowe)

Ever wondered what a white-bellied cinclodes looked like in full display? Or just how silvery the silvery woodpigeon is? Now, a series of bold images will tell you, as Princeton University Press announces the winners of a photography competition designed to highlight the plight of endangered—and often unknown—birds. 

Seeing birds around New York’s City Madison Square Park isn’t a rare occurrence. What is strange is to spot a five-ton raven. Walk by the park between now and April 21st, however, and that’s precisely what you’ll see.

This is, hands down, the best version of the Harlem Shake we’ve seen. Shout out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for pulling it together. “This is why we think wildlife is amazing,” USFWS writes with the video. “They know how to get down!” We couldn’t agree more.

Photo: Tony Hisgett/CC BY 2.0

UPDATE: Dear readers, we were tickled by your submissions for last week's caption contest. Hence the five, rather than three, finalists. Vote away!

Every week we post a funny animal photo that’s begging for a caption. Join in the fun! You’ve got til 11:59 pm (Eastern time) on Sunday to enter your suggestion (click “Read more” below). On Monday we’ll choose our three favorite captions and list them under the image.