Helping Birds of Prey

This handsome bird is a golden eagle, a resident of the Teton Raptor Center near Jackson, WY. The center rehabilitates injured or ill raptors (birds of prey) such as eagles, hawks, falcons and owls. It also conducts an education program to help people learn about these birds and the critical role they play in a healthy environment.

The Horned Puffin

The horned puffin is a small seabird that feeds by diving for fish, squid and crustaceans. The birds are about 8 inches (20 cm) tall, weigh about 18 ounces (500 grams) and have a wingspan of just under 2 feet (58 cm). 

Males and females look the same. Nests are created on rocky cliffs along the coasts of Alaska, Siberia and British Columbia.

Duck in Water

This photo of a solitary duck standing in some not very deep water speaks to me of isolation. There were no other ducks nearby. The placement of the bird isn't what I would have preferred, but I still like the overall impression of the image.

Hungry Bird

Ravens are incredibly intelligent birds, able to open zippers to get at food inside. This Yellowstone raven saw me get a small package of trail mix out of the SUV in which I was traveling and immediately flew to a couple of feet from where I was standing. 

Knowing the problems people cause by feeding wildlife, I didn't share the trail mix with this handsome bird. 

This photo was taken with an 18-135 mm lens as the bird waited on the ground. I like the detail on the face, and the bit of snow in the beak.

Little Green Bee-Eater

The little green bee-eater bird is found in parts of Africa and Asia. This one was photographed in Botswana, in eastern Africa.

It is primarily an insect eater and is about 9 inches long. Bee-eaters catch insects, bees, wasps and ants on the fly. Males and females have the same coloring.

Beautiful Red-Head

This beautiful bird is the red-headed barbet.

It is found in humid highland forests in Costa Rica and Panama, as well as in the Andes in western Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and far northern Peru. These colorful birds eat bananas and other fruits. Only the male has the brilliant red coloring.

This photo was taken in 2016 during a wildlife photography trip to Costa Rica.