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African crowned crane III


African crowned crane III
Photo Information
Copyright: Farid Radjouh (ridfa) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 89 W: 0 N: 375] (4094)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-09-23
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark II, Canon 600 mm f/4 L IS USM, Compact Flash Card
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Gruiformes (Turnalar, Crane-like) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-09-07 13:42
Viewed: 1201
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Two long and robust legs hold up this superb bird with the head crowned with gold. From time to time one of them raises the head and hits the ground a few seconds later. This strange exercise is in reality a hunting technique. The crowned crane uses it to force the insects hidden in the grass to come out of their retreats. The beak that extends the small round head crowned with golden feathers is short and straight. It can swiftly swallow the poor grasshopper who thought it could find safety in fleeing.
Relatively common in South Africa, the crowned cranes live in pairs or in families. At night they return, sometimes by the hundreds, to the humid areas to sleep, protected against the dangers from the big carnivores of the savannah. It is usually in the middle of some marshland, sometime in a tree, that the crowned crane build its nest. The latter is quite large, as it can attain 1.25 meters in diameter, and it is made of reed laced with fine grass. The female lays two or three eggs which will be incubated by the couple over a period of about thirty days. If during the first few days the parents feed the hatchlings, the young ones can leave the nest and feed themselves in short order. They will be able to fly at a little more than three months. The populations of crowned cranes are shrinking more and more. In fact many marshlands have been drained and are dried up. Deprived of their food sources and nesting sites, the birds are disappearing from the South African sky.
This photo was taken at the Amboseli Park where these magnificent birds gather in the meantime.
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-09-07 21:45]

Bonsoir ami,
J'aime beaucoup cette photographie, les couleurs sont bien contrastée et la lumière est splendide. Je suis toujours fasciné par la netteté de vos photographies, Merci du partage.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3091 W: 234 N: 5896] (19880)
  • [2005-09-08 1:50]

Salut, Farid. I like this shot even better than the last one. The position of their heads offers a better view, and the colors and the sharpness on their tail feathers are just splendid. Merci du partage. : )

  • Great 
  • sway Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 316 W: 88 N: 308] (1212)
  • [2005-09-08 2:52]

HI Farid,
Nice photo. Great note.
The front bird almost looks like it has two heads.
Great details on the birds.
Focus great
Composition great.
Well done
:)

Superb shot Farid!
These are really beautiful birds and you've captured them very well.
I like the composition and POV very much. Lighting and details are good as well.
Overall, very interesting shot.
WELL DONE & TFS

Hi Farid

Sorry, short on time tonight to write proper critique.
Great shot, Well done. TFS.

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