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Parrot Crossbill


Parrot Crossbill
Photo Information
Copyright: Paul van Slooten (pvs) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1132 W: 254 N: 2446] (11125)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-01-26
Categories: Birds
Camera: Sony Alfa dSLR A700, Sony 300mm F2.8 G, Digital RAW 400
Exposure: f/4.5, 1/320 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-01-27 0:55
Viewed: 486
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Yesterday a pleasant surprise,during my hike underway to my feeding place in the forest I heard some noise high up in one of the pine trees,when I had a better vision I saw that it was a group of 8 crossbills feeding on the pinecones,I was lucky in way as I saw them transferring to a pine with some lower branches (but still about 5 meters above groundlevel),so maybe I could at last succeed in a capture of this colorfull bird,on the other hand the light was not on its best,but with the use of some fillflash I managed to make a few picture of this swedish parrot (as I later found out,the Parrot crossbill got a thicker bill as the common crossbill),picture is made handheld from about 8 to 10 meters and is cropped a lot anyway I am quite happy with this unusual encounter.

Hope you like it as well,


Parrot Crossbill

The Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.

This bird breeds in the pine forests of northwest Europe and into western Russia. There is also a small population in Scotland, adding to the difficulty of distinguishing it from Common Crossbill and the endemic Scottish Crossbill, both of which breed within its range.

This crossbill is mainly resident, but will erupt south and west if its food source fails. This species will form flocks outside the breeding season, often mixed with other crossbills.

The crossbills are characterised by the mandibles crossing at their tips, which gives the group its English name. They are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation to assist the extraction of the seeds from the cone. The Parrot Crossbill is a specialist feeder on the cones of Scots pine.

Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

This species is difficult to separate from Common and Scottish Crossbills, and plumage distinctions are negligible. The head and bill are larger than in either of the other species. The bill is thicker than those of its relatives, and the crossed tips are often not readily apparent. Extreme care is needed to identify this species. The deeper, harder choop or tyuup call is probably the best indicator.

Some pine-feeding populations currently assigned to Common Crossbill in southern Europe may possibly be better referred to either this species or alternatively to new species in their own right, but as yet, research into them is still at a very early stage.
rousettus, Adanac, cataclysta, Argus, jcoowanitwong, Ena, kjpweb, uleko, boreocypriensis, Alex99, jmp, fiyo, Islander_, jaycee, Bufo has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

good morning Paul,
what a nice capture of this colorful crossbill. You capture very nicely its interesting and lovely looking. Nicely composed. Focus and POV very nice as like coloration and lighting.
Green branches of pine, its characteristic biotop, very nicely framed the photo. good and informative notes. TFS, well done
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1036 W: 1 N: 3970] (13358)
  • [2008-01-27 1:48]

Hello Paul,
Great image with crisp details and lovely colors well captured. I don't believe I have seen this species before so thanks Paul.
Rick

Hi Paul
He is looking very funny, starnge POV. I like natural surronding, good sharpness and nice OOF background
Best wishes
Krzysztof

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2496 W: 132 N: 7098] (22175)
  • [2008-01-27 2:38]

Hello Paul,
Great capture! You managed fine sharpness, and good POV in taking this shot of a Parrot Crossbill and you used flash well to cope with the cloudy sky.
Well done and TFS!
We had a terrible storm yestterday but its seems better today.
Ivan

Hello Paul,
Lovely picture of Parrot crossbill. Good use of fill flash. The image is sharp and well exposed. This is a new species to me. Very well done and tfs.
JC

  • Great 
  • Ena Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 359 W: 61 N: 568] (2327)
  • [2008-01-27 6:03]

Hi Paul,
Very nice shot! Good details and well composed!
TFS
Ena

Cool shot - fill flash did wonders on it. Great and despite flash natural colors as well as great detail! BRavo for a good catch! Cheers, Klaus

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2378 W: 164 N: 7139] (22556)
  • [2008-01-27 7:18]

Hej Paul,
Great capture of this Crossbill among the pine needles! We often see them here down the coast and they're great to watch as they hang around on the pine cones. Very sharp focus and lovely colours. A lovely composition too.
TFS and cheers, Ulla

Hello Paul!
A nice capture of a crossbill with its beatifull colors. TFS friend.
Greetings from Izmir
Bayram

Paul,

Great image,
Love the lighting,
His expression is pleasing,
Very nice,

fototab

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2991 W: 148 N: 4435] (14369)
  • [2008-01-27 9:38]

Hi Paul.
What do you thing about flash use on 8-10 m?
Great picture with amazing scene and impressive quality. Bird and twigs are reproduced excellently. I also like nice BG and perfect cropping. Bravo and kind regards.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2338] (8400)
  • [2008-01-27 10:59]

Hi Paul,
A really nice finding in your hike! Wonderful colours and good details for being capture from such a distance.
TFS,José M.

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 924 W: 5 N: 2244] (8264)
  • [2008-01-27 13:03]

Hello Paul,
Great shot, very good POV and pose. Very well done .TFS..

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 0 N: 635] (2843)
  • [2008-01-27 13:53]

Hi Paul,

Very good use of the flash, you've lightned this parrot crossbill very nicely. I love his expression, nice natural colours also with an excellent capture of the eye! Well done!


Lise

Hi Paul,

I like this photo, but it seems to me that the bird is very far and the details are not as good as they could be. Anyway, it is very nice, good posture, focus, colors and composition!

Eugene

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 507 W: 8 N: 1073] (3964)
  • [2008-01-27 22:05]

Hello Paul,
What a beautiful capture, very attractive bird
great POV and composition.. Well done

Everton

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1687 W: 8 N: 4335] (14097)
  • [2008-01-28 8:13]

Hi Paul,

This parrot and the green leaves make a beautiful picture. I have never seen a Crossbilled Parrot in real life. He looks very majestic in this shot. Lovely colors and good details.

Jane

  • Great 
  • Bufo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 436 W: 72 N: 1007] (4233)
  • [2008-01-30 0:42]

Hoi Paul,
geweldig die grote kruisbekken. Ik heb ze in Nederland maar een keer gezien, meer dan 10 jaar geleden. Al zijn er nu al de hele winter een paar te zien dicht bij de kust.
Een geweldige ontmoeting. Mooi vastgelegd.
Groeten,
JAcob

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1294 W: 104 N: 4595] (20449)
  • [2008-01-30 7:22]

Hello Paul, great bird shot ! I like the pose and the composition. The sharpness is very good and the exposure is perfect, thanks !

Mario

  • Great 
  • Tabib Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 109 W: 5 N: 103] (490)
  • [2008-02-15 1:08]

Hi Paul,

Very nice.
Very good POV and sharp focus of this Parrot.
Cheers,
/Tabib/.

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