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Common Redpoll


Common Redpoll
Photo Information
Copyright: Mario Belanger (EOSF1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF 100-400 F4-5.6 L IS USM, ISO 200, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1 x
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-10-29 9:52
Viewed: 935
Points: 54
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
A female Common Redpoll captured last winter at -20C!
(Carduelis flammea 13 cm)

From: www.birds.cornell.edu
An abundant breeding bird of the boreal and taiga regions, the Common Redpoll is seen in North America primarily only in the winter. Even then, it generally occurs during irruptions, typically every other year.
Cool Facts
Redpolls have throat pouches for temporarily storing seeds. They may fill their pouches with seeds quickly then fly away to swallow the seeds in a more protected, warmer spot.
Description
Size: 12-14 cm (5-6 in)
Wingspan: 19-22 cm (7-9 in)
Weight: 11-20 g (0.39-0.71 ounces)
A very small finch.
Bill small and conical.
Chin black.
Forehead red.
Body pale brown and streaky.
Wings and tail dark.
Two white wingbars on each wing.
Pink to deep pink wash across chest.
Sex Differences
Male pink on chest and less streaked, female without pink and heavily streaked.
Male
Crown bright red. Chin and lores black. Upperparts dark with pale edges; edges wear off through spring. Wings and tail blackish-brown. Wingbars broad and white. Lower back and rump paler and less streaked than upper back. Rump, cheeks and breast red or pink. Flanks with lines of dark streaks. Undertail coverts usually with dark centers and broad pale edges. Rest of underparts white or buffy.
Female
Similar to male, but darker and streakier. Little or no red, except on crown.
Immature
Immature male resembles adult female.
Similar Species
Pine Siskin more streaked, without red, without black bib. Yellow in wings.
Hoary Redpoll difficult to distinguish, but larger, frostier, with smaller bill and less streaking. Hoary rump white without streaks. Undertail coverts have little to no black markings. Note that Common Redpolls can look similar, and that the streaking on the undertail coverts is often hidden by the white of the overlapping feathers.
Sound
Call is a series of chittering notes with some rising, questioning notes.
Range
Habitat
Breeds in open subarctic coniferous forest and scrub. Avoids dense forests.
Winters in open woodland and scrub, weedy fields, and suburban and urban areas.
Food
Very small seeds, such as birch, willow, alder, grasses, and weeds. Also arthropods in summer.
Behavior
Foraging
Feeds on small branches, often hanging upside down. Uses feet to hold food items. Frequently visits bird feeders, especially thistle feeders.
Reproduction
Not listed as threatened or endangered.
Other Names
Sizerin flammé (French)
Pardillo sizer�n (Spanish)
Jamesp, eqshannon, Evelynn, siggi, techranger, nglen, Juyona, Heaven, angela926, CeltickRanger, maurydv, crs, Kathleen, albert, oanaotilia, cicindela, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Mario,

Another great shot of this bird, last one is already in my favourites, this pne is great as well. Excellent colours, great blurry BG, nice sharp details, perfect composition.

TFS, cheers
Adrian

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494] (16522)
  • [2008-10-29 10:14]

Hi MArio

An excellent capture - wonderful pose with excellent detail and cool colours.

James

I just pointed out to Jane on a short ride yesterday, one of the few Boreal forest type of trees we have here..not many...but then went on about your images and how I came to know so much about the areas of Quebec...Very nice addition Mario..
Bob

Brrrrr...sounds cold! ..and coming again pretty soon too! One has to wonder how these little ones survive. I suppose some do and some don't. It is a lovely photograph. I wonder if the pov had been a little more to the left if the background branch would have been in a better position. I just don't know about that one.

TFS
Evelynn : )

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1370 W: 56 N: 4704] (16174)
  • [2008-10-29 11:02]

Hello Mario
Great capture of the Redpoll, very nicely composed with a superb POV and a lovely pose, the feather detail is sharp and clean, good exposure on the whites and the subject is nicely isolated from the beautiful OOF BG.
Best regards Siggi

Beautiful image Mario... well composed, detailed, great POV... wonderful capture. She looks a bit cold... all fluffed up like that... :)

Larry

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2384 W: 94 N: 5493] (17500)
  • [2008-10-29 11:09]

Hello Mario,
All your bird photos from last winter are so beautiful. In this photo the harmonious colours in the redpoll and BG I like the most. It belongs to one another as a whole.
The photo is superb in EVERY aspect.
Regards,
Peter

This is a beautiful photo, the POV is excellent and the focus is perfect.

Bravo

Gilbert

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2907 W: 34 N: 8619] (32124)
  • [2008-10-29 12:05]

Hi Mario. This Redpole looks cold. From your picture you can see it was snowing when this was taken so you have done a first class job to get such detail and colour. A nice pose on the branch. well done TFS. very good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2261 W: 10 N: 2629] (15559)
  • [2008-10-29 12:08]

Hola Mario,
hermosa captura...
y estupendo retrato y pose,
plumaje y encuadre magnífico,
saludos

  • Great 
  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 808 W: 108 N: 1732] (6042)
  • [2008-10-29 12:48]

Hi Mario!

This is EOSF1 at best! I'm impressed by the technical quality of the picture, but even much more by the little extra that is difficult to describe and that makes it to be an outstanding one. It's the whole expression of the picture, the impact it has that seems to work like the aura of a human being. The bird is not just sitting on its branch, it seems to "speak" to the spectator, has a kind of expression. You are a master in transmitting this feeling.

Kind regards

Markus

Hello my TL friend

You nailed this one. The detail is wonderful. Super exposure on the whites too...

Hi Mario,
I keep my fingers crossed to see that guy again this winter, last year they didn't came in my garden, so sad!
They are beautiful, you captured it so sharp and it looks so shy, lovely.
Thanks and greetings
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Hello Mario,
Fantastic portrait of this adorable fluffy little bird, beautiful colors and light, excellent composition and pov, superb sharpness and depth of field, very nice details in the plummage and lovely catchlight in the eye.
TFS
Angela

salut Mario

très belle photo de ce petit oiseau que je n'ai encore
jamais réussi à photographier (trop loin problème de focus),
j'aime ton image avec l'excellent POV et cadrage,
belle netteté et détails du plumage, TFS

Asbed

Ciao Maurio,
un'altra meravigliosa immagine dal tuo inesauribile archivio, eccellenti POV e DOF, la posa è semplicemente fantastica e come sempre straordinaria la definizione del piumaggio, le tue riprese con il flash in luce mista restituiscono sempre dei magnifici colori dalle tonalità delicate e ricchi di sfumature, stupendo OOF BG.
TFS.
Mario

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 523 W: 0 N: 920] (3543)
  • [2008-10-29 19:29]

Hello Mario,

The bird in your photo has a fine atitude as you have chosen well the moment for taking the photo. Image is very sharp showing well the pattern of plumage. Colors are fine rendered so that a reachness of color tones are visible.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

Hello Mario

Exquisite focus and detail.
The bird looks so relaxed and comfortable in the shot.
Excellent lighting and colours.
The POV is super.
TFS

Wolf

  • Great 
  • efsus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 435 W: 10 N: 729] (3178)
  • [2008-10-30 0:01]

Merhaba Mario,
Bu ne kadar sevimli bğir kuş böyle! Netlik ve kompozisyon harika çıkmış. Detaylar süper olmuş. Eline sağlık.

Hüseyin

Hi Mario.
Stunning image. Lighting, exposure, colour and detail, spot on.
-20c must be so cold for such a small bird, I see it has insulated itself by fluffing up, you show this perfectly in the feather detail.

Kathleen.

Bonjour Mario,
Pauvre petit, il semble figé par le froid ce qui est superbement rendu par ta photo.
Superbe focus et BG
Bien cordialement
Albert

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-10-30 4:30]

A wonderful shot of this cute little Redpoll.
It's amazing these little birds survive in such freezing temperatures!
Very good sharpness.
Excellent composition.
Nice lighting.

Well done Mario,
Joe

O, beautiful Mario.The bird posture, the eyes, the red spot, the colors...everything in this picture are well done.
Regards, Oana

This one looks really cute Mario! You presented this little bird with fantastic pose :) I like free space on the right side of photo (just where the bird is watching :>)
Very good details, sharpness and natural light.
TFS and have a nice weekend!
Radomir

  • Great 
  • iti Gold Star Critiquer [C: 88 W: 0 N: 7] (534)
  • [2008-11-02 7:58]

Hi Mario,
Very nice image.
Perfection.
Regards Jiri.

  • Great 
  • hibou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 216 W: 1 N: 329] (1617)
  • [2008-11-03 16:38]

Salut Mario,
Vraiment superbe, ça nous donne presque envi de voir arriver l'hiver ... Bravo et merci
Donald

Bonsoir Mario,

Ce sizerin flammé sur la branche semble se protéger du froid en gonflant ses plumes. La prise de vue permet de distinguer les détails et les couleurs de l'oiseau. La réflexion de la lumière sur la neige rehausse les couleurs. Bonne soirée.

Pierre

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