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Pine Grosbeak


Pine Grosbeak
Photo Information
Copyright: Mario Belanger (EOSF1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1329 W: 107 N: 4791] (21282)
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
Theme(s): More of my Favourite Pictures [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-06-25 15:00
Viewed: 653
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
Another one from the archives, a male Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator 20-25cm) shot last winter.

From: www.birds.cornell.edu
One of the larger members of its family, the Pine Grosbeak is a bird of the boreal forests, found across northern Eurasia and North America, and south into the mountains of western Canada and the United States. A large, unwary finch, it makes periodic winter irruptions into southern Canada and northern United States. It is the largest and rarest of the "winter finches."
Cool Facts
The tameness and slow-moving behavior of the Pine Grosbeak gave rise to local name in Newfoundland of "mope."
Winter flocks may stay near a tree with abundant fruit until all of it is consumed.
Winter irruptions are infrequent and irregular. To see an illustration of the invasion of the winter 1997-98, based on data gathered through BirdSource's Winter Finch Survey, click here.
A breeding adult Pine Grosbeak develops pouches in the floor of its mouth for carrying food to its young.
During most of the year, 99% of diet is vegetable matter, especially buds, seeds, and fruits of spruce, pine, juniper, elm, maple, mountain ash, apple, and crabapple. It feeds insects and spiders to its young, though, often mixed with plant foods. It drinks water or eats snow daily.
Description
topSize: 20-25 cm (8-10 in)
Wingspan: 33 cm (13 in)
Large finch; medium-sized songbird.
Plump, heavy-chested.
Dark wings with two white wingbars.
Large stubby curved bill.
Male red.
Blackish-brown tail and wings.
Tail long and slightly forked.
Eyes black.
Bill dark.
Legs dark.
Sex Differences
Sexually dimorphic: Male with rosy-red head, chest and back, rest gray; females with yellow-olive where male has red.
Male
Pinkish-red head, breast, back and rump. Streaked back. White undertail coverts. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Female
Yellowish olive head and rump. Gray underparts and back. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Immature
Immature male usually is indistinguishable from immature or adult female until the second year when it molts and grows new reddish feathers. Some young males have some red or orange feathers in the body plumage, which females apparently lack. Females average duller than males (especially on the crown and rump) and have a lighter russet tinge to the head or lighter olive tinge to the breast than males. The color of the head and body is often golden orange or reddish bronze in males, in contrast to golden yellow of the female, and the chin is often buffier or more brown-gray than in the female.
Sound
Song is a sequence of clear, warbling, flute-like notes. Flight calls vary geographically, but can sound like "tee-tee-tew," resembling calls of Greater Yellowlegs.
Range
Breeds in subarctic and subalpine coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia.
Winter Range
Winters mainly in breeding range, but may go farther south irregularly to southern Canada and northern United States.
Habitat
Breeds in open coniferous forests.
Wintering areas determined by food availability, so found in wider variety of habitats, including urban areas.
Found in flocks in winter; strongly territorial in breeding season. Distinctive call note often given in flight.
Conservation Status
Status largely unknown because of difficulty of assessing populations.
Other Names
Durbec des sapins (French)
Camachuelo picogrueso (Spanish)
vanderschelden, NinaM, MartinL, jeanpaul, goldyrs, rcrick, crs, Juyona, eqshannon, CeltickRanger, SelenE, MMM, darwin, Argus, angela926, uleko, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Mario,

I see you've went through your archives as well and brought us another one of your excellent shots. Lighting, colors, pose and composition is perfect. The snow isn't that bad looking either, especially on a hot, humid day. TFS.

Best Regards,

Martin

Hello Mario?
This doesn't belong 'in the archives'; you should post this immediately.
TFS
Annick

Bonjour Mario,

Une belle capture hivernale. Les détailles dans le plumage d'oiseau sont fantastiques. Une belle composition et des belles couleurs aussi.
Bravo!

Mircea

  • Great 
  • RP1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 164 W: 1 N: 124] (1970)
  • [2008-06-25 16:10]

Salut Mario,
Une autre de très belle photo de cet oiseau. Les couleurs et la composition est superbe.
Félicitation,
Roger

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 562 W: 0 N: 1371] (4547)
  • [2008-06-25 16:35]

Allo Mario, un autre petit bijou. J'adore ces oiseaux, leur expression, leur beauté, que tu as capturé avec habileté. MErci!

Francine

Bonjour Mario
Une belle capture de ce durbec des sapins. Les détails sont excellents et les couleurs sont superbes. Bien vu!

Merci et au revoir...JP

Excellent shot, MArio!
Very well timed!I love the pose!
Goldy

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 623 W: 42 N: 1145] (3708)
  • [2008-06-25 20:16]

Hi Mario,

A stunning shot of this male Pine Grosbeak, beautiful colours, excellent detail, really well framed and composed, for some reason it reminds me of a Christmas card, just beautiful, t.f.s

Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • martic Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 178 W: 2 N: 144] (1245)
  • [2008-06-25 23:53]

Salut Mario,
Très belle photo de ce gros bec, j'aime bien le BG, belles couleurs et détails, bien vu
amicalement
Jean-Michel

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 269 W: 0 N: 388] (1583)
  • [2008-06-26 1:24]

Hi Mario,

I am alois pleased to see your excelent photos. It is obvious that you are mastering the technique of taking the image as well as using the flash in a constructive way. What is harder for me to understand is how you succede to find the excelend suited backgrounds. Color and pattern in the background are astonishing well suited with the main subject.

Congratulations,
Cristian

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2038 W: 6 N: 2019] (13259)
  • [2008-06-26 4:16]

Hola Mario,
gran captura,
color y definición,
detalles excelentes...
saludos amigo.
Mi web site: www.victorcardoso.es.

  • Great 
  • cako Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 381 W: 0 N: 366] (1966)
  • [2008-06-26 7:13]

Hi Mario
very good sharp and detail
very nice a bird
well done.

Stunning bird Mario, you have been missed... these are just exquisite images... tfs... regards h

Glad to see you back Mario...I know you have been busy with your other imaging of race cars....This is the one which will always top my list after chickadee!
bob

salut Mario

belle image de ce beau oiseau, avec un excellent POV, DOF et cadrage,
excellente netteté et détails de l'oiseau et l'avabnt-plan,
j'aimes ton POV l'oiseau par son dos mais à la fois
sa tête qui est tournée, excellent moment pour cliquer l'image,

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1202 W: 68 N: 2477] (8179)
  • [2008-06-26 10:49]

Hello Mario,
What a great photo from last winter. This shot has a high quality standard. Everything is so beautiful and technically good. Superb!
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1989 W: 5 N: 5528] (20896)
  • [2008-06-26 11:57]

Hi Just got home from work so running a bit late tonight so just a note to say good picture for now. TFS.
Nick.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1683 W: 242 N: 5560] (19685)
  • [2008-06-26 12:52]

Very nice photo of this stunning bird.
The composition is excellent!
Incredibly sharp and clear.
Superb light.

Well done, Mario!

Joe

  • Great 
  • Nilson Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 349 W: 0 N: 293] (2220)
  • [2008-06-26 13:31]

Ola Mario
Bela foto deste pasaaro com cores tão incriveis, você fez um bom trabalho a nitidez ficou otima e a luminosidade muito boa.
Parabens
Nilson

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 751 W: 0 N: 1506] (6872)
  • [2008-06-26 14:57]

Salut Mario
Bon retour
Excelelnte image.Jolie pause et image bien en focus.Les couleurs sont sublime.Bon détails du plumage et jolie couleurs.
Merci et a bientot.
Michel

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 245 W: 0 N: 453] (1710)
  • [2008-06-26 20:29]

Hi Mario
Cool shot with amazing detail and splendid color tones in the feathers also nice catchlite in eye
tfs jon

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2339 W: 59 N: 3778] (12122)
  • [2008-06-27 4:13]

Hi Mario,
It's nice to see photos with a touch of snow when it's so hot in Ankara :o) POV and pose you captured, exposure control and the eye contact look very good. TFS
Best wishes,
Selen

Bold looking bird Mario. You captured it well. I like the even DOF too. Trevor

bonjour mario
c'est toujours excellent et quelles couleurs!!!!!
bravo.
laurent

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2597 W: 133 N: 7441] (23193)
  • [2008-06-28 7:24]

Hello Mario,
A superb capture of a male Pine Grosbeak taken last winter. Technically excellent and I like the POV from the back with its head turned round.
A beautiful image and TFS!
Ivan

Ciao Mario, superb bird with fantastic colors, splendid sharpness and fine details, fascinating composition, very well done, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

Hello Mario,
Great close up, beautiful natural colors, good
clarity and fantastic details in the plummage,
superb sharpness and depth of field, lovely
soft background.
TFS
Angela

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2459 W: 168 N: 7421] (23442)
  • [2008-06-30 3:21]

Hello Mario,
I love the pose of this beautiful Grosbeak showing his head in profile and his beautiful plumage on his back at the same time. Impressive sharp details and striking colours.
A beautiful natural background too.
Many thanks and regards, Ulla

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2008-06-30 5:59]

Hi Mario,
Outstanding shot of this beautiful Pine Grosbeak with such lovely colours, details and sharpness on its plumage. The feeling of winter is quite eminent here. Fantastic pose captured and great handling of light and exposure levels. Excellent DOF, POV and composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

Bonjour Mario,

Le Durbec des sapins sur la branche est impressionnant. L'utilisation du trépied a donné de bons résultats. La prise de vue permet de distinguer les détails et les couleurs du plumage de l'oiseau. L'image est claire et précise. Bponne journée.

Pierre

Pierre

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