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Parson Bird


Parson Bird
Photo Information
Copyright: Pam Russell (coasties) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3770 W: 489 N: 8147] (27980)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-11-14
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM, Digital RAW 400, Hoya UV 77mm
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-11-25 1:25
Viewed: 2459
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Tui are considered to be very intelligent, much like parrots. They also resemble parrots in their ability to clearly imitate human speech, and are known for their noisy, unusual call, different for each individual, that combine bellbird-like notes with clicks, cackles, timber-like creaks and groans, and wheezing sounds—the unusual possession of two voiceboxes enable Tui to perform such a myriad of vocalisations.

Some of the huge range of Tui sounds are beyond the human register. Watching a Tui sing, one can observe gaps in the sound when the beak is agape and throat tufts.

Nectar is the normal diet but fruit and insects are frequently eaten, and pollen and seeds more occasionally. Particularly popular is the New Zealand flax, whose nectar sometimes ferments, resulting in the Tui flying in a fashion that suggests that they might be drunk. Tui are the main pollinators of flax, kowhai, kaka beak and some other plants. Note that the flowers of the three plants mentioned are similar in shape to the Tui's beak—a vivid example of mutualistic coevolution.

Male Tui can be extremely aggressive, chasing all other birds (large and small) from their territory with loud flapping and sounds akin to rude human speech. This is especially true of other Tui when possession of a favoured feeding tree is impinged. Birds will often erect their body feathers in order to appear larger in an attempt to intimidate a rival. They have even been known to mob harriers and magpies. The powered flight of Tui is quite loud as they have developed short wide wings, giving excellent manoeuverability in the dense forest they prefer, but requiring rapid flapping. They can be seen to perform a mating display of rising at speed in a vertical climb in clear air, before stalling and dropping into a powered dive, then repeating. Much of this behaviour is more notable during the breeding season of early spring—September and October. Females alone build nests of twigs, grasses and mosses.

Info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tui_(bird)

IMAGE INFORMATION

Camera: Canon 1D Mk lll
Time of day: 08:27 a.m.
Date: 14th November 2009
Weather conditions: Sunny
Lens: Canon 100-400mm L IS USM
Filter: Hoya 77mm UV
Shutter Speed: 1/400
F-Stop: F/5.6
Focal Length: 400mm
Support: Hand Held
ISO: 400
Original file type: Digital Raw
anel, flashpoint, efsus, manyee, nasokoun, rcrick, meyerd, Bushrat has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Pam.. you've fully captured the beauty of the bird. Sharp .. excellent details.. Good composition.. TFS

Hi Pam
this is a wonderful shot,great clarity and details are superb..
it's a pity that we don't have this specie here..
great work and tfs..

  • Great 
  • joska Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 757 W: 0 N: 3810] (20787)
  • [2009-11-25 4:31]

Beautiful photo, great colors, composition too!

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2597 W: 3 N: 7168] (30643)
  • [2009-11-25 4:35]

Hello Pam,
Happy to see that you are posting again. And this bird, which you have shown us in former pictures, is always very photogenic and mostly well placed in this beautiful vegetation. Very well framed shot, interesting and beautiful posting.
Thanks and kind regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • efsus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 410 W: 11 N: 832] (3781)
  • [2009-11-25 12:53]

Merhaba Pam!
Bu gerçekten çok güzel bir kuş. Üzerinde durduğu bitki de oldukça ilginç ve estetik. Birlikte çok enfes bir kompozisyon ortaya çıkmış. Çok başarılı bir çalışma. Tebrikler.

Hüseyin

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3115 W: 235 N: 6598] (22804)
  • [2009-11-25 17:36]

Hello Pam!
Good to see you again!
This is such a sharp image of the tui.
Love the curly white feathers on the neck,
and all the different subtle colors in his plumage.
The plant with the red flowers make a majestic perch and BG.
I wish I could hear a tui.
TFS. : )

hello Pam
very beautiful scene on the bloomed twig with this background, exceptionally the luminous colors and the details,a great photo!
keep photographing! TFS
Nasos

Hi Pam,

What a stunner, the colours of this Tui are amazing, and you've captured it perfectly, excellent detail in the plumage, your choice of aperture was spot on in isolating it perfectly against the OOF background, and the orange/red flowers really makes this image, just an awesome shot, love it.

All the best, cheers Rick :)

Hi Pam,
what a wonder, this Tui portrait. Not only is this good photography, but even art! I don't have to point out the virtues of the picture, you know exactly what you are doing!

You mention the double syrinx of the birds. Mostly we don't hear it that birds sing with two apparatus ("internal duet"), but in the case of the Tui you apparently can hear it. Interesting. Thanks a lot for this great contribution to TN, Pam.

Best regards
Dietrich

Hi Pam
Great shot of this Tui, it's better than your previous recent Tui post I reckon. This is a better profile and we also get a good look at the flax in flower, the nectar being one of it's favourite foods. The Tui often appears black but here the light is good and we can see the range of colours on the bird, blue/green/turquoise/brown and the white lacework around it's neck. A quintessential Kiwi photo, it's going in my favourites.
Cheers
Alex

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