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The Flamboyant Sun Conure


The Flamboyant Sun Conure
Photo Information
Copyright: Anna Eksteen (Miss_Piggy) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2285 W: 5 N: 5300] (18714)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-12-26
Categories: Birds
Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC H9, Digital ISO 160
Exposure: f/4.5, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2009-02-19 17:15
Viewed: 54744
Favorites: 3 [view]
Points: 114
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Sun Conure / Aratinga solstitialis

Today’s posting is something totally different from my usual insects or wildlife photos I have been posting lately. This specific bird has been featured a few times on the gallery, but it remains a beautiful bird with vividly coloured feathers and a great eye-catcher in any bird park, and therefore I would like to share it with you.

We visited the Umfolozi Bird Park the day after Christmas, where we spent the most of the day admiring and photographing a variety of birds which we never would have had the opportunity to see in real life. The flamboyant Sun Concure was one of them.

I must admit, although it was great to see and photograph all these brightly coloured and beautiful birds it does not create the same kind of thrill that one get when you visit a game reserve such as the Kruger National Park. The fact that I am short also hindered me a lot as I constantly caught the connection of the wires that fastened the cages together in my eye sight.

General Overview
In the wild Sun Conures are friendly, peaceful birds and seldom fight with each other. They live together in groups of 20 or more birds, even during the mating season, and feed on various seeds, fruits, and insects.

Sun Conures are approximately 12 inches in length, including their long tail. Their body build is slender, and their feathers are bright, iridescent shades of orange, blue, yellow and green. Unlike some other species which have definite coloration patterns, these birds sometimes have a combination of these colors over almost any part of their bodies.

Youngsters tend to have feathers which are predominantly green, while older birds sport more of the yellow or reddish-orange. This change of feather colouring from green to the brighter oranges, tints of gold and yellows is most noticeable on the back, abdomen and head of the bird as it matures. General plumage is yellow and green while the cheeks, forehead, and abdomen and down to the lower back are tinged with bright fiery orange. The outer webs of the primary flight feathers are a deep blue while the primaries are bright green; the secondary are also green. The upper side of the tail is coloured an olive-green with blue tips; the under tail-coverts are green with a marked yellow tinge; the median and greater upper wing-coverts are green with yellow edging. All of these colours become brighter and more vivid as the bird matures, with some birds sporting almost totally yellow tones in their body color. The beak and feet are both black.

Babies will be a mix of dark green, yellow and orange colors. Over a period of about 6-8 months, the darker green feathers will be molted out and replaced by brilliant yellow ones on the chest, head and back.

These birds are capable of learning to talk, although their range is limited and their voices are squeaky and birdlike. They like to imitate amusing sounds. They really enjoy human attention, especially if there is no other bird around for them to groom and play with. Source

I hope you enjoyed looking at this photo as much as I took pleasure in taking it.
bobair, jaycee, rcrick, Noisette, uleko, robindb, valy67, Dan, Mikolaj, haraprasan, atanuchanda, Argus, bikefifty, anel, septimiu_nemes, siggi, sranjan, ellis49, ferranjlloret, Alex99, boreocypriensis, peter_stoeckl, oanaotilia, Heaven, maurydv, oscarromulus, ramthakur, tomcezar, Hormon_Manyer, pierrefonds, Taralee, isabaskose has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Taralee: ThanksMiss_Piggy 1 12-22 02:10
To Hormon_Manyer: WorkshopMiss_Piggy 1 03-26 04:10
To peter_stoeckl: Thank youMiss_Piggy 2 02-24 08:59
To bikefifty: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-21 07:58
To PeterZ: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-20 01:15
To fiyo: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 2 02-20 00:45
To Mikolaj: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-20 00:42
To zetu: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-20 00:41
To Dan: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 23:41
To valy67: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 23:37
To robindb: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 23:33
To Metin: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 23:31
To uleko: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 23:30
To Noisette: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 23:28
To soundaryav: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 21:21
To rcrick: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 20:41
To bobair: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 20:39
To jaycee: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 20:39
To tuslaw: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 20:35
To Macroleo: Sun ConureMiss_Piggy 1 02-19 20:33
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hi Anna,
wow what a colourful bird this one is and two of my favorite colours show up in it's feathers very well.I like green and yellow this chipper looking bird has.I like the fact they are friendly birds as that lets you get a real good view of them and of course photos.The details are fine and well focused and if there is something about the photo that could be better,I would say the unseen bird's tail is a distraction,still what an interesting species.Thanks for sharing a summery looking bird while I must put up with ice and snow. Bob

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2009-02-19 17:38]
  • [+]

Hi Anna,

If this is an example of the birds in the bird park it must have been a wonderful day! I agree - not as exciting as seeing it in the wild but it is a beauty. The colors are magnificent and I have never seen anything like this. Excellent details of the face and feathers. I think this would be a better picture without the tail of the unseen bird but seeing this exotic Sun Conure is indeed a treat.

Jane

Hi Anna,

Wow this is a little stunner, those colours are amazing, excellent detail, have to agree with Bob with regard to the tail in the background, but that aside its one beautiful looking bird, really nice work, all the best,

Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • tuslaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 282 N: 4931] (19883)
  • [2009-02-19 19:54]
  • [+]

Wow!!! What a beauty Anna,
It's hard to believe that there are birds as beautiful as this actually living in the wild. What an amazing array of colors!!
You have captured this image perfectly. Nicely composed with just the right exposure!! Well done!!! Great notes!
Ron

Hello Anna,
what a very beautiful picture! An amazing bird! I like composition, great vivid colors and details.

Best regards, Leonid

Hi Anna,

Very warm and lovely colorful winged one!! It's got a cautious look on it's face.

Thanks for sharing
Sowndarya

Hello Anna
amazing shot with sooo beautiful bright colors and taken with great sharpness, crisp clear details
I like his proud pose, his shiny eye and the color palette on his feathers
very well done
Jacqueline

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2009-02-19 22:46]
  • [+]

Hello Anna,
A lovely close view of this pretty Sun conure! I like your low POV and the sharp details of the wonderful plumage. Nothing like photographing birds in the wild but the Bird parks gives you a chance to practise and they're great for educational purposes.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

  • Great 
  • Metin Silver Star Critiquer [C: 25 W: 0 N: 16] (176)
  • [2009-02-19 22:53]
  • [+]

Hello Anna
A very colorful and lovely parrot you captured.Have agreat weekend.

Hi Anna,

Well captured with exquisite colours which are well portrayed in this image. The bird has been captured in such a way that it looks alert which adds to the enjoyment of looking at it.

robin

Hello Anna !
Wow, such a bird ! I have never seen one with such flamboyant colors - really great to cheer meup on the grey and rainy and bring days we have in France, these last days ! :-) And the rest is wonderful too ; sharpness, details, composition, POV,everything is excellent. It may nt be as thrilling as capturing wildanimals, but the result is fantastic.Very well done !
Valérie.

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1053 W: 5 N: 3475] (15161)
  • [2009-02-19 23:24]
  • [+]

Merhaba Anna,
Çok güzel bir fotoğraf; harika renkler, netlik ve kadraj.
Tebrik ederim.

  • Great 
  • Dan Gold Star Critiquer [C: 113 W: 0 N: 2] (18)
  • [2009-02-19 23:27]
  • [+]

Hi Anna, this bird suggests me an old song of The Rolling Stones - "She's like a rainbow". What a bird! It's a festival of colours. Graet shot and excellent details.

TFS, Dan.

Hello Anna! Wonderful colours. Marvelous contrast. Perfect sharpness. Ideal work. Well done!

Hello Anna
Wonderful capture with vivid colors and great details. Well done.
Regards.
RAzvan

Hello Anna,
Fantastic photo in wonderful clear and well saturated colours. Great sharpness and composition. Amazing eye-contact from this low POV. The tail of the other bird is a bit distracting.
Very beautiful!
Regards,
Peter

Hi Anna,
A lovely capture of this beautiful Sun Concure bird. Very well composed shot with sharp details. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Wonderful colors and clarity. Love this photo.

Cheers,
Atanu

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2009-02-20 2:42]

Hello Anna,
I saw this earlier when I had no smileys and had prepared a WS to clone away the BG tail when I see that Razvan has already done it.
I usually try to avoid captive creatures even if they are allowed to fly around but this is such a remarkably beautiful parrot and so well taken that I couldn't resist a critique.
Apart from the BG tail this is a fine shot, with great sharpness and taken from a good low POV against a suitably contrasting BG.

It is worth mentioning that it is rare in its native S. American wild habitat largely owing to the cage bird trade and efforts are being made to breed this species of Conure in captivity to release them back into the wild original habitats.
Thank you for sharing this beauty,
Kind regards,
Ivan

Anna,

What a very colorful bird. You did a great job of getting the lighting and focus just right. The light in the eye always helps. The grass in the right corner helps the picture. It fills in one of the corners and helps frame the bird along with the tail feather of the bird that is out of sight.

Nice job "shorty". Bob

Wow, what beautiful colours! We3 also have a conure and your colors are very true, in fact they are exact! A very good photo, once again, well done, Anna!

Hello Anna.

Excellent image, nice composition and colors.

Regards.
Jose Luis.

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2009-02-20 6:35]

Hello Anna,
For us these bright colors are a happy contrast to the dull winter weather we still have. Seems to be a very likable parrot. Amazing to see this color-range of the feathers. Interesting note too.
Thanks a lot
Best regards
Anne

Hello miss Piggy,
What bird you have captured, it's beautiful both colours and the pattern of the plumage are amazing.
I wish I could see this beauty in reality.
The picture it crips and clear with very good sharpness and fine details. Only small nit is the tail of the other bird, but
that's nature only to accept.
Well done.
Gert
My best to Loot, and tell him to slow down a bit.
I miss him a lot.

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer [C: 1387 W: 3 N: 9] (44)
  • [2009-02-20 9:17]

merhaba Anna
wonderful capture of this colourful bird with nice eye contact
i like pose, POV, light, colours and sharpness
TFS
regards
izler

wow , what a beauty !
superb capture with wonderful colours , well saturated , perfect sharp and clear details ,
great POV , well done !
have a good weekend ,
septimiu

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1256 W: 42 N: 1976] (5892)
  • [2009-02-20 10:02]

Hi Anna,
What a colourful bird:)Exposure is spot on,details are crisp clear.I liked POV,3D effect,pose of bird and eye contact a lot.Excellent work!
Thanks for posting.

  • Great 
  • Nilson Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 488 W: 0 N: 566] (4423)
  • [2009-02-20 10:23]

Hi Anna
Nice shot with good colors and details.Excellent light. The composition is wonderful. The details are clean and natural. The colors of this bird is the colors of Brazil :) Wonderful job
Nilson

hello Anne
this is cool
so many colours
i have never this bird in this colours
great sharpness
super picture
greeting lou

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2009-02-20 14:33]

Hello Anna,
Well done on a super shot of these beautiful bird. I love the vibrancy of their plumage. Congrats!Best regards Siggi

Hello Anna,

Thank you for sharing such an amazing bird with us, the colors are gorgeous, very vivid and variated, the level of detail and sharpness also make it a true joy for the eye! congratulations!

Simon

Hello Anna,
This is amazing creature with brilliant colors, so well captured by you too. The sharpness, POV & details are perfect. I like your comprehensive description of the subject. TFS.
Regards-Subhash

Ciao Anna, lovely bird with fantastic colors, great pose, perfect focus on eye, fine details and splendid sharpness, wonderful capture, very well done, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

Hello Anna,
Superb capture of this bird, excellent colours! well done!
TFS and best regards.
Ferran

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 586 W: 12 N: 1682] (6165)
  • [2009-02-21 23:45]

Hello Anna,
This is a very beautiful Conure, one of my favorite birds
because it has the colors of my Brazil. Great POV and composition
..Well done

Everton

Hi Anna,
this bird is so sunny and beautiful, I love the colours very much. It's also very nice to see how the bird is watching you while making the shot, it's a lovely bird.
Thanks and greetings
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2009-02-22 4:09]

Hi Anna.
It is great idea to share this absolutely amazing bird. I must congratulate your that you have done this so skillfully and represented this species by the best way. I think that Sony must be proud that you have shown such capabilities of its camera. Bravo. I am impressed extremely.
Alexei.

Hi Anna, wonderful capture of this beauty from nice pov with excellent details and nice composition.
TFS and cheers,
Bayram

Witaj Anna
Beautiful colours. This aves is for eyes paradise. Large parrot. We like it how. Very good made picture. Perfect colours, sharpness and composition. Very extensive note.

Pozdrawim - Roma

Hello Anna,
brilliantly precise, delightfully flamboyant capture of that strikingly colourful bird. As you say, captures of animals in captivity may also be a real challenge trying to akeep the wires of cages from getting into the image. Great shot, very enjoyable to see.
With thanks, and best regards,
Peter

Hi Anna!

This is not the picture of a bird, but of a firework!

:-)

Well, I just would like to express how delightful and joyful these colours are. You have taken full advantage of this and present us a magnificent picture. I only regret that the second bird in the background is cut. This is a little disturbing element. I know, it's easy to say, but maybe a different point of view and focus would help. Nevertheles, the picture is superb and your notes are so detailed, instructive and narrative.

Kind regards

Markus

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
  • [2009-02-24 23:05]

I would say flamboyant is a good word to describe this incredibly gorgeous and colorful bird. : )
Hi Anna...
What beautiful light and sharpness you have achieved in this shot.
Amazing palette of nature.
TFS. : )

Anna - Jammer van die voel in die agtergrond. Mooi foto

what a very beautiful picture! An amazing bird! I like composition, great vivid colors and details.

Hello Anna,
what a wonderful and colourful bird taken from an excellent low POV with superb sharpness and lighting, the saturated colours are excellent.
TFS.
Best regards.
Have a good weekend.
Maurizio

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2009-03-03 5:52]

Hi Anna,
thanks for your critique on my recent post. sorry for being late, too much work lying on my shoulder since new year.
This bird is such a beauty and you presented it very well. the excellent colours and clarity is reall attractive. The pose especially the eye is pleasant and the whot shot is very attractive.

Regards,
Foozi

Anna,
A TRUE delight.
We saw them in the wild in Iguasu (c) Brazil (s) and many many more parrot species. It is a PARROT PARADISE.
Another great place to watch them in the wild is in Australia.
You say they "mimic" human voice; I have my doubts.
Much love to you & your lovely family,
B.& M.

The flamboyant colours on this bird draw one's attention very strongly, Anna. When I opened your portfolio to look for pictures I had missed, this one caught my immediate attention.
The credit, of course, goes to you because you have shot this bird with so much skill it looks, in my reckoning, more beautiful than that actually seen with one's own eyes. The bird is in sharp focus (especially the eye)and all the myriad colours on its plumage are a feast to the eyes. The POV too has been judiciously picked.
Must thank you for sharing this delightful image.
Regards.
Ram

  • Great 
  • roges Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 957 W: 0 N: 1329] (6264)
  • [2009-03-10 6:48]

Hi Anna!
Splendid.Interesting picture.
Beautiful capture, colors frumoase.These birds are among my favorites.
Best,
Adrian

Hello Anna,

It is festival of Colours "HOLI" in India today and this bird resembles me a person smeared with all colours during the festival.

Wonderful, vivid, brilliant colours and a very good capture of the bird. Thanks for the efforts!

TFS,
Cheers,
Prasad

astonishing vivid colors,
very good near photograph, with the all beauty of parrot it is offered generously
best regards Anna
Nasos

Hi Anna,

What colored parrot, a mix extravaganza between yellow and blue, with a sublime pass through the green, like a sun lost in a sea of smaragd.

All the best, Cezar T.

Dear Anna,
Oh, just uploaded my WS and didn't realize someone else already cloned off the other bird's tail... What a fool I am... Well, at least click it, please. The original image is splendid, showing a wonder- and colorful bird, with good choice of bg, which (except for the tail of the other bird) doesn't lead the viewer's eyes off of the bird in the foreground. Nice work of You again, Madame - although please be careful in cases like this, because elements like this cropped tail could be very destructive to the viewers.
Tfs, cheers, László

Excelente !
Un gran enfoque y mucha vida !!


Abrazo.

HiAnna,

The point of view is showing with precision the details and colors of the Sun Conure. The subject is well frame. The quality of the light is enahncing the colors of the bird. Have a nice day.

Pierre

What a wonderful bird! So sunny and bright. I like him very much. The picture is great. My compliments!

WOW Anna, I have looked at all of your photos, they are outstanding, it is hard to pick my favourite but the clarity and colour of this photo caught my eye. TFS.

Hi Anna
Thanks your commentç

Very attractive bird. Everything is perfect (colour, light and other detail). Excellent photo. TFS.

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