Nature and Wildlife

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus carolinensis) Location: J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida, USA.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea, formerly placed in the genus Nycticorax) Location: J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida, USA.

This long tailed, beautiful Azure-winged Magpie or the Cyanopica cyana was collecting raw materials for its nest. Taken at Beijing, China near the gate entrance of the Temple of Heaven.

The Black-headed Munia also known as Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla) is an estrildid finch found throughout Asia. There's a subspecies that's endemic to the Philippines called Lonchura atricapilla jagori. Before the Philippine Eagle was declared as the national bird in 1995, this bird previously held that title. Unfortunately, most Filipinos mistaken the Eurasian Tree Sparrow as the maya bird. Access PhilippineBird.com for more information about the Philippines' national bird.

The Black-headed Munia also known as Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla) is an estrildid finch found throughout Asia. There's a subspecies that's endemic to the Philippines called Lonchura atricapilla jagori. Before the Philippine Eagle was declared as the national bird in 1995, this bird previously held that title. Unfortunately, most Filipinos mistaken the Eurasian Tree Sparrow as the maya bird. Learn about this unfortunate misinformation at: PhilippineBird.com.

The Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family. It's found throughout the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Sometimes in my backyard. Typically, its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Neither of which explains why they visited me in the morning, but I'm not complaining. If their tails are fully extended, they look like Chinese fans. Their tails also make them very agile, giving them the ability to make twists and turns in the air to catch insects.

A Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) stealing rice from chickens. A very common bird in the Philippines, Europe, and the rest of Asia. This bird is often wrongly identified as a "maya". This bird is not native to the Philippines and has never been a national bird. Unfortunately, most Filipinos mistaken the Eurasian Tree Sparrow as the maya bird. Learn about this unfortunate misinformation at: PhilippineBird.com.

Shot on Negros Island, photographed at the Bulata village in the municipality of Cauayan, Negros Island on May 31, 2010. This location is about 10 minutes away by boat from Danjugan Island Marine and Wildlife Reserve, a known sanctuary for birds. The Pied Triller (Lalage nigra) is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family. It is found in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.

The Luzon Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba luzonica) is a number of species of ground dove in the genus Gallicolumba that are called "bleeding-hearts". They get this name from a splash of vivid red color at the centre of their white breasts. The Philippines' Luzon Bleeding-heart is the species in which this feature is most pronounced. The species is endemic to the central and southern parts of the large island of Luzon, and the neighbouring small Polillo Islands, in the Philippines. It lives in primary or secondary forest, and can be found at altitudes varying from sea level up to 1400 metres. They eat seeds, berries and grubs. They are shy and secretive, and very quiet, and rarely leave the ground except when nesting. Unlike the other bleeding-hearts, they usually lay two eggs in each clutch. Classified as "near threatened".

This awkward looking bird with a pink featherless head isn't the Philippines' most attractive endemic creature. But its strange features make an interesting photograph. Coleto (Sarcops calvus) is a starling species (family Sturnidae) in the monotypic genus Sarcops. It is endemic to the Philippines.

The Philippine Eagle-owl, Bubo philippensis, is an vulnerable species of bird belonging to the Strigidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines, where found in lowland forests on the islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Bohol, Mindanao, Luzon, Leyte and possibly Sibuyan. It is known locally as the “kuwago” or “bukao”. In December 2005, Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation (NFEFI) in Bacolod City was the first conservation center in the world to successfully hatch a Philippine Eagle-owl (aptly nicknamed Bubo) in captivity and it has the only breeding pair of these owls in captivity anywhere in the world.

The Rufous Hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax), also known as Philippine Hornbill is the largest hornbill bird endemic to the Philippines. Hornbills are omnivorous birds, eating fruit, insects and small animals. They cannot swallow food caught at the tip of the beak as their tongues are too short to manipulate it, so they toss it back to the throat with a jerk of the head. Due to habitat destruction and poaching, they are considered "near threatened."

This beautiful bird, the Negros Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba keayi), is unfortunately close to extinction due to over hunting and habitat lost. It is mainly found in the islands of Panay and Negros. It is estimated that there are only a hundred of these birds left in the Negros island. The local name for this species is punalada. Like all bleeding-heart doves, they can only be found in the Philippines. This species has an extremely small, severely fragmented population. Continuing rates of forest loss on the two islands where it occurs suggest that it will continue to decline, thereby qualifying it as critically endangered with the possibility of being extinct in the wild within years time.

The Philippine Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus philippensis earlier treated under Spizaetus philippensis) is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss and is considered a vulnerable species likely to become endangered unless survival and reproduction improve.

"The Alpha Pigeon" Just outside of Beijing's Red Theater is home to a small flock of pigeons. The alpha pigeon seen with the reddish pink neck took the top perch...always.

Ming Dynasty Tombs, Chinese spider, unknown species. Shot with Canon 300mm f/4L IS lens about 3 feet away.

"Flight of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow" A Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) in flight captured in Bacolod, Philippines. A very common bird in the Philippines, Europe, and the rest of Asia. This bird is often wrongly identified as a "maya". This bird is not native to the Philippines and has never been a national bird. Of interesting note, Chairman Mao Zedong of China attempted in April 1958 to reduce crop damage by Tree Sparrows, by placing scarecrows and mobilizing 3 million people. He underestimated the amount of insects and locusts these sparrows ate and the campaign against the sparrows extended a famine that killed 30 million Chinese people between 1959 and 1961. The lesson that was learned? Don't kill sparrows.

"Stop Eating My Rice!" A Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) stealing rice from chickens. A very common bird in the Philippines, Europe, and the rest of Asia. This bird is often wrongly identified as a "maya". This bird is not native to the Philippines and has never been a national bird. Of interesting note, Chairman Mao Zedong of China attempted in April 1958 to reduce crop damage by Tree Sparrows, by placing scarecrows and mobilizing 3 million people. He underestimated the amount of insects and locusts these sparrows ate and the campaign against the sparrows extended a famine that killed 30 million Chinese people between 1959 and 1961. The lesson that was learned? Don't kill sparrows.

An olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) drinks nectar from this sliced coconut flower. In the Philippines and parts of Asia, the nectar is collected and used for palm wine. It also attracts these small songbirds.

Olive-backed Sunbirds (Cinnyris jugularis) fight for dominance on this coconut tree. The nectar that comes from the coconut flower is very sweet and is collected for palm wine.

Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) Location: Ocean Park, Hong Kong Equipment: Canon 7D + Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L I was going to Ocean Park to hang out with the kids and wasn't expecting seeing some interesting birds. I was attracted to it first by its sounds and was able to trace it back to this tree. He saw me but he didn't mind.

Light-vented Bulbul also Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) at Ocean Park, Hong Kong

The White-browed Crake (Porzana cinerea) is a species of bird in the Rallidae family. It occurs in Southeast Asia and Australia. Taken in Bacolod, Philippines.

Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) The Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) also known as Nutmeg Mannikin or Spice Finch is a small estrildid finch. It is a resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from India to Sri Lanka and east from Indonesia to the Philippines. Location: My backyard, Bacolod, Philippines Settings: 1/640 sec, f/6.3, ISO 2500 (Yes, ISO 2500!) Equipment: Canon 7D + Canon 500mm f/4L IS + 1.4x TC

Bird: Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) Location: Bacolod, Philippines Settings: 1/100 secs, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D + Canon 500mm f/4L IS + 1.4x TC

The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in South America mostly east of the Andes, and in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a migratory bird often found in Sanibel's Ding Darling Wildlife Reserve.

Golden-bellied Gerygone aka Golden-bellied Flyeater (Gerygone sulphurea). I was walking around the Balaring mangrove forest in Silay, Philippines and this bird "played" with me a bit, constantly flying around me. I was wearing RealTree camouflage so I think it was curious why a tree was walking. The problem I had with capturing more of this specimen was my lens was too long! I came in with a 500mm so I could setup some decent shots from a distance when this particular bird came in a few feet of me. It would have been better with a 300mm. This bird was slightly taller than the size of my thumb.

Location: Bath, England The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. Like most Larus gulls, they will eat fish, insects, worms, starfish, seeds, berries, small mammals, eggs, small birds, chicks, and scraps.

Location: Bacolod, Philippines The Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. Like most cuckoos it is insectivorous. Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS + 1.4x TC + Canon 7D: 1/250 secs, f/5.6, ISO 800. Subject distance: 17.5m.

Location: Bacolod, Philippines The Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. Like most cuckoos it is insectivorous. Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS + 1.4x TC + Canon 7D: 1/250 secs, f/5.6, ISO 800. Subject distance: 17.5m.