Ignore the matching feet and beak. Ignore the larger than life pose. Nothing extra ordinary there, anyone can do it. But the splash of dazzling velvet across the face ... that is what makes you a fashion icon. African Pygmy Kingfisher 📍Bahirdar, Ethiopia 🪶 #nature #fashion #colors

Nature's paintings Nature does some of its best paintings on bugs From left to right - clockwise Bandit Shieldbug Ladybird Bug Picasso Bug Jewel Bug #Nature #Bugs #art

A new species of eagle, made of metal, has been documented for the first time. Haliaeetus metallum 🪶 Magnificent livery!

No one guessed, but here is the answer any way. Vulterine Guinefoul 🪶

Feathers on Friday Guess the bird 🪶

Some rock formations from Borena, Ethiopia

It's #Flyday folks! So, here is an African Fish-Eagle flying away with the dismembered head of a catfish. Like most birds of prey, the African Fish-Eagle is a hunter. But it won't say no to a free meal. This particular head of a catfish was left over from the local fishermen. 📍Bahirdar, Ethiopia 🪶

Ayaye! Let's get them feet moving yal all! The Konso have some nice groves. If I was a music producer, I would have signed these bunch in a heartbeat Konso, Ethiopia #music #art #africa #indigenous #dance

It's #Twosday, innit? So, how about a faceoff between two bishops? Yellow-crowned Bishop 🌍 Bahirdar, Ethiopia 🇪🇹 🪶 #birds #nature

Starlings on Sunday Africa has some of the most colorful starlings in the world. From left to right Golden-breasted Starling Suberb Starling White-crowned Starling (quite odd looking, more like a crow than a starling) Violet-backed Starling All photographed in Ethiopia 🪶 #birds #starlings #nature

It's #Flyday folks! Ruspoli's Turaco in flight. Borena, Ethiopia 🪶 #birds

The Tiny Cisticola is ... well, really tiny. One of those few cases where a bird's name actually describes it. Borena, Ethiopia 🪶 #birds #ornithology

In a tiny corner of the world, residing in an area that's just 2400 km square, there lives a crow that is quite unlike any other. Stresemann's Bushcrow. Borena, Ethiopia 🪶 #birda

There is no Planet B. Karat, Konso 🇪🇹

The Red-cheeked Cordonbleu on the other hand has both a red spot on its cheeks, and a blue ribbon around its eyes (and most of its belly and chest but let's ignore that little detail). So, it is not impossible to give descriptive names to birds. #Ornithology #Birds Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, Konso 🇪🇹

Mousebird looking for a mouse amidst the branches Well, not really. The Mousebird doesn't eat mice, nor does it really look like a mouse. So why the name then? #ornithology Speckled Mousebird; Konso, Ethiopia. 🪶 #birds

Defensive fortification, #Konso - #Ethiopia. The Konso people built formidable fortifications around their settlement around 400 years ago. Each settlement has one formidable outer wall and several inner walls. While these walls have lost their initial function, they are still preserved to this day.

"Oh! That is such a beautiful sunbird! What should we call it?" "I don't know; why don't we call it 'Beautiful Sunbird'?" Lazy ornithologists! Beautiful Sunbird (Cinnyris pulchellus) Konso, Ethiopia 🪶 #birds

Because there is a Cat in Cattle ... Konso, Ethiopia #Caturday

Back in Konso, Ethiopia, for field work in the Konso Cultural Landscape. And I am catching up to the local avia fauna. Birding is always a fun side hustle :) Red-bellied Parrot (left) and Northern Red Bishop (right) 🪶 #Birds

I will check back after 43 seconds then! What kinda headline is this? Deliberate click-bait or just sloppy writing? www.popularmechanics.com/science/ener...

The old D7200 finally has company. I am not sure if it was happy to meet it's big brother, the D850, but it still posed for a family photo:) #Nikon #Photography #DSLR4Life

Werner Franzen - "Bronze Angel" Maria Laach Abbey, Glees - Germany This bronze statue sits on an inconspicuous corner at Maria Laach; without a plaque (I could see). Had to Google the image to find out who the artist was.

Forget #Flyday ... How about #FrogFriday instead? After all, everyone loves frogs! Grey-backed Fiscal (left) and Black-headed Heron (right) enjoy a delicacy. 🪶 #Birds #Nature

Ertale has had enough brewing and has started spewing it seems youtu.be/eoM09KKTn1A?...

@volcano.link New footage from Ertale, Afar - Ethiopia www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoM0...

Meet Majangella moultoni, a species of twig or stick mantis found in Madagascar. 📍Andasibe-Mantadia NP, Eastern Madagascar. #Madagascar #NaturePhotography

Beaks 🪶 #birds #nature

Patience is a virtue. Egret patience is a superpower. (Wait for it). 💙

It's #Flyday again; for sure! But does that mean you have to fly? Not necessarily. Why fly when you can walk so gracefully? Little Egret 🪶 #birds #nature

This is the way The Egret way Great White Egret 🪶 #birds #nature

I like to pick things up on my walks :)

“Why would we want to present refugees as AI creations when there are millions of refugees who can tell their stories as real human beings?” one person said. Bless you, one person!

Whose footprint is this? I have no idea. But it was there, and I was there; with a camera. #EverydayPhorography

True. But it is not just at the thin places the heron resides. It can occupy any place, in any dimension, and still be there ... while not being there. It is a contradiction only heron kind can pull off.

Someone left this hanging by the banks of the river Sieg near Bonn. No one talks about peace during times of peace. No one. These are not peaceful times we live in. War is back in fashion. Of all things, war!

It's #Flyday folks! Fly in style into the weekend! Black-winged Stilt 🪶 #birds #nature

It's #Twosday folks! Mamma Grivet with a teenage Grivet that still isn't ready to part with her. Ain't that the story of every creature on this earth! #nature #life #hug

"Yeah! I know. Everyone wants to talk about that. But what about them feathers? How come no one notices them? I should have been named Rainbow Duck" When you tell a Knob-billed Duck it has a big knob on its beak. 🪶 #birds #nature #colors #ducks

iNauralist (@inaturalist.bsky.social) is great and all but it is hard to get IDs for insects from Africa. These four are a few of the many, many insects I have photographed in Ethiopia and posted to iNat but are still to be identified at the species level. #insects #bugs #nature #critters #spiders

Did you ask for a bird fact? No, but you're getting one whether you like it or not. 🪶 Happy Friday!

Since we are now making as many #friday themed hashtags as possible, how about #FlowersonFriday? Crinum ornatum, a lily native to tropical Africa. In Ethiopia, where this picture was taken, it is considered the harbinger of the summer rains as it flowers just as the rains begin. #Plants #flowers

Ok, we have way too many Friday themed tags but what the hell, I will bite! Close up of A Dideric Cuckoo (left) A White-cheeked Turaco displaying its flight feathers #FeatheredFriday 🪶 #birds #feathers

It's #Flyday folks! The Wooly-necked Stork displays two bright narrow lines in its underwings when its wings are fully extended during flight. I like to call these "NO-STEP" markers :) Handy for maintenance staff! 🪶 #birds #BIF #nature #flight

Heron don't need to Fly. To reach all the way upto the Sky. ~ Ancient Motto of Heronkind

"A kingfisher's dream" Featuring a real Malachite Kingfisher, and a hypothetical fish 🪶 #birds

Eric Topol MD

"Cast a wide net, they said So I did But all I caught was morning dew!" Said the spider behind the construction of this particular net. #nature #spiders #mornings #photography #insects

You member when the internet used to be human created content? You member the time before AI got into everything? There is now a website that tries to preserve "organic human generated content" - "a time capsule of organic creative expression from a time before machines joined the conversation"

Butterfly? Bee? What's the difference, really!? A Bee-Eater tries a new meal that is normally not on its menu. Little Bee-Eater 🪶 #birds #butterflies #nature