Hello Folks,Here's something for all you fans of our feathered friends. Each friday for 12 weeks, I will be posting a little teaser for you. Without looking in books or on the internet (i.e - no cheating), see if you can identify this bird. The following tuesday, so as long as no-one has guessed it, I will post one clue. The day after I will post the answer along with some additional information for your interest. Here goes ....MYSTERY BIRD #1My nasal call may make you think of Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney's famous song.Claire
Crikey, MrsT, is your other job writing cryptic clues for the Times crossword?
So which is the clue... Toucan .... ivory.... or both.
There's an Ivory Gull but not sure where the ebony comes in. Unless it's the dark face on juveniles. I believe it has a tern like call.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sean_cronin/3328394175/
There's also an Ivory-billed Aracari which is a type of toucan. Again don't know where the ebony comes in except that it does have some black on the body.
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/ivory-billed-ara%C3%A7ari-pteroglossus-azara/two-birds-perched-together-canopy
Can't believe it's that obscure. I think we must be missing the blinding obvious.LOL
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Ooh TJ I have just had a thought (don't fall over with shock) - what about Ivory billed woodpecker? black and white, really rare, not a clue what it sounds like tho.
Caroline in Jersey
Cin J
That would seem to fit in with the clues Germain,we will have to wait and see.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Germain said:Ooh TJ I have just had a thought (don't fall over with shock) - what about Ivory billed woodpecker? black and white
Good thought, Caroline. There's just one snag. Nobody has been able to prove that it still exists despite extensive efforts to find it.
Maybe MrsT found it !!
Unknown said: Good thought, Caroline. There's just one snag. Nobody has been able to prove that it still exists despite extensive efforts to find it.
:) back to the drawing board, unless Mrs T is going down the route of the incredibly rare, possibly lost forever.
I suspect that Mrs T is having good chuckle at our flounderings.
You are probably right TJ, I appear to be sinking under black and white birds. Rockhopper penguins have just made an appearance in my head. Think I need a strong coffee.
Good morning all! No chuckling here, just admiration, well done to all of you who guessed Ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis).
Ok, not a bird you going to find on your feeders, for sure. Though classed as extinct in 1994, there were claims (albeit highly controversial) in 2004 that this bird persisted in Florida and Arkansas. There have also been some suggestions that these woodpeckers may also exist in Cuba and surveys are currently underway. If these birds do still exist in the wild, sadly their population is likely to be tiny.
Ivory-billed woodpeckers inhabit pine and broadleaf woodland, where it will find its favourite food stuff: wood-boring beetle larvae.
Keep an eye out for your next mystery bird on friday!
Claire
well done Caroline
Ray
a good laugh is better than a tonic