Natural History Photography

Brown-headed cowbird, male, Molothrus ater, Amado, Arizona

Brown-headed cowbird, male.
Species: Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater
Location: Amado, Arizona
Image ID: 22916

The bisons massive head is its most characteristic feature. Its forehead bulges because of its convex-shaped frontal bone. Its shoulder hump, dwindling bowlike to the haunches, is supported by unusually long spinal vertebrae. Over powerful neck and shoulder muscles grows a great shaggy coat of curly brown fur, and over the head, like an immense hood, grows a shock of black hair. Its forequarters are higher and much heavier than its haunches. A mature bull stands about 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) at the shoulder and weighs more than 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). The bisons horns are short and black. In the male they are thick at the base and taper abruptly to sharp points as they curve outward and upward; the females horns are more slender.
Species: American bison, Bison bison
Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13120

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter non-breeding plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch but white hind neck.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 28332

Aerial Photo of Point La Jolla and Scripps Park, La Jolla Coastline.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38152

San Clemente Island aerial photo, Pyramid Head and Balanced Rock at the southern end of the island. San Clemente Island Pyramid Head, the distinctive pyramid shaped southern end of the island, exhibits distinctive geologic terracing, underwater reefs and giant kelp forests.
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 38485
Panorama dimensions: 4232 x 12542

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36678

Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Cliffs in Background, partially side lit at sunrise, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Cliffs in Background, partially side lit at sunrise.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38866

A perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch, winter adult non-breeding plumage coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38937

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy. Adult winter non-breeding plumage, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy. Adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30174

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch. This adult is just transitioning to the brown hind neck characteristic of the brown pelican breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30255

A beautiful golden-brown female California Sea Lion at the Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico. The huge male bull that formed the harem of which she was a part allowed her to hang out with me for a while, even while he continued patrolling just over my head.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 37318

A perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch, winter adult nonbreeding plumage coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38880

Brown pelican preening, cleaning its feathers after foraging on the ocean, with winter breeding plumage including distinctive dark brown nape, yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 22527

Brown pelican head throw. During a bill throw, the pelican arches its neck back, lifting its large bill upward and stretching its throat pouch, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown pelican head throw. During a bill throw, the pelican arches its neck back, lifting its large bill upward and stretching its throat pouch.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 20257

Parasitic zoanthid anemones cover and encrust and overwhelm a golden gorgonian, Catalina Head, Parazoanthus lucificum, Savalia lucifica, Catalina Island, California

Parasitic zoanthid anemones cover and encrust and overwhelm a golden gorgonian, Catalina Head.
Species: Luminescent parazoanthid, Zoanthid anemone, Parazoanthus lucificum, Savalia lucifica
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 37293

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 38652

Coral reef expanse composed primarily of porites lobata, Clipperton Island, near eastern Pacific, Porites lobata

Coral reef expanse composed primarily of porites lobata, Clipperton Island, near eastern Pacific.
Species: Porites lobata
Location: Clipperton Island, France
Image ID: 32998

Study of a California brown pelican in winter breeding plumage, yellow head, red and olive throat, pink skin around the eye, brown hind neck with some white neck side detail.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39871
Panorama dimensions: 8640 x 5760

Male Brandt's Cormorant Skypointing, Courtship Display, Breeding Plumage with blue throat and a few white pin-feathers, La Jolla. Skypointing is an interesting courtship behavior that many birds practice. Among Brandt's Cormorants the male performs this, likely as a way of attracting a mate to the nest he has built by showing off his striking blue throat. He tips his head backward showing off his striking blue throat, and partially raises his wings. Seen here on seacliffs above the ocean.
Species: Brandt's cormorant, Phalacrocorax penicillatus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40133

Royal Tern in flight, adult breeding plumage with black head cap, La Jolla, Sterna maxima, Thalasseus maximus

Royal Tern in flight, adult breeding plumage with black head cap, La Jolla.
Species: Royal tern, Sterna maxima, Thalasseus maximus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38954

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy. Note the winter breeding plumage, olive and red throat, yellow head.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Image ID: 36606

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter breeding plumage with distinctive dark brown nape, yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter breeding plumage with distinctive dark brown nape, yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 22529

Bald eagle, closeup of head and shoulders showing distinctive white head feathers, yellow beak and brown body and wings, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska

Bald eagle, closeup of head and shoulders showing distinctive white head feathers, yellow beak and brown body and wings.
Species: Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis
Location: Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska
Image ID: 22595

Brown pelican portrait, scratching throat pouch, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch but not yet displaying the brown hind neck feathers.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 28329

Pink Soft Corals and Pristine Hard Corals on South Pacific Reef, Fiji. Large coral head is Platygyra lamellina, Dendronephthya, Namena Marine Reserve, Namena Island

Pink Soft Corals and Pristine Hard Corals on South Pacific Reef, Fiji. Large coral head is Platygyra lamellina.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Namena Marine Reserve, Namena Island, Fiji
Image ID: 31416

Brown pelican head throw in soft pre-sunrise light, adult winter non-breeding plumage, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown pelican head throw in soft pre-sunrise light, adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38585

Search results for Head