Bird photos

Brown pelican in flight against pastel-colored sky at sunrise. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status. In winter months, breeding adults assume a dramatic plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 15122  

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: 22582  

Bald eagle makes a splash while in flight as it takes a fish out of the water.
Species: Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis
Location: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Image ID: 22584  

Brown booby flying over Rose Atoll at sunset, with dark colorful storm clouds and other birds in the background.
Species: Brown booby, Sula leucogaster
Location: Rose Atoll National Wildlife Sanctuary, American Samoa
Image ID: 00914  

A white tern, or fairy tern, alights on a branch at Rose Atoll in American Samoa.
Species: Fairy tern, Gygis alba
Location: Rose Atoll National Wildlife Sanctuary, American Samoa
Image ID: 00871  

Two Western Grebes Walk on Water. Grebe rushing, a courtship behavior, happens when the birds slap the lake surface up to 20 times per second, literally running across the water.
Species: Western Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis
Location: Lake Wohlford, Escondido, California
Image ID: 40887  

Bald eagle spreads its wings to land amid a large group of bald eagles.
Species: Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis
Location: Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska
Image ID: 22588  

Galapagos penguin, underwater, swimming. Bartolome Island.
Species: Galapagos penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus
Location: Bartolome Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16234  

Roseate Spoonbill in Flight, Platalea ajaja, Alafia Banks, Florida.
Species: Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea ajaja
Location: Alafia Banks Critical Wildlife Area, Tampa, Florida
Image ID: 40537  

Burrowing owl, Cape Coral, Florida, subspecies Athene cunicularia floridana. This 10-inch-tall burrowing owl is standing beside its burrow. These burrows are usually created by squirrels, prairie dogs, or other rodents and even turtles, and only rarely dug by the owl itself.
Species: Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia floridana, Athene cunicularia
Location: Cape Coral, Florida
Image ID: 40585  

Extreme closeup view of a Western Grebe as it rushes, running across the water as part of an elaborate courtship behavior.
Species: Western Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis
Location: Lake Wohlford, Escondido, California
Image ID: 40841  

Two Western Grebes in a Spectacular Rush Across the Surface of Lake Wohlford. Rushing is a courtship behavior among grebes and requires the aquatic birds to step as rapidly as 20 beats per second to walk across water in this way. Simply amazing.
Species: Western Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis
Location: Lake Wohlford, Escondido, California
Image ID: 40866  

Double-crested cormorant nuptial crests, tufts of feathers on each side of the head, plumage associated with courtship and mating.
Species: Double-crested cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36845  

California brown pelican in flight, spreading wings wide to slow in anticipation of landing on seacliffs. Adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Image ID: 37408  

Northern cardinal, male.
Species: Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis
Location: Amado, Arizona
Image ID: 22891  

Magnificent frigatebird, adult male on nest, with throat pouch inflated, a courtship display to attract females.
Species: Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens
Location: North Seymour Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16725  

Sandhill crane spreads its broad wings as it takes flight in early morning light. This crane is one of over 5000 present in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, stopping here during its winter migration.
Species: Sandhill crane, Grus canadensis
Location: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, New Mexico
Image ID: 21797  

Spectacular Brown Pelican Head Throw Display. This California brown pelican is arching its head and neck way back, opening its mouth in a behavior known as a head throw or bill throw.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38675  

Brown pelican in flight. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status. Adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 28959  

Brown pelican flying over waves and the surf. Pelicans ride the updrafts of waves enabling them to glide long distances while minimizing the energy exerted by flapping wings.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30199  

A brown pelican preening, reaching with its beak to the uropygial gland (preen gland) near the base of its tail. Preen oil from the uropygial gland is spread by the pelican's beak and back of its head to all other feathers on the pelican, helping to keep them water resistant and dry. Adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30326  

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
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30336  

Brown pelican in flight with wings spread wide, slowing as it returns from the ocean to land on seacliffs, adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38584  

Sandhill crane spreads its broad wings as it takes flight in early morning light. This sandhill crane is among thousands present in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, stopping here during its winter migration.
Species: Sandhill crane, Grus canadensis
Location: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, New Mexico
Image ID: 38713  

Magnificent frigatebird, adult female on nest.
Species: Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens
Location: North Seymour Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16726  

Brandt's Cormorant flying with wings spread wide as it slows to land at its nest on ocean cliffs.
Species: Brandt's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax penicillatus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40131  

An unusual mixed-species pair of grebes rushing, Western Grebe on left and Clark's Grebe on right. In this spectacular courtship behavior, the grebes beat their feet so rapidly they literally run over the surface of the water.
Species: Western Grebe, Clark's Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis, Aechmophorus clarkii
Location: Lake Wohlford, Escondido, California
Image ID: 40848  

Clark's Grebes Dip Shaking, a courtship behavior in which the grebes face each other and alternate dipping their beaks in the water and shaking their head, tossing water into the air. Coupled with ratchet-pointing, several rounds of dip-shaking are often an immediate precursor to rushing.
Species: Clark's Grebe, Aechmophorus clarkii
Location: Lake Wohlford, Escondido, California
Image ID: 40888  

California Brown pelican in flight, soaring along sea cliffs above the ocean in La Jolla, California. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Image ID: 37410  

California brown pelican in flight, spreading wings wide to slow in anticipation of landing on seacliffs, dark background caused by seacliffs in morning shadow.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Image ID: 37411