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The Waterfowl family includes ducks, geese, and swans.

They are strong swimmers and have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as poultry for meat and eggs. The domestic duck is sometimes kept as a pet.

This article from the National Geographic contains some amazing images of various water birds.
If you enjoy there view the full set here.

Curious Duck, Photograph by Tilly Meijer

Mandarin Drake, Photograph by Sharon Goodman

Fledglings, Photograph by Keven Holt

Mute Swan, Photograph by Paul Ringdahl

Northern Pintails, Photograph by Patrick Ulrich

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Posted By: Ian - Category: animals

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Most Beautiful Birds of the World

July 14th 2010 02:40

Birdwatching is a serious sport!
There are about 10,000 species of bird and only a small number of people have seen more than 7000. Many birdwatchers have spent their entire lives trying to spot all the bird species of the world. The first person who started this is said to be Stuart Keith. Some birders have been known to go great lengths and many have lost their lives in the process. Phoebe Snetsinger spent her family inheritance travelling to various parts of the world while suffering from a malignant melanoma, surviving an attack and rape in New Guinea before dying in a road accident in Madagascar. She saw as many as 8400 species. The birdwatcher David Hunt who was leading a bird tour in Corbett National Park was killed by a tiger in February 1985. In 1971 Ted Parker travelled around North America and saw 626 species in a year. This record was beaten by Kenn Kaufman in 1973 who travelled 69,000 miles and saw 671 species and spent less than a thousand dollars. Ted Parker was killed in an air-crash in Ecuador. In 2008 the top life-list was held by Tom Gullick, an Englishman who lives in Spain.

Rather than putting your life in danger, how about trying internet bird watching!
Thanks to SmashingHub, let's get started with some of the most beautiful birds in the world.

*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article for Birdwatching.

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Insects Up Close

April 2nd 2010 01:08

Creepy crawlies: Amazing Scanning Electron Microscope pictures of insects and spiders.

As reported in the Daily Telegraph UK, with rare access to an advanced Scanning Electron Microscope, retired scientific photographer Steve Gschmeissner is able to magnify insects by up to a million times. Below are some examples of his work, showing amazing detail of tiny creatures in 3D. View the full set if images here.

Honey Bee

Head of a soldier turtle ant

Dog flee

Fly

Head of a Jumping Spider

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Posted By: Ian - Category: animals

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Mountain Goats

March 5th 2010 03:12

Mountain Goats generally reside in alpine areas above the tree line. They are the largest mammals living in this region, but avoid predators by resting on rocky cliffs.
Mountain Goats are sure footed climbers, so much so their daily exploits seem impossible or at the very least crazy to human observers.
The images below sourced from bannedinhollywood.com give an insight into the climbing abilities of Mountain Goats. See the full photoset which includes other goat varieties here.

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Rare Photographs of Now Extinct Beasts

October 23rd 2009 07:29

Animals are becoming extinct at an alarming rate, even in the last hundred years or so since photography became common place. Many species disappear off the planet without a second thought from us, however some of the larger animal species which we lose are sorely missed by all. Thanks to Environmental Graffiti here are some such examples. Images and information sourced from here.

The Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger)

Last Thylacine yawning: Note the unusual extent to which it was able to open its jaws

It was 1936 when the last Thylacine took its final breath in Hobart Zoo, Tasmania. Or so we think. Extremely rare if not extinct on the Australian mainland by the time of European colonisation, the Thylacine survived on the island of Tasmania alongside close cousins like the Tasmanian Devil. There, this distinctive, large-jawed beast found itself with a price on its head, as settlers blamed it for attacks on their sheep. The Thylacine was hunted to extinction by bounty hunters and farmers, though other factors such as disease, the introduction of wild dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat may have also played a part in the tragedy.

The Quagga

Quagga at London’s Regent’s Park Zoo, 1870

The last wild Quagga was probably shot in the late 1870s, while the last specimen in captivity died in 1883 at Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam. Once abundant in southern Africa, the Quagga fell victim to ruthless hunting for its meat and hide, and because it was seen by settlers as a competitor to livestock like sheep. It was the coat of the Quagga that distinguished it best, with only the front part of its body showing the zebra’s vivid striped markings. Projects to breed back the Quagga have produced favourable results, visually at least.

Bubal Hartebeest

Female Bubal Hartebeest that lived in London Zoo from 1883 until 1897

The Bubal Hartebeest was a species of antelope that became extinct in 1923, when a captive female died in Jardin des Plantes in Paris. It was once found over much of North Africa, at least as far east as Egypt, where it was a mythological and sacrificial beast. However, by the 1900s its range was limited to Algeria and the Moroccan High Atlas mountains. Hunting throughout the 19th century drastically reduced the Bubal Hartebeest’s numbers, sealing its fate. A fawn-coloured animal that stood almost 4 feet at the shoulder, the Bubal Hartebeest was characterised by lyre-shaped horns that almost touched at the base. A beautiful beast, sadly missed.

The Javan Tiger

Live Javan Tiger, taken in 1938 at Ujung Kulon

The Javan Tiger was a subspecies of tiger found only on the Indonesian island of Java, until it died out as recently as the 1980s. In the early 19th century, the Javan Tiger was common all over the island, but rapid human population increase led to the destruction of its forest habitat. The Javan Tiger was also mercilessly hunted, so that by the 1950s it is thought fewer than 25 remained in the wild. Following in the tracks of the Bali Tiger, which was wiped out in the 1930s, the fate of the Javan Tiger speaks for the precarious position of the tiger species as a whole. Sightings of the subspecies persist but hopes for its survival are fading

Syrian Wild Ass

Syrian Wild Ass in London Zoo, 1872

he last member of this species died at Schönbrunn Zoo, Vienna in 1928. Formerly occupying the mountains, deserts and steppes between Palestine and Iraq, the Syrian Wild Ass disappeared from the Syrian desert during the 18th century, not helped by war between Palestine and Syria. It was eradicated in Northern Arabia during the 19th century, and then became most seriously threatened with World War I, when its remaining habitat was overrun with fighting forces. The rest is history. This smallest of all recent members of the horse family stood just over 3 feet high at the shoulder and was generally light in colour.

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Wildlife Photography Awards

October 21st 2009 01:47

The inaugural British Wildlife Photography Awards saw a number of stunning entries from photographers of all ages. Pictures included an underwater grey seal close up and a white swan bathed in morning fog and light. However the winner was Ross Hoddinott whose image of a damselfly clinging to a dew soaked reed netted him the £5,000 prize. Below are some of the minor category winners. All images and information sourced from this article on the Daily Mail.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: animals

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Wolves

September 14th 2009 12:49

Today's photos of Wolves in the Wild sourced from Life.com.

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Animal Hands

July 22nd 2009 12:24

Animals and humans hands for the sense of touch, manipulating our environment and performance a vast array of tasks. However, not all animals’ hands look the same....

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Posted By: Ian - Category: animals

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Endangered Sharks

July 15th 2009 10:51

Around the world many shark species are being hunted to extinction, mainly for their fins to make soup. Thanks to the guardian.co.uk, here are some pictures representing the most endangered shark species and some of the reasons why. Read more here.

Shark-fin soup being served at a wedding banquet in Hong Kong. The taste for shark fins is driving some of the ocean's most ancient creatures to the brink of extinction, and in the process upsetting the balance of marine ecosystems

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Posted By: Ian - Category: animals

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Weird Animal Babies

June 22nd 2009 08:06

When they are born some baby animals look exactly like their adult counterparts, however others do not. Today we are looking at some animals which appear rather unique at birth. These pictures and information were taken from Environmental Graffiti. See more information here.

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Kingfishers

June 8th 2009 10:27

Kingfishers live in both woodland and wetland areas. Kingfishers that live near water hunt small fish by diving. They also eat crayfish, frogs, and insects. Wood kingfishers eat reptiles.

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Pictures of Southern Africa

June 5th 2009 12:32

These photographs were captured by wildlife photographer Hannes Lochner who spent two years travelling across Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. His images have now been brought together in a new book, "The Colours of Southern Africa". Learn more and see further images at the telegraph.co.uk here.

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Species on the Brink of Extinction

April 27th 2009 02:29

Whether it be due to loss of habitat, hunting or climate change there are so many species on our planet struggling for survival. Here are a few animals that are in the most trouble as reported on Time. Find more information here.

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Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

February 27th 2009 09:35

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day benched conformation show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. Dog owners from around the world come to show their dogs. Dogs are judged closely by eminent American Kennel Club (AKC) judges. It is considered by many to be America's most prestigious dog show. The 133nd WKC Dog Show was held February 9-10, 2009. After the Crufts international show held annually in the UK, the Westminster Kennel Club show is considered one of the largest and most prestigious in the world.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: animals

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