Bird of the Week – Rhinoceros Auklet
Another portrait from the Alaska SeaLife Center’s excellent Seabird Aviary. Photos of this species in the wild are very rare; they are solitary on the open ocean, nest in crevices on remote islands, and are extremely skittish.
Rhinoceros Auklet, Breeding Plumage
The prominent rhinoceros-like “horn” (actually a vertical extension of the mandibular plates) projecting above the upper mandible is present in breeding plumage. The precise function of this hood ornament, which is the same size in males and females, is unknown.
Technical stuff: f8, 1/500, ISO 1600
More bird photos at Frozen Feather Images.
Another Sunday, another gorgeous bird photo! Thanks, WC.
Auklet rhymes with chocolate and a confection by any other name would grow a rhino horn and feathers. Shakes Pierre.
Handsome beast, WC,
those white “eyebrows and whiskers” look a lot like DH Happy’s streaks,
the salt is beginning to overtake teh pepper in his beard 🙂
not that there’s anything wrong with that
as my plumage is way more salt than pepper anymore
except when I get a notion to streak it cobalt blue
but I digress…
Are those vertical extensions of the mandibular plates present only with breeding plumage, or on all auklets of a certain age?
And also, too, how big is this auklet?
big as a little auk, eh?
*off to check*
thatcrowwoman
TCW –
He is a handsome devil, isn’t he? Posed for the photo, too.
The “horn” is present only during breeding season. The plumes are still present outside of breeding season, but are reduced in size.
This is the largest of the North American Auklets at 15 inches long.
/WC
So the auklets get horny in breeding season?
How conVENient, eh?
hahahahacawcawcaw
*sending myself to time out with apologies to Grandma Shorty, of blessed memory, for my indelicate comment*
tcw
Spent time out thinking about (mood) music…
with horns, you betcha..
Joe Cocker-You Can Leave Your Hat On:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b04jq7NB1s
James Brown-Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAp7uqnUYSA
and two more before I hit the pool:
B.B.King & Crusaders – Same Old Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfYktf03U70
Van Morrison-Into the Mystic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVAnlke_xUY
LOTS. OF. THE. CLOTHES. WE. ALL. WORE. WERE. HORRENDOUS!
There, I said it.
Ye gads!, what were we thinking?
Yes, some of the outfits were cute, some were hip, and some were Really cute And hip, but when they went bad, whoooo boy!!, they went really. really. bad. JBs get-up, for one — I’ve never been much of a fan of skin-tight anythings, let alone sleeveless jumpsuits…orange, be-golded, and sparkly, or no. Again, what were we thinking?
Yet, truth be told, I mourn the loss of many a cute outfit that once hung in my closet; sure do wish I could remember where –and when– I pushed them aside for other garb. Call me crazy, but I have visions of me wearing them, again, today!, and looking just as stylish and fetching in them as I did way back when…
Alas +/- 4.5 decades and +/- 2.5 Stone have had their way with me; I’ve got bulges and bumps where I didn’t used to and everything else has shifted. Significantly. Trust me, they’ve not been particularly kind…especially when it comes to fulfilling my fantasy of finding and wearing those super cute and incredibly stylish outfits of mine again, and of putting them on immediately! to WOW everyone. Which is just as well, I suppose, because I enjoy the little fantasy of mine and I really do. not. like. skin-tight clothes. beth.
DISCLAIMER: I still have, hanging in my closet, 3 dresses (two floor-length and one to the top of my knees) circa late-60s, early-70s. Do they still fit? Dunno; not a clue in the world. Haven’t tried them on for nigh onto 3-decades, now. I keep them for … for … um, sentimental reasons? Nah; hardly. They’re there on the off, off, off chance that some day, some suspend-gravity-and-the-sun-rises-in-the-east day, the dress(es) and I will magically become again an appropriate pairing. Either that, or for any future grandkids to wear…or laugh at uproariously. One or t’other. b.
Sure took the long way around the barn to tell Mudflatters you are expecting! A simple pink or blue smiley face would have sufficed. (just kidding)
Oh, mikey, mikey, mike in iowa mikey, how you do make me laugh! Out loud. And a lot.
[*looking around to make sure we’re only adults here*]
I’m at that stage in life that my dearest own personal mother (going on 96yo this year!) would say had “the baby carriage gone, but the playpen waiting to be filled”.
Yes, quite risqué-mouthed was my mother as she raised her passel of kids (a ‘passel’ being 5…2 boys and then us three girls). As we girls got into our teens, she shared some real gems with us — among them was a rhyme she had for what everyone else called “a sponge-bath”. Quite rude and crude it was (and is), but it still makes me giggle like a 6-yo hearing anything that even remotely sounds like the word “poop”, every time I think of it. beth.
Rilly got to tell you there is a wealth of rwnj inspiration floating around on the internet and Texas is providing a goodly share of the treasures.Someday Texas will be blue and then so will I. Texas will wear it better than me.Now, where was I?………
I MISS the time out room !! Orange shag carpet with lava lamps, black lights and posters..aaahhhhhhh
Speaking of which: Visine traces on your face show up greenish-yellow under those black lights. A friend of mine discovered that, much to his everlasting chagrin… Just sayin’. beth.
http://www.kellybeehtx.com/2013/01/meme-o-day-1-13-13.html
On a bird related theme,how to P.O. a bald eagle. Thanks to Kellybees website.
Mmmm..yes..looking at said bird..enjoying the plumage. Mixed colors…and yet..I have never heard of people..hanging out with..only sightings of,,this bird, that bird..and then..wrangling about..those who have ..’mixed’ colors..and three or more..’mixes’. Hmmm ? We do appreciate all the bird kingdom..mixes and designs..so..when might we all..not just in America..but globally..look at the animal mixtures..and start ..reaching out a hand, a wing or a fin..to those also living here? I am..fishbelly white..and Mongolian..a half breed..in the conversations from old ways. Today..am..just a member of the Family of Man. Today..can’t we just..reach out..and enjoy..our many, many plumages? Geesemarie..I DO..hope so! Peace..and ..plumage..to all….
Have all those animals and birds accepted rw christian lord as their saviour? I thought not. They are all damned to hell with libs and progressives and peoples of color and anyone or thing that isn’t pure white as the driven snow.Collections of human cells are excused until they are born white.
careful there!!! as real Rhino horn is verboten, the look out for a replacement is running high amongst those who need that extra “pick me up” in their lives…….. could end up on the endangered species list if the word gets out about that horn!!
These birds are quite common in iowa. Local implement dealer gives one free auklet with every $500,000 piece of farm equipment you purchase,except for John Deere combines. Says the idea came to him while he was sleeping off an all night bender. When asked what to feed an auklet,he remarked(with a straight face) the same B.S. I am feeding you. Almost true story,except for the made up parts.
I love this one, WC! I’ve seen zillions of them, but never close enough to really appreciate one! Thanks!