Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Near Threatened

We have a pair of these enormous Andean Condors at the Calgary Zoo. Really quite the sight to see, LOL! This handsome creature is the male : ). "The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, it is the largest flying land bird in the Western Hemisphere. It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in response to the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is a wattle on the neck and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the head. Unlike most birds of prey, the male is larger than the female. The condor is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It prefers large carcasses, such as those of deer or cattle. It reaches sexual maturity at five or six years of age and roosts at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 m (10,000 to 16,000 ft), generally on inaccessible rock ledges. One or two eggs are usually laid. It is one of the world’s longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 50 years." The Andean Condor is considered near threatened by the IUCN." From Wikipedia.

This Australian Stone Curlew put on quite a display while I was trying to take photos of it at the Calgary Zoo. Several people standing nearby were quite amused at the way this bird kept turning its head at different angles while watching me through the glass. The name given was Australian Stone Curlew, but now I'm not sure if that means Bush Stone Curlew. Will have to check the sign when I am next there.

This unusual bird is in the Australia House at the Calgary Zoo. I have tried to identify it, but have been unable to find any sign of it on Google. Does anyone happen to know what it is. Strange to see a green bird. (Note later: thank you, tristanba, for kindly giving me the ID. Much appreciated!) "The Nicobar Pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird on small uninhabited islands in Indonesia and the Nicobar Islands. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas. This is a large, heavy pigeon at 40cm in length. It is mainly metallic green with green and copper hackles on the neck. The head and upper neck, flight feathers and breast are dark grey. The tail is very short and pure white. There is a black knob on the base of the bill, and the strong legs are dark red. This is not a very vocal species, but possesses a low pitched repetitive call. Females are slightly smaller than males; they have a smaller bill knob, shorter hackles and browner underparts. Immature birds have a black tail. The Nicobar Pigeon roams in flocks from island to island, including inhabited sites, seeking its food of seeds, fruit and some invertebrates, and is attracted to areas where grain is available; usually, it sleeps on offshore islets where no predators occur and spends the day in areas with better food availability. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. Peculiarly, groups tend to fly in columns or single file, not in a loose flock as most other pigeons do; the white tail seems to serve as a sort of "taillight" when crossing water at dawn or dusk. These observations are also supported by inexperienced birds, which could lead a group astray, lacking this feature. This species nests in dense forest, building a stick nest in a tree and laying one elliptical, faintly blue-tinged white egg. Conservation status: Near Threatened." From Wikipedia.