Turtle Dove

[Mad Aussie]

Not all our birds are pretty ... here's an ugly duckling of a bird ... it's a Masked Lapwing (often called a Spur Winged Plover) and these birds are very common around here. They aggressively defend their young by dive bombing humans and other threats trying to whack you with those spurs you see in this photo.

Yes I took this when they had young. Yes I got dive bombed ... lots. And I got the bird so pissed that it started diving every human within a 100 metre radius of it's chicks!

[Marko]

Wow lovely birds MA well done!
Just knowing the names of all the birds is impressive. Sparrows and pigeons - those are the only 2 i know.

[Gem]

Heheh, he lookes like a masked crusader.

[casil403]

They aggressively defend their young by dive bombing humans and other threats trying to whack you with those spurs you see in this photo.

Yes I took this when they had young. Yes I got dive bombed ... lots. And I got the bird so pissed that it started diving every human within a 100 metre radius of it's chicks!

That's what the crows do out here when they have their young....I get dive-bombed by crows every summer to the point that I walk around with an umbrella to pop open when I know I'm in range of a nest!
Sheesh MA even your crows are pretty!

[kiley9806]

ok - this guy really did make me Laugh Out Loud! hee hee... looks like he found a piece of chewed up yellow bubble gum on the sidewalk and stuck it on his face as a mask... watch out banks! and baby stealers!

[kiley9806]

hes even is concealing a little orange pointy gun under his wing! eek!

[JAS_Photo]

He has great eyes! Like teddy bear buttons!

[Mad Aussie]

Nope ... our crows aren't pretty ... here's real crow ...



Your crows dive bomb you Our crows wouldn't dare!!! But our Magpies would! Every breeding season these bird create havoc diving people and sometimes causing injuries. I had one embedded in my bike helmet once! These birds are smaller than crows by half but they scare way more people!

[Mad Aussie]

I found another pigeon too, not great photos though .... the Common Bronze Wing






We also have these ... Emu's ... the World's 2nd largest bird in height reaching up to a little over 2 metres (about 6 - 6 1/5 foot). They are funny birds when you see them out on the back roads where they will try to race you. You on bitumen or gravel and them in the bush beside the road doing 60 kph! Until they find a hole, trip, and go ass over turkey for the nest 5 metres.



Emu's back

[Mad Aussie]

After adding crows and emu's I thought I better get back to Pigeons/Doves.

Here's our most common pigeon ... the Rock Dove (Feral or Common Pigeon)






I think this one is a strangely coloured Juvenile Rock Dove ...