I write goofy things about nature. 🦆 Engagement @BirdsCanada. 🦋 Tour Leader @questnaturetour. 🌿 Blog at the link. (he/him)
Guelph, Ontario
Joined November 2012
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The Sally Lightfoot Crab is allegedly named for a colourful Caribbean dancer who was light on her feet. I don't know if that's insulting to the dancer or the crab, but I think I'm offended on behalf of both. What sort of dancer has ten legs, anyway? 🧵
It's handsome, too, with an array of colours to rival any burlesque outfit. It definitely gains points on the dancer in the eye-stalk department, a feature which I've always loved in all creatures that wear it. 👇
Until very recently, you could find a Striated Heron in nearly every warm part of the world. They varied a little from place to place, but you'd pretty much recognize them wherever you went. Except, perhaps, in the Galapagos. 🧵
This dark-mode perfection serves a purpose, as the shorelines of the Galapagos are largely made of hardened lava, which is black. Like a vigilante in the night, then, the heron stalks its prey and avoids attackers under the cover of darkness, albeit in daylight. 👇
The finches of the Galapagos are famous as the inspiration for Darwin's ideas on evolution. Just as well, too, because they're not much to look at. If their ancestor had remained on the South American continent, birders wouldn't exactly be flocking to see them. 🧵
This diversity represents the process of adaptive radiation, where one species divides and conquers varying habitats or food sources. There is little competition on the Galapagos, so there are 17(ish) species of finches today occupying every available niche. 👇
If you've ever wondered about the words we use to describe the colours of birds (who hasn't?) I've got all the answers you seek. Today on the blog: The Colours of the Birds of the World. Full-sized image available there.
seagullblog.com/2025/11/04/t…
In profile, the Swallow-tailed Gull is sublime. The soft gradients, the long wings, the gently curving beak, the tasteful pops of colour...it's a looker in side-view, no doubt. Head-on though, it's a total weirdo. 🧵
The Swallow-tailed Gull, with its big, googly eyes, is purpose-built for midnight snacking on the ocean's surface-feeding abundance. Fish and squid are on the menu, and with other seabirds handcuffed by their poor night vision, there's more than enough to go around. 👇