The Random Photo Thread

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SurfFuerteventura

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Birds are evil monsters, if they were six feet across we would have to kill them all before they get us.
We have at least two that are larger than that.

Culprits for stealing puppies and cats, fly them up real high, let them drop, fly down and eat their livers... not a pretty sight.

:dancing::crazy2:

Egyptian Vultures and African Eagles.

Though the African Black Crows get pretty huge too, at least they're cool, for the most part.

Ever had a HUGE black crow target you for "destruction"? Bombs away! :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :socrazy: :monkey:
 

stringcheese

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We have at least two that are larger than that.

Culprits for stealing puppies and cats, fly them up real high, let them drop, fly down and eat their livers... not a pretty sight.

:dancing::crazy2:
What the fvck are they, condors or some shlt? What kind of bird can take a dog, and why have you allowed TWO of them to live??
 

SurfFuerteventura

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Two types.... A lot more than just two birds.

The vultures hang in pairs.

The eagles fly in threes, or fours, typically parents and offspring.

Why? They're protected, of course.

Plus, who in their right mind would consider themselves worthy of killing such majestic animals?

:crazy2:

I heart birds of prey.

Love watching them hunt... When all our pets are safely locked indoors!
 

stringcheese

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Hmm.. Eagles, vultures, no biggie. They could only take a stupid dog, like a poodle or some poor bastard of nature pug. If there's a bird around that can swoop anything bigger than a border collie, I consider myself worthy of, called upon to, even, of killing that majestic beotch and making it into several items of fancy clothing.
 

SurfFuerteventura

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Hmm.. Eagles, vultures, no biggie. They could only take a stupid dog, like a poodle or some poor bastard of nature pug. If there's a bird around that can swoop anything bigger than a border collie, I consider myself worthy of, called upon to, even, of killing that majestic beotch and making it into several items of fancy clothing.

Link in article on "island gigantism" phenomenon.
 

Mr Doof

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What the fvvk are they, condors or some shlt? What kind of bird can take a dog, and why have you allowed TWO of them to live??
I watched a Golden Eagle follow a teenage walking her chihuahua in my neighborhood once. Ran out to tell her to be careful (bird was hopping from house to house, following them as she walked her dog on the sidewalk).

She looked at me like I was a nut and went along her way.

As I watched her walk away, the bird swooped, I yelled and jogged towards her waiving my arms, she turned and saw this huge bird coming for the dog, she jerked up the leash and yanked the dog into her arms, Golden Eagle pulled up and flew to the next house, just watching.

The teen walked off, dog in arms, bird hopping from one roof to the next, looking at them.

Gorgeous bird and well, they ain't that shy:


PS
Golden Eagle isn't a true eagle. A better name for it would be "Giant Hawk" as it is in the hawk family and not the eagle family.
 

skibz

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I watched a Golden Eagle follow a teenage walking her chihuahua in my neighborhood once. Ran out to tell her to be careful (bird was hopping from house to house, following them as she walked her dog on the sidewalk).

She looked at me like I was a nut and went along her way.

As I watched her walk away, the bird swooped, I yelled and jogged towards her waiving my arms, she turned and saw this huge bird coming for the dog, she jerked up the leash and yanked the dog into her arms, Golden Eagle pulled up and flew to the next house, just watching.

The teen walked off, dog in arms, bird hopping from one roof to the next, looking at them.

Gorgeous bird and well, they ain't that shy:


PS
Golden Eagle isn't a true eagle. A better name for it would be "Giant Hawk" as it is in the hawk family and not the eagle family.
I have never seen a Golden Eagle classified as a hawk or an accipiter. Can you source this? I am intrigued.
 

Mr Doof

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I remember being told by serious birder that Golden Eagles are named that more due to size than DNA or behavior. That claim seemed off to me, which is why I remember it. Seems there is still some grey area on this topic from the birding world.

Link 1

Blurb from link 1

Did you know?
Golden Eagles are more closely related to Red-tailed Hawks than to Bald Eagles.

Link 2

Link 3

blurb from link 2

Taxonomy and systematics
This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Falco chrysaetos.[32] Since birds were grouped largely on superficial characteristics at that time, many species were grouped by Linnaeus into the genus Falco. The type locality was given simply as "Europa"; it was later fixed to Sweden. It was moved to the new genus Aquila by French ornithologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.[33] Aquila is Latin for "eagle", possibly derived from aquilus, "dark in colour" and chrysaetos is Ancient Greek for the golden eagle from khrusos, "gold" and aetos, "eagle".[34]

The golden eagle is part of a broad group of raptors called "booted eagles" which are defined by the feature that all species have feathering over their tarsus, unlike many other accipitrids which have bare legs. Included in this group are all species described as "hawk eagles" including the genera Spizaetus and Nisaetus, as well as assorted monotypical genera such as Oroaetus, Lophaetus, Stephanoaetus, Polemaetus, Lophotriorchis and Ictinaetus. The genus Aquila is distributed across every continent but for South America and Antarctica. Up to 20 species have been classified in the genus, but more recently the taxonomic placement of some of the traditional species has been questioned. Traditionally, the Aquila eagles have been grouped superficially as largish, mainly brownish or dark-colored booted eagles that vary little in transition from their juvenile to their adult plumages. Genetic research has recently indicated the golden eagle is included in a clade with Verreaux's eagle in Africa as well as the Gurney's eagle (A. gurneyi) and the wedge-tailed eagle (clearly part of an Australasian radiation of the lineage). This identification of this particular clade has long been suspected based on similar morphological characteristics amongst these large-bodied species.[4] More surprisingly, the smaller, much paler-bellied sister species Bonelli's eagle (A. fasciatus) and African hawk-eagle (A. spilogaster), previously included in the genus Hieraaetus, have been revealed to be genetically much closer to the Verreaux's and golden eagle lineage than to other species traditionally included in the genus Aquila.[3][35][36] Other largish Aquila species, the eastern imperial, the Spanish imperial, the tawny and the steppe eagles, are now thought to be separate, close-knit clade, which attained some similar characteristics to the prior clade via convergent evolution.[35][36] Genetically, the "spotted eagles" (A. pomarina, hastata and clanga), have been discovered to be more closely related to the long-crested eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) and the black eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis), and many generic reassignments have been advocated.[35][37] The genus Hieraaetus, including the booted eagle (H. pennatus), little eagle (H. morphnoides) and Ayres's hawk-eagle (H. ayresii), consists of much smaller species, that are in fact smallest birds called eagles outside of the unrelated Spilornis serpent-eagle genus. This genus has recently been eliminated by many authorities and is now occasionally also included in Aquila, although not all ornithological unions have followed this suit in this re-classification.[3][36][38] The small-bodied Wahlberg's eagle (H. wahlbergi) has been traditionally considered a Aquila species due to its lack of change from juvenile to adult plumage and brownish color but it is actually genetically aligned to the Hieraaetus lineage.[35][39] Cassin's hawk-eagle (H. africanus) is also probably closely related to the Hieraaetus group rather than the Spizaetus/Nisaetus "hawk-eagle" group (in which it was previously classified) which is not known to have radiated to Africa.[40]

Link 4
 
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hammies

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I had a small pond in my backyard and for a couple of years had some Koi in there, not huge, maybe 6 - 8 inches. One morning I went out and they were gone, and this big ol' Egret was on my fence, thanking me for his meal. Fucker.
 
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