Captive Birds

Gouldian Finch

This pretty finch was photographed at San Diego Safari Park. It had different colors from some of the other Gouldians, but they were all beautiful.

Gouldian Finch

This beautiful little bird is a Gouldian Finch, a captive bird at San Diego Safari Park. There were some with various combinations of color patches, and I don't know if they are different types, different sex, age, etc. They were all very pretty.

Bali Mynah

This white bird was very different from the mynah birds I saw in Bali years ago, but it was identified as a Bali Mynah. I liked its blue facial skin around the eye.

Superb Starling

This beautiful glistening bird was hunting around for nesting material. It looks like it found the jackpot here! It is called a Superb Starling.

Emerald Starling

This lovely bird was in one of the tropical flight aviaries at San Diego Safari Park.

Lady Ross's Touraco

This large colorful bird appears mostly black in most light, with the red crest and a large red patch on each wing. San Diego Safari Park.

Lady Ross's Touraco

Photographed at San Diego Safari Park.

Blue-cheeked Waxbill

This pretty little bird was photographed in a jungle display at Safari Park, San Diego, CA.

Fairy-Bluebird

This male Fairy-Bluebird was a Safari Park, San Diego, CA. The female is all blue, but more of a turquoise blue than this bright periwinkle blue.

Orange Bishop

~ This beautiful little bird is in the Weaver family, and is native to east Africa. Small populations of Orange Bishops have become established in Southern California and Phoenix, AZ.

The Lovebird Ballet

This Black-faced Lovebird was photographed in one of the free-flight aviaries at San Diego Safari Park.

Mariana Fruit Dove

This very unusual dove was photographed at San Diego Safari Park. I liked all his colors and markings.

The Vulture Hunch

This view of the Egyptian Vulture shows a common vulture position, with hunched shoulders and lowered head. San Diego Safari Park.

Egyptian Vulture

This "bad hair day" bird was at San Diego Safari Park. There were several types of vulures there, but this one was very accommodating and posed for quite awhile. Although I got several full-body shots, I really liked the close-up view that showed the details.

Up Close & Personal

This close up shot of the Egyptian Vulture was perhaps my favorite of all the shots I took of him. San Diego Safari Park.

Cock of the Rock, Male

Photographed at San Diego Safari Park.

Cock of the Rock, Female

~This strange bird is, I believe, the female to the bright orange Cock of the Rock. San Diego Safari Park.

Ocellated Turkey

This colorful turkey is native to southern Mexico and east to Belize. He was photographed at Safari Park in San Diego, California.

Beauty on the Wall

This gorgeous peacock had an amazingly long tail, which showed up well when he flew up onto this wall. Los Angeles Arboretum, California.

Pride of the Peacock ~ This peacock generously posed for me for this shot. He was one of the many peacocks at the Los Angeles Arboretum near Pasadena, California. The birds just have to be photographed!

Peacock Show Off

Spent some time today at the Los Angeles Aboretum, where there are many peacocks roaming the grounds. Most of them were in molt, and had almost no tail feathers for display. This male was proudly showing off his very large and full tail feathers, shivering and shaking his tail. The females appeared unimpressed.

Pride of the Peacock

This displaying male peacock had a huge and beautiful tail. He was photographed at the Los Angeles Arboretum.

Hyacinth Macaw

This Hyacinth Macaw was photographed at San Diego Safari Park. The Hyacinth is the largest of the Macaws. It's best to keep fingers out of reach of its beak, as it has the ability to bite down with 5,000 pounds of pressure--not recommended! 4/16/19 Judith Sparhawk

Pride of the Peacock - Judith Sparhawk

Usually a couple of times a year I go to visit the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia, California. I haven't gotten there yet this year, but one of the fun things there, aside from all the beautiful gardens, is the many peacocks that wander around the grounds. This one was photographed there a few years ago. At some times of year they are doing a lot of display behavior, with the males raising their tails in a beautiful array of colors. 11/23/20 My website: www.sparhawkphotography.com

Do Blondes Have More Fun?

This golden chicken was one of several resident chickens at the nursery/garden shop I visited in Morongo Valley, CA. I thought this one had very unusual coloring, and I especially liked the sweep of head and neck feathers shown here. The owner told me what kind of chickens she had, but I don't recall the names. One of them--maybe not this one--lays blue eggs. 12/9/19 Judith Sparhawk