Birds_ofYellowstone

The Birds of Yellowstone section contains over 200 images of Sandhill Cranes, Trumpeter Swans,
Eagles, Hawks, Ospreys, Great Blue Herons, American Avocets, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Magpies,
and Gray Jays taken in various locations in Yellowstone National Park in early spring and autumn, and
include the Mating Dance of the Sandhill Cranes and the Mating Display of the Trumpeter Swans. The
section is separated into five pages and this Overview index with sample images from each page.

Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.

Sandhill Cranes          Trumpeter Swans          Raptors

Great Blue Heron and American Avocet          Assorted Birds

Sunburst3

The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


Direct Links:

Sandhill Cranes       Swans       Eagles       Red-Tailed Hawks       Osprey

Egrets & Herons       Shorebirds       Woodpeckers       Jays, Ravens & Magpies

Sunburst3
SandhillCrane_Yellowstone_9332


Sandhill Crane Yellowstone 9332

A Sandhill Crane in fall plumage forages in the autumn grass at sunset in Yellowstone National Park.

SandhillCranes_andJuvenile_Yellowstone_9471


Sandhill Cranes and Juvenile Yellowstone 9471

Two adults and a juvenile Sandhill Crane in red-ochre Fall plumage walking through the tall autumn
grass in Yellowstone National Park, late morning in early October. Note the extensively tinted feathers.

SandhillCrane_andJuvenile_Yellowstone_9655


Sandhill Crane and Juvenile Yellowstone 9655

A juvenile Sandhill Crane checks out the strange clicking sound coming from the long black tube.

SandhillCrane_andJuvenile_Yellowstone_9683M


Sandhill Crane and Juvenile Yellowstone 9683 M

The juvenile watches closely as the adult shows it how to flip a tasty insect larva into the air and catch it.

Below are four images from a late winter sequence showing the Mating Dance of the Sandhill Cranes:

SandhillCrane_MatingDance_6896


Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6896

The male squats down and lifts his wings for the female...

SandhillCrane_MatingDance_6908


Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6908

... and jumps high into the air, while the female looks on and expresses her appreciation.

SandhillCrane_MatingDance_6915


Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6915

The male lands and with his wings extended, lifts his chest feathers in a full display.

While the female steps over to the creek to find some nesting material, occasionally looking back,
the male continues to jump higher and higher into the air, lifting his tail end high at the top of his leap.

SandhillCrane_MatingDance_6924


Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6924

The male leaps high in the air while the female looks for nesting material.

Breeding


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes of Yellowstone page.

Sunburst3

The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


Direct Links:

Sandhill Cranes       Swans       Eagles       Red-Tailed Hawks       Osprey

Egrets & Herons       Shorebirds       Woodpeckers       Jays, Ravens & Magpies

Sunburst3
TrumpeterSwan_SwanLake_9847M


Trumpeter Swan Swan Lake 9847 M

A Trumpeter Swan on Swan Lake in Yellowstone National Park in the late afternoon.

TrumpeterSwan_SwanLake_9896


Trumpeter Swan Swan Lake 9896

A Trumpeter Swan honks while facing into the lowering sun in the late afternoon at Swan Lake.

TrumpeterSwans_SwanLake_9926M


Trumpeter Swans Swan Lake 9926 M

A mated pair of Trumpeter Swans swim into the lowering sun in the late afternoon at Swan Lake.

Below are four images from a sequence showing the Mating Display of the Trumpeter Swans.

TrumpeterSwans_MatingDisplay_7352


Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7352

The female expresses her interest in the male...

TrumpeterSwans_MatingDisplay_7354


Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7354

The male agrees that she is an exceptionally attractive specimen and they touch cheeks.

The female decides that she has to see an example of the male’s strength and speed.

TrumpeterSwans_MatingDisplay_7364


Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7364

The Male bows in acquiescence to the female’s request.

TrumpeterSwans_MatingDisplay_7384


Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7384

The male and female discuss the magnificence of the male’s running display, with wings outstretched.

TrumpeterSwans


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Trumpeter Swans page.

Sunburst3

The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


Direct Links:

Sandhill Cranes       Swans       Eagles       Red-Tailed Hawks       Osprey

Egrets & Herons       Shorebirds       Woodpeckers       Jays, Ravens & Magpies

Sunburst3
BaldEagle_8607c


Bald Eagle 8607c

A Bald Eagle stands watch near a long-established nest alongside the
Madison River near the Western entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

BaldEagle_inNest_0030


Bald Eagle in Nest 0030

A Bald Eagle attends an enormous nest at the top of a dead tree in Yellowstone National Park.

Harlans_Red-Tail_LightMorph_Juvenile_0708c


Harlan’s Red-Tail Light Morph Juvenile 0708c

A Light morph juvenile Harlan’s Red-Tailed Hawk taken in Grand Tetons National Park,
just to the south of the southern entrance to Yellowstone National Park in early October.

Red-TailedHawk_Yellowstone_0622


Red-Tailed Hawk Yellowstone 0622

An Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk in a soaring turn over the Firehole River in Yellowstone.

Osprey_withPrey_8720M


Osprey with Prey 8720 M

An Osprey perched in a tree with a Trout, over the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park.

Osprey take their fish into trees to eat them. This one was worried about the long
beak on the end of my camera and took off with its fish, providing us an opportunity
to examine how the Osprey orients the fish forwards to reduce aerodynamic drag.

Osprey_withPrey_8721


Osprey with Prey 8721

An Osprey carries a trout over the Firehole River with the fish facing forward.

While in-flight, Ospreys orient the fish to face forward to reduce drag, as is
shown in the images above and below (taken at Yellowstone National Park).
To do this, the Osprey carries the fish with one foot forward and one behind.

Raptors


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Raptors of Yellowstone page.

Sunburst3

The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


Direct Links:

Sandhill Cranes       Swans       Eagles       Red-Tailed Hawks       Osprey

Egrets & Herons       Shorebirds       Woodpeckers       Jays, Ravens & Magpies

Sunburst3
GreatBlueHeron_Yellowstone_0559


Great Blue Heron Yellowstone 0559

A Great Blue Heron follows a fish down Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone National Park.

GreatBlueHeron_Strike_Yellowstone_0565M


Great Blue Heron Strike Yellowstone 0565 M

The Great Blue Heron strikes during a hunt at Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone National Park.

GreatBlueHeron_Yellowstone_0598M


Great Blue Heron Yellowstone 0598 M

The Great Blue Heron strikes a pose, adopting one of the more elegant positions I’ve seen.
As he was strutting across the creek a fish attracted his attention, creating an interesting shot.

AmericanAvocet_SwanLake_9213


American Avocet Swan Lake 9213

An American Avocet in non-breeding plumage dances across the waters of Swan Lake in late September.

AmericanAvocets_SwanLake_9215


American Avocets Swan Lake 9215

American Avocets in non-breeding plumage, landing on Swan Lake in Yellowstone National Park.

AmericanAvocets_TroutLake_5971


American Avocets Trout Lake 5971

American Avocets in breeding plumage on Trout Lake in Yellowstone National Park, taken in late April.

Herons_andAvocets


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Great Blue Heron and American Avocet page.

Sunburst3

The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


Direct Links:

Sandhill Cranes       Swans       Eagles       Red-Tailed Hawks       Osprey

Egrets & Herons       Shorebirds       Woodpeckers       Jays, Ravens & Magpies

Sunburst3
Red-Naped_Sapsucker_MammothHS_6118M


Red-naped Sapsucker Mammoth Hot Springs 6118 M

A 1000 x 1600 image of a male Red-naped Sapsucker posing on
the post of a handicapped sign in Mammoth Hot Springs, which he
was energetically pecking on to attract a mate in competition with
another male who was noisily pecking on a nearby metal flagpole.

Red-Naped_Sapsucker_MammothHS_6388M


Red-naped Sapsucker Mammoth Hot Springs 6388 M

Note the pattern on the back of the male Red-naped Sapsucker and the red marking on the nape
of his neck as he reaches out to peck on his favorite handicapped sign in Mammoth Hot Springs.

Red-Naped_Sapsucker_MammothHS_6392M


Red-naped Sapsucker Mammoth Hot Springs 6392 M

A 1000 x 1600 image of the male Red-naped Sapsucker posing on the post of
a handicapped sign in Mammoth Hot Springs. Note the horizontal line of stripped
paint on the dented edge of the sign where the sapsucker has pecked his love call.

GrayJay_LamarValley_8897


Gray Jay Lamar Valley 8897

An adult Rocky Mountain Gray Jay, perched in a tree above the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park.

Magpie_atSunrise_LowerMammoth_7763M


Magpie at Sunrise Lower Mammoth 7763 M

A Black-billed Magpie struts atop a rock in Lower Mammoth, displaying its iridescent tail.

Magpie_MammothHS_5835M


Magpie Mammoth Hot Springs 5835 M

A Black-billed Magpie poses for the photographer on a fallen tree in the late afternoon.

Asst_Birds


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Assorted Birds of Yellowstone page.

Sunburst3

The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


Direct Links:

Sandhill Cranes       Swans       Eagles       Red-Tailed Hawks       Osprey

Egrets & Herons       Shorebirds       Woodpeckers       Jays, Ravens & Magpies

Sunburst3
YellowstoneNP


Click the Display Composite above to return to the Yellowstone section index page.

GrEgret_copyright_clip