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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.
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Sandhill Cranes Trumpeter Swans Raptors
Great Blue Heron and American Avocet Assorted Birds
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The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Sandhill Cranes Swans Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Osprey
Egrets & Herons Shorebirds Woodpeckers Jays, Ravens & Magpies
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Sandhill Crane Yellowstone 9332
A Sandhill Crane in fall plumage forages in the autumn grass at sunset in Yellowstone National Park.
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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.
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Sandhill Crane and Juvenile Yellowstone 9655
A juvenile Sandhill Crane checks out the strange clicking sound coming from the long black tube.
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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.
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Below are four images from a late winter sequence showing the Mating Dance of the Sandhill Cranes:
Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6896
The male squats down and lifts his wings for the female...
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Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6908
... and jumps high into the air, while the female looks on and expresses her appreciation.
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Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6915
The male lands and with his wings extended, lifts his chest feathers in a full display.
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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.
Sandhill Crane Mating Dance 6924
The male leaps high in the air while the female looks for nesting material.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes of Yellowstone page.
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The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Sandhill Cranes Swans Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Osprey
Egrets & Herons Shorebirds Woodpeckers Jays, Ravens & Magpies
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Trumpeter Swan Swan Lake 9847 M
A Trumpeter Swan on Swan Lake in Yellowstone National Park in the late afternoon.
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Trumpeter Swan Swan Lake 9896
A Trumpeter Swan honks while facing into the lowering sun in the late afternoon at Swan Lake.
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Trumpeter Swans Swan Lake 9926 M
A mated pair of Trumpeter Swans swim into the lowering sun in the late afternoon at Swan Lake.
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Below are four images from a sequence showing the Mating Display of the Trumpeter Swans.
Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7352
The female expresses her interest in the male...
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Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7354
The male agrees that she is an exceptionally attractive specimen and they touch cheeks.
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The female decides that she has to see an example of the male’s strength and speed.
Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7364
The Male bows in acquiescence to the female’s request.
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Trumpeter Swans Mating Display 7384
The male and female discuss the magnificence of the male’s running display, with wings outstretched.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Trumpeter Swans page.
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The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Sandhill Cranes Swans Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Osprey
Egrets & Herons Shorebirds Woodpeckers Jays, Ravens & Magpies
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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.
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Bald Eagle in Nest 0030
A Bald Eagle attends an enormous nest at the top of a dead tree in Yellowstone National Park.
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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.
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Red-Tailed Hawk Yellowstone 0622
An Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk in a soaring turn over the Firehole River in Yellowstone.
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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.
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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.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Raptors of Yellowstone page.
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The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Sandhill Cranes Swans Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Osprey
Egrets & Herons Shorebirds Woodpeckers Jays, Ravens & Magpies
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Great Blue Heron Yellowstone 0559
A Great Blue Heron follows a fish down Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone National Park.
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Great Blue Heron Strike Yellowstone 0565 M
The Great Blue Heron strikes during a hunt at Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone National Park.
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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.
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American Avocet Swan Lake 9213
An American Avocet in non-breeding plumage dances across the waters of Swan Lake in late September.
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American Avocets Swan Lake 9215
American Avocets in non-breeding plumage, landing on Swan Lake in Yellowstone National Park.
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American Avocets Trout Lake 5971
American Avocets in breeding plumage on Trout Lake in Yellowstone National Park, taken in late April.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Great Blue Heron and American Avocet page.
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The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Sandhill Cranes Swans Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Osprey
Egrets & Herons Shorebirds Woodpeckers Jays, Ravens & Magpies
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Gray Jay Lamar Valley 8897
An adult Rocky Mountain Gray Jay, perched in a tree above the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park.
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Magpie at Sunrise Lower Mammoth 7763 M
A Black-billed Magpie struts atop a rock in Lower Mammoth, displaying its iridescent tail.
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Magpie Mammoth Hot Springs 5835 M
A Black-billed Magpie poses for the photographer on a fallen tree in the late afternoon.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Assorted Birds of Yellowstone page.
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The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Sandhill Cranes Swans Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Osprey
Egrets & Herons Shorebirds Woodpeckers Jays, Ravens & Magpies
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Click the Display Composite above to return to the Yellowstone section index page.
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