Photos: Earth >> Europe >> Greece >> Attica >> Attiki >> Athens

Register

  << Previous Next >>

Crowned beauty


Crowned beauty
Photo Information
Copyright: Vassilis Sinopoulos (vsinopoulos) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2331 W: 47 N: 2240] (13077)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04-20
Categories: Nature, Portrait
Camera: NikonD70, 018-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX Zo
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-05-11 14:45
Viewed: 555
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 84
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Once more from my recent visit to the Attiko Parko Zoo, this is an East African crowned Crane. Lovely bird, great colors and a crown to prove the royalty.
I. DESCRIPTION: Slate-grey with white upper and under wing coverts, black primaries and chestnut secondaries; black down on head and top-knot of stiff golden bristles; golden-brown plumes on inner wing coverts: legs and bill are black, eyes light grey, facial skin is white and red, throat lappet is scarlet. Bill is proportionately shorter than in other cranes. Immature are mottled brown. Adult height about forty inches. The East African’s cheek patches are almost entirely white with only a little red at the top.



II. GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT: Found from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Kenya to central Tanzania. Largest concentrations are found in marshes and grassy flatlands near the rivers and lakes; also inhabits cultivated land.



III. DIET: Plants, seeds, grain, insects, frogs, worms, snakes, small fish and the eggs of water animals. They stamp as they walk, flushing insects to eat.



IV. LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL STRUCTURE: Live in pairs or family parties, building up to flocks of over 100. Gregarious. Roost in riverbeds and trees. Has a trumpeting call “u-wang u-wang”; also has a gutteral grunt. The breeding season varies throughout their range. Lays 2-3 glossy, dirty-white eggs with small brown spots, becoming stained, in a heap of dry grasses in a trampled area of the swamp. Both parents incubate about 4 weeks and feed the young, who soon leave the nest. Life span is 22 years.



V. SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS: This is the only crane to perch in trees, with a partiality for solitary trees that afford a wide view. They fly with neck extended forward with legs stretched horizontally beyond tail, except in cold weather when they tuck their feet under breast feathers.



VI. INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION: Perform “slow motion” dances with wing flapping, displaying topknot to full effect. When dancing, birds hop forward with extended wings to form a circle, then circle round each other, dance out away from the center and then hop back again to reform the circle. This is one of a number of species of birds which have provided models for the dances of local tribes. The crowned cranes are “living fossils” among the cranes; they flourished in the Eocene (54-38 million years ago).
Info courtesy of www.oaklandzoo.org

kokos101, valari, riverfriends, Fisher, Ejtaan, Janice, Marylou, sugah_bear69, tjutjut, Werewolf, chrisJ, SkyF, Dingo, Xalkida, Refugee, cobratan, GreenBaron, JohnTulip, vandana2923, YasminesDad, jan515, logios, letr, perryhooter, mesquens1 has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekLens members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekLens members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To valari: Thank youvsinopoulos 1 05-11 15:13
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

hello vassilis!
excellent shot of this beauty, great colors.
tfs
zoran

Hi,Vassilis,lovely portrait ,so sharp and colorful!
warm regards,val

Hi Vassilis:
Great details and super lighting here!
The dof is outstanding to give a good contrast to the image.
David

Hello Vassilis my neigbour !
Great capture. Very well composed and quite sharp.
TFS and have a nice weekend
MESUT ILGIM

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1305 W: 353 N: 979] (5724)
  • [2007-05-11 16:04]

Hi Vassilis,

Beautiful capture, sharp, detailed, nicely composed.
Cheers

  • Great 
  • Ejtaan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1081 W: 117 N: 1984] (9806)
  • [2007-05-11 16:22]

A great sharpness here Vassilis!
And beautiful colors and a great DOF!

In fact I cannot think of any negative thing to say about this image!
It's just a great one!

Cheers,
Anneke

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3159 W: 238 N: 7024] (28253)
  • [2007-05-11 17:01]

Hi Vassilis, my favourite looking bird. I saw my first one of these birds on TN a few years ago and I couldn't believe how unusually attractive they are!
Good shot of it, and thank you for sharing
Janice

Hello Vassilis :o)
Splendid shot with great details and sharpness ! Excellent work, light is splendid. Congratulations :o)
Marylou

Hi Vassilis,
This fellow is a beauty and you've shown his plumage to great advantage, the colors, clarity, textures of his feathers and pov are wonderful. Thanks for sharing,
Fran

  • Great 
  • dip Silver Star Critiquer [C: 27 W: 0 N: 0] (233)
  • [2007-05-11 18:06]

Geia sou Vassili,
The colors and sharpness are very good.
Great job!
Xaireto. -Dimitris-

hi there, what a great shot of this amzing looking bird, the composition and clarity are perfect, really a wonderful image with a nice composition too, well done, cheers, scott

Hello Vassilis,

What a coincident that I submitted the same kind of bird with yours, but I don't know the name. Your note very useful.
Lovely picture!

Thank you for sharing a detailed note.

Cheers,
TJutjut

Intense colours
Very good DOF
Razor sharp
Have a nice weekend
RuudBlok

It's a good capture! Fascinating how th ornament on it's head remember that kind of brush to do soap for shaving :)
Show how feather can take many shapes!

  • Great 
  • chrisJ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3950 W: 219 N: 3785] (28217)
  • [2007-05-12 9:47]

Hi Vassilis

I like the s shaped curve of the birds neck, & the superb shallow dof & fg sharpness. Wonderful colour. Tfs!

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1666 W: 136 N: 1263] (6138)
  • [2007-05-12 10:45]

Hello Vassilis,
Very nice shot of this crane, you brought out all the colors and the detail in the grey plumage very well. The exposure is nicely handled, showing the details very clear and sharp.
TFS..Sky

WOW!Nice!!!Well done!
Ciao!
Aleksa

  • Great 
  • Dingo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2895 W: 370 N: 2730] (11723)
  • [2007-05-12 16:37]

And a beauty it is, Βασίλη. What excellent sharpness you've captured. Look at that beautiful eye... Good backdrop too.
An excellent bird picture. Well done, my friend.
TFS

Άλλη μία πανέμορφη φωτογραφία-πορτραίτο απ' αυτό το εντυπωσικό πουλί. Αρκετές ορατές λεπτομέρειες.

An attractive bird Vassilis which you have captured very well. Vivid and natural colours, well cropped and superb detail in the feathers. TFS,
David

What an interesting image of a lovely bird.I looks so proud standing there with it's banners spread out.Excellent capture and TFS.
Mel

Hello Vassilis,
They are very good looking birds!
You capture this one with great details in the plumage, pin sharp...
The white part of the head is well exposed, the composition is very attractive!
Greetings,
Pablo -

:-) OK-

  • Great 
  • lopa Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1195 W: 264 N: 877] (8915)
  • [2007-05-14 4:25]

Hi Vassilis,
what a beautiful details do you have on your photo? Excellent positioning of the subject. Wonderful colour and details. A visit through your gallery is an education in itself.
TFS
Lopa

Hi Vassilis,
Perefect my friend, really perfect this colourfel sharp picture of this imposive Grey Crane! The DOF is perfect here, the blurred background gives the head of the bird really the attention which it deserved. A lovely posting my Greek friend!
Hans

N.B. There is an e-mail in your postbox

Hello Vassilis, friend seems this bird is famous on TL. Good comp, color and sharpness. TFS

John T (from cruise)

Hello Vassilis, beautiful capture of this bird. Nowadays very famous on TL. Nice comp and colors. TFS

Vandana

  • Great 
  • jone Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1888 W: 73 N: 0] (18572)
  • [2007-05-15 2:47]

Hi Vassilis ;)
great portrait...TFS
All the best,
J ;)

Nice details - just been to the zoo yesterday and seen this bird too, but not close enough.
Cheers
Otto
:)later

Anjhello Scoring System:
DOF - 3 POV - 3 CREATIVITY - 3 COMPOSITION - 3
LIGHTING - 3 SHARPNESS - 3 COLORS - 2

Average: 2.86

Range:
1 point: Average < 1.99
2 points: Average > 2.00

Scoring System:
1 Good 2 Better 3 Best

tfs!

Hi Vassilis,
Great Crane portrait my friend.
I like your pov,dof,focus,sharpness,colors,note and framing.TFS
Chris

  • Great 
  • jan515 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2489 W: 48 N: 3012] (14302)
  • [2007-05-17 9:50]

Hello dear Vassilis,
EXCELLENT,i like the lovely portrait of the birds. details,colours,clarity and lighting are perfect. Wonderful presentativ posting my friend.
Best wishes.
Janusz

  • Great 
  • Mitra Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1321 W: 75 N: 840] (7438)
  • [2007-05-17 14:35]

Excellent composition with good colors & sharpness. Well done.
Mitra

Βασίλη, αλλη μια καταπληκτική φωτογραφία , γεμάτη λεπτομέρειες και χρώματα. Έχω πεισθεί για την χρησιμότητα αυτού του φακου.
Γιαννης

Beautiful animal portrait with some great colours and detail captured.

Only one remark, I would clone out the feathers on the bottom left side.

Tom

  • Great 
  • linus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1410 W: 10 N: 693] (9627)
  • [2007-05-20 19:41]

Hi Vas,
He does looks regal. Well seen and captured.
Sunil

  • Great 
  • letr Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1352 W: 439 N: 1185] (6625)
  • [2007-05-21 15:07]

A beauty this is , excellent dof and sharpness with wonderful colors ...a very good portrait Vassilis..

Loen

Hello Vassilis!

I have seen a few of these crowned cranes lately on TL. But this one is really the best I have seen. Stunning light and clarity. Tight framing working well for a cool portrait of this crowned bird.
Well done !
Robert

  • Great 
  • nova Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2859 W: 267 N: 856] (8305)
  • [2007-05-26 14:11]

Nice sharp image,Vassilis! I like the color contrast between the bg and the crowned beauty! Lovely notes related to the dances of thoses birds and the local tribes,amazing! TFS!
Michel

Perfection allover Vassilis
Great photo,
Rob

Hi Vassilis,
Of course we had to go to the Zoo - grandchildren love that and despite the rain I got some photo-opportunities - I think I captured the same one, they are very decorative birds - lovely capture - yes - I see details in his white cheek - I think my picture is OE on the cheek. So very good job.
TFS
Els

Hi,

Nice colours and well composed.

TFS,
Pedro

Fantastic shot Vassilis.
TFS
Raimundo

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF