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Pine Grosbeak


Pine Grosbeak
Photo Information
Copyright: Mario Belanger (EOSF1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1571 W: 126 N: 2228] (20439)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-20
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF100-400 F4-5.6 L IS USM, ISO 200, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1 x
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Boomcat's Favourite [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-02-24 7:40
Viewed: 574
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
A female Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator 20-25cm)
photographed in the boreal forrest of Montmorency, 70k north of Quebec city. The temperature was a refreshing -20C! :-)

From: www.birds.cornell.edu
One of the larger members of its family, the Pine Grosbeak is a bird of the boreal forests, found across northern Eurasia and North America, and south into the mountains of western Canada and the United States. A large, unwary finch, it makes periodic winter irruptions into southern Canada and northern United States. It is the largest and rarest of the "winter finches."
Cool Facts
The tameness and slow-moving behavior of the Pine Grosbeak gave rise to local name in Newfoundland of "mope."
Winter flocks may stay near a tree with abundant fruit until all of it is consumed.
Winter irruptions are infrequent and irregular.
A breeding adult Pine Grosbeak develops pouches in the floor of its mouth for carrying food to its young.
During most of the year, 99% of diet is vegetable matter, especially buds, seeds, and fruits of spruce, pine, juniper, elm, maple, mountain ash, apple, and crabapple. It feeds insects and spiders to its young, though, often mixed with plant foods. It drinks water or eats snow daily.
Description
Size: 20-25 cm (8-10 in)
Wingspan: 33 cm (13 in)
Large finch; medium-sized songbird.
Plump, heavy-chested.
Dark wings with two white wingbars.
Large stubby curved bill.
Male red.
Blackish-brown tail and wings.
Tail long and slightly forked.
Eyes black.Bill dark.Legs dark.
Sexually dimorphic: Male with rosy-red head, chest and back, rest gray; females with yellow-olive where male has red.
Male
Pinkish-red head, breast, back and rump. Streaked back. White undertail coverts. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Female
Yellowish olive head and rump. Gray underparts and back. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Immature male usually is indistinguishable from immature or adult female until the second year when it molts and grows new reddish feathers. Some young males have some red or orange feathers in the body plumage, which females apparently lack. Females average duller than males (especially on the crown and rump) and have a lighter russet tinge to the head or lighter olive tinge to the breast than males. The color of the head and body is often golden orange or reddish bronze in males, in contrast to golden yellow of the female, and the chin is often buffier or more brown-gray than in the female.
Song is a sequence of clear, warbling, flute-like notes. Flight calls vary geographically, but can sound like "tee-tee-tew," resembling calls of Greater Yellowlegs.
Breeds in subarctic and subalpine coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia.
Winters mainly in breeding range, but may go farther south irregularly to southern Canada and northern United States.
Breeds in open coniferous forests.
Wintering areas determined by food availability, so found in wider variety of habitats, including urban areas.
Seeds, buds, fruit, some insects.
Behavior
Foraging
Eats fruits by biting through and discarding the pulp and crushing the seed. Insects caught by clumsy flycatching. Eats sunflower seeds at feeders in parts of range (rarely comes to feeders in other parts of range).
Other Behavior
Found in flocks in winter; strongly territorial in breeding season. Distinctive call note often given in flight.
Conservation Status
Status largely unknown because of difficulty of assessing populations.
Durbec des sapins (French)
Camachuelo picogrueso (Spanish)
dsunflower, gerbilratz, toucan1967, Royaldevon, juyona, eqshannon, angela926, wieyos, boomcat, WMcK, shelbeesmom, Dpbours, hester, dareco has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Bonjour Mario,
D'une grande beauté,magnifique capture et présentation.Les couleurs et la précision de l'image en font une photo parfaite en ce qui me concerne.
WOW...superbe travail,Merci de partager et bravo,
Guylaine.

Bonjour Mario,
De toute Beautée, superbe prise de vue et couleurs magnifiques de cette femelle durbec des sapins, composition et details et netteté.. excellent..
Michel

Salut Mario,
Magnifique oiseau et photo bien sur . On dirait presqu'il t'attendait . Les couleurs et les détails du plumage sont impressionnants . Excellent travail à -20, cela a valu la peine de geler un peu quand on voit ce résultat .
Daniel
Hier j'ai eu la chance de voir un grand pic dans l'arbre de mon voisin il y est resté une quinzaine de minutes . Ça fait du ravage dans un arbre ça monsieur .

  • Great 
  • lukie Gold Star Critiquer [C: 79 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-02-24 8:29]

Hello Mario,

what a note ! I had to scroll down for kms. to write the critique... Very sharp shot of that cute bird. I guess it was snowing at that moment, seeing the white spots in the shot ?

regards,

Luc.

Stunning picture, great POV and DOF...amazing amount of information as well....the gentle snowfall is really effective giving it a true winter look...TFS

L'image renversante, la grande POV et la quantité étonnante de DOF... de chutes de neige douces de l'information aussi bien....the est vraiment efficace lui donnant un véritable regard... TFS d'hiver

Hi Mario!
It's been a long time since I had a chance to visit TL! I'm glad to recognize Your signature in the gallery! As usual great postage - clear and with great details.
TFS
Friendly Regards
Daniel :)))

Hi Mario,
Great capture and your usual high standard, super feather detail and I like the snow falling in the background, good notes too.
Regards Andy

Bonjour Mrio,

Quelle belle prise de vue. Et quel bel oiseau, Vraiment, les couleurs sont très belles.

Michel

-20C is refreshing? Brrrr Mario. That amount of cold had got to affect the Photographer - does it affect the camera? Another perfect image of the Grosbeak. I am always amazed at your degree of clarity and sharpnes of focus. WOW!

Dan

Hello Mario,

This is just fabulous!
I'm just sad that I can only give you 2 points for it!
I cannot improve on 'everything is perfect'!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Hi Mario,
This is a stunning sharp image of this grosbeak. The colours are so vivid and natural in fact no better discription of the quality than: superb!
Hans

Hello Mario,
Surprisingly sharp fine details in the plumage!
And it is a lovely pose of course, as he is looking over the shoulder to see what's going on...
Superb feeling of depth, the snow adds attention value!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • Jens Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 558 W: 52 N: 1139] (4661)
  • [2008-02-24 12:44]

Hi Mario
Beautiful focus, superb colors, good light and a fantastic sharpness, very well done.
Regards
Jens.

Hello Mario.
This is absolutely great. As always from you sharpness is perfect. Great composition and colours. I love the snowfall we can see here.
TFS
Wojciech

  • Great 
  • juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2646 W: 1 N: 1268] (15457)
  • [2008-02-24 13:01]

Hola Mario,
excelente trabajo y hermoso pov,
buen foco, y color,
saludos

great capture.wonderful detail and sharpness.beautiful colors.

You must enlighten me as to how the typical Canadian sees this type of tree...and I am assuming it is very common and a good perch in winters as you have posted a number of such...I adore it...it is perhaps spruce but you might vave to email the name. I do not seem to get email from here well.
Bob

Hello Mario,
Fantastic capture, beautiful vivid colors and excelletndetails in the featheres, great pose, sharpness and composition, outstanding!
Angela

  • Great 
  • wieyos Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1115 W: 43 N: 2153] (9006)
  • [2008-02-24 21:55]

Hi Mario,

beautifully colourful with nice pose of the bird. a pin sharp like usual & an excellent composition.

TFS
Regards
Agoes

  • Great 
  • lavan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 695 W: 2 N: 126] (3446)
  • [2008-02-24 22:49]

nice and sharp picture

wow breath taking.. stunning shot again, Mario.. love this one.. love the colours, composition, detail and posing.. infact i love everything in this shot.. well done, again.

terry

Hi dear friend,
waw! stunning details and tones!
I love the pose and the cropp+framing.
Excellent compo from all points of view,
even the tiny snowflakes are looking great.
Best wishes,
Ioana
:) soon

Une autre photo superbe! As-tu marche longtemps avant de voir ce bel oiseau?

Les couleurs et les details sont parfait. Meme les flocons ne derangent pas.

Bravo! :)
pl

Hello Mario,

Impressive shot! You captured incredible natural colours and sharp details, excellent POV and composition. Congratulations!

Best regards,
Sorina

  • Great 
  • WMcK Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 663 W: 11 N: 1718] (6837)
  • [2008-02-26 3:29]

Mario , she is beautiful. The branches and the snow on them, and the snow falling gently make just a stunning highlight for her beauty. You have shown us her beautiful beak and markings. Perfect framing to finish her. Bravo Mon Ami.

This is one of those WOW photos, that would never need a critique! Stunning colors and sharpness, you can't go wrong here! Incredible!
B-)
Linda

Hi Mario,

Oeh, that is pleasantly sharp! Love it! I'm now wondering if it is the same bird as on the camera lense? Ah no, I just went to your gallery and that's clearly different. But the colours have some similarities! Nice. How sharp...

Greetings!
Dennis

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1320 W: 31 N: 1634] (9994)
  • [2008-02-27 11:41]

Hi Mario

What beautiful colouring. Another of your stunning bird shots. Perfect pose, spot on DOF, great POV and pin sharp. It is a lovely image

TFS

Karan

  • Great 
  • dareco Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1717 W: 16 N: 840] (15143)
  • [2008-02-28 16:17]

Fantastic capture. Beautiful bird. Love the colors!!! TFS

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