HOME | DD
Ciameth — Icterid head different angles ref
Published: 2011-12-04 23:14:54 +0000 UTC; Views: 8618; Favourites: 322; Downloads: 295
Redirect to original
Description
Note: the individual in these pictures is recently deceased. I witnessed his collision with a car on my way home from work. Since I was on my way home from work (a raptor rehabilitation center), I had latex gloves in my pocket and a camera on hand. I parked my bike, waited for the cars to clear, then fetched the bird. It was clear he was dead; I could feel a broken humerus and coracoid on the same side, his cervical vertebrae were dislocated at one point, and there was probably more damage I didn't detect. It was a quick death. However, if it bothers you that I used the opportunity to collect reference photos, and that the animal in the pictures is dead, don't use this ref.Brewer's Blackbird, male. The photo in the bottom left corner shows a living male and female so you can see the color difference. Most icterids (New World Blackbirds, Orioles, Cowbirds, Meadowlarks, Oropendolas and Caciques) display sexual dimorphism in the plumage, with the female duller in appearance. Brewer's Blackbird is a good example of a standard Icterid in the shape of the head and beak, though Icterids are a versatile group and some have shorter, thicker beaks or more slender heads.
Some of my other photographic references (featuring live birds)
American Kestrel: [link]
Red-tailed Hawk: [link]
Golden Eagle: [link]
Great Horned Owl: [link]
Barn Owl: [link]
Burrowing Owl: [link]
Turkey Vulture: [link]
Related content
Comments: 20
That was so nice of you to try to help the bird. Great reference photos! These will be super helpful!
Cheerio!
Comedic
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
aww, poor birdie, and what a beautiful one. thanks for those awesome references ^_^
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Besides what you told us, I can tell he's dead because of his eyes. 0_0 kinda creepy looking. Nevertheless, it is a great reference.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Terrible shame he passed, but nonetheless, these are really great reference photos.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Brilliant as always! A shame he died, but I'm glad some good came of it.
You've just reminded me that I've got a warbler in my freezer I need to do something about before winter break comes and I have to unplug my fridge.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Youch 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Poor fellow! That's a shame, he was beautiful. D:
Also, are you a falconer?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No, I just work at a raptor rehabilitation center. I do tame and handle non-releasable education birds, but I'm a student and falconry is a timestaking/expensive hobby. Perhaps when I graduate and establish myself in a stable position.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Ooohh. Okay, I'm probably going to become an
apprentice soon, and I was thinking about how
long it takes to become a falconer. Would you
happen to know any colleges where you can keep
a bird?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I don't know of any. The falconers I know who started in high school all had falconer parents who took on the bird during college, or it was released back to the wild.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Awww. Maybe my parents would do that for me...? nope.
I could never release my hunting partner! He'd be my
friend!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
They're not very social creatures. At best, they tolerate you for the food and housing! It's common to take in a juvenile Red-tail or American Kestrel for your first bird, and then release it as an adult. Considering the high mortality rate of juvenile birds in the wild, it's a good deal for the raptor. Free food and shelter while honing your hunting skills, then being released well-fed back into the wild? Score!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Ha, yeah, I guess you're right, but what would
you do after your bird is gone?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Get a new one! After apprenticeship, a lot of falconers move onto a different species--Peregrines, falcon hybrids and Harris Hawks are popular. However, if you're going to stick with the Red-tail or kestrel you might want to keep the one you put hours into training if it's a good bird--unless you can't (college, etc).
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Peregrines! 8D I love peregrines!!! they're expensive
though, right? I also loooove Harris Hawks! Heck, I love
them ALL!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Poor guy
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
On the one hand, I wish the collision hadn't killed him; I was only a few minutes from the wildlife vet. But on the other, opportunities to collect reference like this don't come along often (and his death was mercifully swift). Usually dead animal reference features some decomposition, or at the very least sunken eyes. I know the photos I collected will be useful for me, and I hope by sharing them he can be useful to as many artists as possible.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Huh, he looks pretty alive XD I wonder how you got him to pose for you. poor guy
Anyway this is great stock!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
He only looks alive because he died so recently, poor guy. To get his broken neck to hold his head up I had to slide one of my gloved fingers beneath the feathers on his throat; it ended up so you can't see my hand in most of the photos.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0