u/modianos

Scale-crested pygmy tyrant (Lophotriccus pileatus) is a type of flycatcher that lives in thin bands throughout the tropical rainforest areas of western Central and northwestern South America.

It lives in the darker, lower levels of the forest and spends its day flitting around, catching insects. It's tiny and hard to spot in the wild, you're more likely to hear its call than see it.

It's listed by the IUCN as least concern (yay!!), although the population trend is decreasing, and scientists aren't yet sure about its breeding habits (including clutch size).

It gets its name from the feathers on it's head that it can raise when trying to make itself look bigger as a defense, or perhaps when trying to attract a mate.

Sources:
https://worldrainforests.com/kids/animal-profiles/scale-crested_pygmy-tyrant.html
https://ebird.org/species/scptyr1?continue

The imperial shag (Leucocarbo atriceps) is native to southern South America, the Subantarctic islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula, where it is found in rocky coastal regions or on large inland lakes. It is about 70–79 cm (28–31 in) long and weighs 1.8–3.5 kg (4.0–7.7 lb). It is a colonial and monogamous species, with colonies generally being small, although some may consist of hundreds of pairs and are often shared with other seabirds. Clutches contain a maximum of 5 eggs, which are laid in nests made of seaweed and grass and cemented with mud and excrement. The eggs are incubated by both parents and usually hatch after about five weeks. Birds such as skuas and shearwaters are the main predators of the species' eggs and chicks. They make deep dives, usually close to shore, to forage on the seafloor for prey consisting of benthic fish, crustaceans, polychaetes, gastropods, and octopuses, generally at depths of nearly 25 meters (82 feet), although they have been filmed diving to depths of up to 60 meters (200 feet).

photographer's Instagram: @vikaswildlife

The sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) is a medium to large sized tern in the Laridae family. They measure 36–45 cm (14–17.5 in) in length and have a wingspan of 82–94 cm (32.5–37 in). It is a seabird that inhabits tropical oceans and rarely comes ashore, being able to spend 3 to 10 consecutive years gliding over the surface of the sea in search of food, only returning to land to form breeding colonies on islands throughout the equatorial zone. They nest in a depression or hole in the ground and lay only a single egg. They feed on fish, which they catch by picking them from the surface.

Photographers' Instagrams: @by.melannie / @biologist_paul

The Blyth’s tragopan (Tragopan blythii) is a species of pheasant and the largest of its genus. It can be found in Bhutan, northeastern India, northern Myanmar, southeastern Tibet, and China. They may migrate along the slopes of the Himalayan mountains in search of food, which includes seeds, berries, fruits, and buds. They prefer to inhabit wooded areas, such as the understory of evergreen oak and rhododendron forests. Their population is considered vulnerable according to the IUCN, with only about 2,500 to 9,999 birds remaining in the wild. The main factors causing the decline in the species populations are the deforestation of their habitats and large-scale hunting for food.

photographer’s Instagram: @discover_bhutan.btn

i'd just never leave the house. i'd go full norma desmond if i lived here and love every second of it.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/191-S-Hudson-Ave-Los-Angeles-CA-90004/20779157_zpid/?

Credit: @picko_designer007