Avian Action

Summer time is breeding time for these Lilac-breasted Rollers.

After the initial courtship, the male (photographed in flight) brought the female (perched) a gift of food and she allowed him to mate. He then flew off while she enjoyed her meal. Photographed in South Africa.

If someone told me you could combine yellow, red, black, gray and silver, I'd raise my eyebrows and question their sanity. But this Silver-eared Media from the highlands of Malaysia proves it can be quite pleasant to the eye.

This is not your ordinary owl. Found in open landscapes across North and South America, it is only slightly larger than an American Robin and nests and roosts in burrows such as those excavated by prairie dogs.

This pair of Burrowing Owls found an unusual place to to call home - just inside the perimeter fence of Suriname's only international airport.

Having been given a tip-off, I found myself in a empty parking lot before dawn, staring at a fern stump and waiting. From the gloom came a dark bird with velvety black plumage.

This was his display post and within seconds he erected the feathers of his throat to reveal the metallic blue plumage and started calling for a mate.

Victoria's Riflebird is a bird-of-paradise found in the wet tropics of northeastern Australia.