#Hook-Billed Kite

[squawkoverflow]

A new variant has been added!

Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus) © Cristian Antonio Calderón López

It hatches from broad, brown, central, distinctive, heavy, long, overall, small, southern, tropical, white, and yellow eggs.

squawkoverflow - the ultimate bird collecting game          🥚 hatch    ❤️ collect     🤝 connect

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Hook-billed Kite

Photo: Ad Konings

"A recent arrival north of the border, this sluggish tropical hawk was first found in southern Texas in 1964, and has been a regular resident there since 1975. May be seen sailing over the trees or sometimes soaring high, but spends much of its time down within the canopy of the woods, where it searches for its staple food of tree snails. Usually in pairs or family groups in Texas, but has been seen in flocks in South America."

- Audubon Field Guide

[birds-of-prey-daily]

Hook-billed Kite

[nejishadow]

Pierce tries to convince Silk that Extreme Gear is really cool, but he is not convinced.

She let him borrow some gloves and goggles but he just might sneak out when she isn't looking

Base by GaboRabo

Mostly did this to force myself to draw something because there was a 26 day gap between the Haze art and this. I drew nothing in the inbetween.

(Since Silk was designed before Clutch came out to give us a standard for opossums, I updated his ears and muzzle a smidge here to fit in line with that better. If anyone questions why his ears aren't perfectly in line, he's not 100% opossum, begone with ye)

[autistrix]

[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4342702] Hook-Billed Kite || Chondrohierax unciatus Observed in Clombia

[rjzimmerman]

Scientists Made a List of Lost Birds and Now They Want Us to Find Them. (New York Times)

Clockwise from top left: Santa Marta sabrewing; Golden-fronted bowerbird; Reichenow’s firefinch; Hook-billed kite; Edwards’s pheasant; Bronze parotia.Credit...Carole Turek; Tim Laman; Simon Colenutt; Karine Aigner; Ernie James; Tim Laman/Nature Picture Library, via Minden Pictures

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

In 2022, an ornithologist high in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of northern Colombia spotted the shimmering emerald green and cobalt blue feathers of the Santa Marta sabrewing. A large hummingbird, it had only been documented twice since 1879. As the bird sat on a branch the ornithologist, Yurgen Vega, captured images.

Once lost to science, it now was found.

The bird was on the American Bird Conservancy’s 10 most wanted list, which sits atop a longer register of “lost birds,” which are formally defined as not having been documented by photographic, audio or genetic evidence in at least a decade.

A major goal of the list is to persuade bird watchers and others to look for these birds as they go out into the field, and to bring back evidence the birds have not gone extinct.

People have searched for lost birds for decades. But the process was formalized in 2020 by the conservancy, in partnership with two other groups, Re:wild and BirdLife International, as the Search for Lost Birds project.

Researchers from the groups published a paper in June with a definitive list of birds that need finding. They scoured tens of millions of photos, videos and audio recordings in birding databases such as iNaturalist and xeno-canto. The study concluded that there are 144 species of bird lost to the scientific world but that may still exist.

[tanoieyt]

Inspo:

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Sources (I did some research for this.):

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Also, I want to say that some of these entries might be biased! Also maybe spoilers for Project Nexus?? AND I HAVE HORRIBLE MEMORY SO I MIGHT OF FORGOTTEN SOME STUFF WHICH MIGHT OF MADE ME USED MISINFORMATION FOR THIS!

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Hank = Bataleur eagle

I don’t know why I wanted Hank to have a bird of prey.. Apparently this site said that bataleur eagles are very agile and they do silly aerial stuff in the sky.

I always see Hank flip and dip all the time so this is perfect.

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Sanford = Everglade Snail Kite

Gives the vibe. Also in my bird book (Birds of the World), it states, "It flies low over the water with slow wingbeats, swooping to catch snails with its talons. (Wright)" It kind of reminds me of how San just swoops grunts in with his hook. Also this is from the MadCom wiki, "The battle hook is a meat hook attached to a wire to be used as a weapon. It is the main weapon of Sanford, who uses it as both a melee and a ranged weapon, as a stabbing tool or to pull enemies closer.”

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Deimos = Great cormorant

In my bird book it states, "Cormorants are clumsy on land... (Wright)" this relates to the fact that Deimos fell off that platform in CHASE.fla in 1:04.

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Doc (2BDamned) = Red-billed oxpecker

Oxpeckers help other animals, and I’m pretty sure that Doc resurrected Deimos & Hank back to life. BOOM! MIND BLOWN! HAAHAHSHSJSI

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Jebus (Jebediah Christoff) = Whooping crane

Soo in my book, The World of Birds by Michael Wright (go check it out it’s good, I’m not advertising.) It said something about how whooping cranes in some Asian countries symbolizes life, and you know, Jebus is like Jesus but in MadCom??? I’m trying to make sense of this, I sound very bad at this.

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Tricky = Hoatzin

Its the little mohawk?!? Ok?

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Sheriff = African Pygmy kingfisher

Did not specify which kingfishers bateluer eagles eat so, I’m guessing it eats African Pygmy kingfishers since they live in the savannas and woodlands like the Bataleur eagle. Also, I just assigned Hank as a bataleur eagle. And Hank killed Sheriff.

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Auditor = Palm cockatoo

For me it looks like the Auditor but “bird-ified.” From the little mohawk looking like the little things on the Auditor’s head to the red stripe under the bird’s eye kind of resembling the Auditor’s red eyes, it just makes sense I guess.

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MAG AGENT : TORTURE = Secretary bird

Bit of a headcanon for this one (actually this is probably a hc…) but I feel like TORTURE would stomp on his victims like how the secretary birds stomp on their prey.

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Phobos = Harpy eagle

Harpy eagles are “powerful” creatures according to the WWF. And also in the MadCom wiki, it says that “He shows extreme power..” So yeah... Connect the dots I guess..? I hope I make sense.

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Crackpot = Noisy friarbird

“It is an aggressive bird whose loud rancorous calls...” Yeah this reminds me of Crackpot. Also, the birds feed with each other in “squabbling groups. (Wright)” And that detail reminds me of the fanatics.

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Church = Victoria crowned pigeon

Blue and has some sort of mowhak going on.

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Jorge = False sunbird-asity

Beak represents gas mask I guess? I don’t know I had a hard time with this one.

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Skittles = Rainbow lorikeet

Skittles is very colorful. Like this silly bird.

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Gabriel Barsch (idk just wanted to add him.) = American golden finch

Barsch’s persona has a simplistic but, nice design. Perching birds are pretty simple, but nice too. I also did a yellow perching bird from Nevada. (I also let my friends choose between the Bullocks oriole or the finch. They chose the finch for Gabriel.)

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hope you liked it! :D

- grim elloe

[damnslippyplanet]

Slippy Rewatches ATOTS, Episode 5

Previously on ATOTS: hornbills and shower gel

An important housekeeping note: I drafted the first half of this post on my phone and it was *dead set* on correcting “Dr. Nam” to “Dr. BDSM.”  I think I caught it everywhere but if I didn’t, yeah, that’s what happened.  This would be a very different show.

******

We're starting out in flashback again, and just to make ABSOLUTELY sure we're aware that's what's happening, Past!Tian is displaying Mile Phakphum levels of tits-out-ness so his lack of a heart transplant scar is clear. Love it. Perfect

He stumbles out to his car drunk and woozy to participate in some sort of car race, the details of which I neither know nor care about. The point is that Tul is trying to be a decent bro and talk him out of driving, and Nihilist Heart Patient Tian is like, what's the worst case outcome here, I die doing something fun instead of my heart just exploding at random one day?

Past Tian: in need of therapy and a hug.

******

Current Tian is having this flashback because Dr. Nam is offering to let him drive the Land Rover to town and Tian is fully noping out of that. Tian does NOT drive, thanks! 

So they go for a drive and Dr. Nam is reminded of driving Torfun around because they put their hands out the window the same way. This show really cannot decide how hard it wants to commit to mannerisms being transmitted via heart transplant.

Tian thinks back to the cliff, where apparently he gave Phupha a handwavy answer about finding Torfun's lanyard at the house.  He stares pensively out the window.

I think his shirt might be another local villager deal. He's maybe fully trading clothes with Longtae now, which is very cute.

******

Dr. Nam drops Tian off in Chiang Mai to do errands, and Tian is SO excited to be somewhere with cell service. He can call for a ride when he's done! He can use Google Maps to find his way around! 

He calls Tul to say hi, and Tul immediately is like, you've been out of touch for weeks, I am coming to pick you up, don't move!  It's very cute.  I like that this show cares about friendships.

But meanwhile Tian really did have errands. He's going to the library to look up how to make kites! Our boy has decided to embrace having a lesson plan, and I love that for him. 

Back at the base, Phupha finds out Tian has gone off on his own without Phupha's permission and he's the MOST cranky.

But Tian's doing fine. He's found a blind street vendor selling fragrant tea sachets and he buys two with a thoughtful expression that says, "I think I could put this blind man out of business!" 

******

Nam and Tian hook back up for lunch and Nam immediately starts wingmanning again to make sure Tian knows that Phupha is an extremely eligible bachelor. He's so invested. I love him. He also wants to be Facebook friends, but Tian makes the face of Whoops Facebook Will Reveal My Secrets and quickly pretends not to be on Facebook. Buddy, delete your account for real! Be free!

Tian catches sight of one of the Tea Bandits who beat him up. He's sitting with an older man who Nam describes as Mr. Sakda, very influential. I think they're the Tea Mafia. He might be involved in wildlife poaching. Apparently Phupha thinks he's a dick.

The two of them are NOT subtle in the staring and gossiping about the Tea Mafia, so Mr. Sakda ends up sending the waitress over to tell them he's paid their bill. Classy AND intimidating!  Mr. Sakda proceeds to intercept them outside the restaurant, be genially intimidating some more, and grasp Tian by the shoulder for a while just to be creepy. Hate it. Go away, Tea Mafia.

Which he does, just as Tul is about to arrive. So Tian decides he'll stay out overnight if Dr. Nam is cool with picking him up tomorrow.  Oh, man. Phupha is going to have to play the flute so hard about this.

******

Tul and Tian go out for pedicures and product placement beverages, which cause Tian to have a flashback to shirtless wet Phupha drinking the same thing. Double the product placement! 

They establish that Tian is not keeping in touch with his parents, but that his mom hasn't been bothering Tul too much about it. Tian would like his mom to continue to be in the dark about his life, but  he does tell Tul all about his life changing experiences. 

Tul thinks it sounds cool but what about the BIDETS, man.  Team Indoor Plumbing is me and Tul.

Meanwhile Phupha is pacing in front of Tian's house like an absolute weirdo as half the village plus the rangers side eye him. 

Tul and Tian have continued their debate into the evening about whether Tian could ever live village life forever. Like an absolute fool, Tian says dreamily that he knows someone really cool who chooses that life! And Tul is just, oh no, you're in LOVE.  Tian: pouts.

Back at base, Phupha is still on a cranky rampage and it does NOT get better when he finds out Tian didn't come home.

Tian attempts to come out to Tul about liking men, and Tul simply refuses to be surprised. Tul does not care if Tian likes men, he cares if Tian has wifi.

Basically this is just a very cute intercutting of both our leads getting roasted by their friends for LIKING a CUTE BOY and refusing to admit it.

Also Tian is continuing to be slightly worried that maybe he's not gay, it's just Torfun's heart. My guy. Heart transplants do not make you queer.  Which Tul also believes, because Tul is correct in most things.  

******

Oh no, Tian has gone to the bathroom and been intercepted en route by the Tea Mafia.  Fistfight in the restaurant parking lot!  MVP of the fight goes to Tul, who shows up to look for his friend and gets to smash a bottle over the Tea Mafia guy’s head.  The twinks go fleeing out into the night, and they make a clean getaway but Tul is worried the Tea Mafia is going to hunt Tian down in the village.

I am also worried about whether they dashed out on the check and left all of their stuff behind, so I hope one of them goes back the next day or something.  I’m sorry this is who I am as a person.

Meanwhile, Phupa is in fact sulking in his hammock clutching his Lan-Xichen-ass Sadness Flute, but we are spared an actual flute solo.

*******

The next day, Tian and Tul part ways with another reassurance that it’s cool if Tian is gay for Phupha.  Tian also hands over massive quantities of strawberries and sausages from the village that he apparently brought for Tul despite not expecting Tul to meet him, and also despite clearly NOT having that giant container of strawberries with him at any point the day before, but let’s not think about that too much.

It’s more important to think about the face Tian makes when he realizes the Chief has come to pick him up instead of Dr. Nam.

It’s a good face.

******

This whole car ride is excellent.  Tian is in full wheedling please-don’t-be-mad-at-me-for-staying-out-overnight-I-am-just-a-little-twink mode, Phupha is doing his best to suppress his sterner self and remember his friends’ advice to be nice and spoil his twink, and it’s very awkward and very cute.  

Dr. Nam told Phupha to show Tian a good time and some sights, so Phupha dutifully takes them the long way home, via a lookout spot.  With snacks.  Caretaking kink in full effect.  Phupha attempts to deepthroat a very small banana.  It’s fine. This is fine.

Now it’s clearly HOURS later and full dark as they get home, so I assume they spent another six hours at that lookout spot taking photos of each other.  I hate them.

This is the MOST awkward goodbye, the “it’s the end of the date and we want to kiss but we don’t know how to initiate a kiss” energy is SO intense.  JUST KISS YOU WALNUTS.

Tian does manage to get it together enough to invite Phupha to come build kites with Tian and the kids tomorrow.  It’s something, I guess.  Oh my god, disaster gays, get it together.

I could NOT get a good still photo of the face Phupha makes in response to this but please make sure you enjoy it when you watch, friend, it’s INCREDIBLE.

******

The rangers show up at school the next day to find Tian playing with the kids while they all help clean the schoolhouse.  Yod thinks it’s really nice how well Tian fits in, how sad it is he’ll have to go back to Bangkok soon and that Chief should really wife him and knock him up immediately so he’ll stay.

Phupha starts in with some self-sacrificing “I can’t do that” nonsense but then he points out that Tian needs to finish his degree, and that’s actually totally fair.  Tian should finish his degree before he becomes a ranger’s wife, or at least simultaneous with becoming a ranger’s wife.  So I will allow this.

There’s a kite making montage with SO much flirting, it’s very cute.  Phupha likes watching Tian explain aerodynamics, and also turns out to be a secret kite-making genius.  He makes a fancy kite and dedicates it to Tian, because when you’re a rural forest ranger, kites can be a love language.  The kids want the cool kite but Phupha will not give it to them because it’s his Kite of Love. Ugh.  It’s too cute.

Also cute: Longtae, who is out in the field taking pictures.  Someone wife Longtae, too!  Tian immediately conscripts him to help the kids learn to fly kites.

Oh my god.  Oh my GOD.  Tian forgot to learn how to fly a kite.

Tian. Baby.  You have two brain cells, you can’t use them BOTH on being horny for Phupha or shit like this happens.

Thank god for the rangers and Longtae, who DO know how to fly kites, so we get a very cute happy-kids-flying-kites montage.  Tian and Phupha fly their Love Kite.  They’re so into each other.  It’s horrible.

And then Tian collapses while everyone yells and Phupha starts calling for Dr. Nam, because let us forget, that boy used *zero* of his time in Chiang Mai to address the fact that he is *off his heart transplant medication*.

Post-credits sequence: Fully just Tian and Phupha on their date doing a product placement bit about instant coffee.  But it gets us an “I like my coffee like I like my men” joke so I’ll allow it.

[proton-wobbler]

Very interesting paper. I feel like this should be studied in non-raptorial birds before we whole-sale say "bill shape and ecology dont correlate", or that the stance should at least be more nuanced than that. The fact that there are other contraints on bill size/shape than just feeding ecology doesnt negate the fact that hooked bills are shared by predatory birds across the spectrum of bird families.

A good point the paper brought up was the fact a fair number of raptors are generalists. I think that this could also be a factor in why more niche shapes havent emerged, as they did in Snail Kite and Hook-billed Kite.

Visual Comparison Of Bird Beaks And Their Uses

[aquilathefighter]

6 & 8 for the ask game? :)

6. Favorite band:

The Mountain Goats!!!!!! I am So Normal about them :):):)

8. Top 5 (insert subject):

You didn't put a subject so I am gonna do Top 5 birds I want to see this year when I visit the Rio Grande Valley later this year hehe

Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas)

Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris)

Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus obscurus)

Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis)

Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus)

ask game here!

[birds-of-prey-daily]

Hook-billed kite

[nejishadow]

One down, so many to go...

Started making Sonic Channel styled renders to make banners for my characters on Toyhouse, since I found a code that mimics the official site theme!

The BG was directly replicated from Sonic's channel banner, though it's not 100% cause I can only do so much with firealpaca. Had to really fight some pngs to get that halftone pattern to look even half close to what it actually does.

Anyways! This is Pierce! An adopt I ended up keeping. She's a hook-billed kite, but I couldn't for the life of me find that in Japanese so just pasted Hawk from Jet's page ahduuhghudf. The one site I found them mentioned on had every other bird's name but not the kites ahdhfhgjg I cannot speak Japanese whatsoever and had to do educated guesses plus pasting words from actual Sonic Channel bios so. Hopefully it doesn't look completely stupid

I only have the info that she's got a one-sided beef with the Rogues cause a lot of people assume she's a cheater just because she's a bird who races Extreme Gear

[saladban]

"One of the world’s rarest and most threatened raptors. Once found throughout much of Cuba, but now persists only in remote, forested areas in the eastern reaches of the island. Bright yellow hook-shaped bill is its best ID feature. Male is mostly gray with grayish brown barring un underparts and two white tail bands. Female has a gray head, dark brown back, chestnut barring on underparts, and two tan tail bands. In flight, note the broad, blunt wings that are pinched in at the base. Sightings of this species should be carefully documented. Formerly considered a subspecies of the widespread Hook-billed Kite."

-eBird

Conservation Status: CR

[2854/11080] Cuban kite - Chondrohierax wilsonii

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae

Image credit: Nils Navarro

[autistrix]

[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/64907014]

Hook-Billed Kite || Chondrohierax unciatus

Observed in Colombia

Least Concern in location of observation

[violetsandshrikes]

Hook-billed Kite by christoph_moning

[birdwatcher-sketches]

Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus)

© Michel Gosselin (MCN)