Sunday, 24 October 2021
24-10-2021 ATTICA ZOO ATHENS, GREECE - BLACK BULBUL (Hypsipetes leucocephalus)
The black bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus), also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found primarily in the Himalayas, its range stretching from India eastward to Southeast Asia. It is the type species of the genus Hypsipetes, established by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in the early 1830s.5 There are a number of subspecies, mostly varying in the shade of the body plumage which ranges from grey to black, and some also occur in white-headed morphs, as also suggested by its specific epithet leucocephalus, literally "white head". The legs and bill are always rich orange-red.BlackBerry.
Saturday, 23 October 2021
23-10-2021 MYCONOS, GREECE - ERHARD'S WALL LIZARD (Podarcis erhardii ssp. mykonensis)
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Erhard's wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii), also commonly called the Aegean wall lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Europe.
P. erhardii is found in the Balkan peninsula and the Aegean islands. On the mainland it ranges from Albania, North Macedonia and southern Bulgaria to the northeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece. In the Aegean archipelago it does not occur in Milos or the surrounding islands, where it is replaced by the Milos wall lizard.
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Erhard's wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii), or the Aegean wall lizard, is a small, fast, diurnal reptile endemic to the Balkans and Aegean islands. Thriving in dry, rocky areas with low shrubs, the species features extreme genetic and physical diversity, with up to 28 recognized subspecies sporting varied olive-grey to green backs.
Explore these hyper-specific characteristics of the species:
Habitat & Range: Endemic to Southeast Europe. It ranges from Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria down to the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece. They live in diverse environments, from coastal sand dunes and rocky islets to mountaintops up to 2000 m in elevation.
Physical Characteristics: Exhibits sexual dimorphism. Males generally have a more greenish or olive-grey back with dark spots, while females tend to be brownish and often display distinct striped patterns. Their bellies can range from whitish and yellow to vibrant orange.
Diet & Behavior: They are excellent climbers that shelter in dense vegetation like caper bushes. They are insectivores and even scavenge marine subsidies in arid island ecosystems to sustain their diets.
Genetic Complexity: Due to the fragmented geography of the Aegean, Podarcis erhardii is incredibly diverse, with 27 of its recognized subspecies found in Greece. Researchers have fully mapped its chromosomal genome, consisting of 20 pairs including W and Z sex chromosomes.
23-10-2021 MYCONOS, GREECE - LESSER WHITETHROAT (Sylvia curruca)
The common whitethroat or greater whitethroat (Curruca communis) is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.
This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3–7 eggs are laid. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will also eat berries and other soft fruit.
In Europe, western and eastern populations of common whitethroats have contrasting moulting and pre-migratory fueling strategies to capitalise on food supplies before departing their breeding and non-breeding grounds.
Friday, 22 October 2021
Thursday, 21 October 2021
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