RUFF / CALIDRIS PUGNAX / BRUSHANE

The ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a medium-sized wading bird that breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Eurasia. The male is much larger than the female (the reeve), and has a breeding plumage that includes brightly coloured head tufts, bare orange facial skin, extensive black on the breast, and the large collar of ornamental feathers that inspired this bird's English name. The female and the non-breeding male have grey-brown upperparts and mainly white underparts. Three differently plumaged types of male, including a rare form that mimics the female, use a variety of strategies to obtain mating opportunities at a lek, and the colourful head and neck feathers are erected as part of the elaborate main courting display.

Text & more info :WIKIPEDIA

All pictures are copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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Previous post : May 23rd, 2018, May 24th, 2020

THE LEUCISTIC BARNACLE GOOSE/BRANTA LEUCOPSIS/HVITKINNGÅS

Individual white barnacle geese have been occasionally visiting northern of Norway with the flocks for years now. They are characterised by pale feathers, but are not true albinos, as they have black eyes, beaks and legs.

These peculiar birds are the result of a genetic hiccup, called leucism. The standard black, grey and white gene is dominant in barnacle geese. An abnormality results in the white (or leucistic) gene which is double recessive. Of the three distinct breeding populations, we think that it’s only the Svalbard population that has ever thrown up this morph.

The barnacle goose is a medium-sized goose, 55–70 cm (22–28 in) long, with a wingspan of 130–145 cm (51–57 in) and a body mass of 1.21–2.23 kg (2.7–4.9 lb). It has a white face and black head, neck, and upper breast. Its belly is white. The wings and its back are silver-gray with black-and-white bars that look like they are shining when the light reflects on it. During flight, a V-shaped white rump patch and the silver-gray underwing linings are visible.

Barnacle geese breed mainly on the Arctic islands of the North Atlantic. There are three main populations, with separate breeding and wintering ranges - from west to east:

  • Breeding in eastern Greenland, wintering on the Hebrides of western Scotland and in western Ireland, population about 40,000

  • Breeding in southeast and northwest Iceland, population about 1000

  • Breeding on Svalbard, Norway, wintering on the Solway Firth on the England/Scotland border, population about 24,000

  • Breeding on Novaya Zemlya, Russia, wintering in the Netherlands, population about 130,000

  • A recent population, derived from the Novaya Zemlya population, has become established since 1975 breeding on the islands and coasts of the Baltic Sea (Estonia, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden), and wintering in the Netherlands and Germany. Its population numbers about 8,000.

All pictures are copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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Previous post : May 15th, 2022

COMMON CRANE / GRUS GRUS / TRANE

The common crane breeds in Europe and across the Palearctic to Siberia. By far the largest breeding populations can be found in Russia, Finland and Sweden. It is a rare breeder in southern and western Europe, with larger numbers breeding in the central and eastern parts of the continent.

The common crane is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane. It is 100–130 cm (39–51 in) long with a 180–240 cm (71–94 in) wingspan. The body weight can range from 3 to 6.1 kg (6.6 to 13.4 lb), with the nominate subspecies averaging around 5.4 kg (12 lb) and the eastern subspecies (G. g. lilfordi) averaging 4.6 kg (10 lb). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 50.7–60.8 cm (20.0–23.9 in) long, the tarsus is 20.1–25.2 cm (7.9–9.9 in) and the exposed culmen is 9.5–11.6 cm (3.7–4.6 in).

Males are slightly heavier and larger than females, with weight showing the largest sexual size dimorphism, followed by wing, central toe, and head length in adults and juveniles.

This species is slate-grey overall. The forehead and lores are blackish with a bare red crown and a white streak extending from behind the eyes to the upper back. The overall colour is darkest on the back and rump and palest on the breast and wings. The primaries, the tips of secondaries, the alula, the tip of the tail, and the edges of upper tail coverts are all black and the greater coverts droop into explosive plumes.

The juvenile has yellowish-brown tips to its body feathers and lacks the drooping wing feathers and the bright neck pattern of the adult, and has a fully feathered crown. Every two years, before migration, the adult common crane undergoes a complete moult, remaining flightless for six weeks, until the new feathers grow.

It has a loud trumpeting call, given in flight and display. The call is piercing and can be heard from a considerable distance. It has a dancing display, leaping with wings uplifted, described in detail below.

All pictures are copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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Text & more information : WIKIPEDIA

COMMON CRANE / GRUS GRUS / TRANE - May 14th, 2023

REDSHANK / TRINGA TOTANUS / RØDSTILK

The common redshank or simply redshank (Tringa totanus) is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae. Common redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. In winter plumage they become somewhat lighter-toned and less patterned, being rather plain greyish-brown above and whitish below. They have red legs and a black-tipped red bill, and show white up the back and on the wings in flight.

BirdLife Norway wants to focus on the redshank, and has therefore named it the Bird of the Year in 2022.

29.05.2022 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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BLACK-THROATED LOON / GAVIA ARCTICA / STORLOM

The black-throated loon (Gavia arctica), also known as the Arctic loon and the black-throated diver, is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere, primarily breeding in freshwater lakes in northern Europe and Asia.

The black-throated loon measures about 70 cm (28 in) in length and can weigh anywhere from 1.3 to 3.4 kilograms (2.9 to 7.5 lb). The adult black-throated loon is 58 to 73 cm (23 to 29 in) in length with a 100 to 130 cm (39 to 51 in) wingspan and a weight of 1.3 to 3.4 kilograms (2.9 to 7.5 lb).

In breeding plumage, the adult of the nominate subspecies has mostly black upperparts, with the exception of some of the mantle and scapulars, which have white squares. The head and hindneck are grey, and the sides white and striped black. Most of the throat is also black, giving this bird the name "black-throated loon".

More about Black-throated loon, click here

29.05.2022 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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TETRAO TETRIX / BLACK GROUSE / ORRFUGL

The black grouse is a large game bird in the grouse family. The female is greyish-brown and has a cackling call. She takes all responsibility for nesting and caring for the chicks.

The black grouse is a large bird with males being around 53 centimetres long and weighing 1,000–1,450 g and females approximately 40 cm and weighing 750–1,110 g. The cock is very distinctive, with black plumage, apart from red wattles and a white wingbar, and a lyre-shaped tail, which appears forked in flight.

26.05.2022 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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EURASIAN OYSTERCACTHER / HAEMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS / TJELD

The Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or palaearctic oystercatcher or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae.

Oystercatcher is the national bird of the Faroe Islands.

The oystercatcher is one of the largest waders in the region. It is 40–45 cm (16–18 in) long, the bill accounting for 8–9 cm (3–3+1⁄2 in), and has a wingspan of 80–85 cm (31–33 in). They are obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with black and white plumage, red legs and strong broad red bills used for smashing or prising open molluscssuch as mussels or for finding earthworms. Despite its name, oysters do not form a large part of its diet. The bird still lives up to its name, as few if any other wading birds are capable of opening oysters at all.

16.05.2022 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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BARNACLE GOOSE/BRANTA LEUCOPSIS/HVITKINNGÅS

The barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) is a species of goose that belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species.

The barnacle goose is a medium-sized goose, 55–70 cm (22–28 in) long, with a wingspan of 130–145 cm (51–57 in) and a body mass of 1.21–2.23 kg (2.7–4.9 lb). It has a white face and black head, neck, and upper breast. Its belly is white. The wings and its back are silver-gray with black-and-white bars that look like they are shining when the light reflects on it. During flight, a V-shaped white rump patch and the silver-gray underwing linings are visible.

Barnacle geese breed mainly on the Arctic islands of the North Atlantic. There are three main populations, with separate breeding and wintering ranges - from west to east:

  • Breeding in eastern Greenland, wintering on the Hebrides of western Scotland and in western Ireland, population about 40,000

  • Breeding in southeast and northwest Iceland, population about 1000

  • Breeding on Svalbard, Norway, wintering on the Solway Firth on the England/Scotland border, population about 24,000

  • Breeding on Novaya Zemlya, Russia, wintering in the Netherlands, population about 130,000

  • A recent population, derived from the Novaya Zemlya population, has become established since 1975 breeding on the islands and coasts of the Baltic Sea (Estonia, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden), and wintering in the Netherlands and Germany. Its population numbers about 8,000.

TETRAO TETRIX / BLACK GROUSE / ORRFUGL

The black grouse is a large game bird in the grouse family. The female is greyish-brown and has a cackling call. She takes all responsibility for nesting and caring for the chicks.

The black grouse is a large bird with males being around 53 centimetres long and weighing 1,000–1,450 g and females approximately 40 cm and weighing 750–1,110 g. The cock is very distinctive, with black plumage, apart from red wattles and a white wingbar, and a lyre-shaped tail, which appears forked in flight.

15.05.2022 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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SPARROW HAWK / ACCIPITER NISUS / SPURVEHAUK

The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred underparts; females and juveniles are brown above with brown barring below. The female is up to 25% larger than the male – one of the greatest size differences between the sexes in any bird species. Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.

Read more : Wikipedia

Harstad 10.03.2021

LEUCISM LARUS CANUS / COMMON GULL / FISKEMÅKE

What Is Leucism?

Leucism is a term used to describe a wide variety of conditions which result in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal—which causes white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticles, but not the eyes.

Leucism, or leukism, is an abnormal plumage condition caused by a genetic mutation that prevents pigment, particularly melanin, from being properly deposited on a bird’s feathers. As a result, the birds do not have the normal, classic plumage colors listed in field guides or seen in most photos. Instead, the plumage may have several color changes, including:

  • Bold white patches where the bird should not have any

  • Paler overall plumage that looks faint, diluted, or bleached

  • Overall white plumage with little or no color visible

The degree of leucism, including the brightness of the white and the extent of pigment loss, will vary depending on the bird’s genetic makeup. Birds that show only white patches or sections of leucistic feathers, often in symmetrical patterns, are often called pied or piebald birds, while birds with fully white plumage are referred to as leucistic birds.

Here are some pictures of a leucistic common gull in north of Norway:

Rolla, 20.07.2020 © Patty Thorbergsen

Rolla, 20.07.2020 © Patty Thorbergsen

Rolla, 20.07.2020 © Patty Thorbergsen

Rolla, 20.07.2020 © Patty Thorbergsen

Rolla, 20.07.2020 © Patty Thorbergsen

Rolla, 20.07.2020 © Patty Thorbergsen

Rolla, 20.07.2020 © Patty Thorbergsen

Please visit my other collection of seagulls:




TETRAO TETRIX / BLACK GROUSE / ORRFUGL

The black grouse is a large game bird in the grouse family. The female is greyish-brown and has a cackling call. She takes all responsibility for nesting and caring for the chicks.

The black grouse is a large bird with males being around 53 centimetres long and weighing 1,000–1,450 g and females approximately 40 cm and weighing 750–1,110 g. The cock is very distinctive, with black plumage, apart from red wattles and a white wingbar, and a lyre-shaped tail, which appears forked in flight.

20.07.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

To request such permission or for further enquires, please contact: patty@thorbergsen.com

For earlier photo collection : TETRAO TETRIX / BLACK GROUSE / ORRFUGL #1

LARUS FUSCUS / LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL / SILDEMÅKE

The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. It is a regular winter visitor to the east coast of North America, probably from the breeding population in Iceland.

The lesser black-backed gull is smaller than the European herring gull. The taxonomy of the herring gull / lesser black-backed gull complex is very complicated; different authorities recognise between two and eight species. Differences between adjacent forms in this ring are fairly small, but by the time the circuit is completed, the end members, herring gull and lesser black-backed gull, are clearly different species. The lesser black-backed gull measures 51–64 cm, 124–150 cm across the wings, and weighs 452–1,100 g. The lesser is a much smaller bird, with slimmer build, yellow rather than pinkish legs, and smaller white "mirrors" at the wing tips.

Please visit my 7 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF GULLS OR SEAGULLS IN NORWAY 

26.04.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

26.04.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

26.04.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

26.04.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

LARUS MINUTUS / LITTLE GULL / DVERGMÅKE

The little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus or Larus minutus), is a small gull that breeds in northern Europe and across the Palearctic. It also has small colonies in parts of southern Canada. It is migratory, wintering on coasts in western Europe, the Mediterranean and (in small numbers) the northeast United States; in recent years non-breeding birds have summered in western Europe in increasing numbers and in 2016 they successfully nested for the first time in Great Britain at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve at Loch of Strathbeg reserve in Aberdeenshire. This species breeds colonially on freshwater marshes, making a lined nest on the ground amongst vegetation. Normally 2–6 eggs are laid.

This is the smallest gull species, with a length of 25–30 cm, a wingspan of 61–78 cm, and a mass of 68–162 g.

Little gull is rare in north of Norway, I was very happy to saw them and got som pictures of this species.

Please visit my 7 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF GULLS OR SEAGULLS IN NORWAY 

31.05.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

31.05.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

31.05.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

31.05.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

RISSA TRIDACTYLA / BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE /KRYKKJE

The black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae. The black-legged kittiwake is a coastal bird of the arctic to subarctic regions of the world. It can be found all across the northern coasts of the Atlantic, from Canada to Greenland as well as on the Pacific side from Alaska to the coast of Siberia. Black-legged kittiwakes' wintering range extends further south from the St-Lawrence to the southern coast of New Jersey as well as in China, the Sargasso sea and of the coast of west Africa.

The adult is 37–41 cm in length with a wingspan of 91–105 cm and a body mass of 305–525 g. It has a white head and body, grey back, grey wings tipped solid black, black legs and a yellow bill.

Please visit my 7 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF GULLS OR SEAGULLS IN NORWAY

09.07.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

09.07.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

09.07.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

09.07.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

09.07.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA / COMMON EIDER / ÆRFUGL

The common eider also called St. Cuthbert's duck or Cuddy's duck, is a large 50–71 cm in body length sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on coastal waters. It can fly at speeds up to 113 km/h .

Eiders are colonial breeders. They nest on coastal islands in colonies ranging in size of less than 100 to upwards of 10,000-15,000 individuals.

28.06.2020 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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A short film about wild birds in North of Norway

You can find the other photos archive about Common Eider, here : Edition 15.06.2019

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE / HALIAEETUS ALBICILLA / HAVØRN

The white-tailed eagle is a very large bird and one of the largest living birds of prey. It is the largest of the dozen species called eagle to be found in Europe and is the largest eagle across its distribution. The white-tailed eagle is sometimes considered the fourth largest eagle in the world and is on average the fourth heaviest eagle in the world. The white-tailed eagle measures anywhere from 66 to 94 cm in total length with a typical wingspan of 1.78 to 2.45 m.

White-tailed eagles usually live most of the year near large bodies of open water, including both coastal saltwater areas and inland freshwater, and require an abundant food supply and old-growth trees or ample sea cliffs for nesting.

All pictures were taken in the northern of Norway on 13.06.2020

Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.


You can find the other photos archive about White-tailed eagle here :

Archive 13.04.2020

Archive 09.06.2019

Archive 13.06.2019

Archive 02.07.2019

Archive 13.05.2018

To request such permission or for further enquires, please contact: patty@thorbergsen.com

LAGOPUS / WILLOW PTARMIGAN /LIRYPE

The willow ptarmigan is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known as the willow grouse and in Ireland and Britain, where it was previously considered to be a separate species, as the red grouse. It is a sedentary species, breeding in birch and other forests and moorlands in northern Europe, the tundra of Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska and Canada. It is the state bird of Alaska. In the summer the birds are largely brown, with dappled plumage, but in the winter they are white with some black feathers in their tails (British populations do not adopt a winter plumage).

For more pictures of Lagopus:

FEMALE WILLOW PTARMIGAN

YOUNG WILLOW PTARMIGAN

07.07.2019 Copyright © Patty Thorbergsen All rights reserved.

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