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NEW EDITION: A NEW WAY TO EXPLORE TANYGNATHUS MORPHOLOGY BEYOND TRADITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Following my recently published video presentation on this blog from 27th March 2026, containing AI-enhanced photographs of some of the species belonging to the genus Tanygnathus, I have made a new edition featuring additional photographs. Mr. Bartłomiej Majewski, a well-known keeper and breeder of Tanygnathus megalorynchos megalorynchos from Poland, has very kindly lent me some of his private photographs of his own birds, with which I have now expanded the presentation, hereby published below. New edition of the videopresentation (N.B. Please allow a little time for the images to load in full resolution, so that they can become sharp): I have utilised modern AI-based image processing tools to develop a series of visual interpretations in the above videopresentation. The primary aim has been to explore and highlight morphological characteristics in a more analytical and differentiated manner than can be achieved through traditional wildlife photography alone. This approach enables a se
8 May 2026
BLUE-AND-YELLOW MACAW (ARA ARARAUNA): A LOOK AT REGIONAL VARIATION AND VARIETIES
Blue-and yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) The Blue-and-yellow Macaw, also known as the Blue-and-gold Macaw (Ara ararauna), is one of the most charismatic and widely recognised members of the parrot family (Psittacidae). Its striking blue upperparts, contrasting sharply with bright yellow (occasionally orange-tinged) underparts, make the species instantly identifiable, and it has achieved iconic status in both natural history and human cultural contexts. In avicultural circles, the designation “Blue Macaw” is also used for the species; however, this term is ambiguous and may lead to confusion with species of the genus Anodorhynchus. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw has a very extensive natural range in South America and Brazil in particular has a large population of this species, which - relative to its presence in human care - is the most widespread of the large Macaws. Despite its large global population and broad geographical distribution, no formally recognised subspecies of the Blue-and-yellow
10 April 2026
A NEW WAY TO EXPLORE TANYGNATHUS MORPHOLOGY BEYOND TRADITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Following my recently published article on the genus Tanygnathus in the international avicultural magazine Les Oiseaux du Monde (announcement about this posted on 21st March 2026 on the blog on my website, www.birdkeeper.dk, and on www.facebook.com/birdkeeper.dk), I have continued working with an alternative and complementary approach to the visual presentation of some of these species through AI-enhancement. Based on my own original photographs of several Tanygnathus species, I have utilised modern AI-based image processing tools to develop a series of visual interpretations. The primary aim has been to explore and highlight morphological characteristics in a more analytical and differentiated manner than can be achieved through traditional wildlife photography alone. This approach enables a selective accentuation of, among other aspects: • Colour saturation and contrast • Feather structure and layering • Subtle variations in patterning and transitional zones • Proportions and overall
27 March 2026
LES OISEAUX du Monde - ONE OF EUROPE’S MOST RESPECTED AVICULTURAL MAGAZINES
I am truly proud that the highly professional and widely respected avicultural magazine, Les OISEAUX du Monde, has once again chosen to publish one of my articles on parrots. On this occasion, the article is accompanied by outstanding photographs of wild birds taken by Mr. Mehd Halaouate of Birding Indonesia. The article focuses on Tanygnathus parrots, with particular emphasis on the taxonomy of the Blue-naped Parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis) and its subspecies. Published across two consecutive issues (November and December 2025), it recounts my first encounter with the Tanygnathus genus and describes how, with the assistance of the expert Mr. Mehd Halaouate, I was able to identify and assign subspecies to my own Blue-naped Parrots. Scientific literature on the Tanygnathus genus is remarkably limited. For this reason, I felt that the time had come to shed more light on this exceptionally beautiful and fascinating group of parrots, which remains relatively rare in European aviculture de
20 March 2026
WHEN NATURE'S NUTCRACKER MUST BE HANDLED - THE ART OF AVOIDING PARROT BITES
Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus sspp.), the species measured to have the world's strongest parrot bite HANDLING OF PARROTS UNDER HUMAN CARE IS UNAVOIDABLE - AND REQUIRES PREPARATION Anyone who keeps and naturally breeds parrots knows that, sooner or later, situations arise in which the birds must be handled. This may involve moving them between aviaries, re-pairing, routine weighing, veterinary examinations or health screening. In theory, it's a practical task. In practice, it can feel like grabbing a large nutcracker covered in feathers. Particularly among the larger species, the risk of genuine injury is significant and should never be underestimated. Measurements have shown that the Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) can exert a bite force of around 360 kg/cm² - close to that of an African Lion (Panthera leo). Large macaws and the large white cockatoos (genera Ara and Cacatua) typically range between 150 and 250 kg/cm². One unfortunate grip can therefore have serious consequ
20 February 2026
WHITE-CRESTED COCKATOO - THE RAREST OF THE LARGE “WHITE”COCKATOOS IN NATURE
The White-crested Cockatoo, also known as the Umbrella Cockatoo or simply the White Cockatoo (Cacatua alba), has for many decades been a popular representative of the Parrot order in human care. Its striking appearance, distinctive “umbrella-shaped” broad crest, highly social nature and, not least, exceptional intelligence have made it highly sought after, both in pair-housed aviaries worldwide and, regrettably to a very large extent, also as a singly kept pet/companion bird. While the species is still maintained in aviculture, it is far from widespread, but when it comes to its status in the wild it shows a markedly different and far more dire picture. On behalf of IUCN BirdLife International has since 2013 assesses the species as Endangered, and population numbers have declined so dramatically across its natural range (the distribution area is estimated at 51,700 km²) in Indonesia that reliable estimates of the remaining wild population can no longer be provided. Even some of the lar
7 February 2026
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