Bird & Birding Humour

[Dewi]

Hmmmm? Seems I've put the feline amongst the Columba livia there RP? Is that your real name by the way? -O -O -O -O

Sprocky, good example, I'll try to explain so bear with me here please.

Verreaux's Eagle

Aquila verreauxii

Other common name: (African) Black Eagle

First described by Lesson in 1830 from a specimen taken in the interior of the Cape of Good Hope. ( Central Cape Province).

Monotypic.

Named after Jules Pierre Verreaux (1807 - 1873).

The famous French Explorer/naturalist, Pierre Antoine Delalande, had an expedition to Southern Africa, arriving at the Cape in November 1818. He was accompanied by his 11 year old nephew, Jules Pierre Vereaux. Their first foray into the interior was thwarted by an advancing Xhosa army. On their second foray, they came accross a dead Hippopotamus, whose skeleton was the first ever to reach the Paris museum. They reached as far as tha O;iphants river on this trip.

Their third expedition set off from Algoa bay, which they reached by sea from the Cape, from here they forayed as far inland as the Keiskanna River. On returning to Algoa Bay, Verreaux assisted in sorting out the specimens collected during their journey and this time taught him the skills of taxidermy, which were utilised throughout his career.

Together, they brought back 131,405 specimens. After five years study back in Europe, Verreaux returned to the Cape to collect more specimens. He also spent a year in charge of the Cape Museum whilst the curator was on an expedition to Namaqualand. During this period, Verreaux still found time to collect specimens, and after returning to Paris, one of the specimens was bought by an amateur ornithologist, who loaned it to Rene Primrvere Lesson, who made uso of it in his Centurie Zoologique (1830). Lesson named the bird after Verreaux, Voyageur naturaliste.

Verreaux returned to the Cape in 1834 to collect further specimens and also sailed to Austrailia and Tasmania. He spent his lifetime in the collection and sorting of museum specimens and ended his carrer at the Museum of Paris.

He died on the 7th September 1873.

I think he deserves having an eagle named after him somehow? It was after all, Newman & Roberts that maybe got the name wrong?
:lol:

Edit, sorry RP, missed your post in between, same applies for that big owl though. -O

[Dewi]

Being a teacher, I would have thought you an expert on wasting ink RP. -O -O -O -O

Giant? Errrm, it's a bit low down in the rankings to be a giant, there are several owl species that are larger than this one so maybe it should be renamed Almost giant Eagle-owl?


Maybe Mr. Chat just likes to make fun of people called Cliff?








( I do hope you guys realise that I'm playing Devil's Advocate here and not beeing too serious -O )

[Richprins]

Thanks for that info, Dewi!

Verreaux obviously got p--ed off after tramping about the hinterland over miss-spelled rivers and dodging natives with a whiny youngster..., only to find a dead hippo!

That's why he went to Australia after that!

So let's change the hippo's name to Verreaux's Giant Cliff Pig! -O -O -O

I don't care, otherwise Roberts and Newman would have picked it up!

[Richprins]

In the same vein...imagine the new name for Ostrich...


Verreaux's Almost-Giant Thick-Knee!




-O -O -O

[Dewi]

Shouldn't that be Verreaux's Mocking Giant Cliff Pig? After all, have you heard them guffawing from their hiding places? Haw, haw, haw hurrrumph, hurrumph, haw.

Verreaux's Almost-Giant Thick-Knee!

Keep it serious man, this is after all a serious topic of discussion. :P

That was the old spelling I used for the river by the way, ; was changed to an l in the mid 1890's after an L of an argument broke out amongst academics of the time.

OK, what are your thoughts on Loons?

[Richprins]

Dunno what a loon is... :P

[Dewi]

Oops, sorry, Southern Hemisphere, you don't get them there.

Are you a Skua man or a Jaeger man?

[Richprins]

Harrier!!!

[Dewi]

Now your'e talking! A Gled is one of my favourite birds.

To see a Slemish quartering a moor is a highlight to any day.

Also known as:

An t eun fionn
Ash-coloured Buzzard
Ash-coloured Falcon
Ash-coloured Harrier
Ash Coloured Hawk
Blue Furze Hawk
Blue Gled
Blue Hawk
Blue Kite
Blue Sleeves
Bod Glas
Bod Llwydlas
Bod Tinwyn
Breid-air-toin
Brown Gled
Clahman Luch
Dove-coloured Falcon
Flapper
Furze Hawk
Gled
Grey Gled
Grey-blue Hawk
Hebog Llwydlas
Hen Harrier
Hen Harroer
Miller
Mittane
Moor Hawk
Mouse Hawk
Rag on Rump
Ringtail
Ringteale
Ringtayle
Saint Julian's Bird
Sanct Martynis Fowle
St. Martin's Fowl
Seagull Hawk
Vuzz Kite
White Aboon Gled
White Hawk
White Kite

Take your pick -O

[Richprins]

I thought we were talking whiskey!?