Feeding time, around the world edition

Off we go to another Show Me a Photo contest! This week's theme is Birds and Food, and since I have quite a few photos of these little (and some not so little) guys stuffing their bellies, time for another round the world exhibit.

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And let's start in the homeland! More precisely, Madeira island.
Maadeira is home to a very unique kind of forest called Laurissilva. There are tons of trekking routes across the island; some very small, some that strech for dozens of km. This was one of the very short ones, tgat ended in a beautiful viewpoint. And what did I find in the viewpoint, apart from the awesome view?

^{Madeiran chaffinch / tentilhão da Madeira (PT) - Fringilla coelebs maderensis}

These chaffinches are a susbspecies of the normal chaffinch, that can only be found here. And in this spot, they grew so used to tourists (unfortunately, feeding them), thay they come to eat right at your hand!

Although people find it funny, disturbing normal feeding habits and normal behaviour is not something that should be encouraged. But I must admit, it provides cool photos.

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Let's go to Asia now! Sri Lanka, more precisely. Here, the nice lady at our hostel had a small feeding station in a little garden, that she would fill with rice every morning. And guess who came for breakfast?

^{Ring-necked parakeet / Periquito rabo de junco (PT) - Psittacula krameri, male}

The male parakeet was going wild with the rice. You can distinguish males easily from females in this species due to the dark collar, absent in females. It only develops after the first year of life, thow.

He liked the rice so much that he brought his wife... and a friend!

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From Asia we go to America. And in the wildlife heaven that is Costa Rica, was fortunate enough to see vultures do what they do best: eating carrion!

^{Turkey vulture / Urubu de cabeça vermelha (PT) - Cathartes aura}

We found him in the middle of a secluded road, feasting with what was probably a racoon (or what was left of him). I was thrilled to see him, but judging by his look, the feeling wasn't mutual...

And just a few km ahead, a roadside hawk was feasting too!

^{Roadside hawk - Rupornis magnirostris}

It was my first, and only up to date, roadside hawk sighting. Funny thing, it was exactly where I saw him: at the roadside! Love the colour pattern and the elegance of this bird.

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And to top it up, a continent I only visited once, but is on the list for further travels: Africa! During vacations in São Tomé, a beautiful island on the western coast, a cute heron was searching for her dinner.

^{Western reef heron - Egretta gularis}

These herons can have two distinct forms, on grey, and the other on white, as this one. And it's one of the few white herons with the contrast of dark legs and yellow feet, a characteristic that can aid in the identification!

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I'm glad I could share this "round the world bird food edition" with you. Curious to see the other entries!

Happy birding everyone!

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