Bird Species Spotlight: Reddish Egret
by Jake Jacoby | October 30, 2021

© Jake JacobyThe Reddish Egret is a medium to large Heron that usually forages in shallow salt water. They are very active foragers, often seen running through shallows with long strides, staggering sideways, leaping in the air, raising one or both wings, and abruptly stabbing at fish. Some people consider t...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Montezuma Oropendola
by Jake Jacoby | April 11, 2021

© Jake Jacoby

In January 2020, I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica in Central America. I departed from Tampa, changed planes in Miami and then arrived in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. The Costa Rica Colon is the country’s currency and was named after Christopher Columbus. The currency bi...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Crested Barbet
by Jake Jacoby | December 31, 2020

© Jake Jacoby

In 2017, my brother Mitch and I had the opportunity to stay in the Mala Mala Game Reserve in South Africa. As previously reported, this game reserve is the largest private Big Five game reserve in South Africa and comprises some 35,000 acres and also shares a 12-mile unfenced border with Krug...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Guira Cuckoo
by Jake Jacoby | November 28, 2020

© Jake JacobyI saw my first Guira Cuckoo on the ground in the grasslands of Brazil in 2018. These cuckoos are frequent visitors to drier habitats, such as second-growth scrub, scrub savannahs and woodlands, pampas, pastures, fields and coastal dunes. They are very social birds and live in groups of 6 to 8 in...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Black Skimmer
by Jake Jacoby | September 26, 2020

© Jake JacobyThe black skimmer is an instantly recognized bird that is best known for its remarkable beak, and its black and white underpants. These skimmers have long, deep, and flattened blade-like mandibles. The upper mandible is shorter than the lower mandible and all skimmers have short legs with webbed...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: King Vulture
by Jake Jacoby | March 22, 2020

© Jake JacobyOn a recent trip to Costa Rica, I was introduced to an entirely new bird species for me, namely, the “king vulture.” This photographic workshop that I attended in Costa Rica was organized and hosted by Naturescapes.net, a specialized travel agency for photographers, and an invaluable resourc...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Boat-billed Heron
by Jake Jacoby | March 24, 2019

© Jake JacobyI saw the boat-billed heron in August 2018 for the very first time while travelling along the riverbanks of the Cuiaba River.

I was in a boat equipped for photography in the Pantanal region of Brazil. My brother and I were travelling in the Pantanal on a photographic workshop organized and hos...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Tricolored Heron
by Jake Jacoby | September 6, 2018

Tricolored heron by Jake JacobyThe tricolored heron, formerly known as the “Louisiana heron” in North America, is a small to medium-sized heron and is found in quiet, shallow waters. It is strikingly slender, with a long bill, neck, and legs and is often found wading belly-deep in coastal lagoons and freshwater ponds, lak...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Sandhill Crane
by Jake Jacoby | December 4, 2017

Sandhill Crane © Jake JacobySandhill cranes are large birds with a wingspan of over 6′ and a body length of almost 4′. Their long legs and necks give them an almost dinosaurian appearance and they can routinely reach a weight of more than 10 pounds. Their common name refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: Brown Pelican
by Jake Jacoby | May 2, 2017

Brown pelicans nesting © Jake JacobySquadrons of brown pelicans can routinely be seen flying together in v-shaped formation above the surf line along both the southern and western coasts of the United States. While there are seven species of pelicans, the brown pelican is the smallest and the only one that plunges from the air int...

Continue reading »
Bird Species Spotlight: The Bald Eagle
by Jake Jacoby | December 1, 2016

Copyright Jake JacobyThe bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since June 20, 1782 when the Continental Congress adopted the design for the Great Seal of the United States depicting a bald eagle grasping 13 arrows and an olive branch with its talons. The bald eagle has been a spiritual symbol...

Continue reading »