Nestling types
There are two main types of nestling. One is the downy precocial chick like the Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) and the other the naked altricial nestling, the typical song-bird nestling like Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). The precocial or nidifugous chick is active soon after hatching and able to leave the nest if necessary. The altricial or nidicolous nestling hatching naked, blind and helpless. They are wholly dependent by its parents.
Watercolour painting, size A4
Types of Nests
The next painting illustrating different types of nests.
1. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
2. European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
3. Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
4. Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)
5. Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
6. Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
Raven coming home
This painting illustrating one Common Raven (Corvus corax) breeding pair. They start to lay the eggs early in February. The nest is usually placed in a cliff ledge or a large tree.
Watercolor painting, size A4
Good Neighbourhoods, the red-footed falcon and the rook
“The red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) belongs to the Falconidae family and the Falconiformes order. The red-footed falcon is the only raptor species of the region that breeds in colonies and in solitary nests as well. As other falco species, they occupies empty nests, mainly built by corvids. The rook (Corvus frugilegus) has a very important role in the life cycle of the red-footed falcon since the rookeries provide the most important colonial nesting facilities for this species. Moreover colonially nesting falcons have a better breeding success than solitary nesting pairs. ” … source
This painting is also part of the Illustrations for a Field Guide to the Birds of Romania series.
I decided to paint a reddish background to give sunrise feeling to the painting. First I finished the sky and the field with a large brush than started to paint the trees and rook nests. The red-footed falcon pair was the last thing I finished.
Watercolour, size A4
Illustrations for a Field Guide to the Birds of Romania 5.
Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) territorial boundaries marked by song. They start singing a couple of weeks before nesting, to occupy the best breeding territory. To illustrate this territorial behaviour I had to paint the Stonechats more dense like they live in the nature.
Watercolour painting, A4 -size
