Bird on a Wire
When photographing wildlife, we strive for all natural habitat shots.
But birds do love to perch on a wire.
So here’s a bird on a wire…..times 17!
American Kestrel
Purple Martin (female)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Purple Martins
Eastern Phoebe
White Ibis
Europeon Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Common Ground Dove
Loggerhead Shrikes
Double-crested Cormorant
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal (male)
The one that surprised me was the White Ibis. I’ve never seen one of them perched on a wire before or since.
Can you pick a favorite?
(all photos taken in Everglades City, Florida)
Photos by Donna 
I’ve never seen a Cormorant do that 😀😀😀, how did he not fall off LOL
I had never seen Cormorants do that before until being down in the Everglades. Along 41 Tamiami Trail, they line the wires all along the way. It quickly became a ‘norm’ to me, lol. And then I’ll go back to the Chesapeake Bay area and never see it again. 🙂
LOL. I was on that road right before you got there and didn’t notice them. Very funny.
must be a localized behavioural trait?
Great collection, Donna! I was thinking the same thing Ted just typed 🙂 . My favorite is the Kestrel, just love those colors.
Thank you, Ellen! The Kestrels were an easy to find bird in town in the mornings and evenings, it was a special treat for me. I just commented to Ted that I’d never seen Cormorants on wires before either, but down in the Everglades/Big Cypress Preserve along 41 Tamiami Trail, they line the wires all along the road. With the constant breezes, I couldn’t believe they could perch like that! It became quickly ‘a norm’ to me, and no big deal, lol. 😉
Interesting on the Cormorants’ perch choice — shows us how adaptable birds are to using what is available, even with those big feet!
And being webbed to boot! Dang it, I wish I’d photographed them more, lined up on the wires. It’s a wonder they didn’t fall off, swaying back and forth. I was too busy chasing the herons, egrets, & pelicans….and looking for rosies, lol.
A wonderful compilation. I can’t pick a favourite, but apart from the ibis, the hawk was the most surprising. 😁
Thank you, Imorgana! I think the Ibis was showing the Cormorant it could do it too! 😉 But, the Ibis didn’t last long, it didn’t like the swaying in the breeze. I couldn’t blame him! The hawk has its own story series with its mate, I hope to share for another post. 🙂
Looking forward to seeing more of the hawks, Donna. I just looked at them all again and I see that the cormorant has a much better grip.
My favorite is the Ibis, you just don’t see that every day. 🙂
Most definitely not! 🙂 Thank you, Sandra!
A very nice compilation!
Thank you, Hien!
Living in Ohio, I have to pick the Cardinal, our state bird. The deep red color helps them to stand out.
I’m partial to Cardinals too. 🙂
The Ibis is awfully big for that! Lovely photos Donna!! ❤️
The Ibis teetered there for only a little bit and then haphazardly took off! I think it was, “wonder if I can perch here like the Cormorant” and realized. not so well, lol. Thank you, John!!
The Cardinal, Red-shouldered, and Kestrel are my favs. Wonderful series, Donna!
Thank you, Deborah! 😊
The Cormorant was the surprise for me, as I didn’t think it’s webbed feet would be able to hold on to a wire. Amazing creatures, birds. And great photos! 😊
Thanks Mike! I wish I had taken a photo of several Cormorants in a row on a wire before we left Florida. When I first saw them, one after another, I remember thinking, “no way!” Then it became a normal sighting and no big deal. Shame on me, because I’ll never see that up at home nor likely anywhere else!
At least you got one picture to prove to people like me that they can do it. 😊
Oh yeah! 😊
Great series Donna! Don’t see many Ibises on wires. That was a good one!<3
Thank you, Lisa! It was my first. 🙂
Nice series Donna! It is amazing the larger birds can hang on to the wire! Especially like the Ibis!
Thank you, Reed! That Ibis up there swaying on that wire, I just couldn’t believe it! 🙂
What a collection, Donna! I’ve also never seen a white ibis or a cormorant on a wire… How curious. 😉 In fact, I can’t recall seeing even a cardinal on a wire very often. Picking my favorite shot is easy… I love your kestrel! What a beautiful bird and beautiful photo it is!
Thank you! Seeing bigger birds on wires does catch my eye, but whoa I was quite surprised with the White Ibis up there swaying with the breezes. I just knew s/he’d fly before I got a shot, but I lucked out. 🙂 Oh, the Kestrels of the town were quite endearing, so small, but oh-so fierce! They are beauties!
The ibis because there is something about that name I like, and because of its association with ancient egyptian religion, and because more than all the others it looks so out of place on that wire. Also the cormorant because of its green eye.
Thank you, David, the Ibis for sure looks out of place and I think not so comfortable, lol, thinking maybe this wasn’t such a keen idea. 🙂
All great shots but the Ibis is my favourite😊
Thank you, Belinda! I almost fell off my birding mobile trying to get a photo before s/he flew off, it didn’t look like it was comfortable with the swaying. The take-off wasn’t so elegant either. 🙂
This is so beautiful
Thank you!
Yes, I too have a collection of birds on a wire. My favourite of yours is the cardinal!
Thank you, I love that Cardinal too. I only got a quick opportunity to snap a couple shots before he shot off like they do! 🙂
They may be perched on a cable, but, they are all beautiful and your photos, excellent! Thanks for the collection, Donna. 🙂
Thank you, HJ! I cannot resist a pretty bird on a wire, and have fun trying to compose the wires ‘artfully’. 🙂
I too don’t really prefer those “bird on a wire” shots, but the birds are always so cool it’s hard to delete them!
Glad you understand, William, especially when it’s an odd one! For one thing, they are great practice. 🙂
The white ibis.
Nice choice!
I will always lean toward our state bird…Cardinals. But, all of them are beautiful. I do love the birds of prey. I’d never seen a Common Ground Dove close up. Mourning Dove, yes. See them & hear them all the time. I’ve never heard of a Phoebe bird. Shrikes look like bandits. LOL!
This was a nice mixed variety, from the adorable to the fierce. 🙂
Good point. I agree!
The most amazing is the web-footed Cormorant, how DO they hold on without a back toe?
I agree, Eliza, quite amazing, especially when they’re swaying in the breeze. For one thing, they have darn good balance! 🙂
You do see a lot more of the bird on the wire Donna
Thank you, Ashley, that is very true! 🙂
They are all pretty Donna, hard to pick a favourite. But certainly some of them are hardly to be seen on the wire (especially the bigger ones)🙂
Thank you, Christie! The bigger ones really need to have balancing skills! 😉
Love them all. 😊
Thank you much, Irene! 😊
That Ibis shot is incredible. I’ve never managed to get anywhere near as close to one. Perhaps they don’t like our wires? (More likely, we just don’t have that many of them here.)
You’re missing any swallows. We have them perched on the wires here and occasionally a phoebe. Looks like the swallows have been taking a close look at the old nest box. Haven’t seen any at the new house, but it’s in a spot that’s harder to keep an eye on. Maybe more swallows and chickadees this year. Eric built a bigger box- sized for a duck, or an owl. We opted to put it where the barred owl might set up housekeeping. Putting it down by the creek (for a duck) would be impossible to see from the house and there wasn’t a great place to mount it. We shall see…. (what fun!)
Thank you, Gunta! Not sure how and why the White Ibis perched there, it was really ‘out of place’ for sure! 😃 Oh I hope you get an owl family, that would be awesome to watch. Always fun to see who decides to befriend your backyard! Hopefully, Alvin, Simon and Theodore don’t mind!
I have a lot of these bird-on-a-wire photos, too, Donna. I always wonder what birds used to do before wires criss-crossed the country. I assume they like them because they provide high perches and a good overview of the area.
It’s hard to pick a favorite–I like them all.
Thank you, Tanja! What they used to do was use all the trees that were demolished to bring in those wires. 😞 Birds like their 360 degrees view….me too if I could have a view like that! 😊
Good point, Donna. It always amazes me to imagine that vast stretches of the continent used to be forested. And I’m with you when it comes to 360 degree views.