Extant Archosaur Pictures and Videos

[Gwangi]

I was visiting the Hell Creek forum where I saw that they had two threads dedicated to "cool bird/croc pictures and videos". I browsed through them both and found the stuff shared really interesting so thought maybe we would like to do something similar. I've found a lot of cool stuff in my web travels so I'll start us off with some stuff. I must state, this thread is for extant archosaurs only; birds and crocodilians. Share and discuss!

Hornbill vs. Venomous Snakes. The guy who filmed it mentions the eyes on these birds and they really are something. "When she looks at you, you can see she's working things out" is the JP quote that comes to mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcKQAbhStjU&list=FLVx30feVbHHzQPEE7aR5vaw&index=18&feature=plpp_video

Real Angry Birds: Sharp-tailed Grouse Battle. I love this video, you can really see some dinosaurian qualities here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHudSNAtR2Q&feature=BFa&list=FLVx30feVbHHzQPEE7aR5vaw

A couple of cool videos of alligators eating fruit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xVwIuB-Xm4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urdn2m__PQI





You can read the story behind the above photo and see the others in the series here.

[Gwangi]

Really? Over 30 views and none of you have anything to share? Nothing to discuss? I know at least some of you like real dinosaurs and not just the plastic ones.  Anyway, since I'm here I'll post a couple more things. This is my last try though, then I'm giving up.

Next time you need to convince someone that birds are dinosaurs you can show them this ostrich hand.


I've always enjoyed this drawing of a budgie skeleton, in particular the neck.


A few videos of a heron fishing. These are really cool, the heron uses bits of bread to attract the fish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNTw7GH325U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Porp5v5lLKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWT3fgImCDY

[Patrx]

Wow, that ostrich photo is amazing! I didn't know they had manual claws.   I've seen the budgie skeletal before, but it's still fascinating. Folks should look at images like these when reconstructing extinct dinosaurs, particularly dromaeosaurs.
Also impressed by the fishing herons! I know birds are brilliant, but sometimes they still surprise me. Might they've developed that technique by watching the reaction of the fish to bread dropped by humans?

[Gwangi]

Wow, that ostrich photo is amazing! I didn't know they had manual claws.   I've seen the budgie skeletal before, but it's still fascinating. Folks should look at images like these when reconstructing extinct dinosaurs, particularly dromaeosaurs.

For the longest time I thought only the hoatzin had claws but as it turns out there are a lot of birds that have them, even chickens and ducks (as I've found out through eating them). I agree that pictures like that budgie skeletal should be referenced more often. The addition of feathers on an animal can really make them look very different from how they would otherwise. There is an artist (Emily Willoughby) who recently wrote about "how bird necks lie" on her blog.
Also for those interested in bird claws there are three articles about them from the Tetrapod Zoology blog.

Clubs, spurs, spikes and claws on the hands of birds (part I)
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/06/30/clubs-spurs-spikes-and-claws/

Spurs and blades on the wings of jacanas, lapwings, sheathbills and archaeotrogonids (clubs, spurs, spikes and claws part II)
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/07/14/spurs-blades-jacanas-lapwings/

Giant club-winged pigeons and ninja ibises: clubs, spurs, spikes and claws on the hands of birds (part III)
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2011/02/18/giant-club-winged-pigeons/

EDIT: I don't know about those herons but learning though "monkey see, monkey do" could play a part. Or perhaps they're just more observant of fish behavior than we give them credit for. I notice that in most of those videos the herons are the same couple of species; the green heron in the case of the three I posted.

[Himmapaan]

Emily's article also adds the caveat about making dromaeosaurs too exactly like modern birds, which I think is also worth bearing in mind.

This is one of my favourite clips and I posted it over on V.1 in the thread about our favourite birds. I may as well share it again here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy_A3Tt8tcI

Who says peafowl can't fly? They simply choose not to most of the time.

[Takama]

Pretty Parrots anyone?


Eclectus



Red Belly Parrot
I used to have two of these, but my dad got tired of them biting him, so he gave them to my grandpa



Handsome Blue & Gold Macaw

Also

A cockatoo eating one of his cousins

[Gwangi]

I'm so happy to see this thread taking off! Himmapaan, I remember seeing that video the first time you posted it. It must be something else to be there and see those birds flying at you! I added that one to my birds playlist.  Takama, great parrot photos. The cockatoo eating the (is that a turkey?) leg is funny but I must confess to letting one of my chickens eat some chicken the other night. 

Lets get some courtship videos in here.

Ruddy Ducks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsS_VV5Vbe0

Teminck Tragopan. They used a similar courtship display for the Gigantoraptor in "Dinosaur Revolution."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9tdloS_A-4

[Patrx]

Just to keep things going here, who's up for some photos of my canarywing parrot (Brotogeris versicoluris), Cosmo?
I've never seen do anything quite so elaborate as going fishing, but he does tend to use water to soften his food pellets, which is pretty clever.

[tyrantqueen]

Is Archosaur really a correct word to use here? I thought Archosaur meant "ancient reptile". Most birds in this topic are modern ones.

[Patrx]

Is Archosaur really a correct word to use here? I thought Archosaur meant "ancient reptile". Most birds in this topic are modern ones.

"Archosauria", the "ruling reptiles", includes dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and crocodilians. There are lots of modern dinosaurs in this thread because it is about extant archosaurs Perhaps someone has some crocodilian media to share?

[Gwangi]

Is Archosaur really a correct word to use here? I thought Archosaur meant "ancient reptile". Most birds in this topic are modern ones.

"Archosauria", the "ruling reptiles", includes dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and crocodilians. There are lots of modern dinosaurs in this thread because it is about extant archosaurs Perhaps someone has some crocodilian media to share?

I thought about restricting it to birds only but crocodiles need love too. I'm sure they'll be a bit more neglected though.

[Takama]

Modern rendention of Sarchosuchs, the Gavial

[stemturtle]

Snapping Turtle

Turtles may be the sister group to archosaurs, according to recent genetic research: http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/8/5/783.full

Mid-October, while walking along the Mississippi River, I saw a big snapper sunning herself along the path.  She had hauled up from a backwater slough to bask.  Minn of the Mississippi, perhaps?  I did not have a camera along, so the photo posted is actually file footage from Presqu'ile Provincial Park, east of Toronto, Canada.  Whenever you see one of these ancient reptiles, you think Triassic.

[Gwangi]

Great photo! I'll have to share some of my turtle shots as well, I have a few of a snapping turtle I caught while fishing. Maybe this should be a different thread though? Eh, probably does not matter. It would be pretty far out if they turned out to be archosaurs but I always hoped they would end up being anapsids.

[Gwangi]

Anyone familiar with Gustave the Nile crocodile? Certainly one of the largest individuals among extant archosaurs. He is said to be over 60 years old, somewhere between 18-20 feet and is said to be responsible for the deaths of 200-300 people. I'm sure that number is exaggerated but perhaps not by much.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhrQZoO2fYo

I've always been a sucker for crocodilians doing the "high walk."






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co7bJlJliEs

[Takama]

Here is a legendarey one



Sphenodon

[Gwangi]

The tuatara, such a fascinating animal. They aren't archosaurs though. The only confirmed living archosaurs are birds and crocodilians. 

[Takama]

Darn,  Oh yeah, there the last of there kind

[Gwangi]

Recent talk of terror birds has made me want to share some pictures and videos of their closest living relatives, the seriemas.



Look kind of familiar?




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KviBx-mvdM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h12MDyWHH8E&feature=related

[Himmapaan]

They are still terror birds, if you ask me.  Look at them, shades of their ancestry so plainly there, only smaller and more streamlined, but still pretty scary.