Red-Billed Oxpecker

Gallery: AvianPosted February 26, 2011145 views19 comments

I love photographing these birds, which often provide a nice splash of color when riding on a cape buffalo or zebra. In this case, this little fellow was hitching a ride on the back of a southern giraffe one afternoon in Kruger National Park.

Canon 7D
Canon 500mm f/4 IS
ISO200
1/800th
f/5.6

Max

Comments

19 comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on February 26, 2011 at 8:12 PM

definitely the most unique "perch" I've seen in Avian, Max! nice light, interesting comp, just wish the bird gave you a little more of a head turn. very cool shot.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by dan elster on February 26, 2011 at 8:24 PM

Stunning composition...I love the bright white backround. I really enjoy your work.

Registered on September 23, 2005, 299 Posts, 2443 Comments

Comment posted by wade pettitt on February 26, 2011 at 8:27 PM

Max,now that is one cool perch. I like the diaganol line the giraffe back makes, and the way the bird is looking straight up that line. Well done!!

Registered on May 6, 2009, 184 Posts, 471 Comments

Comment posted by John Blumenkamp on February 26, 2011 at 8:37 PM

Hi Max... this is a really creative composition. I love that the Oxpecker is looking upward toward the giraffe's head. Very unique image.

Registered on February 26, 2011, 58 Posts, 313 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on February 26, 2011 at 8:39 PM

Like this a lot Max and I think your composition couldn't be better given the gaze of the bird and the steep slope of the giraffe's neck. I've tried shots like this with several bird species on the backs of bison but have never got anything I like nearly this well. I'm jealous.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on February 26, 2011 at 8:50 PM

Great view of bird and habitat. The red bill and eye are a standout.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Andrius Pašukonis on February 26, 2011 at 9:02 PM

Nice perch!

I like the composition as well.

Registered on July 23, 2005, 111 Posts, 408 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on February 26, 2011 at 9:30 PM

This is great!

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on February 27, 2011 at 12:06 AM

Great environmental shot. It shows the bird in it's natural habitat for shure.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on February 27, 2011 at 2:07 AM

Very cool!
Something different - great colors, nice detail, and BG.
I too wish for a head-turn toward you, but works just fine as is.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on February 27, 2011 at 5:10 AM

Great contrast in textures, patterns and colour Max - well done

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Des Ong on February 27, 2011 at 5:41 AM

Clever comp this...

Registered on July 12, 2007, 23 Posts, 234 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on February 27, 2011 at 7:14 AM

Very different and unique Max, I like this alot because it shows this bird in its natural habitat.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Luca Mussato on February 27, 2011 at 10:04 AM

Well I like this, i posted a similar one in the wildlife gallery due to the predominance of the giraffe texture. I got a perplexity about the giraffe colors, it looks like it is to yellowish, it could be my monitor of course. If it was mine i would have tried a corner to corner composition. A question of taste anyway.

Luca

Registered on November 14, 2006, 118 Posts, 855 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on February 27, 2011 at 10:23 AM

Interesting comp, I like this Max. The light BG works well here

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on February 27, 2011 at 11:30 AM

You win the habitat shot of the week. Wonderful perch. Is this early morning/late afternoon light? The color tone seems a bit red. A minor nit on a fine photo.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on February 27, 2011 at 1:33 PM

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. For me the head position works because the "two dimensionality" of the image (profile of the sloped giraffe neck + bird profile) is one of its strongest attributes. Plus, I'd worry that I'd lose some nice detail in the oxpecker's face---something I don't get too often

--if its head was turned.

Jim, based on your comment I did go back and check whether it was too warm. On my calibrated screen, it looks fine. However, applying a slight cooling filter did bring out a touch of blue in the sky, so that could improve the image slightly.

This was shot later in the afternoon. Given that the bird's surroundings (the giraffe) were constantly on the move in relation to the sun, it kept moving in and out of the shadows. Luckily, it was spotlighted for a moment.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on February 27, 2011 at 7:50 PM

Extreamly unique! This image has to win something!

Registered on June 26, 2009, 181 Posts, 1558 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on February 27, 2011 at 8:54 PM

Great composition. My focus is on the bird but you included just enough of the giraffe

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments