Bird of the Day, theme 'Red Or Dead'

natureAug 5, 202623011,002

Bird of the Day is a daily community event; today’s theme is #RedOrDead, defined as a photo with red in the capture but not on the bird or a bird on bare winter branches. Participants are posting wildlife and backyard bird photography, often winter scenes and migratory visitors, with several images pairing birds against red backgrounds or bare branches. Standout entries include a dark-eyed junco perched on a fence before nesting, European white storks mentioned for their spring return and autumn migration, and a mallard duck caught at a park. Look for a varied thrush on winter branches, a juvenile Bullock’s oriole, and a Spotted Towhee snagging a crabapple among the gallery.

Robyn

@handcranked.bsky.social

Gertie girl My little dark-eyed junco friend with her fluffs on our fence before she put them in her nest. #BirdOfTheDay #RedOrDead #ColorADay #RedWed #AlphabetChallenge #WeekEForEphemeral #SensoryArt #small #EastCoastKin #ECK #PhotographersUnited #birds #photography #OM-3

A sweet little dark-eyed junco female with some white hairs in her beak perched on a worn wooden fence. Her body is facing the camera with her head turned a bit to the right. She has a gray head and neck, white breast with peach on the sides. Her beak and legs are pale pink. Her eyes are black. The house behind her is blurred with red covering most of the area, but some beige at the bottom and left side.

92345d ago

Kevin Wertman2

I mustache you a question! Great one Robyn 😀

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)2

Super cute. Wonderful photo. 😍

Amy Gann1

That is clearly Snidely Whiplash 😂 Great shot, Robyn!

Susan W1

Birds building their nests is the greatest feat of engineering the world has seen.

Chris B Artist1

Long before time, the Master of Spinjitsu

Alan H

@alan678.bsky.social

Good evening everyone. Going to catch up on comments and do some #BirdOfTheDay Hope you are all having a lovely day. 🙏🏼 #RedOrDead #photography #ECK #birds #Ireland

A close-up portrait of a juvenile house sparrow perched on a slender branch with glossy green leaves and deep red stems. The young bird has soft, buff-brown plumage, a pale cream breast, and a chunky pinkish bill with a hint of yellow at the gape, indicating it has recently fledged. It faces slightly to the right, its dark eye catching the warm sunlight, while its fluffy feathers give it a rounded, endearing appearance. The background is a smooth blur of olive and dark green tones, isolating the sparrow and creating a calm, natural setting that draws attention to its delicate features and fresh juvenile plumage.

36245d ago

Suse1

Little fluffball! Gorgeous capture, Alan!

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

Good evening Alan, what a beauty and wonderful photo ❤️ Hope your day was a a good one 🙏 and have a fine evening dear friend 🤗😘

Jason1

Stunning capture…unfairly so lol 😂 Have a relaxing evening Alan my friend 🥰👍🏼

Rina

@rina2012.bsky.social

European white storks arrive in spring and head back to Spain or North Africa in autumn. A truly incredible journey! 🦅🌍 #BirdOfTheDay #SummerVisitors #birds #wildlife #LakeConstance #Bodensee #WaterWednesday #photography #naturephotography #thelittlethings #ECK #Scape

A white stork is standing on moss-covered rocks on the bank, looking slightly to the left. It has a marking ring on its right leg. The water is very green with gentle ripples. The white of the plumage is visible in the water.

28645d ago

Der Oberhesse1

Seenthem every day in my bike Tour. In automn sometimes 20-40 on the fields wating for right time and Wind to go to south. And a lot of them, espacilly from the east, they go the eastern Route via Black Sea, Valley of Jordan. Many stay there in Winter, Farmers and state feed them.

Amy Gann

@amygann.bsky.social

Although sandhill crane used to be my favorite winter bird as I would watch them gather by the hundreds, now when I see them at the end of winter I know summer is approaching. For the #birdoftheday theme of #summervisitors #birds #crane #sandhillcrane #protectnature #EastCoastKin

An adult samdhill crane has its head turned to look behind it as it just stopped grooming its back feathers. Its young colt is standing behind it

26445d ago

Alan H1

Great shot Amy. Perfect. 👌🏼

Dark Doughboy1

I always love running into these guys while hiking, they sound so otherworldly, they definitely remind you that they're freaking dinosaurs. Such incredible creatures 😁🦖

Den 🇮🇪

@denterrick.bsky.social

Caught this little Mallard duck at the park yesterday. Or rather, she caught me while I was trying to sneak up for a photo. #Photography #10MinutesFromHome #Birds #BirdOfTheDay #RedOrDead #ColorADay #RedWed #EastCoastKin #Dublin #Ireland

An image of a female Mallard duck seen through the grasses and reeds by a lake.

27545d ago

Alan H1

Great shot Den. Theme perfect.

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

What a beauty and lovely photo Den✨️ have a fine day😊

Michael R Photography 🌿1

Such a cool image, Den.

AlinaHagen 🌊🎨📸 🥾1

She's beautiful, and you got such a wonderful photo of her!

Kort Duce

@kortduce.bsky.social

A Canada goose floats through the reflected glow of an early morning sunrise at a nature area in Longmont, Colorado. #BirdOfTheDay #RedOrDead #ECK #bird #birds #birdphotography #photogrsphy #BirdsSeenln2026 #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography

26345d ago

Patioboater2

That is really lovely. Great picture!

mysterydip1

love the coloring of this one! looks like an 80s album cover

Rhonda Howard1

Great take on the theme, Kort!!

norfolkm1

A very special image. Astounding atmosphere.

seatbelt-fastened.bsky.social1

oh wow! nicely done. What a great photo!

DWebster🇺🇦🇨🇴🇨🇺🇲🇽🇨🇦🌎🦜

@dwebstersf.bsky.social

A little bundle of energy and another welcome migrant, this Western Flycatcher keeps an eye on things. #BirdoftheDay #RedorDead #birds #aves #SummerVisitors

24745d ago

Sandra Aamodt

@sandra-aamodt.bsky.social

Western bluebird male near my house in California. They're around all year, but they're much easier to photograph during breeding season. #BirdOfTheDay #SummerVisitors #birds

Blue bird with a rust-colored chest, standing on the end of a twig, facing the camera with his head turned to the left, against a blurred green-gray background.

25145d ago

PacBirds

@pacbirds.bsky.social

Immature male Bullock’s oriole for the #SummerVisitors theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social These birds breed in California and most of the Western US, and winter in central and southern Mexico. #birds #nature #photography #ECK

Bird seen from the back perched on a rusty t-post, with yellow tail and head, brown and grey back, wings and sides, with black chin and line through eye.

18645d ago

SeaLevelOslo

@sealeveloslo.bsky.social

My favorite bird to capture (with a camera) has to be the white wagtail, especially when it is walking, and pulls off looking both goofy and classy. Here's the silhouette of a juvenile strutting across the boardwalk on its way to the beach. #BirdOfTheDay Alt #SummerVisitors #birds #photography

A juvenile white wagtail walks across a boardwalk overgrown with beach grass.

16245d ago

SeaLevelOslo4

I should stress that I only capture birds with a camera! 😬😁

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

What a wonderful photo ✨️

James Petruzzi1

Love the DOF choice :)

Pirritin1

Fabulous capture SLO 🤩 Do love also the weeds or leaves making it an arty one. Also stylish colours 👌

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)1

Superb photo. Great photography. 👌🏼

Dave Meredith (The Grumpy Snapper)

@davemeredith.bsky.social

Today's alternative #BirdOfTheDay theme is #SummerVisitors. An ExtremelyEmerald #Ephemeral immature Ruby-throated Hummingbird for Sheena and the #AlphabetChallenge #WeekEForEphemeral 😂 #BrucePeninsula #BruceCounty #ECK #photography #birds #TenMinutesFromHome #BackyardPhotography #ManualFocus

An emerald immature Ruby-throated Hummingbird in flight against a mottled green, out of focus background.

Photographed with a 10 year old DSLR with a manual focus telephoto from the 1980s adapted to it. Published in a birds calendar.

17445d ago

Alan H1

What a beauty Dave. Love it. 🥰

Jason1

One of the best captures l’ve seen Dave…wow 🤩💚👍🏼

Rosemarie1

Wonderful capture! Perfect for both themes❤️

Lori Batchelor🇨🇦

@lorichirp.bsky.social

Per Alan H: The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #RedOrDead, any bird with red in the capture but not on the bird or a photo of a bird on bare winter branches. Alt #SummerVisitors Migratory birds associated with summer or your favourite bird to capture in summer. #birds #photography #ECK Juvenile Bald Eagle

14045d ago

Vicki2

I had to enlarge your photo to get a good look at the cute look on the eagle's face. Beautiful photo, Lori! 😍

Matt 📷♿️🤳🏜️🐈1

Great shot Lori! My imagination is running wild with this one & the look on its face 😅 Made me think of Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club tilting his head & telling the dean to “eat my shorts”

Atlantic Birding

@atlanticbirding.bsky.social

🪶 Alan has chosen #RedOrDead as #BirdOfTheDay theme, a bird with red in the photo (not on the bird) or a bird on bare winter branches Alt #SummerVisitors Summer migratory birds or your fav bird to shoot in summer A Goldcrest on a bare hawthorn tree. #birds #birdsofbluesky #birdphotography #ECK

A Goldcrest perched on a bare Hawthorn bush in the bright sunshine.
The bird is centre of frame, facing the camera with its head turned to the right so the right side of its head can be seen. Its orange/red feet are prominent on the thin branch it is perched on, as are its pale chest with hints of olive-green, black eyes and bright crest with black sides. Its beak is open.
The branch it sits on runs horizontally along the bottom of the shot with a second branch behind the bird travelling from the bottom left to top right. The sunshine is coming from the left and lighting up the birds plumage and the branches.
The background is out of focus greens and browns

14845d ago

Alan H1

Fantastic shot AB. So so theme perfect. The light is amazing. 🤩

Helen Bennett 🌿1

Great capture AB, they are wonderful little birds! 👍

live-and-learn.bsky.social1

Lovely shot and so cute

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

What a beauty and lovely photo AB ✨️

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)1

Now this is too cute. 🥰 Superb photo. 👌

Justine Jones1

What a cutie 💚🤩 wonderful capture

Mike Melton

@mikemelton.bsky.social

A bit macabre for #redordead #birdoftheday. Or maybe it's #redanddead? This young Caracara was trying to figure out what to do with this rooster head that the adults had delivered for breakfast. #CostaRica #birds #nature

A large brown-and-cream raptor stands among grasses, holding a red rooster head in its bill.

14945d ago

babs drinks tea2

wow the parents feasted on meat and all the kid got was a head smh

Sean McCann1

Rooster with a taped up beak? Weird!

Rhonda Howard1

But that face looks so innocent!! 😂

Michael R Photography 🌿

@msriffle.bsky.social

Today's #BirdOfTheDay ALT theme is #SummerVisitors. I'm not sure about the migratory nature of black-bellied whistling ducks, but I made several images of this beautiful avian in August behind my house. #photography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #ECK #birds #Birdsky #birders #Nikon #conservation

14645d ago

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)1

A beauty indeed, Michael ... and a great photo. 😍

Helena Ludwig 🇪🇺🇦🇹🎶📸1

Very pretty! A great image 👍🏼

Bird of the Day, theme 'Red Or Dead'nature

Bird of the Day, theme 'Red Or Dead'

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