Gannets! They hover above the water, waiting, and then dive bomb into the water like the badass motherfuckers that they are and "fly" underneath as a flock to get all the fishies. Here, look for yourself:
Belted kingfishers! They're the rare bird where the female is more colorful and interesting than the male, who doesn't even have a belt. They dive for fish and small reptiles and mammals and they make a freaky rattling noise when they fly around, and allegedly a group of them is called a kerfuffle but that sounds made up to me. There are a lot of kingfishers around the world, most of them flashier and more glamorous than the belted (kookaburras are kingfishers!) but this is the one I see so it's the one I love.
Gannets! They hover above the water, waiting, and then dive bomb into the water like the badass motherfuckers that they are and "fly" underneath as a flock to get all the fishies. Here, look for yourself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8vaFl6J87s
Fuckin punk rock. Gannets rule.
Bonus: they're related to boobies (https://www.britannica.com/animal/gannet). Heh.
Was looking up the phrase "catbird seat" the other day and ended up in a Grey Catbird research spiral.
The hits:
It meows like a cat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FckCjy_j1vQ
It's a prolific mimic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRgvpjcSNcM
Side note: You should run a bird of the year(s) bracket for everyone. My vote is going to the Kea, but they're all winners!
Thank you for these incredible suggestions!!!!
Belted kingfishers! They're the rare bird where the female is more colorful and interesting than the male, who doesn't even have a belt. They dive for fish and small reptiles and mammals and they make a freaky rattling noise when they fly around, and allegedly a group of them is called a kerfuffle but that sounds made up to me. There are a lot of kingfishers around the world, most of them flashier and more glamorous than the belted (kookaburras are kingfishers!) but this is the one I see so it's the one I love.
The Common Loon has long been and shall long remain my favorite bird.
Cedar waxwing, please.
Hell, yeah. Look at that aquatic king.
It's time to celebrate the American Crow! Just a perfect bird.
Scissor-tailed flycatcher!
The honeyguide bird!!
Red breasted woodpecker