ANIMALS
Meet the Delightful Pink-Throated Twinspot, The Beautiful Bird with Playful Polka Dots
![Meet the Delightful Pink-Throated Twinspot, The Beautiful Bird with Playful Polka Dots](http://beginandbegin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Meet-the-Delightful-Pink-Throated-Twinspot-The-Beautiful-Bird-with-Playful-Polka-Dots.jpg)
When you gaze upon this enchanting bird, it evokes a sense of nostalgia for an elegant era. Its appearance is so extraordinary that it transports you to a bygone time, as if you were stepping into a whimsical fairytale.
Image source: Instagram/rog_tom_hogg
The Pink-Throated Twinspot belongs to the family Estrildidae, a group of finches known for their diversity. Its scientific name, hypargos margaritatus, translates to “a small monster with a hundred pearly eyes,” capturing the essence of its unique and captivating appearance.
Image source: Instagram/wildtomorrowfund
The pink-throated twinspot, like its counterparts in the twinspot family, displays a round and plump physique with a notable polka-dotted pattern on its belly. However, what truly sets this bird apart is the exquisite guava pink coloration adorning its face, throat, and crown. Its undeniable charisma makes it a standout wherever it makes an appearance.
Image source: Instagram/printwild
Despite sharing the same name, the female pink-throated twinspot lacks the striking pink hue found in the male’s plumage. Instead, her feathers exhibit a blend of various brown shades, with the exception of eye-catching white polka dots on the black patches adorning both sides of her underparts.
Image source: Instagram/bwildlife_birds
The pink-throated twinspot is predominantly found in South Africa, particularly in regions such as Mozambique and Eswatini. Additionally, it can be observed in various provinces including KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo.
Image source: Instagram/royglasspool_photo
The pink-throated twinspot primarily inhabits dry savannas and moist subtropical or tropical shrublands. It shows a preference for arid, dense vegetation, such as thick scrub, woodlands with tangled undergrowth, thickets, palm savannas, and the borders of forested regions.
Watch the Video here:
The pink-throated twinspot primarily sustains itself on grass seeds in its natural habitat. However, when kept in captivity, it also readily consumes insects as part of its diet.
Image source: Instagram/ig_of_southafricans
The breeding habits of the pink-throated twinspot still remain a mystery, as only two nests have been discovered in the wild despite its widespread distribution. However, it has been reported that female pink-throated twinspots typically lay three to four eggs. Further information about their breeding habits is currently unknown. In captivity, the chicks are cared for by their parents for a period of 20 to 21 days.
Image source: Instagram/theflacksphotography
The population of this bird is currently stable, which is why it is categorized as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. This means that the bird is not currently facing significant conservation threats.
Source: One Big Birdcage
ANIMALS
Amazing Video of Unseen Ocean Creatures in the Ningaloo Canyons
![Amazing Video of Unseen Ocean Creatures in the Ningaloo Canyons](http://beginandbegin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Amazing-Video-of-Unseen-Ocean-Creatures-in-the-Ningaloo-Canyons.jpg)
The Schmidt Ocean Institute recently explored the Ningaloo Canyons on the western coast of Australia using a robotic underwater vehicle called the ROV Sebastian. Check out the amazing video of what they discovered in the deep parts of the Indian Ocean.
More info: Youtube
ANIMALS
These Pics Are Art and the Artists Are Insects
![These Pics Are Art and the Artists Are Insects](http://beginandbegin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/These-Pics-Are-Art-and-the-Artists-Are-Insects.jpg)
Flying insects move so quickly that they are hard to follow, but new technology and some smart ideas have helped Spanish photographer Xavi Bou do just that. After spending 10 years focusing on birds in flight for his Ornithographies project, he turned his attention to insects.
For Entomographies, he uses high-speed video footage taken by Adrian Smith, an insect expert at North Carolina State University, to study and record how insects move. Bou then picks multiple frames and combines them into single images that show the fast movements of one or more insects through space and time.
With Smith’s help, Bou has captured the aerial tricks of wasps, the jumps of leafhoppers, and the fluttering of butterflies in amazing detail. He hopes that by doing this, he can make people more aware of the decline in important insect populations around the world.
1. Zebra longwing
This butterfly, which is common in many areas of the Americas, really fits its name. It can fly very high with just a few flaps of its large wings.
Image source: nationalgeographic
2. Two-lined spittlebug
This insect, which comes from the eastern United States, is often seen as a pest because it likes to eat grass. Its springy back legs can make it jump into the air like a rocket.
Image source: nationalgeographic
3. Yellow-collared scape moth
Unlike most moths, this North American species flies during the day. Its shiny blue-black wings sparkle in the sunlight.
Image source: nationalgeographic
4. Ailanthus webworm moths
These tropical moths have spread farther north in the U.S. Because of their larval host, the invasive tree of heaven, they are now one of the most common backyard moths in the country.
Image source: nationalgeographic
5. Common stonefly
Mostly found in eastern North America, this insect starts its life as an underwater nymph in forested streams or rivers. Then it leaves the water, sheds its skin, and becomes an adult with wings.
Image source: nationalgeographic
6. Green lacewings
Eighty-seven species of this insect have been found in the U.S. and Canada. Since they eat a lot of unwanted plant pests like aphids and mites, they are often used to naturally control these pests.
Image source: nationalgeographic
7. Grapevine beetle
This insect, fittingly named, eats the leaves and fruit of grapevines, both wild and farmed, but it doesn’t do much damage to the plants. As a type of scarab beetle, it often flies in a curved path.
Image source: nationalgeographic
8. Oak treehopper and green treehopper
Treehoppers are known for their uniquely shaped pronotum, the part behind their head, which often looks like plant parts to hide from predators. They can jump well thanks to special muscles.
Image source: nationalgeographic
9. Banded orange
This brightly colored butterfly can be found from Mexico to Brazil. Before mating season, male butterflies look for mineral salts, sometimes even drinking salty fluids from the skin, eyes, and nostrils of other animals.
Image source: nationalgeographic
10. Sapho longwing
Longwings can live for 6 to 7 months, longer than most butterflies. This type, found from Mexico to Ecuador, has shiny blue wings, which is why it’s also called the Sapphire longwing.
Image source: nationalgeographic
ANIMALS
Eagle and Fox in an Epic Midair Battle Over a Rabbit, Were Captured by a Photographer
![Eagle and Fox in an Epic Midair Battle Over a Rabbit, Were Captured by a Photographer](http://beginandbegin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Eagle-and-Fox-in-an-Epic-Midair-Battle-Over-a-Rabbit-Were-Captured-by-a-Photographer.jpg)
Wildlife photography often depends on the perfect combination of good timing and the right place.
That’s exactly what happened when Kevin Ebi, an experienced wildlife photographer, captured an incredible battle between a bald eagle and a red fox, both competing for a rabbit meal.
In a detailed blog post, Ebi shares the fascinating series of events that unfolded while he was photographing foxes in San Juan Island National Historical Park, located in Washington state.
Ebi noticed a lively group of eight fox kits as they began their hunting lessons. Suddenly, they spotted a rabbit, and a thrilling chase ensued. Eventually, one of the foxes emerged as the winner, proudly carrying the rabbit across the field.
Image source: Kevin Ebi
Ebi shares what happened at that moment: “As I followed the fox with my camera, a sudden bald eagle cry caught my attention. It was swiftly approaching, clearly aiming for the rabbit. I quickly focused on the fox, anticipating a quick turnover of events.”
To Ebi’s astonishment, instead of a quick surrender, the situation turned into a intense fight in the air.
The eagle used its power to lift the fox and rabbit high up in the sky. Even while airborne, the fox attempted to break free by swinging back and forth.
Image source: Kevin Ebi
Image source: Kevin Ebi
Image source: Kevin Ebi
In the end, the eagle moved the rabbit to its other claw, causing the fox to let go. The intense battle came to an end in less than 10 seconds.
Image source: Kevin Ebi
For those worried about the fox’s well-being after the fight, Ebi reassures that it was not injured. The fox swiftly bounced back from the encounter and resumed its playful behavior with the other young foxes, showing no visible wounds from the aerial clash.
Image source: Kevin Ebi
Image source: Kevin Ebi
Image source: Kevin Ebi
Image source: Kevin Ebi
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