Crossbilled Olive-backed Sunbird in San Juan, MM

[Ely Teehankee]

I was invited by my friend Raymond to his house early this morning to see the Olive-backed Sunbird. I thought the bird was carrying a stick on his beak but it turned out that it had a crossed bill probably due to some accident when it was young. You will notice that the upper bill crosses over the lower bill to his left. It is very fortunate that the bird takes in food with its tongue by collecting nectar with it and have survived with this very difficult set of cross bill. I was able to take some pictures of this Sunbird at 7.25 meters but at ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/320 sec.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM. Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod, Wimberley WH200 Head. Manual exposure in available light.

[Enrique Frio]

Excellent captures! How unfortunate for the bird but it is admirable in using the best of its resources in order to live. The 1DMk4 does give out very clean files even at 3200 ISO.

[Renoir Abrea]

nice capture' at ISO 3200? and low noise level? tips in pp please.

[Mark Itol]

Very interesting documentation, Ely. It is nice to know that the bird is able to survive. The third's a winner!

[Edu Lorenzo Jr]

that bird is a survivor! With that kind of a bill one would think it won't survive long.

[Clemn A. Macasiano Jr.]

Excellent color rendition

[Edwin Matias]

Indeed very interesing... great series.....

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 10:09:49 GMT Enrique Frio said:

Excellent captures! How unfortunate for the bird but it is admirable in using the best of its resources in order to live. The 1DMk4 does give out very clean files even at 3200 ISO.

Thank you Enrique. It is really wonderful to see how God makes things work out even with this handicap bird. The 1DMk4 is the best camera I have ever experienced . I wonder what Canon will come out with in the future.

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 10:21:23 GMT Renoir Abrea said:

nice capture' at ISO 3200? and low noise level? tips in pp please.

Thank you Renoir. I am also amaze at how well the camera can produce good images at such a high ISO. However there is also more noise than usual. I used the filter of the APS CS5 to remove the noise and than blur the surroundings. Hope this helps you in your PP.

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 12:14:12 GMT Mark Itol said:

Very interesting documentation, Ely. It is nice to know that the bird is able to survive. The third's a winner!

Thank you Mark. God's wondrous works in nature is how I see it. Seeing this one bird was enough to make it a worthwhile morning.

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 12:37:45 GMT Edu Lorenzo Jr said:

that bird is a survivor! With that kind of a bill one would think it won't survive long.

You are right Edu. The very nature of the bird in using its tongue to get the nourishing nectar is the reason why it was able to survive.

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 12:45:30 GMT Clemn A. Macasiano Jr. said:

Excellent color rendition

Thank you Clem. The lighting was adequate enough even if the sun was not yet out.

[Elvin Sansona]

Thanks for sharing your great work sir Ely, this is a good material for inspiring our PWD brothers and sisters that in life, disability is not a hindrance to survival. Congrats!

[Toto Gamboa]

Nice documentation of a deformed bird. Its story of survival could be heartbreaking. Looks like the lower beak was flattened. maybe it got away from a predator flower. some kind of venus sunbirdtrap perhaps

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 13:04:37 GMT Edwin Matias said:

Indeed very interesing... great series.....

Thank you Edwin. Glad that you enjoyed the series.

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 14:27:38 GMT Elvin Sansona said:

Thanks for sharing your great work sir Ely, this is a good material for inspiring our PWD brothers and sisters that in life, disability is not a hindrance to survival. Congrats!

Thank you Elvin. We learn something new everyday even from the birds.

[Neon Rosell II]

Wow! incredible captures Ely!! With ISO 3200 at f5.6 I could just imagine how dark the conditions were when you took the photos. Sad for the sunbird, I hope it's not a genetic defect that it can pass on to its eventual offspring. Looks like it is just some parasite that caused this deformity. The bird looks healthy and coping well just wondering how it will get its protein? must be from pollen only?

[Dennis Alfaro]

lovely set of this rare crossbilled obs

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 14:34:34 GMT Toto Gamboa said:

Nice documentation of a deformed bird. Its story of survival could be heartbreaking. Looks like the lower beak was flattened. maybe it got away from a predator flower. some kind of venus sunbirdtrap perhaps

Thank you Toto. It may have fallen out of its nest when it was young or bitten by another bird that caused its beak to deform. Anyway it is nice to see it survive in spite of its deformities.

[Ely Teehankee]

Oct 4, 2010 23:27:54 GMT Neon Rosell II said:

Wow! incredible captures Ely!! With ISO 3200 at f5.6 I could just imagine how dark the conditions were when you took the photos. Sad for the sunbird, I hope it's not a genetic defect that it can pass on to its eventual offspring. Looks like it is just some parasite that caused this deformity. The bird looks healthy and coping well just wondering how it will get its protein? must be from pollen only?

Thank you Neon. The 1D is really very good. Ask Romy for a second opinion. Christmas is just around the corner and you deserve something as good as this for yourself. Knowing how good you are in photography your pictures will even be better and easier to take because of the camera having two sets of Digic 4. It is possible that it can still catch insects with its beak and inner mouth. The bird looks very energetic and healthy. I am just happy to see that he can survive in spite of his handicap.