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Reed Parrotbill, Jiangsu, China
Reed parrotbills are endemic to China. Their habitat, coastal reed beds, is being steadily destroyed, making these specialists qualify for "near-threatened" status. Where habitat is still suitable, however, reed parrotbills are often the most common species. They have little fear of man, but the reeds are thick; one can be just a few meters away from the bird but unable to get a shot. If you wait long enough, though, the parrotbills will pop their heads out of the messy vegetation. This parrotbill was nice enough to emerge at a spot with a clean background. The bird was so close he was overspilling the frame, so I focused on the head. One way in which the shot adds value is by showing us the large bill of the bird, used to pry open reeds to reach the larvae inside. A bit of the reed on which my parrotbill was perching was jutting into the frame. I cloned it out. I wanted bird and background and nothing more.
Device: Nikon D300
Lens: VR 600mm F/4G
Focal length: 600mm
VR: ON
Aperture: F/7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/400s
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Exposure Comp.: 0EV
Metering: Center-Weighted
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 400