Beauty

Bare-throated Bellbird - Procnias nudicollis

The Bare-throated bellbird, Procnias nudicollis (Passeriformes - Cotingidae), is a striking white bird known from a wide area of east Brazil, north-east Argentina and east Paraguay. 

This bird is regarded as one of the loudest birds in the world. Its call is a loud and far-reaching series of metallic, two-tone koink and prroink notes emitted from high in the forest canopy. This remarkable call is the result of extreme sexual selection, as is the male’s arresting appearance of all-white plumage with turquoise, black, bristly, bare skin around the eyes, throat and lower neck. 

This species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as its global population is estimated to number no more than 10,000 in total, although it probably numbers fewer, and is thought to be in steep decline. This has most likely been caused by habitat loss and trapping for the cage-bird trade.

References: [1] - [2]

Images via Melissa Jay Craig

Book mushrooms! Mushroom books! This is an installation called (S)Edition, by artist Melissa Jay Craig, who opens her artist’s statement with a classic joke: “Why was the mushroom invited to the party? Because he was such a fun-gi!”

Some people have uneasy, squeamish thoughts when they look at fungus: it’s something surreptitious, uncontrollable; it lives hidden underground in familiar locales, ready to spring to life unexpectedly, and it often manifests itself as part of the demise of another organism.

Fungus is an agent of change. I’m fascinated with its myriad forms, and I love to go in search of it.  I can become more excited by discovering a beautiful fungal growth than by perusing artwork ‘discovered’ for us by curators in contemporary museums.  When I was a child, the first time I had the intriguing feeling that the planet carried messages (texts, if you will) for those who were curious enough to look, was when I came upon a group of Amanita Muscaria, huddled together in a dark, secret space under tall pines.

You can see more of (S)Edition at Craig’s website — h/t to thisiscolossal.com for introducing us!

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" promo in Bucharest, Romania Installation by Alldeco. (Via)

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