By April, a male Black-tailed Godwit’s hormones have created a masterpiece. The bill has flushed yellow and blistering hues adorn freshly minted plumage across the head, chest and scapulars. Yet the folded wings are grey and tatty – but good enough to carry the bird home to Iceland. Proof that function and decadence join forces in courtship.
taken from
Birds – Through Irish Eyes by Anthony McGeehan with Julian Wyllie, published by The Collins Press, 2012