{"id":23186,"date":"2015-04-30T05:20:30","date_gmt":"2015-04-30T11:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=23186"},"modified":"2025-11-17T11:26:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T17:26:30","slug":"a-curlew-on-a-bison-pooh-perch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/04\/30\/a-curlew-on-a-bison-pooh-perch\/","title":{"rendered":"Curlew On A Bison Pooh Perch"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Long-billedLong-billed Curlew preening on dried bison pooh – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

There are between 500 and 750 head of Bison on Antelope Island which means the island is dotted with a lot of bison pooh all the time. Some birds like to perch on the highest feature around and in some grassy areas that means dried bison pooh.<\/p>\n

Yesterday this Long-billed Curlew preened, fluffed, shook and called on a pile of pooh.<\/p>\n

\"Long-billedA Curlew on a Bison Pooh Perch – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Some might not think a pile of pooh to be very appealing in an image but I love taking images of birds that show them in their habitat and some times that includes pooh, especially as bird as graceful as a Long-billed Curlew<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

By the way, that little black spot above and to the left of the curlew’s head if a biting gnat; aka no-see-ums, and they are out biting now. Nasty buggers!<\/p>\n

\"Long-billedLong-billed Curlew wing lift – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The curlew even lifted it wings while it was preening which showed the cinnamon color of the underside of its wings the whole time still perched on the pooh.<\/p>\n

\"Long-billed Long-billed Curlew calling from a bison pooh perch – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The curlew finished its preening and for a few seconds its call rang out over the island before it climbed down from the bison pooh and slowly walked away.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Long-billed Curlew photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

PS, over the years I have photographed other birds on bison pooh, look below this post under “related” and click the first link to see more birds and pooh.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday this Long-billed Curlew preened, fluffed, shook and called on a pile of pooh. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,1022,199,26],"tags":[4021,3697,4072,4809,4132,4133,4104,4019,3975,274],"class_list":["post-23186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-long-billed-curlews","category-utah","tag-bird-photography","tag-bison-pooh","tag-calling","tag-curlews","tag-long-billed-curlew","tag-numenius-americanus","tag-perched","tag-preening-2","tag-shorebird","tag-shorebirds-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-3554.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-61Y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5064,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/05\/26\/birds-on-poopy-perches\/","url_meta":{"origin":23186,"position":0},"title":"Birds on Poopy Perches","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I bet you are wondering what I mean by \"Poopy perches\", I know I would be if I saw that title. Am I talking about perches that are man-made and ugly? Or perches that are just not all that appealing visually?","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew on a bison poop perch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-poop-mia-mcpherson-3879.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-poop-mia-mcpherson-3879.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-poop-mia-mcpherson-3879.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-poop-mia-mcpherson-3879.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4689,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/29\/long-billed-curlews-i-heard-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":23186,"position":1},"title":"Long-billed Curlews… I Heard You!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) have returned to their breeding grounds! I would have jumped for joy but when you are inside a vehicle that can lead to a severe headache after hitting your skull on the roof. :-)","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Long-billed Curlew all fluffed up, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-9391.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-9391.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-9391.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-9391.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6270,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/05\/horned-lark-on-a-poopy-perch\/","url_meta":{"origin":23186,"position":2},"title":"Horned Lark On A Poopy Perch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Most of the Horned Larks I photograph are perched on rocks or boulders, this one is perched on a dried pile of Bison poop. Some might think this is a crappy perch and they would be right!","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Horned Lark bison pooh perch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-poop-mia-mcpherson-9029.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-poop-mia-mcpherson-9029.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-poop-mia-mcpherson-9029.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-poop-mia-mcpherson-9029.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2618,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/07\/01\/friday-photos-long-billed-curlews\/","url_meta":{"origin":23186,"position":3},"title":"Friday Photos – Long-billed Curlews","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The juvenile Long-billed Curlew was foraging and preening in the vegetation on the ground below the adult perched on the boulder","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Landing adult Long-billed Curlew, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-adult-landing-mia-mcpherson-3652.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-adult-landing-mia-mcpherson-3652.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-adult-landing-mia-mcpherson-3652.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/long-billed-curlew-adult-landing-mia-mcpherson-3652.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38649,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/21\/male-long-billed-curlew-on-antelope-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":23186,"position":4},"title":"Male Long-billed Curlew on Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The Long-billed Curlews on Antelope Island are fascinating subjects to photograph and observe or anywhere for that matter.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Curlew calling in Utah on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-call-mia-mcpherson-0460.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-call-mia-mcpherson-0460.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-call-mia-mcpherson-0460.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-call-mia-mcpherson-0460.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45849,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/29\/long-billed-curlews-the-candlestick-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":23186,"position":5},"title":"Long-billed Curlews – The Candlestick Birds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw quite a few Long-billed Curlews yesterday wandering in the spring grasses and this time I was able to get nice images of them. Nicknames for Long-billed Curlews include \"sicklebird\" and \"candlestick bird.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew in the midst of preening, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}