Bird feathers fascinate me.

I had the opportunity to photograph some really cool feathers that belonged to a Cape Thick-Knee in the Tropical Forest Exhibit at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Pa.

According to the aviary’s Web site, the habitat for the Cape Thick-Knee are dry grasslands and savannahs in Sub-Saharan Africa. The bird’s diet includes insects, small mammals and lizards.

The pattern on the Cape Thick-Knee’s feathers is very distinctive so I shot directly in to the bird’s beak with a telephoto lens to highlight the bird’s fine feathers. I employed a very low depth of field to make sure there would be no disturbing elements in the background.

If you are interested in birds you must put the National Aviary in Pittsburgh on your bucket list. It is an amazing place. Thanks for visiting my blog today, Rob