iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 14/09/2026

The Great-tailed Grackles in Arizona looked so ragged (chopped) compared to the silky, shiny ones in Texas. Why? 🪶

Ragged -looking Great-tailed grackle walking left in green grass

Ragged-looking Great-tailed Grackle standing green grass facing forward. It looks like it is missing a tail feather.

Ragged-looking Great-tailed Grackle in green grass panting with an open beak

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 06/09/2026

A raven ate juvenile possum brain this morning. Part of a balanced breakfast? 🪶 becausebirds.com/microblog/a-raven-…

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 30/07/2026

LA has a population of Red-Crowned Amazon parrots. They are loud but invisible when in the green trees. 🪶 becausebirds.com/microblog/la-has-a…

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 29/07/2026

Spotted this juvenile Peregrine Falcon on a crane at Dockweiler Beach 🪶 becausebirds.com/microblog/spotted-…

peregrine falcon juvenile perched on a cane

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 24/07/2026

Proposal Design D of new Euro has a spectrogram of the bird sound, range, and feather shape as security details. 🤩 becausebirds.com/vote-for-coo... 🪶🔈

Kingfisher with cool spectrogram security on the a potential €10 note

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 24/07/2026

Here’s a survey for how new EU bank notes should look! Half of the design sets feature adorable birds. Choose one of those! 🪶 surveys.ecb.europa.eu/10b/banknote...

Possible bird designs for new eu bank notes

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 27/06/2026

This cardinal is helping the forest be just a tiny bit quieter. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 12/06/2026

I got great views of a Cactus Wren on a Cenizo while passing through Phoenix, Arizona. She is the 8th kind of wren on my life list. So far I have: Bewick’s Wren House Wren Marsh Wren Carolina Wren Canyon Wren Eurasian Wren Sedge Wren Cactus Wren The Canyon Wren is the best wren on this list. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 11/06/2026

The grackles had a party at Whataburger in the blossoming Crepe Myrtle tree. This borb posture is called a ruff-out display. 🪶

Male grackle in a flowering crepe Myrtle tree

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 06/05/2026

I yelled “Happy Mother‘s Day” to this soon to be mother. She is sitting on her nest in a nearby field. 🪶

Killdeer sitting on her nest in a grassy field.

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 27/03/2026

I listen to the local birds sing so much I can often tell which bird species the mockingbird is imitating. I edited together some of my recordings to compare the him to the original bird so you can see how similar it is. 🪶🎤

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 15/04/2025

I had the privilege to take my friend and her bird-loving 7yo for birding this weekend. She loved hearing the birds sing with the parabolic mic. Listen to the birdsong and our cute dialog as she hears a White-eyed Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler. 🪶🔊

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 27/02/2025

Tonight, February 26 Barn Swallow season has officially started! The big cold front just left central Texas. It's the fourth year this nest is being used. 💯 bird build quality. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 21/02/2025

It's a hard life out there for a bird. 🪶

Raven facing away with a pretzel that looks like a cigarette lol

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 20/02/2025

My Nintendo Alarmo clock is officially jailbroken. Chain ⏰️ Thanks to: www.schuerewegen.tk/alarmo/

Nintendo Alarmo showing boot screen of custom firmware

Nintendo alarmo soldered and ready to connect be jailbroken

My messy soldering connections on the Nintendo Alarmo

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 29/12/2024

Let's ring in the New Year like a Cedar Waxwing by eating our weight in fermented berries. 🪶

cedar waxwing facing left with a red berry in its beak on a mostly barren tree with blue sky behind it

cedar waxwing flying from a tree branch with its tail spread and wings open

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 15/12/2024

Curiosity got the best of me. Merlin can ID bird butts. Technology is amazing. 🪶 #computervision

The Merlin app photo ID process of cropping this mystery bird’s behind.

The Merlin app final step of confirming the location and date of the bird butt photo

Merlin app successfully ID’s the Bewick’s Wren cloaca photo LOL

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 14/12/2024

This morning, after 10 years of birding, I photographed a bird butthole. Here is the cloaca of a Bewick’s Wren! 🤣🫣🪶

A Bewick’s Wren perched on a lichen-covered log facing away showing the underside of its tail and its cloaca. LOL

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 10/12/2024

Woodpeckers love more than just trees 🌵🪶

Gila Woodpecker facing right clinging to top of a cactus in front of clear blue sky.

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 07/12/2024

Any Killdeer enjoyers? Been a huge fan of this bird for a while. I often hear them singing as they fly around dawn or dusk. Recorded this cutie with the parabolic mic on October 13. 🪶🔊

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 06/12/2024

Look twice and you might spot an Anhinga slinking through the waters. Like cormorants, a lack of waterproofing require them to dry their wings in the sun. Recorded these cuties in Orlando on 11/23 with a Parabolic mic. 🪶🔊 #Birdsky #photography

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 06/12/2024

Apparently, moor means a tract of open, uncultivated land. I love when the common or Latin names of birds give clues on where or what to look for. 🪶 #waterfowl

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 06/12/2024

This drama bird has a cutesy forehead shield and a tongue-twister name. I recorded this Common Gallinule last month in the marshes of the Wildlife Drive at Lake Apopka in Florida. 🪶🔊 #Birdsky

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving, #BirdSky! Let’s show some love for the Wild Turkeys out there trying to do their best. 🦃 🪶

Wild Turkey at Garner State Park in Texas.

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 28/11/2024

After a decade of birds I only recently started birding at dusk. I was immediately treated to a new song from a bird with a bizarre name. This is the Chuck-will’s-widow I recorded at Government Canyon this summer. 🪶🔊

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 28/11/2024

Which titmouse is best? I took the Black-crested for granted without realizing it’s a Central Texas exclusive! 💅🏻🪶🔊 Plus, finally nabbed a recording of the Tufted in Florida last weekend.

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 23/11/2024

How to structurally compromise a tree branch in four images. 🪶

Downy woodpecker tail visible from hole in branch

Downy woodpecker emerges tail first from branch hole

Downy woodpecker male with wood shavings

Downy woodpecker clinging to branch releasing shavings in the wind

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 23/11/2024

Just found a cute Downy Woodpecker who drilled this huge hole! He climbs completely inside, grabs wood shavings, and then yeets that shit into the wind! Nature is amazing. 🪶🌬️🌳 #birds

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 21/11/2024

With the tiny Bananaquit, I complete my photo collection of a bird trio that I feel could qualify as a Pokémon evolution set. Bananaquit > Social Flycatcher > Great Kiskadee 🪶🍌

Photo collage of bananaquit, social flycatcher, and great Kiskadee

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 21/11/2024

New kind of crow just dropped. Spotted my first Fish Crow in Florida. 🪶🔊 Review: Travel-sized, cute noises, hangs with friends. Says “Uh-uh”. 10/10.

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 18/11/2024

Two accompanying pics from today’s #SpaceX #launch #space

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 18/11/2024

3, 2, 1, totally caught this rocket launch by happenstance in Cape Canaveral today. 🚀

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 18/11/2024

Happy Sunday, #BirdSky! Anyone fancy sharing Warblers? I love this Sardinian Warbler we spotted in Europe this summer. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 18/11/2024

Love for the Lincoln’s Sparrow! 🪶 One of those birds I notice only when birding.

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 17/11/2024

Yellow-billed Cuckoo is cuckoo for caterpillars! 🐛 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 17/11/2024

Some birds are like Pokémon and say their own name. A famous example is the Eastern Phoebe. Named for the fee-bee sound she makes. Love how her whistle turns into a buzz. 🪶🔊

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 16/11/2024

Woodpeckers are a ticking time bomb of bird noise. 💣 They slowly emit single calls that lead up to an explosive trill. 💥 I recorded this Ladder-backed Woodpecker on 8/25/24 in San Antonio, TX. 🪶 🔊

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 10/11/2024

Our second songstress of the day is a shy, funny bird with yellow eyes called the Long-Billed Thrasher. I recorded her at my local park yesterday. She likes to rustle through the underbrush. Surprised to see there’s less than 1000 recordings uploaded to eBird. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 10/11/2024

For Songbird Sunday, here is a special Texas Favorite, the Painted Bunting. I snapped this photo on 5/1/22 and recorded him 5/4/24. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 26/10/2024

The park was bursting with birds this morning! This Scissor-tailed Flycatcher stunned me with an effortless display of acrobatics as she caught various insects for breakfast. 🪶

Scissor tailed flycatcher landing on wire

Scissor tailed flycatcher flying left with tail open

Scissor tailed flycatcher flying left with its head turned upside down

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 26/10/2024

Coworkers alerted me to a distressed bird. I found this Orange-crowned Warbler lying on the sidewalk outside and moved her to a safe spot. A likely window collision during her migration to Mexico. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 11/10/2024

Coworkers spotted this spider in the elevator lobby a few days ago. I just found out about her and ran with a cup to save and take her outside! She’s called a Bold Jumper. 🕷️

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 15/09/2024

Demure by day, but easy to find at night, the Common Nighthawk is the supreme of daytime camouflage. But learn her call and you’ll often find them calling as they zip through the skies above parking lot lights and stadium lights. See the spectrogram and hear her recording with my parabolic mic 🪶🎙️

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 15/09/2024

Nature recording is super underrated IMO! Recording birds singing is just as fun as taking pictures! Normally don’t take video, but here’s an Eastern Meadowlark I saw at Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR in Texas with its song spectrogram below. 🪶 🎙️ I currently record with a 22” parabolic microphone.

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 12/05/2024

Introduced a friend to birding for Global Big Day. Tiffany and I visited Government Canyon where her eagle eyes spotted the amazing Giant Walkingstick (an honorary bird). Bigger than my hand! We saw 26 species. Today’s faves: Canyon Wren (stunning song), Yellow-breasted Chat, and Olive Sparrow. 🪶

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 03/05/2024

This master of disguise prefers to go unseen for #FeatheredFriday. 🪶 They have an unmistakeable flying silhouette: narrow straight wings with white wingbars and a tendency to zip around at dawn or dusk.

Common nighthawk perched camouflaged on branch

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Jeff Mann @becausebirds.com · 01/05/2024

For #WoodpeckerWednesday here are two kinds Golden-fronted Woodpecker. Left: Standard Edition™ Right: Velasquez’s version The Velasquez variant appeared as a surprise during a recent visit to Cancun. 🪶

Golden-fronted Woodpecker clinging to tree

Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Velasquez). Notice it has red on the back of its head.

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