Ryan Bebej
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Ryan Bebej
@ryanbebej.bsky.social
390 followers 100 following 500 posts
Calvin University professor + alum / anatomist + marine mammal paleontologist / birder + amateur photographer / science + faith speaker / University of Michigan alum / fan of St Louis Cardinals + Star Wars + other nerdy things / surname pronounced "BB"
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Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) – Here’s a sleepy little saw-whet for #SuperbOwlSunday!

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Northern saw-whet owl snoozing in a tree
February 9, 2026 at 2:19 AM
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Tīeke / North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) – The song of this endemic New Zealand bird is reminiscent of a car engine that's having trouble getting started. Seriously.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
North Island saddleback perched in a tree
February 6, 2026 at 7:10 PM
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Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) – From the Instagram archive… This species has always been meaningful for me and my family, all the more since my mom passed away shortly after Christmas.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male northern cardinal perched on a branch
February 5, 2026 at 2:38 PM
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Pāpango / New Zealand scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae) – These diving ducks were plentiful on Lake Rotorua, including several that were quite comfortable hanging out on the rocks close to shore.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
New Zealand scaup sitting on a rock along the shore of Lake Rotorua
February 4, 2026 at 6:09 PM
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The tuatara has many interesting features, including a third eye (called the parietal eye) on the top of its head! I missed out on seeing one of these during my first trip to Aotearoa, so I was absolutely thrilled when we came across this one within an hour of being on Tiritiri Matangi Island.
ryanbebej.bsky.social Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 7d
Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus, 9 Jan 2026) – It's #TuataraTuesday! This rare reptile is the only surviving species in an order (Rhynchocephalia) that was quite diverse back during the age of dinosaurs.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Close-up of a tuatara climbing up a tree Tuatara climbing up a tree
February 3, 2026 at 7:08 PM
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Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus, 9 Jan 2026) – It's #TuataraTuesday! This rare reptile is the only surviving species in an order (Rhynchocephalia) that was quite diverse back during the age of dinosaurs.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Close-up of a tuatara climbing up a tree Tuatara climbing up a tree
February 3, 2026 at 7:07 PM
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Korimako / New Zealand bellbird (Anthornis melanura) – One of the endemic nectar-feeding birds of Aotearoa.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Korimako / New Zealand bellbird perched on the ledge of a birdfeeder
February 2, 2026 at 1:31 PM
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Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) – A storm swept a flock of these birds to New Zealand in 1856, allowing the species to become established there. Its Māori name (tauhou) literally means "new arrival."

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Silvereye perched in a leafy tree
January 30, 2026 at 3:18 PM
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Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) – From the Instagram archive… One of my favorite birds. These photos are from the spring of 2022, when I had about 35 waxwings hanging out for a bit in my front yard.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Cedar waxwing perched in a tree in my yard Cedar waxwing perched in a tree in my yard
January 29, 2026 at 2:31 PM
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Welcome swallow (Hirundo neoxena) – Native to Australia, this species was an occasional vagrant in New Zealand up until the late 1950s, when the first breeding pair was documented. It's now common in NZ.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Welcome swallow sitting on the edge of a dock
January 28, 2026 at 4:23 PM
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Great egret (Ardea alba) – From the Instagram archive… I spotted this individual at a local turf farm a few years back.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Great egret walking through some tall grass
January 27, 2026 at 2:51 PM
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Weweia / New Zealand grebe (Poliocephalus rufopectus) – These birds are endemic to New Zealand and were one of the lifers I picked up on my recent trip to Aotearoa.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
New Zealand grebe swimming on Lake Rotorua in New Zealand
January 26, 2026 at 7:51 PM
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Tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) – Forgive me for not posting for a while… Personal stuff going on. To mark my return, here's a native New Zealand bird I recently saw on Tiritiri Matangi Island.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Tūī perched on a branch
January 23, 2026 at 8:00 PM
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Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima, 1 Jan 2024) – Pardon my scientific jargon, but I think this bird's chonkiness and general spherocity qualify it for official borb status.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Purple sandpiper foraging among the rocks along Lake Michigan
December 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
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Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) – From the Instagram archive… These shaggy little diving ducks are one of three species of merganser that we see in West Michigan.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male red-breasted merganser swimming on open water
December 18, 2025 at 1:21 PM
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Downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) – Here's a golden hour downy from last autumn in honor of #WoodpeckerWednesday.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male downy woodpecker in the golden hour light just after sunrise
December 17, 2025 at 4:02 PM
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Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) – From the Instagram archive... Cute little killdeer wading through some muck.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Cute little killdeer wading through some muck
December 16, 2025 at 6:04 PM
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Tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus, 19 Dec 2024) – It definitely feels like winter here in West Michigan, so here are some majestic tundra swans to warm your cold little hearts. ;-)

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Nine tundra swans flying through the air with their wings outspread
December 15, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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American pipit (Anthus rubescens) – I spotted this sharp little fellow at one of the local wastewater treatment plants as it was headed south from the arctic tundra.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
American pipit perched on a wire against a blue sky
December 12, 2025 at 10:09 PM
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Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) – From the Instagram archive… It's always a good day to hear some witchity-witchity-witchity, signaling the presence of these birds in a nearby wetland.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Common yellowthroat male among some reeds
December 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
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Louisiana waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) – For #WarblerWednesday, here are a couple of shots I captured from a close an encounter with this species last spring.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Louisiana waterthrush perched on a branch Louisiana waterthrush perched on a branch and singing!
December 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
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Great crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) – From the Instagram archive… This little guy was posing quite nicely a few years back when on a little bird walk organized by my local park district.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
December 9, 2025 at 2:20 PM
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Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) – A little splash of color from this past spring on a cold, gray, winter day here in Michigan.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Indigo bunting perched on a branch against a backdrop of green leaves
December 8, 2025 at 1:32 PM
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Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) – I love when these little snowbirds come back to west Michigan each year, though I can't say I always look forward to the cold, gray months that their return signifies.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Dark-eyed junco foraging for seeds in the snow
December 5, 2025 at 1:46 PM
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Kererū / New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)– From the Instagram archive… I look forward to seeing these native wood pigeons again when I bring some students back to Aotearoa in January.

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🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
New Zealand pigeon perched in a tree
December 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM