I’ve recently discovered the favorite taxa feature on the profile page.
What would be the meaning of ‘favorite’? Your loved species, the species you’re best on ID-ing or else?
What meaning do you have for the taxa added there?
I just that added a bunch species I find very cool, like Black Stork and Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, so I guess the ones you would be most excited seeing.
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Peregrine falcons, red trilliums, and dinosaurs are taxa that really just speak to my heart. All the other ones on my page are simply species that make me smile when I see them.
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I’m very fond of the genus Oreopanax -although I’m not very good identifying species in it-. The author(s) that coined the name are somewhat vague about the meaning (writing something like 'the name makes reference to the mountain regions where it grows), but as far as I can tell, the etymological meaning could be interpreted as something along the lines of ‘breeze that cures’. There are also other things very, very special about the genus as well
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For my ‘favourite’ list, many of these were informed by my experiencings growing up and living in South Africa. Some, such as big cats, rhinos, and elephants. are obvious examples because I saw them on my visits from since childhood, and because of their very nature as BIG WILD ANIMALS and long-associated potent symbols of nature.
Others I listed because I grew to really appreciate them: this is the case for birds and plants.
Birds of prey have always awed me as predatory symbols of the wilderness and the freedom of the sky. Falcons, hawks, and eagles have always awed me as a kid, with the fierce stare, furrowed brow, and hooked bill and talons. Their bodies exude sleek power almost unmatched by many other creatures.
Lamprotornis glossy starlings invariably always caught my eye on past safari trips. Their iridescent plumage and intensely colourful, slightly mad eyes always made me think of living jewellery.
A more recent example is bee-eaters. Bee-eaters are aerial masters of the sky and their delightful plumage also captured my imagination. Bee-eaters are more common in some parts of South Africa than other parts. I happen to live in this part sadly. For several years, I wanted badly to see the most locally common bee-eater species, the African-breeding population of the European bee-eater (I know it says ‘European’, but these ones were proudly South African).
Imagine my delight, then, when I heard through the grapevine a pair of European bee-eaters nesting in the northern suburbs of my city. I drove out as soon as possible and found the nest. This was in the same year that I had travelled to Kruger National Park - and yet, observing these suburban-living birds inexorably became one of my favourite wildlife encounters of the year. I watched the parents dance through the sky, making wide loops and tightening the circle closer and closer as they swooped around, until they descended in to a smooth landing to their nest hole, where I would sometimes spy the heads of the two chicks. After feeding them with various insects that they had caught - cicadas, dragonflies, honeybees and carpenter bees (of course, what else?), and even an invasive German wasp, the parents would, abruptly and almost without warning, rocket almost vertically back into the sky to look for more.
Other taxa in my list are there because I grew to appreciate their beautiful growth forms and/or flowers: Baobabs, many members of the pea family, the striking and almost prehistoric-looking proteas, and many more.
Also because of their beauty and the fact that I can observe them close to home are the sunbirds and the Cape sugarbird, both of which similar to hummingbirds, feed on flowers for sustenance. I love the iridescent plumage of male sunbirds, and the fabulously long tails of male sugarbirds, which they display in a striking aerial dance and which often betrays its presence when the tail is flapping in the wind. In fact, just today, on a hike I saw two species of sunbird, both sexes of the Orange-breasted Sunbird and the gorgeous male of the Malachite Sunbird, as well as Cape Sugarbirds. I never tire of seeing them.
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I use it for species or groups that I have a particular fondness for, that spark joy every time I see or think of them.
I like that you can add broader taxa because then I can add all birds together and also several specific bird species that I think are especially awesome. :P
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each of my faves is a species with whom I have a meaningful happy memory. but you can pick anything you like!
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Like others, my favorites are simply species that I find attractive or interesting for particular reasons or personal history. Some are just jazzy species (IMHO) and others are of interest to me taxonomically. I am subscribed to observations of several (but not all) of my favorites, so the photo array is sort of a reminder of that.
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