Do birds have facial expressions? I’m not sure, although many bird photographers (some of whom are my favourite bloggers), capture pictures of birds looking scared or angry or surprised – even happy – but I think might be skilled photography, not the bird actually shifting its features around to express any emotion.
Again, I’m not sure.
For me, it’s this lack of facial expression that makes it difficult to ‘read’ birds. Here are some examples:
Godfrey (the gander who likes to bite me) has the same arrogant expression on his face, regardless of whether he is defending his ‘brood’, tripping over his big feet or chasing me.
The Bubbles (our turkeys) have permanently ferocious expressions even when they are giving me their equivalent of a hug, which is sort of like wing-in-your-face+beak-in-your-neck gesture.
Zaruma and Tapper (the Muscovy ducks) always look innocent and befuddled, despite their canniness.
All of the geese look sweet and needy, even when they are fighting over food.
The emus look inquisitive and intellectual, even though one of them can’t tell the difference between a camera and a cabbage.
King and the rest of the peacocks always look a tiny bit disgruntled even though they are obviously ecstatically happy here.
Okay, so many of these bird expressions seem to contradict the reality of the situation, and I have started to take a better ‘look’ at their eyes because I think this may be the key to ‘reading’ them better.
Husband’s Parkinson’s has affected the muscles in his face, so much so that he is unable to smile properly, even when he’s happy, like now – happy to be home. I never realised, until today, how much, how much, how much I miss his huge, boisterous smile.
But the birds have taught me this: smiling isn’t everything!
jmgoyder 
I think you are sensitive enough to sense moods, in birds and people.
Not always!
Yes! My birds definitely have expressions: http://doudoubirds.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/mad-binki/
They sure do!
Before I bought my camera, I would never ever would have thought that birds have expressions, but now, well, I am totally convinced they do.
Every now and then I capture one in a photo. I never see that expression when I’m looking through the viewfinder as I am exceptionally short-sighted (even with glasses). But when I down-load the day’s images onto the computer and look at them on the large high resolution screen (my brother bought for me), I am totally surprised and amazed at what they reveal.
It’s a hit or miss thing with me. Mainly miss. I usually end up with 5-6 good images out of the 250-400 images I shoot in an afternoon’s walk. Apparently Professional Photographers have the same success rate I’m told. The only exception was the day I shot the Peacock photos at Melb. Zoo. I think I ended up with 20 good peacock photos out of the 22 photos I shot.
I still think you need to kneel down (if you can) and shoot those birds from their level. Secondly take as many pics as you can of the one bird from different angles (10-15 sometimes) – you may well find that when you download them onto your computer, that just one of those images caught that wonderful expression or pose (ie being in the right place at the right time).
Of course all these hundreds of images take a while to review. But I am now finding that I can quickly delete 200 in a very small space of time now (maybe 15 mins). This leaves a smaller number to look at more closely. It depends how seriously you want to get into photography too.
It is extremely rare that I take the perfect photo – I probably have taken 6-7 perfect photos out of 45,000 in the last 20 months). All my images need a little editing. I believe that this is partly due to my poor eyesight.
By patient too. Whether one has good eyesight or not, it takes practice.
Lastly, look at the photos of other bird photographers on the internet. When you see a photo you like, work out why you like it and then try to replicate it.
My only regret is not taking up photography 40 years ago, but then I wouldn’t have had the time I have now. It’s only because I have to walk fairly slowly & look around me constantly trying to find something to photograph, that I’ve become so interested in Birds and Flowers.
This is so interesting – thanks Vicki!
Facial expressions are so much a part of communication, but eyes are definitely the true windows (think of the false smile – the eyes invariably give it away)
Yes!