There’s something about a swan that makes everything around it feel instantly poetic. This beauty glided toward me one crisp morning in Sibbarp, Malmö — framed by the most impossibly blue water, as if the Öresund had been painted by hand. Pure elegance, perfectly unbothered. What struck me wasn’t just its iconic silhouette or…

If looks could kill, I wouldn’t have made it out of Kungsparken alive. Meet the Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), possibly Malmö’s most intense little feathered character. That piercing red eye, the matte black plumage, and the dramatic white forehead shield — this bird serves goth glam with a side of “what are you lookin’ at?” While ducks and swans tend…

There are few things in life more heart-melting than a fluffy gosling basking in the spring sun — and this little one in Kungsparken, Malmö, was the very definition of adorable. Nestled low in the grass, with its buttery-soft down catching every glint of morning light, it looked like a tiny sunbeam come to…

Here’s to the little ones who know how to own a moment. This White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis) was nestled deep in a thicket of palm fronds in Riyadh, and yet, despite the camouflage, its presence felt anything but hidden. Perched delicately on a thin twig, fluffed up like it just stepped out of a desert spa, this…

There’s something endlessly charming about the Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) — bold in voice, busy in behavior, and surprisingly stylish with its smoky plumage, spiked crest, and that unmistakable splash of red under the tail. I spotted this little character in Riyadh, perched confidently on a slim branch, looking like it had places to be but…

Sometimes the most charismatic locals aren’t people at all — they’re cats. And this one? Iconic. I stumbled upon this stretched-out masterpiece on a blazing hot afternoon in Riyadh, where the streets shimmered with heat and even time seemed to slow down. While I was sweating through my shirt and wondering if coffee was a…

Not all birds whisper. Some make a statement the moment they appear — like this striking Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) I encountered in Riyadh. With its zebra-striped wings, cinnamon-toned body, and that iconic crown of feathers raised just enough to hint at drama, this beauty perched calmly against the rough bark, turning a simple tree into…

Some birds don’t need flamboyance to capture attention — they simply blend in, almost invisible, until you pause and truly see them. That was exactly the case with this Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis), tiptoeing softly across the sun-warmed, rust-red earth. I spotted it during a nature walk where the landscape itself was a palette of terracotta, copper, and…