Python and HDF5

Colophon

The animals on the cover of Python and HDF5 are parrot crossbills (Loxia pytyopsittacus). Rather than being related to parrots in any way, the parrot crossbill is actually a species of finch that lives in northwestern Europe and western Russia. There is also a small population in Scotland, where it is difficult to distinguish the parrot from the related red and Scottish Crossbills. The parrot crossbill’s name comes from the fact that the upper mandible overlaps the lower one, giving it the same shape as many parrots’ beaks. This adaptation makes it easy for the birds to extract seeds from conifer cones, which are their main source of food. In Scotland, they are specialist feeders on the cones of the Scots pine. It is very difficult to tell parrot crossbills apart from the other species of Loxia, but there are a few clues. Parrot crossbills are slightly bigger, have the curved beak, and have a deeper call than the others. They also tend to have a bigger head. All three species share the same territory and breeding range; the males are reddish orange in color, while the females are olive green or gray. On average, a female will have a clutch of three or four eggs, which she incubates for about two weeks. Once the chicks have hatched, they live in the nest for about a month before starting out on their own. Due to its large geographic range and stable population numbers, the Parrot Crossbill is not considered endangered or threatened in any way.

The cover images are from Wood’s ...