Bugling Bull Elk Pine Forest
© Carlos Carreno/Moment/Getty Images
A beast on the bugle
The distinctive call of the bull elk—known as a bugle—is a familiar sound each fall here in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. Human visitors often describe the vocalizations as eerie and haunting, but if you're a cow elk, they're downright dreamy. Bugling is a key element of elk mating rituals, and every bull does it differently, weaving high-pitched whistles with throaty grunts to create compositions all their own. Bugles are complex and able to convey a variety of messages—but usually the gist is, 'Hey ladies, look at me!'
Lake Matheson, temperate rainforest, snow-capped mountains reflection, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand
Temple of Peace, Arched Bridge, Canal, Sanssouci Park, Potsdam, Germany
Autumn Turquoise River Rapids Salmon Run
Traditional Asian Pavilion, Foggy Fall Mountains
Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge basalt arch, Kromlau Saxony Germany
Rainforest Boardwalk Path
Mirrored Maroon Bells, Colorado
Colorful hillside town, medieval castle, Liguria
