Ornithology in Latin America

A few years back, I got to go to beautiful Belize on a Carribean vacation and saw something I'll never forget--wild tropical kingbirds flying everywhere on the river we took to visit the national zoo of Belize. Their wings looked like angel wings. They were so lovely they just took my breath away.

pitirre11.res.JPG
 
Rheas are large, flightless birds with gray-brown plumage, long legs and long necks, similar to an ostrich. These birds can reach 5.6 feet (1.7 m), and weigh up to 88 pounds (40 kg). Their wings are large for a flightless bird and are spread while running, to act like sails. Unlike most birds, rheas have only three toes. Their tarsus has horizontal plates on the front of it.

malerhea.jpg


 
The Green Honeycreeper is found from Mexico to Bolivia.

The female:

Chlorophanes_spiza_%28female%29.jpg


The Male:

Chlorophanes_spiza-20090124.jpg
 
Last edited:
Andean+Condor+-+Vultur+gryphus+02.jpg




The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, the Andean Condor has a wingspan of up to 3.2 m/10.5 ft [2] but is exceeded by the Wandering Albatross (at up to 3.6 m/12 ft), the Southern Royal Albatross, the Dalmatian and the Great White Pelicans (at reportedly up to 3.5 m/11.6 ft).[3]
It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in response to the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is a wattle on the neck and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the head. Unlike most birds of prey, the male is larger than the female.
The condor is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It prefers large carcasses, such as those of deer or cattle. It reaches sexual maturity at five or six years of age and nests at elevations of up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft), generally on inaccessible rock ledges. One or two eggs are usually laid. It is one of the world's longest-living birds, with a lifespan of over 70 years in some cases.
The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions. The Andean Condor is considered near threatened by the IUCN.[1] It is threatened by habitat loss and by secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters. Captive breeding programs have been instituted in several countries.

Credits: Wikipedia, Andean Condor
 
Last edited:
[ame=http://youtu.be/rKxyVmcO-b8]Revisit the worlds biggest flying bird, the Andean Condor - YouTube[/ame]
 
One other thing about the Andean Condor is his range on the West Coast of South America (Credit, Wikipedia):

 

New Topics

Forum List

Back
Top