#birds of caribbean

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Crested Caracara

Photo: Manjith Kainickara

"Related to the typical falcons, but very different in shape and habits. The Crested Caracara is a strikingly patterned, broad-winged opportunist that often feeds on carrion. Aggressive, it may chase vultures away from road kills. Widespread in the American tropics, it enters our area only near the Mexican border and in Florida. 'Caracara' comes from a South American Indian name, based on the bird's call."

- Audubon Field Guide

[herpsandbirds]

Cuban Tody (Todus multicolor), family Todidae, order Coraciiformes, Cuba

photograph by Karlos Ross

[lizardsaredinosaurs]

Sharp shins and sharp little birdbrain

Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus venator)

Puerto Rico

Status: Endangered

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Send me some asks with requests for this week! As specific or vague as you like. :)

[sindrakart]

BIRD

[tropic-havens]

French West Indies (Antilles Françaises). Photos by Eloïse & Luc.

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

This animal was requested!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

for an example of said photography: flamingos

side note, why don't more people draw sauropods doing the Flamingo Thing with their heads

[proton-wobbler]

Cuban Vireo

[image ID: a drab songbird with a heavy bill, which is dark gray. the eye is brown, and an off-white patch is behind it. the head and nape is gray and the throat and belly are pale yellow. the feet and legs are blue. a white wingbar can faintly be seen. end ID]

Song:

Scientific Name: Vireo gundlachii

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Habitat & Location: endemic to Cuba and found in thickets and brush along the edge of forests and scrubland

Fun Fact: the scientific name was given to honor zoologist Juan Gundlach, a German-born man who kickstarted the study of natural sciences in Puerto Rico and Cuba

[image ID: a zoomed in map of Cuba, which is colored completely purple. this color means the bird lives here year-round. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Wayne Fidler); map (birds of the world)

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Red-tailed Hawk

Photo: Kent Ross

"This is the most widespread and familiar large hawk in North America, bulky and broad-winged, designed for effortless soaring. An inhabitant of open country, it is commonly seen perched on roadside poles or sailing over fields and woods. Although adults usually can be recognized by the trademark reddish-brown tail, the rest of their plumage can be quite variable, especially west of the Mississippi: Western Red-tails can range from blackish to rufous-brown to nearly white."

- Audubon Field Guide

[herpsandbirds]

Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis), family Cuculidae, order Cuculiformes, endemic to Jamaica

photograph by Dubi Shapiro

[lizardsaredinosaurs]

Water, water, everywhere...

Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata)

Caribbean and Southeastern USA

Status: Endangered

Threats: habitat loss, invasive species

[lowcountry-gothic]

Arrowhead warbler (Setophaga pharetra) in Saint Andrew, Jamaica. Photo by Kevin Berkoff.

[tropic-havens]

Hummingbird in flight, Martinique

[fotos-art]

Caribbean Flamingos, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

© Claudio Contreras

NPL/Minden Pictures

Did you know that Caribbean flamingos, also known as American flamingos as we see them today, fly in groups called "flocks"? You can see them on the Yucatan Peninsula and in the Caribbean, where they are the largest of their species in the Americas. These birds are distinguished by their characteristic pink color, long necks and curved beaks. They live in marshes, estuaries and brackish coasts, where they eat shrimp and small crustaceans that give them their characteristic pink hue. They make short migrations in search of food, and you can also find them in the southeastern United States and South America.

[worldwarxp]

Peter Tosh showing off his kung-fu outside of his home. 1975

Photographer: Lee Jaffe

Location Of Photograph: Spanish Town, Jamaica. XX/XX/75  

[helluvatimes]

The Caribbean Run

Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) dashing after their leader in their small pond in the former Jurong Bird Park. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

This was taken as the flamingos ran pass the dark patch of undergrowth with the exposure biased 1-2/3 stops darker to keep highlights.