Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Montezuma oropendola

We had a visit from a small flock (3 or 4) of Montezuma Oropendola, which I think is pretty rare here.  This bird is huge - 18 to 20 inches long or about 1/2 meter and is kind of a rust colour with a long, bright yellow tail.  The three who descended on us were checking out the air plants (bromeliads) growing on the trees around us for food, and only stayed for about 15 minutes, so what a rare treat it was that we caught them.  We continue to be amazed on a daily basis here.

These birds build their nests hanging down from tree branches in open fields, and they look like woven grocery sacks.    Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDer1nof8ZU to see their nests and hear their distinctive cry.  Also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkRTOPNetfk has a group of them eating a watermelon.


Psarocolius montezuma -near Rancho Naturalista, Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica-8.jpg

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