Storm Birds

A juvy RTH hunting on Columbia Campus. Mr. Mocker buzzed by. The bros seeking shelter. The crows seeking food. Im always amazed how gulls can fly so effortlessly in the gale. Hope everyone is ok.

Fall Raptors

Blue-headed Vireo Window Strike

All those raptors make for some very paranoid birds. A young blue-headed vireo was spooked by a kestrel and ran headlong into my buildings plate glass window. Two police officers found the bird and were standing there with it as I came home. I took him in to see how bad it was. No visible head trauma or blood but it was not opening its eyes fully. It did let out the cutest alarm call which I recorded, but rather than risk it, I took him into the WBF. Hopefully he will put through. Ill try to follow up with them to see how he did.

Back in the Saddle

Urban raptors still doing what urban raptors do.

The Birds of Ecuador, Part 4: Other Awesome Birds

Other special birds were: The blue-crowned motmot, The trill vibrations of club-winged Manquin, Red-headed Barbet, The Squirrel Cuckoo, Guan, Masked Trogon, Paraque in the road at night. The Guyaquil Woodpecker, This huge colony of Egrets, coming home to roost. The largest parrot we saw, the mealy Amazon (captive). To the smallest yet most beautiful, the sublime Pacific Parrotlet!

The Birds of Ecuador, Part 3: Tanagers, Orioles, Flycatchers and Tucans

So many colorful varieties of the widespread and versatile Tanager family. The ever present Lemon Rumped Tanager, Silver Throated, Palm Tanager, Golden Tanager, Male Euphonia, Blue-Gray tanager. Got a great look at this White-Edged Oriole. Some of the large family of flycatchers include: Long-tailed tyrant, Black Phoebe, Social Flycatcher, White-start. Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Pale-mandibled Aracari.

The Birds of Ecuador, Part 2: Raptors

So many birds breeds a ubiquitous crop of birds that eat birds. Here are some of the highlights. The omnipresent roadside hawk, the striking laughing falcon, the female Bat Falcon. The Collared Forest Falcon, The Great Black Hawk vs the Collared Forest Falcon, Last, smallest but never least. The Cloud Forest Pygmy Owl. The also have tons of Black and Turkey Vultures.