Naturalist Notes: Orange-winged Parrot

Happy Independence everyone, be safe!


I think the Orange-winged Parrot bears a little resemblance to the Yellow-crowned Parrot, which I briefly described last week.

However, the Orange-winged Parrots are extremely common throughout Trinidad and Tobago. It is also mainly green in color, with small amounts of yellow on the crown and cheek. The Orange is sometimes visible when the bird is it flight, but it has no eye ring.

This species is extremely vocal and has quite a varied repertoire. It feeds on flowers, fruits, and seeds especially citrus and cocoa. Therefore they are recognized as vermin’s.


© Denise Etienne

Naturalist Notes: Yellow-crowned Parrots

Sorry I’m a bit late with this week’s topic…

My brother-in-law recently acquired a pair of these gorgeous Yellow-crowned Parrots.This species is certainly not one you’d see very often, for it is not common in Trinidad. 

The Yellow-crowned Parrot is aptly named, because it has a conspicuous yellow crown. It is mainly green. As you can see in the pictures,  the curve in the wing is blood red in color. It also has a noticeable whitish eye ring. They eat fruits and nuts, but they were enjoying some hot pepper seeds!

Photo and content © Denise Etienne

Naturalist Notes: In the Backyard

There is always something interesting happening in nature. Some people have this misconception that you have to be in the forest to see the wonders of nature, but really nature exists all around us! Just take a moment and look around, do you know how much cool stuff you can discover right in your own back yard?

Today I looked out my back door and there were Tropical Mockingbirds, Palm and Blue Tanagers, House Wrens, Yellow Orioles, and Bare-eyed Thrushes.

So next time you’re outdoors tune in to your surroundings, you would be surprise as to the amount of wildlife that exists.

__________________

Standing upright and tall

With strong arms wide open

In each and every direction

Teeming with life

And yet giving life to all

Who am I?

© Denise Etienne

Naturalist Notes: King Vulture

This is a short blog because frankly I am a stickler when it comes to giving out information. I’m all about telling it as it is and if I don’t know I’m honestly not one to make up stories. Sometimes just by saying you don’t know opens up the door to learning so much more.

In all my years as a Naturalist, I have never seen the King Vulture. This species, from what I have read, is not a very common sight in Trinidad. It is considerably larger than the other two members of this group (Black and Turkey). Another significant difference, the adult bird is mainly white, having a darker lower back and tail. 

Denise Etienne

Naturalist Notes: Black Vulture

The Black Vulture is relatively smaller than the Turkey Vulture. It is mainly black, except for the wing tips (fingers) which are whitish in color and very distinctive, especially in flight. Their heads are also featherless and black in color.

Besides feeding on carrion and occasional fruits, they are sometimes known to attack live prey, particularly newborns like the hatchlings of Leatherback turtles as they emerge from the sand. This species is more often observed in large groups.

 © Denise Etienne