BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN, AND BEYOND – GREEN AND BLUE PIGMENTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION? PART 3 of 3
Surely those vivid red and yellow feathers of the Scarlet Macaw are produced by carotenoid pigments which produce red, yellow and orange feathers. Nope. Scarlet Macaw back feathers All parrots use five More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND – PIGMENTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION? BIRD PLUMAGE: GLOWING OWLS AND VIRGINITY SIGNALS? PART 2 of 3
CAROTENOIDS Indian Peacock Carotenoid, pronounced like a cross between a martial arts form (karate) and a humanoid, USUALLY produces red, yellow, and orange feather colors. You can recognize these pigments More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN, AND BEYOND – PIGMENTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION? BIRD PLUMAGE: PART 1 of 3
Wild Turkey Colorful feathers of birds are breath-taking. Even a drab feather is an amazing structure. But trying to figure out plumage color is not an easy task as the colors are either formed by pigments or More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND – WHAT’S THE EYE-DEAL? EYELIDS AND EYE-RINGS, PART 2 of 2
Colorful eyelids of Keel-billed Toucan That something as insignificant as an eyelid had its place in the workings on the universe, that the cosmic order did not overlook this momentary fact. More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND – WHAT’S THE EYE-DEAL? EYELIDS AND EYE-RINGS, PART 1 of 2
That something as insignificant as an eyelid had its place in the workings on the universe, that the cosmic order did not overlook this momentary fact. Haruki Murakami Gartered Trogon yellow eyelid I’d More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND-A RAINBOW CONNECTION: PURPLE GALLINULE
“Someday we’ll find it The Rainbow Connection The lovers, the dreamers and me” More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND: SILHOUETTES
“To be truly iconic, you need to be able to be recognized in a silhouette.” Slash from Guns and Roses Wood Stork bird watching at sunset Xcambo area “We pack the physical outline of the creature More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND – HANKY PANKY IN THE GRASS: RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, Tordo Sargento (Spanish), Chuleeb (Mayan) Red-winged Blackbird perches high with feathers the color of inky dye He sings all day until nigh Hoping More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND – MET-FLICKS AND CHILL: FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL PAIR PAIR
BRUTALITY OR CONJUGALITY Glaucidium brasilianum, Tecolote Bajeño o Viejita (Spanish), To’aka xnuk (Mayan) This tribute to February, the Valentine month of love, was inspired by an incredible event in nature More...
BACKYARD BIRDING IN MERIDA, YUCATAN AND BEYOND – IF DOROTHY IN THE WIZARD OF OZ WERE A BIRD, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN A WILSON’S PHALAROPE
Wilson’s Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, Falaropo Pico Largo (Spanish) Wilson’s Phalarope female If Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz were a bird, she would have been a Wilson’s Phalarope. First, she More...