Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Burnished buff tanager

I mentioned a while ago that the neotropical birds' names are brilliant - lengthy descriptions as much as names. This one is a particular goody; burnished buff tanager.

Burnished buff tanager - cayana ssp.

It is a tanager. It buff and the markings do look kind of burnished. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

Burnished buff tanager - cayana ssp.

The wings look almost like they've been fashioned from greening copper, lovely. This was the only one I saw, working its way around the garden at Hato el Cedral. Its an absolute beauty of a songbird and seeing a little flock of these would be fabulous.

Burnished buff tanager - cayana ssp.

I think that's one of the cooler aspects of visiting somewhere new. Its not only the rare stuff but the different common stuff hopping around in gardens and parks. There were many other birds in the gardens of Hato el Cedral plus mammals (3 species), amphibians and reptiles. I know I'm making a bit of a meal of these venezuela posts but think of them as occasional winter warmers. We'll get to them all eventually.

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