10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

I’d like to introduce you to a diminutive heron, the Cattle Egret Bubuclus ibis. The Cattle Egret is native to Africa, where it is a familiar sight among herds of large mammals. They have expanded their range through Indonesia and into Australia and is found in post breeding dispersal as far north as South Korea and Japan.

Cattle 171

Cattle South Korea Suriname Seychelles 171

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2012

The lush pastures of the Aripo Livestock Station sustained herds of happy Buffalypso , a special breed of T&T beef cattle named for their Water Buffalo heritage and Calypso-happy country. Where we entered the area, the savannah seemed more like Aripo Ranch. In fact, it was. In that regard, Aripo was amazing.

Trinidad 187

Trinidad Birds Fast Food Cattle 187

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2012

The population of parrotlets they studied was located on one of the many huge hatos (cattle ranches) in the Venezuelan llanos, a vast swath of flat flooded savannah in the central third of the country that drains into the Rio Orinoco. You don’t really know a bird until you’ve studied it on its breeding grounds. The Auk 108: 863-871.

Eggs 269

Eggs Venezuela Porcupines 2008 269

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2021

One of this species’ many peculiarities is that it has a digestive system unique amongst birds: Hoatzins use bacterial fermentation in the front part of the gut to break down the vegetable material they consume, much as cattle and other ruminants do. We found Black-collared Swallows breeding in cracks among the lower riverside rocks.

Dolphins 264

Dolphins Colombia Otters Birds 264