TOUCANS
If you are patient, observant and in the right place at the right time you just may see a Toucan or two in the humid forests on the eastern Andean slopes in the environs of Mindo, a sleepy village about two hours east of Quito, Ecuador. Mindo is rapidly becoming a tourist, as well as native Ecuadorian, mecca for tropical bird watchers, zip-liners, white water rafters and hikers. Mindo, in particular, and Ecuador in general is one of the most remarkable places for birds and a great place for watching and studying these beautiful creatures. Mindo is considered the top destination because of its really rich avifauna and because many of the birds are endemic to this area. The Choco toucan (Ramphastos brevis) is a species of bird in the family of toucans. It occurs only in the north of South America and is seen in some regions of Ecuador very often. A striking sexual dimorphism does not exist; females tend to be only slightly smaller and slightly shorter. Adult birds are feathered black on the body top. From the forehead to the middle of the back, the individual feathers are on a deep red-brown top. The lower back is black to the hull; upper tail-coverts are white. The tail is glossy blue-black. The chin, the feathered parts of the face and throat are bright yellow. At the transition from the throat to the chest is narrow red band. The under tail ceiling is red; the rest of the body bottom is black, with chest up belly over wash dark reddish brown. The Crimson-rumped Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus haematopygus) is a species of bird in the family of toucans. It occurs only in the north of South America. There are two subspecies. It is still considered relatively common. The only striking sexual dimorphism is much smaller beak in females. An adult Crimson-rumped toucanet has deep green plumage. The body top is usually slightly darker and has a bronze shimmer, the tail is slightly bluish, and the four middle tail feathers have reddish brown on the tips. The body bottom is slightly lighter green. The hull is bright red; the feathers of the upper tail ceiling are greenish yellow. The eyes are dark red to brown. The feet and legs are yellowish green or grey-green. The Crimson-rumped Toucanet is a species endemic to mountain forest regions of the north of South America. The distribution extends from the western and central Andes in northern Colombia and Venezuela as far as southern Colombia and northern and western Ecuador. In Ecuador, it can occurs at altitudes of up to 2750 meters. Its habitat is tropical and subtropical evergreen forests. (http://www.lasterrazasdedana.com/some-nice-birds-of-ecuador/) (https://ecuadorlifeandculture.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/toucans-of-mindo/) |