The Rose-crowned Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus regina) is also known as Pink-capped Fruit Dove or Swainson’s Fruit Dove. Their delicate beauty and bright pink caps make them a real treat to see!
They have quite a large range in northern and eastern Australia and also Indonesia. I spotted this beauty at Howard Springs Nature Park in the Northern Territory.
When you know you’re gorgeous!
Bonded pair
The Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris) is a colourful bird with a velvet black head with brown stripes above the eye, dark green upper parts, pale blue shoulders, black underparts and an olive green tail. It feeds on insects, crustaceans and other small animals and builds an untidy, spherical nest. It is a shy forest bird and a real treat to see!
They are endemic to Australia’s Northern Territory and are easily seen at Howard Springs and sometimes near Fogg Dam. I spotted the one above barely 3 minutes after entering the park!
This is the call to listen for. They tend to be spread out but close enough to contact each other.
A birding group spots one.
This is pretty cool, I didn’t know you could attract them by tapping on the ground!
Just for fun – watch while this man attempts the Bird of Paradise mating techniques!
If it’s any consolation, it doesn’t always work for real Superb Birds of Paradise!
The Puerto Rican Tody (Todus mexicanus) is a bird native to the island of Puerto Rico. Despite its scientific name, the Puerto Rican Tody is endemic to the island and is locally known as “San Pedrito” (“Little Saint Peter”).
Puerto Rican Todies are endemic to the island of Puerto Rico. I saw this little cutie at El Yunque National Forest.
A group of birders found this one at El Yunque.
Although the narration is in Spanish there is some excellent footage of the bird eating bugs and feeding his young.
The Rufous-throated Solitaire (Myadestes genibarbis) is a species of bird placed in the family Turdidae. The bird is nicknamed the siffleur montagne (or mountain whistler) in Dominica. This little guy came pretty close to me at the Syndicate.
They are found on several Caribbean Islands such as Dominica, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent.
I love this cute “red beard” effect of their colouring!
The Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. I saw this one as we were driving up to the Syndicate Forest. I think it’s a female as the crest isn’t that bright blue colour.
They are found in found in the Caribbean Islands of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, north-east Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles. The only island where I saw one was Dominica.
These clips really show the beauty of the male bird’s crest!
And this one is trying to have a drink and a bath at the same time!
The Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis) is a beautiful species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae found in the Caribbean islands.
They have a wide distribution in the Caribbean. I personally saw them in St Lucia & St Vincent. They are very striking when the sun highlights their purple throats!
Se what a beauty he is, they even put a slo-mo sequence at the end!
A little privacy please, can’t you see I am taking a shower?
Whoah, an unprecedented 66 Top Birds! I knew this was going to blow out when I reached the Top 20 (chronologically) and was still in Ecuador with Colombia, the Caribbean and Australia’s Northern Territory still to come. I haven’t even included 1/3 the birds who should be on this list otherwise I would be here all day. This has been an epic year for travel and the birds have been spectacular! Hummingbirds, Antpittas, Cock-of-the-rock, Finches, Bowerbirds, and of course Parrots everywhere! This list will be heavily slanted towards Parrots as I chose the birding location based on target species, most of which were parrots. I’ve tried to focus this list on birds that are highly endangered, unusual, beautiful and/or lifers for me – preferably that I got a decent photo of. I had extremely bad luck with my Hail Mary photo shot attempts in Colombia so I have to take some license there. Maybe my camera doesn’t like altitude or cloud forests? Anyway, without further ado, feast your eyes on these beauties!
2. PACIFIC PARROTLET – seen at Cerro Blanco, Ecuador
3. WHITE-BREASTED PARAKEET – seen at Podocarpus, Ecuador
4. BLUE-NECKED TANAGER – seen at Podocarpus, Ecuador
5. EL ORO PARAKEET – seen at Buenaventura, Ecuador
6. UMBRELLABIRD – Seen at Buenaventura, Ecuador
7. RED-FOOTED BOOBIES – Galapagos, Ecuador
8. ANDEAN COCK-OF-THE-ROCK – Seen at Mindo, Ecuador
9. BOOTED RACKET-TAIL – Seen at Mindo & WildSumaco, Ecuador
10. OILBIRD – Seen at Mindo, Ecuador
11. BRONZE-WINGED PARROT – Seen at Mindo, Ecuador
12. CHOCO TOUCAN – seen at Mindo, Ecuador
13. ROSE-FACED PARROT – Seen at Mindo, Ecuador
14. BLACK-HEADED PARROT – Seen at Napo, Ecuador
15. HOATZIN – Seen at Napo, Ecuador
16. DUSKY-HEADEAD PARAKEET – Seen at Napo, Ecuador
17 PLUM-THROATED COTINGA – Seen at Napo, Ecuador
18. WIRE-TAILED MANAKIN – Seen at Napo, Ecuador
19. MILITARY MACAW – Seen at WildSumaco, Ecuador (sorry this was the best I could do)
20. WIRE-CRESTED THORNTAIL – Seen at WildSumaco, Ecuador
21. MAROON-TAILED PARAKEET – Seen at Wildsumaco, Ecuador
22. SAN ISIDRO OWL – Seen at Cabanas San Isidro, Ecuador
23. TOURMALINE SUNANGEL – Seen at Guango Lodge, Ecuador & Jardin, Colombia
24. SANTA MARTA PARAKEET – Seen at El Dorado, Colombia (photo from ProAves, I was too far away to get one)
25. BLUE-NAPED CHLOROPHONIA – Seen at El Dorado, Colombia
26. SCARLET-FRONTED PARAKEET – Seen at El Dorado, Colombia
27. MASKED TROGON – Seen at El Dorado, Colombia
28. YELLOW-EARED PARROT – Seen at reserve near Jardin, Colombia
29. SWORD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD – Seen at finca above Jardin
30. ANDEAN MOTMOT – Seen near Jardin, Rio Blanco Reserve and Termales San Vincente, Colombia
31. GOLDEN PLUMED PARAKEET – Seen at Rio Blanco, Colombia
32. CHESTNUT-CROWNED ANTIPITTA (in addition to all the Antpittas) – Seen at Rio Blanco, Colombia
33. RUSTY-FACED PARROT – Seen flying over Paramo near Manizales, Colombia, too fast to get a photo
34. RAINBOW-BEARDED THORNBILL – Seen at Termales del Ruiz, Colombia
35. FUERTES PARROT – Seen very poorly at a distance near Termales San Vincente, didn’t get a photo.
36. BROWN-BREASTED PARAKEET – Seen near BioAndina, Bogota, Colombia
37. RUBY TOPAZ HUMMINGBIRD – Seen at Yerette, Trinidad
38. SCARLET IBIS – Seen at Caroni Bird Sanctuary, Trinidad
39. GREEN-RUMPED PARROTLET – Seen at Aripo Livestock Station, Trinidad
40. TUFTED COQUETTE – Seen at Asa Wright’s, Trinidad
41. BEARDED BELLBIRD – Seen at Asa Wright’s, Trinidad
42. ST LUCIA AMAZON PARROT – Seen at Des Cartiers Trail, St Lucia
43. PURPLE THROATED CARIB HUMMINGBIRD – Seen in St Lucia & St Vincent
44. ST VINCENT AMAZON PARROT – Seen on Vermont Trail, St Vincent
45. IMPERIAL AMAZON PARROT (SISSEROU) – Seen at Syndicate Trail, he’s in here somewhere!)
46. ANTILLEAN CRESTED HUMMINGBIRD – Seen at Syndicate Trail, Dominica
47. RED-NECKED PARROT (JACO) – Seen at Syndicate Trail, Dominica
48. PUERTO RICAN PARROT – Seen at Rio Abajo, Puerto Rico
49. PUERTO RICAN TODY – Seen at El Yunque, Puerto Rico
50. RAINBOW PITTA – Howard Springs, Darwin, Australia
51. RED-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO (BANKSII) – Everywhere Northern Territory, Australia
52. ROSE-CROWNED FRUIT DOVE – Seen at Howard Springs, Darwin, Australia
53. RED-COLLARED LORIKEETS – Seen everywhere, Northern Territory, Australia
54. HOODED PARROT– Seen at Pine Creek, Australia
55. DOUBLE-BARRED FINCH – Seen at Edith Falls, Australia
56. PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY WREN – Seen (at a distance) near Victoria River Crossing, Australia
57. BLUE-WINGED KOOKABURRA – Seen at Nitmiluk National Park, Australia
58. GREAT BOWERBIRD – Seen at Katherine (Museum grounds), Australia
59. NORTHERN ROSELLA – Seen in Katherine, Australia
60. VARIED LORIKEET – Seen at Donkey Camp Weir, Katherine, Australia
61 GOULDIAN FINCHES (MOSTLY JUVENILES) – Seen at Edith Falls Road, NT, Australia
62. AZURE KINGFISHER – Seen at Kakadu NP, Australia
63. WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE – Seen at Kakadu NP, Australia
64. LITTLE KINGFISHER – Seen at Kakadu NP, Australia
65. COMB-CRESTED JACANA – Seen at Kakadu NP, Australia
66. EMERALD DOVE – Seen in Darwin, Australia
The Saint Lucia Oriole (Icterus laudabilis) is a species of bird, in the family Icteridae and genus Icterus (or American Orioles). It is endemic to Saint Lucia.
Although they can be found anywhere on St Lucia, the only place I saw them (the pair pictured above) was on Des Cartiers Trail.
Not sure why there aren’t more videos online, maybe they are hard to spot or people are more focused on their fellow endemic bird the St Lucia Parrot. Their coloring is very striking and they are a treat to see!
The Tufted Coquette ( Lophornis ornatus ) is a tiny hummingbird that has a rufous head crest and a coppery green back with a whitish rump band that is prominent in flight. The forehead and underparts are green, and black-spotted rufous plumes project from the neck sides. The tail is golden rufous.
I was lucky enough to see this tiny beauty at Asa Wright Nature Centre where I tried to get some photos but these birds are FAST!
They range throughout eastern Venezuela, Trinidad, Guiana, and northern Brazil. I saw a few at Asa Wright’s and they can also be found at Yerette in Trinidad.
Very nice mini-doco on Tufted Coquettes.
Theyr’e gorgeous and they know it, this time they cooperated with the videographer. The one at the end is a female.