Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A more beneficial bird is a white subspecies of the barn owl ( palabrua )
that is unique to CuraƧao. They live in the narrow band of limestone caves
and plateaus that surround the island and feast on bats and mice. Proba-
bly, fewer than 50 breeding couples remain, and the species is listed as
endangered.
Aruba claims two exclusive bird species: the Aruban parakeet ( Aratinga
pertinax arubensis ), and the Aruban burrowing owl ( Athene
cunicularia arubensis ). The offshore keys are major breeding grounds for
black and brown noddies and sooty terns . Brown pelicans and cor-
morants live in the island's mangroves and along the coast, and the
Bubali Ponds (man-made lakes used for storing treated water) attract 80
species of migratory birds.
The most common bird on these islands is the cute yellow-bellied
bananaquit ( barika hel ). It brazenly snatches crumbs from outdoor dining
tables and is not shy about coming indoors when it finds an open window.
Tropical gray mockingbirds , known on the islands as chuchubis (a term
also used to describe a snoopy, chatty person), are famous for their incessant
calling. Along the coasts, you'll see several species of herons and egrets .
The most impressive sea bird is the magnificent frigate bird (magnifi-
cent is part of its name). Also known as the man-o'-war because of the way it
badgers other birds, it is easily identified by its split tail and tremendous
wing span, the largest in relation to body weight of all birds.
Know Your Frigates
There are magnificent frigate birds, and
there are great frigate birds, and both use
a superlative adjective as part of their
name. Physically, the two frigates are
similar. As adults, both are black, have a
forked tail, a hooked beak, weigh about
four pounds, and can spread their wings
over seven feet. Males have an orange
throat pouch that turns red when inflated
during mating dances.
Great frigates dive for fish far offshore, while magnificent frigates
stick close to the coast. Female great frigates have a red ring around
their eyes; female magnificent frigates have a blue-green ring. Male
great frigates have a green highlight to their black plumage; male
magnificent frigates have a purple highlight. Magnificents are rarer
than greats and are found only in the Caribbean and Galapagos Is-
lands. Greats are found on most tropical coasts.
Neither sea bird can land on water without quickly becoming wa-
terlogged, so they soar, without flapping their extended wings, for
long periods over the sea in hopes of plucking a fish from the sur-
face. Failing that, they harass other sea birds into dropping their
catch so they can steal it. Although they prefer fish, they will eat
eggs and hatchlings from both bird and turtle nests.
 
 
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