Fauna Of Mexico Part 4

It's easy to separate animals from their natural
habitats when you've only ever seen them in
zoos. Not to say that you should go seek
dangerous animals in the wild, of course, but it
can be a thrill to see even the smallest and
tamest exotic animals in their native homes. If
you're on vacation in Mexico, keep an eye out
for these creatures.

Eared Quetzal

The Eared Quetzal is a lovely iridescent bird in
the trogon family. It is found in the Sierra
Madre Occidental of Mexico, in the state of
Michoacan, though it has also been spotted in
Arizona once or twice. It prefers pine-oak
forests near fresh streams, building nests in
trees that have naturally occurring shallow
cavities--pine, fir, maple, and aspen. These
birds frequently make their nests in abandoned
woodpecker holes. The Eared Quetzal reaches just
over a foot in length, with iridescent green
feathers on its back and dark blue tail
feathers. The males have a bright red belly and
a black head; females have gray on their heads
and smaller red spots on their fronts. Eared
Quetzals feed on insects and fruits, and will
often grab food while hovering in the air.

Pinnated Bittern

You're never going to forget the experience of
seeing a Pinnated Bittern. This bird is a member
of the heron family, measuring about 30 inches
long at its largest. It has buffy brown feathers
covered in cryptic patterning; they mainly
inhabit shallow marshy areas where they can
catch amphibians and fish, and they have
uniquely short necks compared to other herons.
Their necks can extend or retract out of their
bodies to grasp food or hide from predators.
Despite the fact that the Pinnated Bittern is
quite widespread throughout Central and South
America, very little is known about them; they
are rarely seen and notoriously shy, preferring
to skulk around swampy marshlands at night. One
solitary creature is the Pinnated Bittern;
catching a glimpse of one is a rare treat
indeed!

Giant Cowbird

Sometimes animal names are far more incredible
than the animal itself. The Giant Cowbird, is
one such example; disappointingly, this bird is
not as large as a standard bovine. However, that
doesn't mean it's not interesting or unique; the
Giant Cowbird is rather an odd bird overall. For
instance, it's the only cowbird that lives in the
deep forest; most species in the Molothrus genus
prefer open woodlands. In terms of bird
characteristics, the Giant Cowbird makes little
noise; they have an unpleasant high screeched
whistle, but are also good vocal mimics. Also,
Giant Cowbirds don't really perch on cows; they
prefer to ride on Capybaras and remove horse
flies from the mammal's flesh. Giant Cowbirds
are brood parasites; mothers lay their eggs in
the nests of other species of birds, usually
cacique blackbirds who viciously defend their
territory. Egg-laying opportunities are searched
out by Cowbirds over a square mile radius that
extends for several miles.


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