Welcome back, I hope you are all safe and well. Covid-19 has not been easy for anyone. I am sure, Just as I am already bored of all the Covid-19 things on Facebook , tv , instagram, snapchat , tiktok and youtube. I thought I would do something different for my next few blogs.
I have really enjoyed doing some research on all the different animals and flowers in Panama. I have learnt some interesting facts , although there is so much information. I will do a few different ones for you.
Did you know ? Panama’s national bird is a Harpy Eagle
- Harpy Eagle is a national bird of Panama and is depicted on the coat of arms of Panama officially. It was officially adopted as our national bird by law in 2002.
- Harpy Eagle is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the rainforest .
- Harpy Eagle ( Harpia harpyja ) is is a neotropical species of eagle.
- Also called the American Harpy Eagle
- They have been known to take down Howler monkeys, baby deer and sloths, just to name a few of their favourite meals.
- They like to hunt in the tree canopy , the will also eat ” iguanas , parrots and porcupines.”
- Less then 50 000 Harpy Eagles remain in the wild.
Black Vulture:
- Black Vulure is the only New world vulture that preys on cattle.
- Eats mainly carrion ( the decaying flesh of dead animals )
- In areas populated by humans it may scavenge at garbage dumps.
- Black vultures sores high while searching for food , holding their wings horizontally when gliding.
- In comparrison to turkey vultures the black vulture flaps its wings more frequently during flight.
- Black vultures have a wingspan of 1.5m ( 4.9 ft ) it is relatively small for a vulture.
Turkey vulture:
- Turkey vultures are scavengers and feeds almost exclusively on carrion.
- Finds its food using it’s keen eyes and sense of smell.
- Flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by beginnings of the process of decay of dead animals.
- In flight it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently.
- wingspan between 1.6m – 1.83m
- Turkey vultures do not kill live animals
- Here in Panama you often see roadkill on the roads. I find it very strange that they do not remove the animals from the roads. They will often move them to the side so they can be eaten by the vultures.
Did you know ?
The droppings produced by turkey vultures and other vultures can harm or kill trees and other vegitation.
Striped – cheeked woodpecker:
- The males are an orangish – brown above with an olive barred yellowish rump, an olive chest and throat with whte spots and dull yellow underpants. It’s crown, nape and it has a white streak on the lower cheek.
- Females – similar to males but have a dark grey crown and moustrachial region.
- These woodpeckers are generally quiet and inconspicuos and forage either alone or in pairs in the low or middle level of trees.
Quetzal:
The quetzal is the top of the list for birdwatchers.
- Quetzal is Guatemala’s national bird
- It is a stunning bird that is very majestic with beautiful colours.
- The best time to see a Quetzal in Boquete is between February and May.
- There are some lovely walks to go bird watching.
- One of the places to see the quetzal is the Waterfall trail. ( I have done a blog about the waterfall trail , go check it out ” Trail hikes to beautiful waterfalls. ”
- Quetzals are weak fliers.
- They are targeted by numerous predetors so they prefer to stay stationary.
I hope you enjoyed reading and learning more about some of the birds you find in Panama.
Keep an eye out for my next few blog where we will be looking at some different Flowers, Reptiles , Amphibians and Mammals in Panama.
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Quote of the day: Become like a bird, expand your wings learn new things and fly as high as you can.
MY LIFE IN MOTION. 