Long-tailed sibia (Heterophasia picaoides)

To the human eye a tree with just these flaming inflorescences is a wonder to behold, but for pollinators and nectar hunters alike this is a welcome and very popular food station. As this tree species shed its leaves in the dry season it is a definite sign of spring when the naked branches carry these amazing flowers.

I enjoyed many bird species coming and going, and one was a group of long-tailed sibias. That is except for this one! It had lost all its tail feathers, so it looked rather unusual. I’m not certain they were lost in a mating dispute or something more serious but if it can survive a few weeks, the feathers will grow back and it will be a wiser and perhaps even more attractive individual.

It sounds like this:


Elevation: 1104 meters

Last updated on 8 November 2024