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The Daily Bucket - Audubon Zoo in New Orleans [1]
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Date: 2023-05-08
Image from the New Orleans Audubon Zoo web page.
The wife and I were excited that we were going to spend the day at the zoo. The history, architecture and the animals kept us giddy. Most of the facility was preparing for the upcoming tourist season. There was a lot of construction and many exhibits were temporarily closed. The biggest disappointment for us was the big cats were not available to the public.
BUT, the new aviary was open!
Walking through the Zoo’s entrance, one immediately encounters Flamingo. They behave normally as they do in this 11 second video, even when a hundred people are within feet of them.
Several steps further we enjoyed one of the oldest exhibits the zoo has maintained (since 1940). The Whopping Crane pair were breathtaking. It is easy to forget that these birds are 5 feet tall when all one sees are photographs.
Whopping Crane mated pair.
We arrived on a Tuesday. A dozen school buses of 8 to 10 year olds were thundering around. We let them have all the space needed by the large creatures (Elephants, Gorilla, Seals, etc). This Green Anole had the right idea (stay invisible and out of the way).
Green Anole that just climbed off a pile of wood chips.
I looked for other life usually ignored. This Alpinia purpurata (Red Ginger) was sneaking a peek at the sun.
A Swallowtail butterfly found breakfast in a “Lily of the Nile” (Agapanthus africanus).
I should have had a note pad or recorder. There were more things I encountered than I had time (or the opportunity) to photograph. My goal was to gather as many species that I would never encounter in daily life. Here is what I have to share with you from inside the Aviary.
Alphabetic order (because my files said so).
Bali Myna — Leucopsar rothchildi * sorry for the blur. This is an energetic bird.
Luzon Bleeding-heart Pigeon — Gallicolumba luzonica
It takes a video to show you how it got it’s namesake.
Blue-crowned Laughingthrush — Petrorhinus courtoisi
Blue-bellied Roller — Coracias cyanogaster
Curl-crested Aracan — Pteroglossus beauharnaisii
Edward’s Pheasant — Lophura edwardsi aka. Vietnam Pheasant
Great Argus — Argusianus argus * known for the fantastic display of it’s wings and tail
Green Aracari — Pteroglossus viridis
Lady Ross’s Turaco — Musophaga rossae
Indigo (aka Lear’s) Macaw — Andorthynchus leari * known to bite fingers regularly
Magpie Shrike — Lanius melanoleucus
Nicobar Pigeon — Caloenas nicobarica
Indian Peafowl aka Peacock — Pavo cristatus
My photo doesn’t show the rich Burgundy color of the Tanager.
Silver-beaked Tanager — Ramphocelus carbo
Toco Toucan — Ramphastos toco
White-crested Turaco — Turaco leuolophus
I was disappointed that my photos of the Guam Kingfisher didn’t come out better. This is what I have and a comparative photo from Sea World.
During my reading about each species, I learned that many of these birds are only found in captivity. There are factors where they have no place to live and survive. The entire wild population of Guam Kingfisher has been decimated by non-native, invasive tree snakes (for example).
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
I can’t end this diary on a sad note, so I offer my Bug of the Day. Woolly Caterpillars are so much fun to observe. If a cat playfully flops onto one (no damage to the caterpillar) the crawler will curl up to protect itself. The cat will lose interest quickly and leave for more lively playthings.
Salt Marsh aka Acrea Moth larva — Estigmene acrea
After a while, and unfurled, the trek across country in search of a plant to continue it’s life cycle will begin. I am happy to see them come and go.
As usual, this is an Open Thread and all comments are welcome. Thank you for spending time here today.
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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/8/2166110/-The-Daily-Bucket-Audubon-Zoo-in-New-Orleans
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