At the little village of Buenos Aires, on the Rio Grande of Terraba, I heard the song more frequently than at any other point. And if the bird chooses an early hour and a secluded spot for expressing its happiness, the melody is none the less delightful. “While on this trip I had many proofs that, in spite of its rich plumage, and being a bird of the tropics, it is well worthy to hold a place of honor among the song birds. From the above it is clear that the males begin to breed before they attain fully adult plumage, and that they retain the dress of the female until, at least, the beginning of the second year. In a few instances the male was in mottled plumage, evidently just assuming the adult phase, and in a lesser number of examples the male was in fully adult plumage-velvety black and crimson red. In almost every instance where possible I collected both parents of the nests, and in the majority of cases found the males wearing the same dress as the females. “During my stay at Boruca and Palmar, (the last of February) the breeding season was at its height, and I observed many of the Costa Rica Red-Rumps nesting. Cherrie, of the Field Museum, says of the Red-Rumped Tanager: They are also said to do much harm in the rice fields. They are found in British and French Guiana, living in the latter country in open spots of dwellings and feeding on bananas and other fruits. There are 300 species, a few being tropical birds. N American family, the Tanagers are mostly birds of very brilliant plumage. Ye dance where the foam sweeps the desolate strand.” Ye skim where the stream parts the orchard decked land, Ye dine in the sweet flags that shadow the lake Ye hide in the heather, ye lurk in the brake, Ye build and ye brood ‘neath the cottagers’ eaves,Īnd ye sleep on the sod, ’mid the bonnie green leaves Ye have nests in the forest, all tangled and dark Ye have nests on the mountain, all rugged and stark, Where shall man wander, and where shall he dwell-īeautiful birds-that ye come not as well? With your earth-treading feet and your cloud-cleaving wings. If you do not, you will be too late for my song. If you ever come to see me I will sing to you. The people say I do much harm to the rice, but I do not see why it is wrong for me to eat it, for I think there is enough for all. I eat insects, and sometimes I fly to the rice fields and swing on the stalks and eat rice. Bananas grow where I live, and I like them best of all. I sit on one of the branches and sing for about half an hour. There is an old dead tree there, and just before the sun is up I fly to this tree. My home is near a small stream, where there are low woods and underbrush along its banks. I sing because I am happy, and the people like to hear me. I have just been singing my morning song, and I wish you could have heard it. Red-Rumped Tanager Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited Vol 1.
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