The Best in Bird Watching Binoculars
Trying to read and interpret all of the jargon about various bird watching binoculars can be a little difficult if you are new to it. You will probably find that all of the manufacturers think their product is the best, and that nothing else is worth looking at.
If you are like most consumers, you want a place to go where you can find an honest opinion and some accurate information. If you do not live in an area where you can just walk into a specialty optics store and ask, do not worry, there are some resources available.
There are several such guides available to those who are in market for bird watching binoculars. Bird Watchers Digest publishes a review of the latest models and improvements every year. Additionally, a number of Web sites publish product reviews on a regular basis.
Some sites even have entire sections devoted specifically to binocular reviews and evaluation. Check out BirdWatching site for one good example of Web based product reviews. Experienced birders offer their honest opinions about the products that they use on a regular basis and what they did and did not like about each one.
When researching bird watching binoculars, keep in mind several things that may affect which style will work best for you. If you wear glasses, then some binoculars may not work well for you. Do you wish to use the binoculars to focus on small things that may be relatively close?
There are models like the Pentax Papillo, which will work very well when trying to zoom in on things like butterflies. When considering any binocular, a bird watcher needs to give careful thought to how much magnification power they need. While many are under the impression that they need the most powerful binocular available to enjoy watching birds, often times the most powerful optical tools can be very difficult to keep focused and to hold steady enough to get a clear image.
Some people in the market for bird watching binoculars pay no attention to price and do not consider cost to be of any importance. For most people, cost does play a large role in their decision.
Do not get frustrated if at first all you see are slick catalogue pages full of extravagantly prices binoculars. You can, and will, find equipment from many reliable well-known manufacturers that is well made and quite affordable for the average bird watcher.
To ensure that you are pleased with your purchase, make sure that you do the research. As shown here, there are plenty of resources available outside of actually walking into a store. Bird watching binoculars will be your primary piece of equipment as you begin your bird watching hobby.
Mike Selvon is the owner of various niche portals. Our bird feeder portal at http://birdfeedersmanual.mynicherecommends.com is a great resource for more information on bird watching binoculars. While you are there don’t forget to claim your free gift.
Bird Watching and The Latest In Internet Technology
One of the thrills of bird watching is the discovery of a species you have never seen before. In the past, a bird watcher often had to wait for a long time to get help in identifying a bird that he or she may not have recognized. Programs, like the one at Cornell University, allowed those who bird watch to submit photographs and descriptions of things that they had seen. The experts and researchers at the university would then help them identify the bird. The internet however, has eliminated the hassle of waiting for the mail. This information is available instantaneously online.
The ability to come home from a day in the fields of Belize watching birds, or even after bird watching in Costa Rica, and to sit down in front of a computer has given birth to a completely new realm of resources. Bird watchers can visit sites such as Birding and Birding Guide to access information about what they have seen through their binoculars while bird watching that day. There are several benefits to websites like these and the photographic resources available on the web.
Aside from written descriptions, the internet provides a wealth of photographic information to bird watchers. Photographs that would add up to literally mountains of books could quickly be searched, organized, and selected for viewing online. The convenience is immeasurable. The ability to get information quickly and accurately makes the research process an enjoyable one for most bird watchers.
One of the features that bird watchers who are internet savvy might find of particular interest is the communities that exist on the bulletin boards of websites catering to bird watching. These forums allow users to start, and participate in, conversations concerning a wide variety of topics that relate to birding.
Some conversations, called threads, are global in their scope and may include broad topics like equipment, which are not geographically specific. Other threads may be very geographically specific and give local bird watchers a place to share individual information about sightings and numbers in special locations that probably are not of interest to someone outside of that region.
In addition to the sense of community that bird watchers can find on the web, it also serves as a very useful tool for spreading information. Local chapters of bird watching clubs and conservation groups, such as The National Audubon Society, utilize the parent websites of their organizations to provide news of local interest.
They may also use this space to advertise upcoming events, seminars, conferences or group outings. A birder who wants to get involved and volunteer with an organization may also find opportunities to do so listed here. These websites are an ideal place to find a great deal of useful information.
Mike Selvon is the owner of various niche portals. Our bird feeder portal at http://birdfeedersmanual.mynicherecommends.com is a great resource for more information on bird watching and technology. While you are there don’t forget to claim your free gift.
Return of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
If you’ve not done so already, it’s time to clean out and refill your hummingbird feeders, because the Ruby-throated hummingbird - the king of nature’s frequent flyers - is on its way back to the eastern U.S. Reportedly, they are about a week ahead of last year.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds spend the winter in Central America, roughly between southern Mexico and northern Panama, and begin leaving in January. The males leave first, followed about ten days later by the females, but their exit from Central America is spread over a three months period, and they do not migrate in flocks. These factors eliminate the possibility of losing the species to storms.
Some will take the long route over land, hugging the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Others will take the over-water route, landing in North America from Texas to the Florida panhandle. The 500-odd mile flight takes about 20 hours, and the birds may lose half of their pre-migration weight.
Once in North America, the birds move steadily northwards, covering about twenty miles per day. Banding studies have indicated that the birds tend to return to where they hatched.
By mid-July, the southward migration has begun, but the peak southward migration occurs when flowers stop blooming and insects become more scarce. Also, Ruby-throats are less tolerant of cold weather than other hummingbird species. The peak migration is from mid-August through mid-September. By late September, the birds you see at your feeders are migrating birds, and probably not the birds you enjoyed during the summer. Since they all look alike, it is impossible to tell which is which. The number of birds migrating south is much higher because of the young birds joining the flight for the first time.
Since Ruby-throats don’t migrate in a flock, it is unclear how the young birds know where to go. Apparently something instinctively tells them, “It’s time to go,” and they use an inherent form of dead reckoning navigation to find their winter habitat. Banding studies indicate that once a young bird completes the first southern migration, it will use that same route for each southern migration for the rest of its life. If it works, why change? And again, the males leave first.
Most Ruby-throats take a land route back to Central America, even if they crossed the Gulf on their northern migration earlier in the year. Perhaps hurricanes in the Gulf have reduced the number of southerly migrating Gulf-crossers to a small minority.
But why go to all the trouble? Why do they migrate? You have to think back to the last ice age for the answer. As the ice covering most of North America retreated, some tropical birds discovered there was less competition for food and shelter if they moved northward, following the retreating ice. Some song birds could survive the colder climate, eating berries and seeds when insects were no longer available. They’re the birds we enjoy year round. The Ruby-throats, however, are carnivorous and must rely on nectar of flowering plants and insects. Hence, they must make the long journey south to find food.
Yet not all Ruby-throats go all the way to Central America. A few spend the winter on the Gulf coast, and a few “winter” on the Outer Banks. Perhaps they are too old or ill to make the crossing. Or maybe they were hatched too late to put on enough fat. So, their survival depends on a mild winter.
The good news is that the “Platinum Medallion” of frequent flyers is on its way back. Welcome them with a clean feeder filled with fresh sugar water, so they can regain their energy for the mating season.
Janet Winter loves her wild birds, especially hummingbirds, and delights in providing helpful resources and unique products for feathered friends at http://www.WildBirdGoodies.com. She is a web designer, travel agent and writer on many topics including wild birds, babies and dogs.
Dwarfed Trees Raised From Seedlings and Cuttings
One of the most fascinating hobbies is the raising of trees from seeds sown directly in a shallow container. If the seedlings are allowed to grow for a few years, they appear like a miniature forest; the same may be done with cuttings.
The following trees and shrubs may be sown directly in shallow containers or boxes, less than four inches in depth; Japanese maples, birches, beeches, Pomegranate, Yeddo Spruce, pines and many other conifers; also Wex-Tree (Rhus succedanea), Lacquer-Tree (Rhus ver-niciflua), Maidenhair Tree (Oinkgo M-loba), Cryptomeria japonica, Ilex serrata and Zelkova serrata. When the young seedlings are established they may be transplanted thickly to another shallow container or singly to a pot. The single planted ones in thumb pots should be shifted to slightly larger pits every two or three years. Two or three such trans-plantings should be enough.
Pinching
During the growing season pinching off growing tips should not be neglected - otherwise, whether seedlings or old dwarfs, the trees will be unsightly in form and disproportionately long branches will be produced. Generally, pinching is practiced and begins when young shoots are an inch or so long. Only one or two leaves are allowed to remain on any one branch. In the case of conifers such as spruces and pines, pinching should be done as the soft new branches elongate and begin to show their new needles. Every ‘new twig should be pinched back, except the ones desired to improve form or to fill a gap; only a bit of elongated shoot should remain, from which the new buds are formed. Unsightly or deformed dwarfed potted trees, often seen at the novice’s home, are in most cases the result of wrong pinching or neglect of pinching.
Densely twigged trees such as elm, maple, pomegranate and zelkova, should be pinched during the growing season whenever the twigs attain one or two inches in length. Always remember to retain one or two leaves on each branch.
The flowering shrubs such as azalea, enkianthus, rose, quince and jasmine, or fringe-tree and crabapple, contrary to the preceding, should not be pinched even lightly. Pinching back of these varieties removes the flower buds and prevents flowering.
The weeping willow and tamarix trained in weeping form are better if all the new twigs are cut off in the middle of spring. When new growth starts again, the weeping branchlets that are produced will be more slender and delicate.
Varieties
Now, I feel it is better to select a few trees which would probably be of interest to readers and try to describe in a few words the essential points on their culture.
Flowering Cherries. Japanese flowering cherries are nicer as garden trees but sometimes well known garden varieties are attractive as dwarfed potted trees. In dwarfing these trees, the general practice is no pinching or pruning. Among the flowering cherries, the best is Primus incisa and its varieties. This densely-twigged dwarf shrub is very lovely with little single blooms. Prunus kurilensis is good, too. Over-watering may kill the whole plant or destroy most of the branches.
Flowering Crabapples. Among these the most popular is Hall’s Crabapple, known for nearly ninety years in American gardens. The tree is easily trained to one or two feet in height by bending or coiling the long shoots. So trained, these produce many flowering spurs and become very floriferous. Every spring the trees are a beautiful sight with their lovely rose-colored blooms hanging gracefully on long, slender, reddish flower stalks.
Peaches and Pears. Though rarely seen as dwarfed potted trees they make lovely ones. These and the preceding are, with a few exceptions, called by the “dignified” connoisseurs merely “potted lowering trees”. These and other varieties certainly bear further study if one is interested in working with Bonsai plants.
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Rainforests: Way More Than Just Monkeys And Parrots
Rainforests are the dynamic engine of the Earth’s biosphere; they fix carbon from the atmosphere, and the aspiration of plants in the rain forests produce nearly 10% of the oxygen we need to live (over 70% of the oxygen is generated by algae and plankton on the world’s oceans). They act as filters, pulling pollutants out of the air and fixing minerals into the soil, and help stem the tide of soil erosion; they are dynamic, and vividly alive, and critical to the life expectancy of our planet.
The biological diversity of tropical rain forests is staggering. Of the roughly 1.9 million named land species native to planet earth, over two thirds of them are found in tropical rain forests, ranging from Asia to South America to Africa, and places in between. 95% of the beneficial plants and plant compounds used for medicine, cosmetics and more are found in tropical rain forests, and this diversity is one of the great treasures of the world.
And it’s being lost, and lost rapidly, due to development and encroachment by urban areas. 30 years ago, rain forests covered 14% of the land area of the earth. It’s now under 6% and shrinking rapidly. At the current rate of deforestation, the last rain forest could be cut down by the 2040s.
There are several layers of impact to the loss of rainforest terrain and biomes. The first is simply conservation - when the last member of an animal species dies, that species has gone extinct. There is a strong emotional appeal to preserving wildlife, preserving wild lands, is very important to people. The second is climactic. Developing rain forest into cattle lands or crop lands leads to desertification, because of the shift in rainfall patterns and the fact that rainforest ecosystems keep most of the nutrients in plants, rather than the soil. The last impact is economic and medical; the rainforests are reservoirs of ecological diversity, and potentially domesticable plants and animals. Major research goes into finding plants and plant compounds that are tied to medical advances and present in plants and animals in the rainforest.
Rainforest deforestation impacts the planet, local and global economies. We’re going to focus on the local changes, and work from there, up the chain of events and causality. The typical cycle is that rain forest lands get clear cut and used for crop lands, then cattle grazing lands when the crops fail, then abandoned (or used for housing if conveniently located), when even grazing lands fail. This is part of a vicious cycle - most of the nutrients in a rain forest biome are tied in the living organisms, not the soil itself. When they’re clear cut, and burned, most of the resulting land is poor for agricultural use, low in phosphorus and nitrates, with soil that will blow away when the first wind storm hits. Soil exhaustion and salinization from over irrigation makes things even worse. This is, in many ways, analogous to strip-mining the soil, much as one would strip mine for copper or iron ore.
In an active and thriving rain forest, minerals and nutrients cycle quickly. When the rain forest is chopped down, those nutrients aren’t there any more. They’re shipped off as building materials or simply burned to clear the land. When grasses are seeded for cattle ranching, the soil is already starting depleted, and gets more so quickly. Eventually, the grass gets overgrazed, winds and rains come down and wash the soil into estuaries, and the process cycles even faster.
Erosion from deforestation is an attendant problem. The cover provided by the rain forest canopy keeps the tropical sunlight from baking the moisture out of the soils, and the aspiration of the plants helps capture rain clouds and seed clouds for rain. After the forest has been cleared, rainfall drops considerably. The tropical rain forest is a perfect example of a system where the combination of elements creates a whole greater than the sum of the parts.
There are several programs in place to try to preserve rain forests; the problems come from the fact that, in terms of local economics, it’s hard to convince a farmer that clearing more land to raise more crops and make more money is a losing proposition compared to leaving the rain forest in place as a refuge for vermin and predators. Trying to preserve islands of rainforest land hasn’t worked; the minimum area for viable rainforest biomes is around one hundred square miles, and most of the island experiments have been a tenth of that or less. Now, larger non governmental organizations are trying to buy up large tracts of rainforest land to keep as nature preserves, or to use as a basis for ecological tourism as a revenue stream to offset land use taxes, and the economic incentives for clear cutting.
Some efforts are being put in place to teach local farmers to work with the rain forest ecosystem rather than competing with it, using clearings in the rain forest for garden plots, and attempting to harvest the bounty of the rainforest directly. These have met a great deal of resistance because of the difficulties in balancing immediate short term profit with long term sustainability.
Learn about Preservation of Endangered Rainforest Birds & Plant Species at http://www.paradiseearthonline.com
Be Proud to Be a Bird Watcher
The passion and pleasure that a bird watcher finds in that hobby is inspirational. Those who bird watch are unique group of people. Bird watchers have a great sense of awareness as to what is going on around them and a degree of patience that is rare in our society.
A bird watcher will find as much delight in telling you about how they got to the place where they saw a particular species as they will about the bird itself. There is something satisfying about trotting up a hill, climbing an old barbed wire fence, and then sliding down a muddy ravine just to catch a glimpse of a warbler family flitting amongst some remote treetops.
Western society has made people quite content to drive up to a window, order, and then be on the way without ever getting out of the car. If only birding were that easy. Bird watchers can teach the busy world around them about what it means to deliberate, and to spend all day working towards a goal that may not even come to fruition. After all, not every outing is a successful one.
Society can learn from the patience of a bird watcher. A business mindset causes many to think that times of inactivity are wasted. Successful people in this world capitalize on every available moment and use those moments to be proactive. The bird watchers demonstrate first hand that this in not necessarily true. These people show the world that sometimes, the best and most rewarding things are the ones that you waited patiently, quietly, and for a long time to get.
To be a bird watcher is to do a great service to society by being passionate about conservation. Building processes and roads continue to destroy acres of forested ground and prime avian habitat. Various voices of the bird watching community are speaking loudly and clearly about the importance of preserving these habitats.
Bird watching enthusiasts know that progress is inevitable, but that we must work diligently to find a balance with the natural world. This passion for conservation is often born out of the time that a birder spends in the field, marveling over the complexity of not only the birds, but the entire eco-system that they call home as well.
A veteran bird watcher must understand the responsibility he or she has to the bird watching community. An experienced bird watcher needs to be proactive about bringing new enthusiasts along and teaching the proper methods and ethics of birding. As long as every generation is willing to take the time to pass along their knowledge, then the movement to conserve habitat will continue to thrive.
Mike Selvon is the owner of various niche portals. Our bird feeder portal at http://birdfeedersmanual.mynicherecommends.com is a great resource for more information on bird watching. While you are there don’t forget to claim your free gift.
Bali Mynah: Rare Beauties Of Bali
Bali Mynahs are a rare and beautiful bird found only on the Bali Island in Indonesia. There are as few as 60 wild Bali Mynahs that inhabit the Bali Barat National Park in its northwestern corner. There they live amongst the open woodland and openly gather in the morning hours.
In size, they are no bigger than a cardinal. However, their beauty is unique. They have exquisite white wings with black tips. Their tails also bear the black tip marking. They have a bright blue color displayed around their eyes. Their heads are toppled with a white lacy burst of feathers. They are a very vocal bird and often their chatter is accompanied with the bobbing of their heads. This is especially noticeable in their mating season.
Their main diet is that of plants and other animals significantly insects, worms, caterpillars, ants, and other invertebrates. During seasons where food is scarce they tend to travel in groups to help locate provisions.
The limited population of the Bali mynah is due to the threat of illegal pet trade. Up until 1990 there were at least 60 of the birds in existence but because of the barren nature of their habitat and their habitual grouping technique, the numbers have decreased below 10. Though they are protected by the government their capture remains a problem as they can be sold as pets for around a thousand dollars. Many of them are lost to death due to the poor conditions of shipping them illegally.
Zoos have actually developed breeding programs to help repopulate the bird and its hopeful their efforts will succeed. Luckily due to the involvement of these organizations, the numbers of illegal trade have been greatly reduced. These programs also initiate educational awareness towards these and other extinct animals. In Indonesia the Bali Mynah is the symbol of such educational programs.
There are ways you can take a stand against the extinction of animals. One way is by rejecting products which are made from animal materials such as clothing, wallets, belts, etc. Buy locally grown and produced products so you can be sure of their history. Finally, exotic pets are often sold in an immoral way. Question the heritage of the animal before making a decision to purchase. Common care goes along way in saving the lives of these and other exotic animals. No animal should be found in extinct measure to satisfy the entertaining luxuries of humankind.
Learn more about the Exotic Bird Bali Mynah at http://www.paradiseearthonline.com/
Bonsai Trees For House And Garden
What plants, other than ferns and cut-leaf maples, would you recommend to be included in a japanese garden? There is a great variety of plants that could be used in a japanese garden. It depends on what type of garden you have in mind. Japanese gardens have evolved from primitive “Tei” gardens, to gardens that were influenced by the Sung and Tang Dinasties.
These gardens were very sumptuous and depicted dramatic landscape features. There were also Buddhist gardens that depicted paradise on earth. Influenced by the tea cerimony and its aesthetics, the military lords of feudal Japan, comissioned some very interesting gardens that still exist. My favorites are the Zen gardens and their simplicity. As you can see, there are many different types of japanese gardens, and they could use many different types of plants and materials.
Most all japanese gardens are use as a place of peace and quite. A way for the gardener to get out of the world and just enjoy sometime to themselves and there family. A lot of gardeners take a lot of pride in there garden. There garden reflects the way the gardener sees or feels like when they go out into there garden. A lot of monks and buddhist spend a lot of time in there gardens cleaning and just enjoying the great gifts that they were given. They even belive that if you listen hard enough you can hear the plants talking to you.
Bonsai refers to the miniaturizing of a plant, but it does not identify the type of plant that it is. There are hundreds of different types of bonsai plants. All of the bonsai plants out there never have the same name, but the only thing that they do have in common is that they are from the bonsai family. A complete description of the plant - leaf dimensions, leaf color, number of stems growing from the soil, does the stem branch or grow straight, does it have bark, and any other distinguishing characteristics that would ID your plant.
There are many types of bonsai trees out there for example: Madagascar palm bonsai tree, jade bonsai, and azalea bonsai. Bonsais are rarely easy and nearly always very expensive - and profitable! Unlike many bonsais, a Jade can survive as a houseplant. Bonsais are potted in a variety of different containers of different sizes and shape and with varied soil compositions.
But not all jade bonsai are the same. Having good inforamtion on the type of bonsai and what is need for it is something you can ask where you go and get your plants from, take inforamtion off the internet, look at books on bonsais, or you can talk to another gardener about it.
Azaleas Bonsai are tough to keep because Azaleas do not tolerate dryness and Bonsais have little soil and small pots so they dry out quickly. That means you may have to water your Azalea every day or two, although I cannot be sure of that without knowing the size and other factors. The withering that you mentioned is probably due to excessive soil dryness.
In addition, your Azalea needs at least a few hours of direct sun every day and it prefers cool temperatures. It may do better outside in a cool semi-shaded area during the warmer months. In any case, this is not an easy plant as it is very unforgiving of any lapses in watering, light or temperature.
The presence of fungus gnats is a good indication that the soil is staying too moist and the roots are rotting. The fungus gnat larvae feed on the decaying roots. I cannot say just how often your Bonsai should be watered, but is is apparent that you are watering too frequently. I suggest watering no more than twice per week as long as there is no evidence that the plant is wilting. This will help curb the root rot which, unlike the gnats, will kill the plant.
Adult fungus gnats fly around and are an annoyance, but they are not harmful to people. Each gnat lives for about 5 days. The trick is to get rid of the next generation - the gnat larvae that live in the top layer of the soil. Try to keep the soil as dry as possible. Remove all loose soil and rocks from the surface and place 1/2 inch slices of raw potato on the surface of the soil. These potato slices will attract the gnat larvae.
After a day or so, discard the slices along with the larvae inside. Repeat this until there are no more larvae in the potato. You just need to be a little more careful about how much water you give your bonsai after all the larvae are gone. Make sure that you do keep you bonsai tree in the sun.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.SendFlowers4.info/ . SendFlowers4.info is a great place to shop for flowers, gift baskets, and plants when you are looking for a special gift. Start here to search by “Special Occasion”: http://www.SendFlowers4.info/category/occasions.html
The Elements of Feng Shui
The Feng Shui energy (or Chi) of an object, person, or place, relates to whatever is in its space, and the flow of Chi is unique in every living environment. These forces are always moving and always seeking balance (Yin and Yang), which rely on the Five Elements of water, wood, metal, earth, and fire, and they are believed to affect everything we do. Each element has its own particular energy that radiates to everyone and everything else in its proximity.
Although the properties of Feng Shui elements are individually important, what is more important is the positive or destructive effect that each element can have on the other. If for example, you have a room that lacks the wood element, you would have to supply a water element as well, because water is what enables wood to grow. Feng Shui elements can either be harmonious and unified, or they can be ridden with conflict and cause anxiousness, worry and depression. Each element has its unique properties, and I’ve listed them below:
Water
Water is fluid, and can signal networking, communication, professional opportunities and wealth. It also indicates travel and communication and relates to literature, the arts, and the media. Water can be both gentle (like soft rainfall) or violent (like a hurricane). Water nourishes all living things, but can also wear away the hardest rock.
Wood
Wood promotes creative energies and development. It can be pliant and bending, like the willow, or strong and unyielding, like the oak. Wood is sociable and community minded. It also represents birth and early childhood.
Metal
Metal elements are transmitters and they conduct energy. Metal generates harvest, business and success. On the negative side, metal also indicates the sword and can be destructive and violent. Various types of metals are considered very precious for their association with health. For example, many people wear copper bracelets for this reason. But too much metal in a living space can attract too much energy and can be destructive.
Earth
Earth gives stability and represents permanence. It’s associated with real estate and legacies. Earth can be patient, just, honest and methodical. However, it can also be smothering and demanding. It should be used in moderation.
Fire
The element of fire is considered the most powerful of all five elements and represents energy and passion. It can also be a sign of danger. When there is too much fire present, it can be destructive. Fire warms and cheers, but it can also burn and destroy.
To Feng Shui believers, each of these elements has its own unique personality that either enables it to “get along with” the other elements, or it will be in discord with them when the balance is not right. To find such balance, it would indeed require a systematic study of spiritual Feng Shui. Happy trails to those seeking Feng Shui enlightenment; seek and you just might find!
Timothy Green is the co-author of SPEAK E-Z CHINESE In Phonetic English. You can find fun and easy Mandarin lessons, as well as travel and culture tips about China at http://www/CathayCafe/com.
Paradise Tanager: The Brilliant Bird of Many Colors
The Paradise Tanager (Tangara Chilensis) is a brilliantly colored, moderately sized songbird that resides in the forests of South America. Its seven bright colors make this bird stand out from any surroundings: its head is a bright shade of lime green, with a deep purple-blue on its breast and turquoise on its belly. The tail and wings are usually tipped with a banana yellow, while the lower back is a rich scarlet. The Tanager’s mantle is also a bold black, giving this bird the moniker “seven-color” in the countries where it resides.
Both the male and female Paradise Tanager are almost exactly the same in appearance, making it somewhat difficult to identify the birds by sex. In order to do this, one must observe the bird’s behavior: the male will sing more often than the female, and certainly if one of them lays eggs, you’ve found your female bird! When breeding, Paradise Tanagers prefer to establish their nest high up in the forest canopy, where there is protection from predators and a humid atmosphere to help the eggs develop properly. A female Paradise Tanager will lay two to three eggs at once, and these eggs have a short incubation period of about 13-14 days.
Found throughout South America, the Paradise Tanager resides most heavily in the area around the Amazon Basin, including Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, and Columbia. Interestingly, the Paradise Tanager isn’t found in the southern Amazon - only the Northern parts, and typically in the forest canopy or around its humid edges. In fact, this bird is quite commonly found in its territory and appears to be thriving in its natural habitat - estimates place the Paradise Tanager’s global range of extent at 4,500,000 km squared! For this reason, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Paradise Tanager is ranked as a species of “least concern”.
The length of this bird varies from 13.5 to 15 cm, or 6 to 8 inches, and can be kept as a pet in a large cage with plenty of water. Due to their natural habitat in the Amazon, Paradise Tanagers should be given a diet of fresh, tropical fruits and nuts while in captivity, including figs, orange slices, bananas and pears. In addition, some small insects such as mealworms, crickets and fruits flies are also readily welcomed by these birds. With the proper daily care, Paradise Tanagers make beautiful pets, however they do need a great deal of attention to ensure stable health. Breeding in captivity is not recommended.
Learn about a Exotic Bird Paradise Tanager at http://www.paradiseearthonline.com/
