A display of all the superb creatures found at Escuela Bella Vista in Maracaibo Venezuela, (and previously where I taught at the American international school of Maputo Mozambique). At least once a week a child brings me some arthropod or other creature to identify, play with or admire. This blog seeks to honor those avid inquirers. Unlike the Lorax who spoke for the trees, Ispeakforthefleas! Enjoy.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Magnificent frigatebird(Fregata magnificens)
Truly this bird was well named, and standing in the Escuela Bella Vista parking lot with twenty of them sweeping over the skyscrapers of Maracaibo makes one grateful for such beauty. The massive wingspan enables them to hang effortlessly in the city thermals. Charles Darwin was apparently so captivated by this species that he named them the "Condor of the oceans". There is clear sexual dimorphism in all frigatebird species. Males have the huge red gular sac, and the females (which I photographed over our school today) have the gorgeous white head. Thanks to Wikipedia for the close up images and the distribution map
.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment