Birds Of Tobago: juvenile

Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) juvenile birds in grassland

Juvenile blue-black Grassquits start a mottled brown, females remain brown, while males turn black all over, the juvenile bird pictured resting on the bush is showing the first signs of such a change on his belly. These delightful seed eaters are common around Tobago, and a bird to make itself know with it's fairly loud calls and singing voice, frequently found in suburban areas, but as always, so much nicer to photograph them in more natural surroundings.

Photography : Samsung Pro815 digital bridge camera
Location : Kilgwyn Mangrove woodland, Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies

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Smooth-billed Ani juvenile guarded by female adults

A young smooth-billed Ani is guarded by two female adults as other members of the group search for food. The Smooth-billed Ani build a communal nest where females lay eggs on top of each other in one large nest. Obviously only a few eggs at the top of the nest hatch into young birds. Nesting duties and parental duties are undertaken by all members of the group which usually number around 12 birds. Smooth-billed Anis are members of the Cuckoo family (Cuculidae), and are restricted to the tropical Americas.

See details of the Smooth-billed Ani

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