11/08/2021
Flora and Fauna
Today we feature the oil bird.
The first five pictures were Taken at the oil bird Cave in Caripe Venezuela known as Guaracho and the others at cumaca caves Valencia Trinidad.
The oil bird (Steatornis Caripensis), locally known as the Guacharo,is a bird species found in Northern Areas of South America including the Caribbean Island of Trinidad.
The oil bird is nocturnal and feed only on fruits. There are two caves in Trinidad where you can see this remarkable species. One at Asa Wright Nature Center and the other in the hills of Cumca,village of Valencia, they can also be found in the Northeastern City of Venezuela called Caripe. The Cave at Asa Wright known as Dunston Cave Bird Count in April 2015 had 172 adults, 7eggs and 11 chick's, bird count in December 2015 had 183 adults.
The name oilbird comes from the young birds which becomes quite fat, 50% heavier than there parents. These fat nestling's were collected and rendered down for their oil the indigenous people and early settlers.
