The Miami MetroZoo is a cageless zoo where animals roam in settings similar to their natural habitats. It is the only zoo in the United States in a subtropical climate and is one of my favorite places to visit.
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Denise > Hibiscus (October 1, 2006)
Denise > Hibiscus (October 1, 2006)
Denise > Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) (October 1, 2006) The Great Egret (aka Great White Egret or Common Egret) is a large egret. It is sometimes confused with the Great White Heron in Florida, which is a white morph of the closely related Great Blue Heron (A. herodias). Note however that the name Great White Heron has occasionally been used to refer to the Great Egret. Apart from size, the Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet, though the bill may become darker and the lower legs lighter in the breeding season. In breeding plumage, delicate ornamental feathers are borne on the back. Males and females are identical in appearance; juveniles look like non-breeding adults. It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, ibises and spoonbills, which extend their necks in flight. The Great Egret is not normally a vocal bird; at breeding colonies, however, it often gives a loud croaking cuk cuk cuk.
Denise > Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) (October 1, 2006) The Sacred Ibis is a species of wading bird of the ibis family which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Iraq. It has also been introduced into France, Italy, Spain and Australia. This species is now extinct in Egypt where it was venerated in ancient times. The ancient Egyptians believed that their god Thoth sometimes came to earth in the form of a Sacred Ibis. Thoth, a scribe of the gods, was the inventor of writing and measurer of time who symbolized wisdom and knowledge. It is depicted in many murals and mummified specimens are common in burial places; over 1.5 million birds were found in one group of tombs. Herodotus, the Greek historian and traveler writing in the fifth century BC., noted that the secular killing of this ibis, whether intentional or not, was punishable by death. The ancient Egyptians knew that this ibis kept bilharzia (a debilitating disease) in check but not how. We now know that a snail, a main food of the ibis, is the host of the bilharzia parasite. Unfortunately, because of extensive swamp drainage and land reclamation over the years, the bird is now extinct in its ancient home and bilharzia is rampant.
Denise > Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) [in center of photo with black beak, head, and neck] and White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) (October 1, 2006)
Denise > Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) (October 1, 2006) Also called the American flamingo, this species is the most brightly colored and largest of all flamingos. With their bright feathers and strongly hooked bills, flamingos are among the most easily recognized waterbirds. Their pink or reddish color comes from the rich sources of carotenoid pigments (like the pigments of carrots) in the algae and small crustaceans that the birds eat. The Caribbean flamingos are the brightest, showing their true colors of red, pink, or orange on their legs, bills, and faces. They are a scarlet pink color overall and have black primary feathers. Their bill is downward bending at its midpoint. They have large bodies and flexible long necks topped with a small head. The flamingo's long legs and feet are bare, and their toes are webbed, which is good for wading. Young birds are mostly grey and do not develop their characteristic pink until after the first year. The sexes are similar in appearance.
Denise > Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) [male] (October 1, 2006) Larger than a Pochard (Aythya ferina), the male has an orange-brown head with a red beak and pale flanks. Females are brown with pale cheeks. In flight, they show whitish primaries. They dive, dabble and up-end for their food. There is a large population in Spain and nearer but smaller numbers in France, Netherlands and Germany. Occasional wild birds may be found in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom breeding birds almost certainly all come from escaped birds. They are unusual among ducks in that the drake will dive and bring food to the female during breeding season.
Denise > Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) [male] (October 1, 2006) . . . the female is in the background - to the right.
Denise > (October 1, 2006)
Hibiscus (October 1, 2006)
> Hibiscus (October 1, 2006)
Hibiscus (October 1, 2006)
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