Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Troupial, Curacao's National Bird

I am linking up with World Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I am back from my week long vacation in Curacao, Dutch Antilles. We had a great time and saw some beautiful birds.  The Troupial is one of 25 or so of the New World Orioles. The Troupial or "Turpial" the Spanish name is the National Bird of Curacao and can also be found on Bonaire, Aruba and in South America.





The Troupial is large in size, has a long tail and a bulky bill. The feathers on the upper neck and upper breast stick out and make an uneven boundary between the orange on the bottom lower breast. The wings are mostly black except for a white streak the run the length of the wing. The eyes are yellow and surrounding each eye is a bright blue area of naked skin.












I am showing various angles and shots of different Troupials we saw during our week long visit to Curacao.







Above, you can see the size of the Troupial compared to the smaller Bananaquit sitting on the feeder.



I think the eyes and colors on the Troupial are gorgeous on this beautiful bird.  I wanted to show the difference between the Troupial and our own State Bird of Maryland below. As you can see there are many differences. The blue around the eye and the black on the head nd neck area are some of the differences  I have noticed.
















I hope you enjoyed my Troupial from Curacao and to see more beautiful birds
check out Springman's World Bird Wednesday  and for more nature photos and post
please visit  Michelle's Nature Notes.   Thanks to Springman and to Michelle for hosting these fun memes. And I always appreciate the comments. :)))

51 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

really handsome birds! i so rarely get to see any orioles here - just an orchard oriole or two once in a blue moon. these are beauties! glad you had a good vacation!

Indrani said...

Whoa! Lovely!
Such bright colors! Terrific captures.

EG CameraGirl said...

It's hard for me not to feel jealous, Eileen. :)) You go to so many wonderful places to see beautiful birds.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful bird, I love the feather pattern they have on the front neck/breast area and the orange color is amazing! Glad you had a wonderful trip, welcome back.

Jo said...

Oh my, what a stunning bird. When I first saw it, I thought "oriole" And there you said it was a new world oriole. Thanks for sharing. I hope I can one day get back to posting on WBW. For now I'm not getting captures of birds. *Sigh* Have a great week. Jo

Rohrerbot said...

Wonderful wonderful wonderful!!! I bet it was incredible. How fun and tropical:)!!! Thanks for sharing.

Karin M. said...

Wonderful shots, such a pretty bird ....magnificent colors....
Love greetings, Karin

barbara l. hale said...

REally enjoyed seeing these bright, cheerful looking birds!

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

That is one beautiful bird.

Unknown said...

They're beautiful!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Diane AZ said...

Oh, what a stunning bird! It almost looks like a sculpture with those captivating eyes.

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

wow! what a gorgeous bird!!!! his markings and bright yellow with black!! terrific pictures!

his eyes are like the little Vireo i snapped a picture of a few weeks ago...like those tiny craft bubble eyes.

caite said...

Wow, this bird is just fantastic and you got some great captures!

Janie said...

The striking beady eye, and the vibrant colors. It draws me in every time. Found you on World Bird Wednesday.

NatureFootstep said...

wow, seems to be a great place for birding. Such graphical colorful birds. Must have been fun to see.

Carol said...

Beautiful bird! Such vibrant color. Great captures, bet it was a fabulous vacation on Curacao!

Bob Bushell said...

The Oriole is quite something to look at, and you have put it in your header, really great photos.

Carole M. said...

Eileen , what a fabulous photo for your topper! A great trip you did! When it's next to the glorious tropical yellow flowers; what a fantastic image. Was a week long enough I might wonder?! I'm not exactly sure where it is on the map; will have to search it out. How long travelling for you?

CameraCruise said...

Wow, what a beautiful bird.
Great shots.

mick said...

Beautiful birds. You got some great photos.

Fjällripan said...

Oh my, they are really handsome birds!! Great captured by you :)

Larry said...

Awesome shots of a really cool bird Eileen! I love Orioles but this tropical version with the blue around the eyes is just magnificent!

jeanlivingsimple said...

I love how you compared this beautiful bird to the equally beautiful Baltimore Oriole.
A super post Eileen!

Debbie said...

WoW...what a beautiful bird, you got some amazing pictures!! there is something about that color and those stricking eyes!!

soooo happy you had a wonderful vacation, i have missed your updates!!

Vores have said...

Great pictures you show.
Wishing you a good day.
Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk

Nature Rambles said...

These are indeed stunning birrds! Fantastic captures!

Gillian Olson said...

That is a wonderful looking bird, thank you for sharing.

Rajesh said...

Very beautiful bird. Love the color combinations.

A wondering star said...

Beautiful with sharply contra things bright orange and black.
I love all your birds.
Thanks for sharing

Stewart M said...

What a great looking bird! Black and yellow is always a winning look!

Stewart M - Australia

LeenaH said...

This bird in your photo is like an art piece and it is art from our wonderful nature. You made beautiful pictures, Eileen!
My son`s family spent two weeks in Curacao too, they loved it!

Arija said...

Thank you, yes, I certainly enjoyed seeing this colourful and interesting bird. Certainly more colourful than the birds I hunted in our arid lands over the last 12 days.

ShySongbird said...

Wonderful photos of a really stunning bird Eileen! I love the ones among the yellow blossom. It was good to get a real idea of its size by seeing it next to the little bird on the feeder too.

I also enjoyed your previous post. How nice that you are doing such valuable work! I loved the photo of the Ovenbird which reminded me a lot of our Song Thrush.

Carver said...

The birds are so exotic and beautiful. Great shots.

Chaparral Earth said...

Wow what a kool looking bird that is Eileen. Reminds me of my wife and I trips to the Canary Islands. After enduring hideous winters, it's always nice to escape to the tropics.

rainfield61 said...

They are as beautiful as the orioles that I find over here in Malaysia.

Rambling Woods said...

What a wonderful place to vacation. My friend went there and really enjoyed it..Love this bird's colors.. Michelle

Libby said...

They are beautiful and amazing!!! Thanks for sharing your Photos!!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful bird! I love the last picture of the Troupial.

Tammy said...

Awesome shots of a cool bird! Love his markings :)

Anonymous said...

beautiful

Leora said...

Gorgeous yellow! So different than the other birds (the ones local to your area) that you have posted.

Anonymous said...

Hui Eileen, These slightly resemble Orchard Oriels. I have never been to Central America and have never seen a Trupiat. Have an outstanding day tomorrow! Excellent pictures, by the way!

Kim, USA said...

Baltimore Oriole is so pretty. I have seen one yesterday here in our backyard my first time in almost 8 years I live here in Michigan. ^_^

Water World Wednesday

Springman said...

Birds and blooms, does it get any better than that?

Elaine said...

These are so beautiful! What a lovely vacation spot.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

Welcome home Eileen. It looks like a beautiful place to visit, had never heard of it. Beautiful birds too!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I like yellow birds, in Singapore, we get the orio.

tiptoethruphylsgarden.blogspot.com said...

What a beautiful bird!They look like a fairly large bird.Have a great weekend,& thanks for sharing,phyllis

DeniseinVA said...

Oh wow, such gorgeous birds!!! Tropical and colorful goes hand in hand.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Eileen those are wonderful. You pick the best birding spots for your vacations!! Interesting to compare and contrast these beauties with your very own oriole. Thanks.

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