Dream yourself away.
We are on the beautiful island New Providence, Bahamas.
A relaxing sea breeze caresses you.
Palm leaves gently blow in the Caribbean wind.
You are on a mission.
You're on the lookout for the most exotic birds.
And then you find them.
In the midst of palm and undefined trees.
The coolest birds ever.
Beautiful, unique, amazing.
Fascinating, breath taking, amiable.
Gorgeous, cool, you wanna take them home.
You wonder what they are called.
What they are.
All you know is that you have fallen in love with them.
They are
Smooth - billed Anis
(Crotophaga ani)
I have learned that they are related to cuckoos and roadrunners.
Their bill is arched with a prominent ridge on the top, they are entirely black and a little bit bulky.
Did you know that they are "Zygodactyl", meaning their toes are special and that is why they belong to cuckoos. Two toes point forward and two backward.
I also read and saw with my own eyes that they have an unusual social behavior.
They live in small groups and all the females lay their eggs in one nest. Every Smooth-billed Ani in the group incubates the eggs and cares for the young.
Humans can learn a lot from animals.
Smooth-billed Anis are highly social birds.
They eat, sit and travel together. They are one big family spending time with each other and watching out for everyone in the group.
They are funny to watch if they let you.
They hop along the ground or climb up stones or branches looking for insects and small vertebrates, especially lizards.
When they found some prey they are pouncing on them with the large bill.
I saw them every day during my stay in the Bahamas and it was an encounter I was looking for.
Every morning and evening they would show up somewhere.
Their distinctive sound was a unique sign that they were around.
Sound sample: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/265597421
They have a special aura surrounding them and they seem to be from a different planet and unlike anything you would expect to see in the Caribbean.
I got lucky being able to shoot them in the trees and on the ground up close with my Nikon underwater camera back then.
That's why the last picture will be my entry for the contest #smap.
It is contest number 13, my lucky number and birthdate and this weeks topic was a nice coincident for me as well.
All my favorite birds are black and the Smooth-billed Ani is for sure my favorite besides the Black Woodpecker.
A bird I have fallen in love with, they are fun to watch, even though they are suspicious and shy.
Contest entry
©bulldog-joy