While i walked along the paths of Vereda Tierra Grata, throught the dry forest and mountains of Manaure Cesar (Colombia), a Yellow-bellied Elaenia, or how this medium-sized flycatcher is locally called «clarodía«, gracefully poused for a photo as the sun rose.
The bird was vocalizing insistently It was perched on a bush species belonging to Erythroxylum genus, closely related to the coca plant, on whose fruit it feeds. That bush is four meters high, It has thin and grayish branches, and oval leaves.
Yellow-bellied Elaenia inhabits all the tropical Americas, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, in different habitats like scrub, savannah, forest edges and gardens.
Its plumage is dark green in upper parts, but the wings are darker with two white bars. The bird has a light eye ring, white throat, yellow belly and a pointed crest, which often opens while the bird sings. The Yellow-bellied Elaenia feeds on fruits and insects.
We saw this bird during the 121th Christmas Bird Count of Audubon Society in the Perijá Mountains, if you’d like to volunteer in our local community and activities, or go birding in Colombia, please contact us at turismo@roperoaventuras
JOSE LUIS ROPERO.
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JOSE LUIS ROPERO 