Masked Cardinal / Paroaria nigrogenis, Trinidad, Day 7

Just found this long video on YouTube, taken at the various places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here so that I won't forget about it later. Almost at the end of the video, it shows footage of their trip by boat to Little Tobago island, which is where my next batch of photos was taken.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

I have just posted 16 new photos overnight and am now posting this photo that was taken on the island of Trinidad, on 19 March 2017. I didn't want to add Trinidad photos in among the Tobago shots, but I find I need to finish off with one photo that I feel happy with : )

My six friends and I were fortunate enough to see this gorgeous bird on 19 March 2017, when we arrived early at the Caroni Swamp, Trinidad, ready to take our boat ride through the swamp and out into an open area of the lake. There, we were privileged to be able to watch the arrival of huge flocks of amazing Scarlet Ibis flying in to roost. Will add this YouTube link (not my video) to give an idea of what our boat ride was like - including the large snake curled up in a tree over our heads! I still have photos to post from 15-18 March first, before I reach my images from this trip.

youtu.be/vV9XvW2JSVE

"The masked cardinal (Paroaria nigrogenis) is a bird species in the tanager family (Thraupidae). It was formerly placed in the Emberizidae and is not very closely related to the cardinals proper (Cardinalidae).

It is found in Trinidad, far north-eastern Colombia and northern Venezuela. It was previously considered conspecific with the red-capped cardinal, from which it differs by the black ear-coverts and the red (not black) lower throat and upper chest. Additionally, its lower mandible is typically whitish, but this is not entirely consistent, as it occasionally is pale flesh-coloured." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masked_cardinal

My six friends and I were fortunate enough to see this gorgeous bird on 19 March 2017, when we arrived early at the Caroni Swamp, ready to take our boat ride through the swamp and out into an open area of the lake. There, we were privileged to be able to watch the arrival of huge flocks of amazing Scarlet Ibis flying in to roost. Will add this YouTube link (not my video) to give an idea of what our boat ride was like - including the boa constrictor! I still have photos to post from 15-18 March first, before I reach my images from this trip.

youtu.be/vV9XvW2JSVE