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Devilbird
Steve G

Devilbird (Steatornis caripensis)

Also known as the Guacharo or Diablotin. This is one weird bird. Roughly Herring Gull sized, it is a bizarre nocturnal fruit-eating bird which uses a form of echo-location to fly through caves in the pitch dark.
The bird gets its name from the fact that pre-fledged young are 50% heavier than their parents due to large subcutaneous fat stores. These young birds were harvested by Amerindians to be boiled up to release this oil which was used for lamps & cooking.
The Asa Wright Oilbird colony is the most accessible Oilbird colony in the world.
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Habitat
Feeds in rain forest & nearby cultivated land, nests in caves
Location
Dunstan Cave, Arima Valley, Trinidad
Date taken
17/05/06
Scientific name
Steatornis caripensis
Equipment used
Canon 1D mkII + 500mm IS lens on a tripod with my wife sitting on the barrel of the lens; shot @ 800 ISO, F4 @ 1/8th of a second lit by a hand-torch held by the Asa Wright guide
Ragna
Under normal condition this is a very good shot but under the conditions that you had to take this shot its amazing.
 

Media information

Category
Central & South America & Mexico
Added by
Steve G
Date added
View count
242
Comment count
2

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