Blog & Photo Archive
Birding is about finding beauty in the everyday birds; the thrill and passion comes from the backyard species as much as it does the once-in-a-lifetime bird, as does the responsibility to protect them.
These entries are vignettes, lessons, personal reflections, and conservation efforts.
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October 26, 2025
Picazuro Pigeon
The Picazuro Pigeon is like an invisible giant. Not because it is a secretive bird - not at all - but because everyone below the age of sixty five seems to think that they are just… Pigeons. Of course that generalization excludes birders below the age of sixty five, but that’s not the majority of people in my city. And I can’t help but think that people are missing out on this bird, like they don’t know their next-door neighbor.
Despite being very present where I live, sometimes Picazuro Pigeons don’t even get recognition fot their song! When I was a child, my mom used to tell me that their song was actually the sound a domestic pigeon makes when it’s nesting. I didn’t know better, so that was what I believed until I became a birder. Such invisibility makes me wonder about how we humans put a lot of value in recognition for our accomplishments, while birds don’t need recognition to be satisfied with their song. Even as we attribute their sound to another artist, they keep on singing, quietly observing us in our oblivion.
Once I was at a bus stop with some classmates and introduced them to Picazuro Pigeons, since one was sitting on a wire nearby. I told them they were a different species from domestic pigeons, and someone said “They’re all pigeons to me”. It makes me sad to see them being treated with such disregard because they are, after all, the native ones. They have been around long before their much more numerous domestic contemporaries, and even human cities, arrived. They are a reminder of the ancient, a constant in our day-to-day lives since before our grandparents, who seem to be the only ones who still recognize them nowadays.
Even their scientific name carries history. Picazuro derives from the native guarani language and means “bitter pigeon”, a name given to them by native peoples because of their bitter tasting meat depending on what fruits they consume.
Since I realized how unfamiliar this pigeon is to my generation I have been pointing them out to my friends when opportunity arises, and with that I hope they can start to notice their presence too. I think that when people have a connection somehow with a species, it is much less likely that it will go unnoticed if it’s ever in trouble. Not that it is the case of Picazuro Pigeons, but it still makes me uneasy to see them being invisible. Because if they ever started to disappear, no one would notice.
October 26, 2025
White-eyed Parakeets
These are White-eyed Parakeets. Their eyes are not actually white, but they have a bare patch of white skin around their eyes. This photo was taken just after sunrise in a Quilombola community in my state. A huge flock of parakeets was loudly sweeping the sky above our camping site and I was marvelling at the enormity of the scene - only people who have been in the presence of a flock of these birds know how absurdly loud they are. Their sound filled the whole sky and it was absolutely thrilling. They are monogamous and have a habit of flying in pairs, even within the bigger group, which is very endearing to see.
Like many Psittacines, White-eyed Parakeets are among the most trafficked birds in Brazil due to their ability to mimic human speech and bright colors, and are frequently acquired illegally by people who keep them as pets in small cages with little to no enrichment. It is common for these pet birds to be fed diets consisting almost exclusively of sunflower seeds, which are nutritionally very poor and lead to liver issues and obesity in the long-term. Wing-clipping is also common practice, with an array of severe consequences. These birds also tend to not receive adequate veterinary assistance because it is unavailable in rural areas, too expensive or because people fear taking their illegal pet to the vet, thinking it might be seized by law enforcement.
Many of these harmful practices are actually caused by a lack of knowledge and not done with the intention to hurt the birds, which proves the importance of educating people on that matter and raising awareness about the heartbreaking consequences of animal trafficking.
White-eyed Parakeets are not considered endangered, being classified as of least concern, but their populations are being affected by traffic.
October 26, 2025
Red-cowled Cardinal
Upon arriving at the breakfast area of my hotel during a family trip to Jericoacoara, I did not expect to find heaps of brightly colored and previously unknown birds hopping about in fierce search of food crumbs. I was flabbergasted, both at their beauty and lengths they went to get human food, which I can only compare to those of house sparrows, which were also present. Two birds went as far as to get food directly from an abandoned plate on an occupied table, which drove me a bit crazy with concern for them ingesting sugary foods like cake and even cheese! When would a bird ever come in contact with anything remotely close to cheese in the wild? Weren’t they supposed to be super lactose intolerant? They’re not even mammals! Unfortunately I had no control over the situation, because the staff deliberately put out plates of unsafe food, like cheese, for the birds to eat, possibly to prevent them from bothering guests at their tables.
I later found out through talking to a local trip guide and doing some research that these birds are victims of traffic (not surprising, since they check the two boxes that usually foster human’s greedy interest: brightly colored plumage and beautiful vocalization). They are very common in the Northeast of Brazil and learn very quickly how to take advantage of feeders (I sure have no doubts about that), which they visit in flocks, since they’re a very social species.
Their scientific name, paroaria dominicana, references the clothing of Dominican monks, which their plumage is reminiscent of. At first I thought the species was sexually dimorphic, because I could see birds with much more faded red heads than others, but I later found out the less colorful individuals were actually juveniles. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that both males and females of this species sing.