The bird is 33 cm long and predominantly green coloured. Features include the narrow dark green edges around the feathers, giving the impression that the bird is scaly. The green on the breast and belly has a bluish tinge. The green on the head gradually changes to yellow on the forehead and around the eye. Below the eye, the yellow passes through light blue to green. Furthermore, there are yellow spots on the shoulder and the feathered part of the walking leg. In flight, the red mirror is visible on the wing and the dark blue tips of the wing feathers can be seen.
This species is found in the far north of Venezuela and nearby islands such as Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. The habitat is terrain with drought-loving vegetation with many cacti and thorny bushes and trees. The bird nests in rock crevices or burrows in trees and large cacti.
Pieter Smit was born in Arnhem and has lived on Bonaire since 2010. In his spare time, he enjoys taking photos, mainly of the Caribbean island's colourful birds... Read more…