The Azuero Painted Parakeet

June is the month of the Azuero Painted Parakeet or Pyrrhura picta eisenmanni.

This bird is endemic to Cerro Hoya meaning it only occurs there and nowhere else in the World. It was discovered and described only in 1979 by Professor Delgado who also told us that we should meet Juan Velásquez. The birds come to Juan’s finca that limits and is partly located in the national park Cerro Hoya. Somehow Venicio – a bird guide and member of the Audubon Society – found us on the web and he brought two Canadian clients. And since he saw the birds he told it to the world on facebook on xenoris on you tube… and told all his friends and the members of Audubon Panama…

So we have been very very busy with the hotel.

And after three groups went to the bird party with success leaving after the breakfast from our hotel heliconia – I decided to come along with the fourth group of birders. Because after all you have to know what you promote and up to then I had not seen the bird (nor had Kees) and we also needed some good photos for our new website (still very much under construction at www.hotelheliconiapanama.com ) and despite all the beautiful digiscopes a lot of people do not have a very good camera to put on it. When I went I did notice that some serious photographers were part of the party so right now the web is flooded with the azuero painted parakeets…

Juan and Fanny and the two children are very happy with all the attention from the tourists as we had agreed that people pay him and they do - often with extras. So hopefully he can now continue with the building of his new house overlooking the river Playita… it is right there that the birds in flocks of 10 20 or 50 come by and eat the fruits of the Nance and fig trees that grow along the river.

And because the birds are sleeping elsewhere – like the birders – the very decent arrival time of eight thirty is convenient for everybody.

Now I have seen the birds too and photographed them and the next project is to make t-shirts for sale … and the t-shirts are going to be as beautiful as the others I have made so far. The latest is of the rufous-tailed hummingbird. For photos of both the azuero painted parakeet and the t-shirt (and many other photos) see as usual: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanagertourism

If you read this and would like to order a hand painted t-shirt than write me an email (tanagertourism@gmail.com). The price is $50 plus the costs of posting one. The rule is that it must be a bird or animal or tree occurring in Panama…