THE


Avicultural Magazine


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

FOR THE STUDY OF

FOREIGN & BRITISH BIRDS

IN FREEDOM & CAPTIVITY


Third Series. —Vol. XIII.—No. 9 .—All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER, 1922.


NOTES OF A BIRD-LOVER IN VENEZUELA


By J. Delacour

{Continued from p. 116.)


Fifty kilometres to the west of Caracas, along the high valley and

across some defiles, is the large village of Guarenas, calcined in the

midst of arid mountains. Poor market-town though it be, there are

nevertheless birds in it everywhere. (Tackles, called “ blackbirds ”

throughout tropical America, are abundant in the farmyards.


A dozen kilometres to the north of Guarenas lies Curupao, the home

of one of my fellow-countrymen, M. Bickhardt, who kindly allowed me

to stay on his estate, and put at my disposal everything I needed.

Curupao is an ideal spot for studying the birds typical of the northern

mountainous part of Venezuela. Its area, over 50,000 acres in extent,

contains all one can wish for — -a valley, mountains, here covered with

woods and grass, there with bush and coffee plantations, and preserving

on their summits the reduced remains of the primitive virgin forest

which formerly overspread this part of Venezuela.


The cattle-farm, or “ coral,” where I live, is full of birds. Every

nook is occupied by those already mentioned. Tyrants of different

kinds dwell in the roofs, Grackles and Anis in the shelters ; the long

herbage affords a home for the species of Spermophila and Saffron,

Jacarini, and other Finches. The low, thick acacias, sprouting along

the edges of the buildings, are always enlivened with the voices of

Tanagers of all sorts, of Wrens and of Troupials. Every day a pair

of giant Cassiques take advantage of the presence of three orange-trees

at my door to gorge themselves xvitb fruit during the noon siesta, and

everywhere may be heard the strange, sharp cries of Humming-birds,


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