Sydney Porter—Notes from South America



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and the entrance always seemed to face the trunk. I imagine that

trying to breed Oven-birds in an aviary would be a fascinating study.

I once had the chance of buying some, and had I have known as much

about them as I do now I should not have let the opportunity slip.

I was unable to get hold of any in the Argentine.


I purchased a pair of beautiful Jays which I think are seldom

imported into this country, namely the Azure Jay from Paraguay ;

a bird somewhat larger than the European Jay, the male deep black,

slightly crested, -with the back, wings, and tail a bright smalt blue, the

hen being a peculiar shade of ashy-violet.


In the bird shop in Buenos Aires were many Owls, mainly the well-

known South American Burrowing Owl, but there was one pair of

tiny Owls not much larger than Sparrows, looking like miniature editions

of the well-known Tawny Owl. They were very tame and quite the

most attractive Owls I have ever seen, so I thought I would buy them

and give them, to a Zoological Garden, as I do not usually keep birds

of prey ; however when I got them home everyone was so attracted

by them that I decided to keep them. After they had moulted they

seemed very much larger than they were before, I suppose it was

because previously their feathers were worn and bedraggled. These

birds were either Glaucidium brasiliensis or G. obscuro, the former I

think is known as the Brazilian Pigmy Owl.


These birds did an extraordinary thing, which showed they must

have a fair share of intelligence. Of course I could only feed them on

the voyage home on meat. On their cage, which was an a 11-wire one,

was a piece of old sacking to keep out the draughts. Before the birds

ate their meat they pulled a large quantity of the sacking into a

fine hair-like fluff, and in this they rolled their meat so that they

would be able to cast up pellets which are necessary for their digestion.

Their beaks are so tiny that one can hardly feel a nip if they try and

bite one’s finger.


I saw many other birds in the Argentine, but I am afraid that I

must desist now, for I think I have already overrun my allotted space.

There are, however, two others which I feel I must mention because they

are so characteristic of the Argentine, namely the Spur-wing Plover

(mentioned before) and the Ypecaha Bail. The former are extremely



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