September
24th 2011
Biodiversity
Corner - Rufous-throated Solitaire and Yellow
Warbler Chit Chatting!!
Janice
Mathurin-Poleon
Forestry Department
Photos © Tseng Chiu-wen Hank & Ten
Di-Wu
(Photo)
Yellow Warbler
(Photo)
Rufous throated Solitaire
Rufous-throated
solitaire: Hey! You there yellow
bird, what is your name?
Yellow
warbler: Why do you want to know
my name?
Rufous-throated
solitaire: Because I’ve never
seen you around here.
Yellow
warbler: In that case then, I’m
Yellow warbler. I am an endemic subspecies
of many Caribbean islands; Bahamas, Cuba,
Martinique, Dominica, St. Lucia and others.
I am known scientifically as dendroica petechia
babad a mouthful I know. Just call me sucrier
mang as the locals do. It’s much easier.
Rufous-throated
solitaire: Why are you here in the
rainforest? Where do you live?
Yellow
warbler: I got distracted and found
myself here. My home is confined to mangroves
such as Makote, Vieux Fort and coastal scrub
forests areas like Praslin. I eat mainly insects
although sometimes I’ll eat small berries
too. I build a neat cup-shaped nest low down
in a bush or low tree.
Rufous-throated
solitaire: Are you male or female?
Yellow
warbler: I am male. I am 11.5-13.5cm
(4.5-5.25 in). As you can see I am mostly
all yellow, including patches on my outer
tail feathers. My upperparts are greenish-yellow
though with reddish streaks at my breast and
sides. My head is yellow but with this cool,
distinct reddish-brown cap.
My wife is similar to me, but she has faintly
reddish streaks below with no reddish-brown
crown. She lays 2-3 spotted, greenish-white
eggs mainly between February and June. I have
told you so much about me would you mind telling
me about yourself?
Rufous-throated
solitaire: I am Rufous-throated solitaire,
endemic subspecies of St Vincent, Jamaica,
Hispaniola, Dominica, Martinique but specifically
the myadestes genibarbis sanctaelucia is unique
only to St Lucia. Commonly I am known here
as siffleur morne.
Yellow
warbler: Hey, we’re found on
some of the same islands! Is this all?
Rufous-throated
solitaire: I grow to a length of
19cm (7.5in). I am mostly grey above, with
white chin; reddish brown throat, neck and
undertail coverts; light grey breast; yellow
feet; and a tail with white outer feathers.
I live in the dense mountain forest of Quillesse,
Micoud and Edmund Forest Reserve, Soufriere.
I build my nest cup-shaped in a crevice, center
of a tree fern or bromeliad. My lady love
lays two eggs, bluish-white or blue with white
spots during the months April to August.
Yellow
warbler: I bet you love living in
this tranquil environment. It is cool and
private.
Rufous-throated
solitaire: Yes I do. I feel quite
at peace. The mangrove sounds like a good
place but as far as I have heard, people do
not understand let alone appreciate the value
of your habitat. Maybe we should educate these
humans on the importance of protecting and
conserving the mangroves of our island.
You know they think they know everything and
they just keep destroying our environment
but what they don’t know is that they
are destroying themselves also.
Yellow warbler: It was sure
nice meeting you. Hope to see you around some
time if I get distracted. Have a pleasant
day.
For
more information feel free to call the Forestry
Department @ 468-5645/48 or visit our blog:
forestryeeunit.blogspot.com.
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