Arlene

Activity 1: While there were many contenders for my favorite bird from the Wall, I chose the resplendent quetzal because of the beautiful verdant color of its feathers, the streaming tail of this species's males, and this bird’s prominence in Mesoamerican iconography. The last time I traveled to Costa Rica, I visited Los Quetzales National Park and was incredibly happy to see several of these birds as they feasted on wild avocados found in the cloud forest. Activity 2: For my first bird, I selected the Greater Bird of Paradise in the Paradisaeidae family. Birds from this region of the world are wondrous and strange, and this one in particular is multi-hued and spectacular! I would love to travel to that part of the world to see them in person. Second, I will mention the roseate spoonbill, a wading bird that is in the Threskiornithidae family. With their lovely pink coloring and uniquely shaped bills, they are quite a sight to behold. Thirdly, while they are quite common and many others have mentioned them, I enjoy watching the antics of ruby-throated hummingbirds as they hover at my feeder and then zoom away. Hummingbird is the common word used to refer to birds in the Trochilidae family.   Activity 3: For this activity, I am choosing the gray catbird. Its unique cry, akin to that of a cat, is likely how it derives its name. They are small gray birds with a black mohawk that I often see on the ground or in the shrubs around my house. I knew they were Passeriformes, but I had to look up their family, the Mimidae, which also includes thrashers and mockingbirds. I enjoy watching them move about in my gardens.