{"id":213252,"date":"2025-12-27T16:04:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T16:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/213252\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T16:04:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T16:04:16","slug":"readers-wildlife-photos-why-evolution-is-true-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/213252\/","title":{"rendered":"Readers\u2019 wildlife photos \u2013 Why Evolution Is True"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Well, thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Susan_Harrison_(ecologist)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Susan Harrison<\/a> we have a reader\u2019s wildlife contribution today, but that\u2019s about it for the queue. So, during the holidays, please think about sending in your good wildlife photos.<\/p>\n<p>Susan\u2019s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge her photos by clicking on them.<\/p>\n<p>A few more Belizean birds <\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a third and last round of birds from my recent Belize trip.\u00a0 First are three of my favorites from the scrubby coastal forests in and around the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shipstern_Conservation_%26_Management_Area\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shipstern Conservation &amp; Management Area<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/yucjay1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Yucatan Jays<\/a> (Cyanocorax yucatanicus), yellow-billed youngsters begging from their dark-billed elders:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1.-Yucatan-Jays.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1.-Yucatan-Jays.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"758\" height=\"505\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/brnjay\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brown Jays<\/a> (Cyanocorax morio), a more self-sufficient youngster feeding with an adult:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2.-Brown-Jays.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2.-Brown-Jays.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"791\" height=\"527\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/fepowl\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ferruginous Pygmy Owl<\/a> (Glaucidium brasilianum) sitting quietly in the open (and making me very happy, since it\u2019s the last of the 19 species of owls found in the U.S. that I\u2019ve been fortunate to see and photograph):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3.-Ferruginous-Pygmy-Owl.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3.-Ferruginous-Pygmy-Owl.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"795\" height=\"530\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Next are three large tropical birds that are heavily hunted by humans, and are best seen in well-protected tracts of forest.\u00a0 \u00a0We saw all three of them strutting around the grounds of La Milpa Lodge in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pfbelize.org\/rio-bravo\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rio Bravo Conservation Area<\/a>, the same place where on our very first day, a <a href=\"https:\/\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/2025\/12\/11\/readers-wildlife-photos-2498\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">large male jaguar<\/a> crossed the road in front of us (Jerry posted its photo as a singleton).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/ocetur1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ocellated Turkey<\/a> (Meleagrus ocellata), a truly spectacular species found only in the Yucatan region:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4.-Ocellated-Turkey.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583282\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4.-Ocellated-Turkey.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"776\" height=\"517\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/cregua1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Crested Guan<\/a> (Penelope purpurascens):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5.-Crested-Guan.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583283\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5.-Crested-Guan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"776\" height=\"517\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/grecur1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Great Curassow<\/a> (Crax rubra):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6.-Great-Curassow.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583286\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6.-Great-Curassow.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"771\" height=\"514\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Next comes a selection of the many smaller birds that we worked to catch glimpses of in shady forest understories.\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s a biased sample, of course; these are some of the most colorful ones.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/todmot1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tody Motmot<\/a> (Hylomanes momotula):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7.-Tody-Motmot.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583287\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7.-Tody-Motmot.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"773\" height=\"515\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/slttro1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Slaty-tailed Trogon<\/a> (Trogon massena):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8.-Slaty-tailed-Trogon.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8.-Slaty-tailed-Trogon.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"746\" height=\"933\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/blhtro1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Black-headed Trogon<\/a> (Trogon melanocephalus):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9.-Black-headed-Trogon.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583289\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9.-Black-headed-Trogon.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"743\" height=\"495\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/rubspi2\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rufous-breasted Spinetail<\/a> (Synallaxis erythrothorax):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10.-Rufous-breasted-Spinetail.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583290\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10.-Rufous-breasted-Spinetail.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"758\" height=\"505\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/olbeup1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Olive-backed Euphonia<\/a> (Euphonia gouldi):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11.-Olive-backed-Euphonia.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583291\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11.-Olive-backed-Euphonia-720x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"776\" height=\"517\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/recman1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Red-capped Manakin<\/a> (Ceratopipra mentalis):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/12.-Red-capped-Manakin.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583293\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/12.-Red-capped-Manakin.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"813\" height=\"542\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Finally, here are a few of the generalist birds that we often saw in semi-open areas, such as at the edges of pastures and other clearings.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/pabwoo1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pale-billed Woodpecker<\/a> (Campephilus guatemalensis):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/13.-Pale-billed-Woodpecker.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583294\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/13.-Pale-billed-Woodpecker.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"756\" height=\"945\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/squcuc1\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Squirrel Cuckoo<\/a> (Piaya cayana):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/14.-Squirrel-Cuckoo.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/14.-Squirrel-Cuckoo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"761\" height=\"507\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/rtlhum\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rufous-tailed Hummingbird<\/a> (Amazilia tlacatl):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whyevolutionistrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/15.-Rufous-tailed-Hummingbird.jpg?ssl=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583296\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/15.-Rufous-tailed-Hummingbird.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"770\" height=\"513\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/birdsoftheworld.org\/bow\/species\/relpar10\/cur\/introduction\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Red-lored Amazon<\/a> (Amazona autumnalis):<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-583297\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16.-Red-lored-Amazon.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"782\" height=\"521\"  \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Well, thanks to Susan Harrison we have a reader\u2019s wildlife contribution today, but that\u2019s about it for the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":213253,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[61,60,82,263],"class_list":{"0":"post-213252","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}