The Rare Red Legged Honey Creeper
By Adrian Adams
The Red-legged Honeycreeper is a small, rare bird from the tanager family, typically found in various regions of Central and South America. These include southern Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and most parts of Brazil, and also in Cuba, and on the island of Trinidad and Tobago.
There is a slight difference when it comes to the Trinidad and Tobago Honeycreepers however, as they are slightly larger than the birds on the mainland. A typical Red-legged Honeycreeper is rather small in size, usually about 12 centimeters long and weighing about 14 grams.
The Honeycreeper coloring differs between males and females, with the females having a slightly paler, greenish coloring with a streaked light green belly and throat. The legs are reddish-brown, while fledglings have brown legs and even lighter shading. It is the male Red-legged Honeycreepers that really stand out in the wild, with their violet-blue bodies and black wings, black backside and tail, and extremely bright red legs. The crown of this species head is an almost neon turquoise, with a lemon yellow coloring under the wings.
After the breeding season, a male Honeycreeper will moult into a greenish coloring with black wings, and this will last for several months until his regular colors return. In terms of the females, they will build their nest on a tree branch in the form of a small cup, where the clutch of no more than 2 eggs will need to be kept warm for around 12 days. After the eggs hatch, the chicks will need another 14 days before they are ready to learn to fly.
Red-legged Honeycreepers have a slightly curved, soft bill, which requires them to each a special diet when kept in captivity. In the wild, the birds tend to eat insects, berries and nectar, sipping it through their long beaks easily. This also explains their tendency to live in small groups along the edges of open forests and woodland areas, while also enjoying congregating at citrus and cocoa plantations!
When building their nests, the Honeycreepers seem to stick to the mid-level of the forest canopy, which is where many insects live. Although they are rarely seen in the wild, Red-legged Honeycreepers are listed as a species of least concern on the endangered species list.
If kept in captivity for any length of time, the Honeycreeper will need to be fed through a nectar feeder and offered soaked fruits - though they'll happily accept pieces of sponge cake soaked in nectar! They can be bred in captivity, though any chicks that are hatched will need direct attention and live food for the first 14 days.
About the author
Learn about The Rare Red Legged Honey Creeper at http://www.paradiseearthonline.com/ from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
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