Susie Drage
Music, Art & Cookery
Art Room
Blue diademed Motmot
Painted in pastels, June 2014 and is now for sale.
The Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota) is a colourful near-passerine bird found in forests and woodlands of eastern Mexico, Central America, northern and central South America, and Trinidad and Tobago. As presently defined, it includes several taxa that possibly should be recognized as valid species, including the Andean Motmot (or Highland Motmot), Momotus aequatorialis. This bird was photographed in Costa Rica.
Like most of the Coraciiformes, motmots nest in tunnels in banks, laying about three or four white eggs.
The Blue-crowned Motmot is 38–48 cm (15–19 in) long, depending on race. Nominate M. m. momota may weigh as little as 77 grams (2.7 oz), while the Highland Motmot may weigh up to 175 grams (6.2 oz).[2] The tail is very long with a bare-shafted racket tip. The upperparts are green, shading to blue on the lower tail, and the underparts are green or rufous depending on subspecies.
In all except the entirely blue-crowned subspecies coeruliceps, the central crown is black and surrounded by a blue band. There is a black eyemask, and the nape of momota is chestnut. The call is a low owl-like ooo-doot, although there are variations depending on the subspecies involved.
These birds often sit still, and in their dense forest habitat can be difficult to see, despite their size. They eat small prey such as insects and lizards, and will also regularly take fruit.
This painting has now been framed with a deep white mount and with a gold and green frame and is now for sale.
Details, as follows: 68 cms high x 48 cms wide in pastels (Frame 88 cms high x 66 cms wide)
For further information, please contact me via CONTACT PAGE in the above index
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the genus Phoenicopterus, the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae. There are four flamingo species in the Americas and two species in the Old World.
Flamingo comes from Spanish flamenco, "with the colour of flame", in turn coming from Provençal flamenc from flama "flame" and Germanic-like suffix -ing, with a possible influence of words like Fleming. A similar etymology has the Latinate Greek term Phoenicopterus (from Greek: φοινικÏŒπτερος phoinikopteros), literally "blood red-feathered".
Traditionally, the long-legged Ciconiiformes, probably a paraphyletic assemblage, have been considered the flamingos' closest relatives and the family was included in the order. Usually the ibises and spoonbills of the Threskiornithidae were considered their closest relatives within this order. Earlier genetic studies, such as those of Charles Sibley and colleagues, also supported this relationship. Relationships to the waterfowl were considered as well, especially as flamingos are parasitized by feather lice of the genus Anaticola, which are otherwise exclusively found on ducks and geese. The peculiar presbyornithids were used to argue for a close relationship between flamingos, waterfowl, and waders. A 2002 paper concluded they are waterfowl, but a 2014 comprehensive study of bird orders found that flamingos and grebes are not waterfowl, but rather are part of Columbea along with doves, sandgrouse, and mesites.
This painting measures 54 cms x 54 cms and is painted in pastels, currently unframed - April 2016