Book Pajaritos en Uruguay 2. Medium and large birds.

The book is a continuation of Pajaritos en Uruguay and focuses on medium and large-sized birds that live in Uruguay.

About a decade ago, residents of the Quebrada de los Cuervos area (in Treinta y Tres) reported sightings of large toucans; yes, Ramphastos toco, the large toucan with an enormous orange beak. Although its population is not very numerous, today it is part of our avifauna list.

In an area of ​​Cerro Largo where there is a remnant of the Brazilian Atlantic forest, now in decline, lives the South American cousin of the famous quetzal, the sacred bird of the Mayans. It is the surucuá, a very colorful rare specimen that inhabits our country.

Expert swimmers and deep-sea fishermen who inhabit the coasts of the white continent in huge populations during the Antarctic summer, and in winter swim to our shores on a pilgrimage to southern Brazil: they are the Magellanic penguins.

Caranchos and mixed sparrowhawks that live in cities like Montevideo can be seen perched on the terraces of buildings in Pocitos or the Center, or flying over the Centenario Stadium. Powerful predators that take advantage of their adaptability to live in peri-urban environments, where rats, pigeons and bats have become their main food.

The cattle egret and the white-faced duck, both species also present in Africa. It is not known for certain whether the white-faced duck originated in South America or Africa. The cattle egret appeared, on its own, only in the 1960s in Venezuela and from there it spread throughout South America, reaching our country.

These and other curiosities can be found in this book.