Southern Lapwing

 

Another bird that seemed fairly common on Aruba was the Southern Lapwing seen here in the rain. Southern Lapwing are a raucous, conspicuous shorebird. They have a distinct color pattern with black breast, white belly, gray head, and bronzy shoulder.

The wings are boldly patterned in flight and are often in pairs or small flocks in open habitats, usually near water but also in dry pastures.

Venezuelan Troupial

The Venezuelan Troupial is another beautiful bird we were able to observe while birding in Aruba. Fairly common in Aruba which makes sense since you can actually see Venezuela in the distance.

It is a resident of thornscrub, cactus forests and other arid landscapes.

Rather large-headed, often sporting a short shaggy crest, with a blue teardrop of bare skin around each eye, thus differing from most other orioles.

Also note the long white slash on each wing, clearly visible in the first image. Vocalizations are mostly loud and flutelike. Cornell All About Birds

Blue-tailed Emerald

 

Another gorgeous bird I was able to find and observe while birding the Spanish Lagoon area on Aruba was the Blue-tailed Emerald.

The Blue-tailed Emerald is a common small green hummingbird of humid lowlands. Males are a rich iridescent green, with a bluish sheen to the face and breast, and deep blue tail and is found in a variety of rainforest habitats, but most common around forest edges, including in agricultural areas.

Ruby-topaz Hummingbird

 

The Ruby-topaz Hummingbird is a smaller hummingbird with a rather large range across northeastern South America and eastern Panama.

The male is unmistakable with a golden throat, a ruby-red crown, and an orange tail with dark tips.

We observed the Ruby-topaz Hummingbird while birding in Aruba with Michiel Oversteegen.

Michiel is a very enthusiastic and great guide and we certainly enjoyed our day with him. 

His email is birdwatchingaruba@gmail.com and his cell number is 297-6992075

On our day birding with Michiel we observed 62 species, 12 being new lifers.

His webpage is here https://www.birdwatchingaruba.com/