THIS WEEK’S THEME: THINGS YOU FIND AT A BUTTERFLY GARDEN

I went to a butterfly garden in Belize to photograph butterflies. Unfortunately, the birdwatcher in me got distracted by six species of hummingbirds and an araçari. Apparently, I forgot all about the butterflies.

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​​​​Scientific name

Pteroglossus torquatus

Taxonomic group

Ramphastidae — Toucans

Click photograph to view full size

A photograph is worth a thousand words, but the story makes it worth a few more.

BACKSTORY

I had seen—or at least heard—Collared Araçaris during each of my three visits to the Yucatán Peninsula in México, but I had never managed to get a decent photograph of one.
So when our leader, Ernesto Carmen, suddenly called out, “Araçaris overhead!” I immediately abandoned whatever butterfly or hummingbird had my attention and swung my camera toward the trees.
Several Collared Araçaris were hopping from branch to branch above us, and I quickly locked onto one and started shooting.
I had already managed to get good photographs of their larger and more colorful cousin, the Keel-billed Toucan. But somehow this smaller black-and-yellow fruit-eater had eluded me every time we’d crossed paths.
Not this time.

IMAGE DETAILS

LOCATION INFORMATION: Green Hills Butterfly Garden · Belize · January 30, 2023
EQUIPMENT INFORMATION: Canon EOS R5 · Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM
SETTINGS INFORMATION: 500mm · ƒ/8 · 1/500 sec · ISO 320