Attitude II

This is continuing on with the "animals with attitude" theme started with the last post of the grumpy toad.

 

The lora (as they are called in Papiamentu on Bonaire) is feasting on the berries of a metopium brownei, which should be called the "bad ass poison ivy tree" because it is loaded with urushiol, the stuff in poisson ivy that makes you itch for weeks. I discovered this, very foolishly, because I crushed one of the berries with my fingers to inspect the seed inside (in a naive attempt to id the tree before I learned what it really is). I washed my hands immediately, but that didn't matter, and I suffered hives over my arms, chest and back for several weeks, all from one berry. This tree is to itchy like a Carolina Reaper is to hot.

 

I later learned that parrots have adapted to overcome defenses like this. And unlike other birds that would swallow the seeds hole, seeking just the fleshy fruit, parrots crush the seeds to get to the higher nutrients.

 

It takes a bad-ass bird to take on a bad-ass tree.

Done