Male Plumbeous Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus unicolor - Pájaro plomo
I never saw the particular Austral Pygmy-Owl calling away at the bottom of the Viscacha slope, but its presence agitated quite a collection of small songbirds in addition to the wren, including this male Plumbeous Sierra-Finch and its partner in the next image.
In general, I am a big fan of knowledge, whether it is local and folkloric, or scientific. Sometimes people get things so wrong, however, that it is a bit discouraging. In the case of the Austral Pygmy-Owl, people observed that its presence would bring in a crowd of other birds. This was incorrectly interpreted as a sign of the owl's popularity (not that it was a despised predator) leading to a further and more harmful error - the belief that if you kill a Pygmy-Owl and stuff some of its feathers in your pocket, you too will become popular and attract a crowd of admirers. Wrong on many levels.
Male Plumbeous Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus unicolor - Pájaro plomo
I never saw the particular Austral Pygmy-Owl calling away at the bottom of the Viscacha slope, but its presence agitated quite a collection of small songbirds in addition to the wren, including this male Plumbeous Sierra-Finch and its partner in the next image.
In general, I am a big fan of knowledge, whether it is local and folkloric, or scientific. Sometimes people get things so wrong, however, that it is a bit discouraging. In the case of the Austral Pygmy-Owl, people observed that its presence would bring in a crowd of other birds. This was incorrectly interpreted as a sign of the owl's popularity (not that it was a despised predator) leading to a further and more harmful error - the belief that if you kill a Pygmy-Owl and stuff some of its feathers in your pocket, you too will become popular and attract a crowd of admirers. Wrong on many levels.