Talk:Oilbird

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It would be great to have a good picture of one of these birds, or one of the mass of them flying out of a cave at dusk.

I agree. Unfortunately, the Trinidad site no longer allows flash photography, and the pics I took by torchlight were too poor to use. jimfbleak 08:11, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

managed to find one on Flickr! Sabine's Sunbird talk 03:06, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Changed "the most accessible" to the less absolute claim "one of the most accessible", and changed "up to 2500" to "2500 or more", since several sites claim 15,000 to 20,000 birds for the Cueva del Guácharo (and I have seen them take well over an hour to come out of the cave as a constant stream.)--Lavintzin 03:07, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Asa Wright center

138.238.41.70 had added some wording extolling the Asa Wright center as a world-renowned birdwatcher's haven. It seemed more like free advertising than relevant information to me, especially given that the center has its own page, so I reverted to something more like the original. (I left the change from "on" the center to "at" the center.)

--Lavintzin 22:20, 9 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Hooks on wings of squabs?

I seem to remember (from when I assisted Dr. Snow while he was studying these fascinating birds in the 1950s) that the squabs had little hooks on the elbow joints of their wings by which they could cling to the rock walls of the caves. Can anyone confirm this, please, or, even better, provide some reference for it? Many thanks, John Hill 23:10, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mould

I have read somewhere (HBW possibly) that there are some species of mould that like to grow on the rich oilbird guano, spreading spores all over the caves in the process, and that people with respiratory problems are therefore advised against visiting them unprotected. Might be worth adding. Dysmorodrepanis 03:40, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

NOW you tell me!!! Mouldy Jim

It is possible that mould could affect some sensitive people - but I have never heard of it. Certainly, in the caves in which oilbirds live in Trinidad, WI, there are huge piles of dung from the oilbirds mixed with that of various species of bats which also inhabit the caves - and the piles are kept damp due to the water in the caves and would make an excellent medium for moulds to grow on. There is certainly a very musty smell.

Also, due to the prevalence of rabies in bats in Trinidad there is perhaps some slight danger to humans as studies have shown that the rabies virus can be present in the air of caves inhabited by bats and rabies can be transferred to caged animals in bat caves - presumably from infected bat urine in the air. However, I hasten to reassure people that this is all very unlikely. I worked in these caves for many weeks in the 1950s along with ornithologists and others connected with the New York Zoological Society's Tropical Research Station and the Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory and I don't remember anyone coming down with odd respiratory complaints - let alone rabies!!! Nowadays, groups of tourists are taken regularly to visit the caves from the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad who could be contacted to see if they have had any problems. However, I think it is most unlikely anyone would develop any problems from a short visit to the caves - though perhaps those with pre-existing pulmonary problems would be best to avoid them. John Hill 07:18, 21 April 2007 (UTC)