A Bird in the Hand

Blair Wainman

A Bird in the Hand

Featured in the group Bits and Pieces in August 2009
The Plum-throated Cotinga (Cotinga maynana) is a species of bird in the Cotingidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Porphyrolaema. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical swamps and heavily degraded former forest.
What was amazing about this capture is that this is a very, very rare bird. It is not necessarily at risk in terms of population decline but is extremely difficult to get a good picture because it is lives high up in the highest branches of the forest. The ornithologist that I met in Leticia was almost ecstatic when he saw this image. I had never seen one before and perhaps the most amazing discovery was that this bird was captured in hand by a girl in the indigenous community we visited. And this was the only place we stopped to meet and talk with there and she showed us this bird! I couldn’t believe it!! The Amazon is indeed an amazing land of discovery!!!

A Bird in the Hand belongs to the following groups:

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A Bird in the Hand by Blair Wainman
A Bird in the Hand by Blair Wainman
  • Sean Jansen

    Sean Jansen

    Oh wow, what a stunning capture Blair. Such a vibrant color on this !!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Sean!! I’d never seen one quite this brilliant before…much less this close up!!

  • kathy s gillentine

    kathy s gillen...

    excellent capture, what a beautiful bird

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Kathy!!

  • Teresa Zieba

    Teresa Zieba

    OMG, what a spectacular capture of this amaing bird. His colour is completely out of this world. Wow, Excellent work.

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you Teresa!! The colors are amazing aren’t they!! Out of this world is the word!! I was just so fortunate to see it there!!

  • Johanne Brunet

    Johanne Brunet

    WOW! What a fantastic capture and story, Blair. The colours and details are amazing. Awesome shot!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much Johanne!! I couldn’t believe that I was so fortunate to be there just at that time.

  • Vickie Emms

    Vickie Emms

    Wow, and you happened to be there at the right time! What a beauty. The color is amazing, like a turquoise jewel. good one for the Eye Contact group!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much Vickie!! It is definitely one of my prizes from the Amazon…unfortunately it won’t fit into the Eye Contact group…they are specific that it has to be “both” eyes…but “Accentuate the Eyes” will do it!!

  • brian pendrey

    brian pendrey

    beautiful colour great capture

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Brian!!

  • Lois Bryan

    Lois Bryan

    an amazing and beautiful creature and an amazing and beautiful image!!! Oh, Blair … how exciting this must have been for you!!!! What extraordinary, glorious color … detail … and those eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Amazing is certainly the word for this place!! It was exciting…can’t wait to go back!! Thank you for your wonderful comments Lois!!!

  • Joanne Bradley

    Joanne Bradley

    Spectacular color and composition! Great capture!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Joanne for your wonderful comments!!

  • Aritheeagle

    Aritheeagle

    The Blair Cotinga Project!!

    Woahh …... what a priceless capture….. and looks so very comfortable!

    A Purple-throated Cotinga in the hand is worth a Cotinga living high up in the highest branches of the forest.

    I must add though …..
    “Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical swamps and heavily degraded former forest.”
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple-throated_Cotinga

    Perfecto …. and look at that color!

    Priceless …

    ~Ari

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Ari!! It was an incredible experience…thank you for your kind words!!

  • BarbaraManis

    BarbaraManis

    Amazing, Blair. The color of the bird is just magnificent. Thanks for the info. I have never seen a bird like that and your info explains why! Beautiful capture!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Barbara!! I had never seen a bird like this before and I was mesmerized but the color!!

  • Judy Grant

    Judy Grant

    Bodacious , Beautiful ,Amazing !!!! Okay Not enough words to say how wonderful this image is !! How many did u shoot of this bird ? I would be in machine gun mode with the camera ! LOL Awesome !

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Goodness, I think it took me a few seconds of shock to realize what I had discovered. I didn’t even know that it had the most beautiful iridescent purple throat. Oh, if I had just known!!! I only got about 4 or 5 and then the bird escaped from her hands and the rest of the shots were of it high up in the tree! They were going to climb up in the tree to retrieve it but it was so hot and so didn’t bother.

  • RickF

    RickF

    Fantastic shot and bird!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Rick!!

  • Gregory Ewanowich

    Gregory Ewanowich

    What a gorgeous color! Beautiful capture.

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you Greg!!

  • Scott d'Almeida

    Scott d'Almeida

    excellent

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Scott!!

  • lefty1

    lefty1

    absolutely fabulous capture Blair, the detrail and clarity are impeccable!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you John!! Coming from you this is a treasured compliment…I admire your bird shots more than you realize!!

  • Al Bourassa

    Al Bourassa

    Wow, cool capture Blair!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Yea, it was quite an amazing discovery!! The whole trip was!! thanks Al for your wonderful comments!!

  • vadim19

    vadim19

    Awesome!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you!!

  • tinnieopener

    tinnieopener

    What a wonderful image to present to the world:))

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much!! What a wonderful comment!!

  • Sharon Mau

    Sharon Mau

    I very much enjoy your wonderful story Blair. It must have been wonderful to see and touch this beautiful bird. The blue colour is amazing!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    It was an absolutely fascinating experience!! The color had me mesmerized…until it dawned on me that I should start taking pictures!! Lol!!

  • FlowersEtc

    FlowersEtc

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Wow!! Thank you so much for this feature!! I really appreciate it very much!!

  • Sharon Mau

    Sharon Mau

    I can imagine I would have been mesmerized too! Congratulations on your feature Blair!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you ever so much Sharon!!

  • nicholphoto

    nicholphoto

    • Nice shot of the plum-throated cotinga Blair, well done :-)

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much Bradley!!

  • Vickie Emms

    Vickie Emms

    Here we go! Congratulations on your first feature Blair, this is one of many, I just know it!!!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much Vickie!! I think this one will make a nice addition to my upcoming calendar! Thank you so much for your inspiration and constant support!!

  • FlowersEtc

    FlowersEtc

    Your welcome, beautiful bird

  • Béla Török

    Béla Török

    Fantastic capture, my friend!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much Béla!!

  • mcjance

    mcjance

    Fantastic bird image, what luck too!! I hope you post this on some ornithological sites-they would be very interested.

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks so much!! I have it posted on the Internet Bird Collection. Haven’t gotten any comments there as of yet though!! It’s the best one of the collection there that I can see!

  • Beve Brown-Clark

    Beve Brown-Clark

    OOOOOOOO wow…stunning color!! Great moment I bet!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you Beve!! The color was just out of this world…it just would have been nice to get a good one of him in the tree!

  • Dyle Warren

    Dyle Warren

    Wow, unbelievable colors…...doesn’t look real!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    You’re right…it is just unreal…I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen it!!

  • Lynn Bauer

    Lynn Bauer

    Blair…you get the most unbelievable shots of birds!!! This is absolutely wonderful!!!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Lynn!! I had never seen anything like this before and the color was just so brilliant…it was really incredible!!

  • lorilee

    lorilee

    Wow – - – what a wonderful find!!!!! An exquisite shade of blue – - – and the details are fabulous!!!! You must be having the time of your life!!!!!! :) :) :)

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you Lori!! It just all ended too soon!! I definitely want to go back. I was out with an ornithologist as a guide the last day…he has cataloged over 450 species of birds in and around Leticia, Colombia. It is so exciting to see nature in this manner! I love it!!

  • lroof

    lroof

    this is a great image….I love the colors!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you!! The color was so unusually brilliant! Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before!!

  • Marjorie Wallace

    Marjorie Wallace

    What amazing detail and lovely colours. I just love this and how wonderful an experience to be holding this lovely winged creature in one’s hands. How I would have loved to be here.

  • Blair Wainman replied

    I was so taken with the color that I almost forgot to get out my camera!! What was even more amazing was that it was content to sit in the hands of that girl!! Now that is man in harmony with nature…as it should be!!

  • ienemien

    ienemien

    Beautiful bird and colors!! Amazing Story…You have so much Luck with this photo…Congrats with your Feature.

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much for your kind words!! I was so fortunate to be there! I could hardly believe it!!

  • DottieDees

    DottieDees

    Blair what a fantastic find and capture!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you so much Dee!!

  • Carol Barona

    Carol Barona

    omg stunning colors and detail – wow just gorgeous

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Carol!!

  • Nathan Walraven

    Nathan Walraven

    Wow! That is an amazing colour, its great!!

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thanks Nathan!!

  • Debbie Meyers

    Debbie Meyers

    What a beautiful bird, love the color.

  • Blair Wainman replied

    Thank you Debbie!!

  • StarKatz

    StarKatz

    Glorious colours and what a magnificent looking bird!

  • Torfinn Johannessen

    Torfinn Johann...

    Lovely shot!

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