Page 10 - AHATA

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local Wednesday 23 July 2025

Soaring through the blue skies

Birds of Aruba

(Oranjestad)—Aruba’s na- came the na- on seeds from the Kwihi
ture is very diverse and is tional bird of tree, Divi Divi tree and
home to several beauti- Aruba back fruits.
ful and majestic wildlife. in 2015, at the Photo Credit: Daniel Ru-
Among these is the bright ben Gonzalez
Trupial, whose angelic
voice is always heard with Warawara prefers to build its nest in
the rising sun; the cud- The Warawara the middle of tall cacti
dly parakeet, always in or Caracara is and produces a rattling,
company of another, and one of the big- screaming sound, throwing
the majestic Warawara, a tune. But don’t let their gest birds found its head back onto its back
a mighty bird that can be angelic songs fools you; the in the Aruban while calling.
seen soaring in the clear Trupial can be a bit aggres- mondi. At a heigh While these birds are a
blue skies. sive towards any threat, request of of 41 to 60 cm, beautiful sight to behold,
protective over their nest- Aruba Birdlife Con- their wingspan it is very important to keep
Trupial ing spots—nesting spots servation. The bright can measure your distance and respect
Icterus icterus, or known lo- they most likely stole from green, adorable para- up to 125 cm. their habitats. This is how we
cally as the Venezuelan or other birds. Trupials can keet usually flies in flock Known as the protect our wildlife. By ad-
Orange Troupial, is a striking be seen regularly, often in of 30 or more, but its pop- “ g a r b a g e miring the beauty of Aruba
songbird whose bright or- trees or on top of a cactus. ulation has been declining man”, this bird in a safe and respectful
ange feathers can be spot- Photo Credit: Daniel Ruben since the 2010s. Prikichis are of prey mostly manner, we can do our
ted from a far distance. Gonzalez a shier breed than the tru- feeds on dead animals. Its part in protecting our sa-
Known to be the first bird pial, often flying away at coat is dark brown, with a cred nature.q
to sing at the first sign of Prikichi (parakeet) the sign of any threat. They cream-colored neck, or-
sunrise, this beloved song- The Brown-throated Prikichi use termite nests for breed- ange face, thick beak and Photo Credit: Aruba Birdlife
Conservation
bird likes to wake up with (Aratinga pertinax) be- ing spots and feed mostly long legs. The Warawara
Blackstone Beach

(Oranjestad)—Named after its ferent—or if it’s opposite day, visit
most recognizable feature, the the Blackstone Beach.
Blackstone Beach almost rep-
resents the opposite of the typi- Blackstone Beach shows the more
cal Aruban beaches. For one, it natural side of Aruba: the stones
has black sand and is covered in that cover the beaches and the
black smooth stones. Secondly, it shape of it has been crafted for
lies on the northern side of the is- thousand years via volcanic erup-
land, away from the white sandy tions, coral reef movements and
beaches of in the southern region. wave activity of the rural northern
So, if you feel up for something dif- part of the island.

Located further east to the Natu- also relatively untouched by com-
ral Bridge and Andicuri Beach, mercial influences. Despite being
the Blackstone Beach is relatively called a beach, do note that it is
easy to access. Once you get not advised to swim in the water,
passed the Ayo Rock Formation, as the current is very strong and
take the Andicuri road leading up can easily stray you further in the
to Andicuri Beach. There, you can wild ocean. However, you can still
park your car and take a 1km hike enjoy a spectacular view of the
towards Blackstone Beach. stones and the northern ocean
that stretches out in front of the
This beach forms part of the Arikok beach and take a picture with
National Park and is therefore a your friends or family!q
site that is preserved. This is why it is