Photo Contest: Show Me A Bird: Urban Birds. -- Concurso fotográfico: Muéstrame un pájaro: Aves urbanas

One of the most lovely things about the little city here is that it is verdant and so many of the bird species live within the city as well as it in the country.

These are a couple of Purple throated euphonia, or Euphonia Chlorotica. They are building their nest together. They seem to be utilizing bits of this plastic "Christmas" tree, as building material. I've seen them visiting daily, many times, going back and forth to and from the tree where they are constructing.

They are little birds in the finch family. They came up to visit my balcony, but upon seeing the kitties, they have wisely chosen to stay away thereafter.

They can be seen living in humid tropical and subtropical forests in lowland areas of Bolivia, French Guiana and Guyana, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Paraguay, Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina.

They also inhabit "heavily degraded" forests in these places and that is exactly what our city is.

My home will be in the campo. And it will be a sanctuary for all the critters wild and free and domesticated as well.

Now to get building my nest.