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Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
Agelaius xanthomus

The Yellow-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus) is a critically endangered Puerto Rican endemic. The photos presented here are of marginal photographic quality, but due to the extremely low world population of the species I have posted them. This bird, one of seven or eight we saw, was photographed on the grounds of the Parador Villa Parguera on the southwest coast in July, 1998. It was photographed with a Canon T90 & FD400mm F/4.5 lens on Fuji Sensia 100. The photos were shot hand-held with the camera and lens on a BushHawk shoulder mount. The bird at right was perched on a rock along the water's edge of the hotel grounds at the Villa Parguera. It seemed oblivious to children playing ball within 20 feet of it.

Like the previous bird, this individual was near people. It was resting on a palm leaf just above a swimming pool crowded with children.