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The two speices of huet-huets (named for their whet whet calls) are familiar forest birds in south-central Chile. They are funarid passerines that remind me a bit of North American towhees, scratching buisily in the dirt and leaf litter. This species, the black-throated huet-huet, was common near my host's home in Valdivia, but were very challending to photograph. They live in the dark forest understory, are fond of impenetrable thickets of native bamboo, and are quite reluctant to emerge from dense vegetation for a clear view. I obtained these photos during several early morning sessions by sitting quietly on a steep dirt trail a little above a branch-strewn forest pond; eventually a single bird or a pair would emerge and, happily, they seem to pay little attention to my camera or electronic flash. |
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