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Posted by Larry Manfredi on 16:09:18 08/20/12
I saw the reported Cuban Grassquit yesterday at Matheson Hammock with out of town birder Dave from California. The bird was located on the service road as you exit the main hammock heading west. It was in a Bishopwood tree on the north side of the service road. It then sang from a small Gumbo Limbo tree that is located right next to the Bishopwood tree.
I was buying school uniforms for my son on Sunset drive and s.w. 97 ave. The shopping center on the south side of Sunset and east side of s.w. 97 ave. has a pet shop in the southeast corner of the shopping center. While walking by I saw three male Cuban Grassquits and one female for sale. The male was for sale for $100 dollars, I did not ask how much for the female. These birds are pretty common in the pet trade here in Miami. They are becoming less common in Cuba due to trapping for the pet trade. Many, many of these birds are smuggled into the U.S. from Cuba. Some of these birds are breed here in Miami and then sold as well. It sure is a pretty bird with a beautiful song.
Larry Manfredi
Homestead, FL.
E-mail: birderlm@bellsouth.net
http://www.southfloridabirding.com
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