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Cafe Maya is located on the third level of Mundo Maya and provides a panoramic view of the exhibit. Patience and close observation from level two will allow you to see many of the plant and animal species that live in the upper canopy that is not accessible by pathways.
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The Spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) has white eyebrows and lores (the space between the eye and the base of the bill) on a dark brown facial disk (the circular area distinct to most owls). These light circles give them the appearance of wearing "spectacles". They stand 13-19 inches (33-48 cm) in height; weigh approximately 21-33 ounces (590-950 g) and have a wingspan of 2.5-3 feet (76-91 cm). They are the largest of the tropical owls.
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Sharing the exhibit are the Ocellated turkeys (Meleagris ocellata). Commonly called "cutz" by the Maya, they were eaten and possibly raised in pens. In the Maya's sacred books, whole turkeys or their body parts were often shown as being offered to the gods. They are so named for their bluish-gray feathers that have greenish-blue .eyespots. edged in metallic bronze (ocelli or "eye" in Latin).
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In ancient Mexico, hummingbirds were often identified with war and blood. The act of sacrificial bloodletting was sometimes depicted as a hummingbird sucking nectar with its needle-like beak. The range of wing rotation is nearly 180 degrees, allowing for both forward and backward strokes and creating lift with no forward or rotational movement (like a helicopter). Although fast and small, many species of hummingbirds can often be seen as they feed on the many plants and at feeders provided throughout the exhibit. Black-chinned hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri), Broad-billed hummingbirds (Cynanthus latirostris), Costa's hummingbirds (Archilochus costae) and Violet-crowned hummingbirds (Amazilia violiceps) are some of the species living in the Mundo Maya exhibit.
(Hummingbird photos provided by Luis Mazariegos.)
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Color is the most outstanding attribute of the true tanagers. Their brilliant reds, yellows, blues and greens dominate the color spectrum, often highlighted with blacks, grays and browns. The Paradise tanager (Tangara chilensisi), perhaps the most colorful of all tanagers, is only one of several species seen in the Mundo Maya exhibit.
(Tanager photo provided by Luis Mazariegos.)
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Honeycreepers are nectarivorous (feed on nectar) but they also include fruit and insects in their diets. Their thin, long bills are aptly suited for probing the corolla of flowers and extracting nectar with their fringed tongue. Males, such as the Red-legged honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus), are generally strikingly black or purple, dark blue, turquoise, green and yellow; females are usually somewhat duller.
(Honeycreeper photo provided by Luis Mazariegos.)
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Three species of eagles live in the upper canopy. The large, slender Guiana crested eagle (iMorphnus guianensis) is 32-43 inches (81-90 cm) in length. They have a prominent black crest that is tipped with white. The Ornate hawk eagle (Spizaetus ornatus), with its distinctive black crest, grows to 23-26 inches (58-66 cm) in body length. Black hawk eagles (Spizaetus tyrannus) are black overall in color, but have a bushy crest with white feathers. The undertail and underwings are also barred with white. Black hawk-eagles grow to 22-28 inches (58-72 cm).
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