Cinnamon-breasted bunting

Emberiza tahapisi

Photo by J.M. de Bruyn (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

cinnamon-breasted bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-peito-canelado (pt); bruant cannelle (fr); escribano de pecho canela (es); bergammer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Emberizidae

Range:

This species is found across much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia, through the D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola and Malawi and down to South Africa.

Size:

These birds are 16,5-18 cm long and weigh 12-15 g.

Habitat:

Cinnamon-breasted buntings are mostly associated with rocky areas, preferring mountainsides, rocky ridges, dolerite and granite outcrops with scattered bushes and trees, bare rocky clearings in woodland, eroded stony slopes and gullies, dry watercourses and deserted borrow pits and quarries. They may also be found in areas of dry savanna, dry scrubland, dry grasslands and occasionally within urban areas.

Diet:

They forage on bare ground among rocks, eating the seeds of grasses and forbs, as well as insects such as beetles and termite alates.

Breeding:

Cinnamon-breasted buntings breed in October-June, with a peak in January-April. These monogamous, solitary nesters, build a shallow cup of grass, rootlets and fine twigs on a foundation of large twigs, neatly lined with fine grass and rootlets. The nest is typically placed in a shallow depression in the ground at the base of a grass tuft or rock, on an earthen bank, in a crevice in a small rock face or among scattered rocks in a hollow. There the female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, fledging 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally fairly common and numerous. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Common potoo

Nyctibius griseus

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:

common potoo (en); urutau-comum (pt); ibijau gris (fr); urutaú menor (es); urutau-tagschläfer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Caprimulgiformes

Family Nyctibiidae

Range:

This species is found in tropical Central and South America, from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and Uruguay.

Size:

The common potoo is 33-38 cm long and has a wingspan of 80 cm. They weigh 160-230 g.

Habitat:

Common potoos are found in rainforests, coniferous or evergreen forests, savannas and in grassland where there are a few trees, generally preferring open forests and forests edges. They can also be found in plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:

These birds forage at nigth, hunting flying, nocturnal insects including moths, grasshoppers, beetles, termites, and fireflies.

Breeding:

Common potoos breed in October-March. They don't build a nest, laying the egg directly in a depression in a tree limb, 3-18 m above the ground. The female lays 1 white egg with lilac spots, which is incubated by both parents for 29-33 days. The chicks is fed by both parents and fledges 45-51 days later. Each pair raises a single chick per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

White-collared yuhina

Yuhina diademata

Photo by David Blank (Animal Diversity Web)

Common name:

white-collared yuhina (en); iuína-de-diadema (pt); yuhina à diadème (fr); yuhina diademada (es); diademyuhina (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Timaliidae

Range:

This Asian species is found in China, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Size:

This large yuhina is 14,5-19 cm long and weighs 19-24 g.

Habitat:

White-collared yuhinas are mostly found in tropical and subtropical moist, mountain forests, especially open broadleaved evergreen forests, but also in secondary growth and tee plantations. They are present at altitudes of 800-3.600 m.

Diet:

They forage in pair, or in small flocks, mostly eating insects but also seeds and rhododendron nectar.

Breeding:

White-collared yuhinas breed in May-September. They build a cup-shaped nest made of dry leaves, grass and roots, plastered with cobweb or moss. The nest is placed in a bush, grass or small tree, 0,2-1,5 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 pale green eggs with rust-coloured spots which she incubates alone for 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as common to very common in China and locally fairly common in Myanmar and Vietnam. The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes.

Red-legged partridge

Alectoris rufa

Photo by José Ardaiz (Fotonatura)

Common name:

red-legged partridge (en); perdiz-comum (pt); perdrix rouge (fr); perdiz roja (es); rothuhn (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galliformes

Family Phasianidae

Range:

The red-legged partridge is native of south-western Europe, being found from portugal and Spain, through France and into Italy and southern Germany. This species is a popular game birds and it has been introduced to several countries, namely Algeria, Greece, Ireland, U.K. and New Zealand.

Size:

These birds are 32-36 cm long and have a wingspan of 47-50 cm. Males tend to be larger than females. The females weigh 400-500 g while the males weigh 500-550 g.

Habitat:

Red-legged partridges are generally found in agricultural areas, grasslands and natural pastures, open woodlands, Mediterranean scrublands and in rocky areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:

These birds eat a wide range of plants, including the seeds of both natural and agricultural cereals, leaves, roots and shoots of green grasses and wild fruits and berries. They sometimes also eat insects.

Breeding:

Red-legged partridges breed in April-July. The male builds the nest, a shallow scrape on ground, screened by rocks or vegetation and thinly lined with vegetation. There the female lays 10-16 creamy-yellow or buff eggs with with reddish-brown or grey spots and blotches. The eggs are incubated for 23-25 days and the female is responsible incubating the first clutch while the male incubates the second clutches if a second clutch is layed. The chicks are able to feed by themselves a few days after hatching and are able to make short flight at 10 days of age, but will remain with the parent until 50-60 days after hatching. Each pair raises 1-2 clutches per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 6-13,5 million individuals. The population is declining owing to over-hunting, loss of habitat caused by urbanisation and agricultural intensification and increased competition and hybridisation with introduced rock partridges A. graeca and chukar partridges A. chukar, but overall it is not considered threatened at present.

White-browed babbler

Pomatostomus superciliosus

Photo by Dana Paris (DParis)

Common name:

white-browed babbler (en); zaragateiro-de-sobrolho-branco (pt); pomatostome bridé (fr); gárrulo cejudo (es); brauensäbler (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pomatostomidae

Range:

This species is endemic to mainland Australia, mainly south of the Tropic of Capricorn and west of the Great Dividing Range and to the north of the Dividing Range in Victoria, extending to south-eastern South Australia.

Size:

These birds are 17-22 cm long and weigh 40 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in dry sclerophyll woodlands with a scrubby understorey, especially along watercourses and saltbush.

Diet:

White-browed babblers feed on the ground, among leaf litter or under logs and branches, eating insects, spiders and other invertebrates, small amphibians, crustaceans and reptiles and also fruits and seeds.

Breeding:

These birds may breed all year round, but tend to concentrate breeding in June-November. Breeding pairs are monogamous, but they form cooperative breeding groups comprising 2-4 breeding pairs and 2-8 non-breeding helpers. Each pair builds a domed stick nest, with a hooded side entrance, placed in a tree 1-6 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 eggs. The eggs are incubated by the female alone for 17-25 days. The chicks are fed by both their parents and other members of the group and fledge 19-22 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common. The population is in decline owing to ongoing habitat loss and degradation and perhaps also because of introduced predators, but overall the white-browed babbler is not considered threatened at present.

Brown-bellied antwren

Myrmotherula gutturalis

Photo by Marc Chretien (Oiseaux)

Common name:

brown-bellied antwren (en); choquinha-de-barriga-parda (pt); myrmidon à ventre brun (fr); hormiguerito ventripardo (es); braunbauch-ameisenschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thamnophilidae

Range:

This South American species is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Size:

Brown-bellied antwrens are 9-11 cm long and weigh 9-10 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, generally preferring the denser areas of the understorey and areas of lower canopy. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:

Brown-bellied antwrens forage at the middle-level of the forest, gleaning insects from the vegetation.

Breeding:

They build a domed or oven shaped nest with twigs and leafs, placing it low above ground in a dense bush in dry land forest. The female lays 2 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 11 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge 10-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The brown-bellied antwren has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Christmas imperial-pigeon

Ducula whartoni

Photo by Jeff Blincow (Christmas Island Wildlife)

Common name:

Christmas imperial-pigeon (en); pombo-imperial-de-Natal (pt); carpophage de Wharton (fr); dúcula de la Navidad (es); weihnachtsfruchttaube (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Columbiformes

Family Columbidae

Range:

This species is endemic to Christmas island, in the Indian Ocean.

Size:

These birds are 39-45 cm long and weigh 450-700 g.

Habitat:

The Christmas imperial-pigeon is mostly found in rainforests and, to some extent, in secondary regrowth dominated by the introduced Japanese cherry Muntingia calabura.

Diet:

They feed on on native and exotic fruits, as well as buds and leaves.

Breeding:

Christmas imperial-pigeons breed in August-February. They nest in a loose platform made of twigs, placed near the top of a tall rainforest tree. The female lays 1 egg which is incubated by both parents for 25-30 days. The chicks fledge 3-4 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 10.000-20.000 individuals. Although there is no reliable data on population trend, the species adapts well to secondary habitats and is thus now suspected to have a relatively stable population. The Christmas imperial-pigeon is mostly threatened by forest clearing for phosphate mining. Hunting was also a problem in the past, but is now believed to be less prevalent. The introduction of the yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes to Christmas island could also have a negative impact as these ants can prey on young birds, and have further negative consequences for the overall ecological balance of the island.

Connecticut warbler

Oporornis agilis

Photo by Robert Royse (Robert Royse's Bird Photography)

Common name:

Connecticut warbler (en); mariquita-do-connecticut (pt); paruline à gorge grise (fr); chipe de Connecticut (es); augenring-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Parulidae

Range:

The Connecticut warbler breeds in a narrow band across Canada from south-western Northwest Territories east to western Quebec and, in the United States, in northern Minnesota,

Wisconsin, and Michigan. They migrate south to winter inthe Amazon River basin, from Colombia to Brazil.

Size:

They are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 22 cm. They weigh 15 g.

Habitat:

Connecticut warblers breed in spruce and tamarack bogs, and sometimes in open poplar woodlands. During migration and winter they are found in a variety of forest, woodland, scrub and thicket habitats.

Diet:

These birds are mostly insectivorous, eating various small insects, as well as spiders and snails. They also eat berries and seeds.

Breeding:

Connecticut warblers breed in June-July. They build an open cup of fine, dry grasses, dry leaves, stalks of weeds, sedge stems, rootlets, or other plant fibres, hidden on or near ground, in thick undergrowth of saplings, among thickets or at base of a scrub. The female lays 3-5 creamy-white eggs with dark speckles, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, fledging 8-10 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single clutch per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population size of 1,2 million individuals. The population has undergone a small increase over the last 4 decades, not being considered threatened at present.

White-browed robin-chat

Cossypha heuglini

Photo by Ian White (Flickriver)

Common name:

white-browed robin-chat (en); pisco-de-Heuglin (pt); cossyphe de Heuglin (fr); cosifa de Heuglin (es); weißbrauenrötel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Turdidae

Range:

This African species is found from Chad and Sudan through southern D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia, and down to South Africa.

Size:

These birds are 20 cm long and weigh 29-44 g.

Habitat:

White-browed robin-chats are mostly found in riverine forests with patchy canopy and dense evergreen thickets, shady trees and scrubs along lakesides and Acacia woodlands on flood plains. They also occupy thickets along the borders of open habitats, as well as suburban parks and gardens.

Diet:

These birds feed on insects and other invertebrates, especially beetles, ants, wasps, caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers, crickets, flies, spiders and centipedes.

Breeding:

White-browed robin-chats breed in August-January. They are monogamous and each pair builds an open nest cup, made of dead leaves and twigs and lined with rootlets, leaf midribs or very fine twigs. The nest is typically placed in a hollow in a tree trunk, among the branches of a scrub or among roots under the overhang of a riverbank. There the female lays 2-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 14-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-17 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 4 weeks later.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as very common throughout its range except at the fringes of this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Southern crested caracara

Caracara plancus

Photo by Luis Argerich (Wikipedia)

Common name:

southern crested caracara (en); caracará (pt); caracara huppé (fr); carancho (es); schopfkarakara (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Falconiformes

Family Falconidae

Range:

This South American species if found from central Peru and Bolivia, east to the Amazon Delta, in Brazil, and south through Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina all the way to Tuerra del Fuego. they are also found in the Falkland islands.

Size:

These birds are 50-65 cm long and have a wingspan of 120-144 cm. They weigh 0,9-1,6 kg.

Habitat:

Southern crested caracaras are found in virtually any open or semi-open habitat within range, generally avoiding dense humid forests. They are often found in agricultural areas and near human settlements, and can also be found in marshes and swamps.

Diet:

These birds are opportunistic feeders, eating a wide range of carrion and live animals, particularly road kills. They will often follow plows and tractors to obtain exposed food items and can also eat marine turtle eggs, bird eggs and nestlings, and even feed on vegetable matter, including peanuts, beans, avocados, and palm fruits. They are also known to attack newborn lambs and are kleptoparasitic, robbing food from other bird species.

Breeding:

Southern crested caracaras breed in May-February. The nest is made of crude banches and lined with animal hair. It is generally placed on the top of a tall tree, although when trees are not available they are also known to nest on the ground. The female lays 2-3 whitish to reddish-orange eggs with brown spots, which are incubated for 28-32 days. Typically only 1 chick is fledged, leaving the nest around 3 months after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing owing to creation of suitable habitat through deforestation and increased cattle-ranching and sheep-rearing

Pied crow

Corvus albus

(Photo from Animal Picture Archive)

Common name:

pied crow (en); gralha-seminarista (pt); corbeau pie (fr); cuervo blanco (es); schildrabe (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Corvidae

Range:

This African species is found from Senegal to Sudan, northern Ethiopia and Somalia and south to South Africa, only being absent from the dense tropical forests of the Congo basin and from southern Angola and northern Namibia.

Size:

These birds are 46-52 cm long and weigh 520 g.

Habitat:

Pied crows are found in savanna woodlands and bushy scrublands, but they are most abundant in farmland, and in urban and suburban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.700 m.

Diet:

These birds are omnivorous, eating fruits, seeds and nectar, but also animals ranging from insects and molluscs to lizards, snakes, rodents, bats and birds.

Breeding:

Pied crows breed September-February. Both sexes build the nest, a large bowl made of twigs, sometimes including bits of wire and lined with fur, dry dung, rags or sheep wool. The nest is usually placed in a vertical fork of a tall tree. There the female lays 4-6 pale-green eggs with brown spots, which she mostly incubates alone for 18-19 days. The chicks are reared by both sexes and fledge 38-45 days.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the pied crow is described as common to locally abundant, although closely associated with human habitation. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Brown shrike

Lanius cristatus

Photo by Mark Andrews (Internet Bird Collection) 

Common name:

brown shrike (en); picanço-castanho (pt); pie-grièche brune (fr); alcaudón pardo (es); braunwürger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Laniidae

Range:

This Asian species is found breeding from central Russia east to the pacific coast, and south to Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Korea and Japan. They migrate south to winter in southern Asia, from India and Sri Lanka east to Myanmar and the Malay Peninsula and to the Philippines.

Size:

These birds are 19-20 cm long and weigh 30-35 g.

Habitat:

These birds are mostly found in bushes and small tree along the edges of coniferous and mixed deciduous forests, as well as in forest clearings, forested steppes, and in thickets along streams or on the edges of swamps.

Diet:

They mainly feed on insects, especially Lepidoptera, but are also known to hunt small birds, mammals and lizards.

Breeding:

Brown shrikes breed in May-July. The nest cup is built by the female, using stems and blades of grasses, and is typically placed either on the ground or in bushes of willow, dwarf birches and hawthorns. The female lays 2-7 eggs which are incubated for 15-17 days. The chicks fledge 17 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and, although there are no reliable estimates of population size, it is known to be very widespread. This population is estimated to be declining following a decline of 80% in Japan between the 1970s and 1990s.