Yellow flycatcher-warbler

Chloropeta natalensis

Photo by Chris Krog (Stellenbosch Birds)

Common name:
yellow flycatcher-warbler (en); felosa-amarela-africana (pt); chloropète jaune (fr); cloropeta común (es); schnäpperrohrsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, being patchily distributed from from Nigeria east to Ethiopia, south through eastern D.R. Congo, Angola and Zambia, and into north-eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 14-15 cm long and weigh 12 g.

Habitat:
The yellow flycatcher-warbler is mostly found in moist scrublands along watercourses, and also along the edges of reedbeds and moist tropical forests and in wet grasslands.

Diet:
They mostly glean caterpillars from dense vegetation, but also hawks termite alates from a perch.

Breeding:
Yellow flycatcher-warblers breed in September-March. They nest in a cup made of grass blades,  typically placed between upright stems or in the fork of a scrub, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female incubates 2-3 eggs which she incubates alone for 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-16 days after hatching, becoming independent 1 month later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common in parts of this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Spotted wood-quail

Odontophorus guttatus

Photo by Micah Riegner (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
spotted wood-quail (en); uru-malhado (pt); tocro tacheté (fr); corcovado goteado (es); tropfenwachtel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Odontophoridae

Range:
This species is found in southern Mexico, in Veracruz and Chiapas, and also in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and western Panama.

Size:
These birds are 23-26,5 cm and weigh 280-300 g.

Habitat:
The spotted wood-quail is mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical rainforests, but also in secondary forests, at altitudes of 100-3.000 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, taking fallen fruits, seeds, buds, tubers and also the larvae and pupae of mosquitoes and beetles.

Breeding:
Spotted wood-quails breed in May-August. They nest on the ground and the female lays 4 white or creamy-white eggs with brown spots, which are incubated for about 17 days. There is no information regarding the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 20.000-50.000 individuals. Despite its ability to tolerate some habitat degradation, this species is declining owing to habitat loss and, possibly, unsustainable hunting levels, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Western wood-pewee

Contopus sordidulus

Photo by Jim Stuart (New Mexico Ornithological Society)

Common name:
western wood-pewee (en); piui-ocidental (pt); pioui de l'Ouest (fr); pibí occidental (es); westlicher waldschnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species breeds in western North America, from Alaska and north-western Canada to Mexico and along Central America down to Honduras. They migrate south to winter in north-western Venezuela, western Colombia and along the Andean slopes of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and have a wingspan of 26 cm. They weigh 11-14 g.

Habitat:
They mostly breed in open temperate forests, but also in boreal forests, especially along forest edges and in riparian areas. They winter in moist tropical forests. They are found at altitudes of 900-3.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on flying insects, including flies, ants, bees, wasps, beetles, moths, and bugs.

Breeding:
The western wood-pewee breeds in May-July. They are seasonally monogamous and nest on a
shallow cup of woven grass bound together with spider webs and covered on outside with moss, bud scales, or insect puparia. The nest is lined with hair or fine grass and placed in a fork on a tree. The female lays 2-4 creamy-white eggs with brown blotches, which  she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 7,8 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decrease over the last 4 decades but is not threatened.

Grey gerygone

Gerygone igata

(Photo from iNaturalist)

Common name:
grey gerygone (en); gerígono-maori (pt); gérygone de Nouvelle Zélande (fr); gerigón maorí (es); Maorigerygone (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Acanthizidae

Range:
This is endemic to New Zealand, being found throughout the country including several offshore islands.

Size:
These tiny birds are 10-11 cm long and weigh 6-7 g.

Habitat:
The grey gerygone is mostly found in temperate forests, but also in scrublands, mangroves, arable land and urban areas.

Diet:
They feed on spiders, insects and their larvae.

Breeding:
Grey gerygones breed in August-January. The nest is built by the female, using material collected by the male, consisting of a pear-shaped structure with a side entrance made of grass, leaves, rootlets and moss, held together with spider webs. The nest is lined with feather and other soft material and attached to a twig up to 7 m above the ground. The female lays 3-6 pinkish-white eggs with reddish-brown speckles, which she incubates alone for about 19 day. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-19 days after hatching. Each pair usually raises 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as generally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Eurasian curlew

Numenius arquata

Photo by Jari Peltomäki (Luonto Portti)

Common name:
Eurasian curlew (en); maçarico-real (pt); courlis cendré (fr); zarapito real (es); große brachvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae

Range:
This species breeds from France and Ireland to northern Scandinavia and east, through Eastern Europe and Russia as far as northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia and north-eastern China. Most population migrate to winter along the coasts of western and southern Europe, along the coasts of southern Asia, China, southern Japan and Indonesia, along all the coasts of Africa and also inland in Africa, in large wetlands in the Sahel, the Rift Valley and the Okawango river basin.

Size:
These large waders are 50-60 cm long and have a wingspan of 90-105 cm. They weigh 410-1.360 g.

Habitat:
The Eurasian curlew breeds in upland moors, peat bogs, swampy and dry heathlands, fens, open grassy or boggy areas in forests, damp grasslands, meadows, non-intensive farmland in river valleys, dune valleys and coastal marshlands. Outside the breeding season they are found in muddy coasts, bays and estuaries with tidal mudflats and sandflats, rocky and sandy beaches with many pools, mangroves, saltmarshes, coastal meadows, wet grasslands, arable land, and muddy shores of coastal lagoons, inland lakes and rivers.

Diet:
On the breeding grounds they mainly eat insects and their larvae, especially grasshoppers and beetles, but also ants, crane flies, earwigs, flies and moths. They also eat earthworms, and occasionally freshwater crustaceans, amphibians, lizards, chicks and small mammals, and sometimes fruits and other plant material. Outside the breeding season they prey on polychaete worms, molluscs, crabs, shrimps and amphipods, as well as earthworms, insects and spiders, small fishes, amphibians, chicks and eggs of other birds, small mammals and, very occasionally, seeds.

Breeding:
Eurasian curlews breed in April-July. They nest on a large depression in the ground, lined with dry grass and a few feathers, often situated on a tussock or low hummock, among grass or crops, or completely exposed. There the female lays 3-6 light greenish eggs with light brown spots, which are incubated by both sexes for 27-29 days. The chicks are precocial and leave the nest soon after hatching being able to feed themselves. They rely on both parents for protection against predators and adverse weather and fledge 32-38 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population roughly estimated at 77.000-1.065.000 individuals. The more southern breeding populations have declined on average by 30% in recent decades, but the trend for the more northern population is uncertain and may compensate these declines in the south. The main threat affecting the Eurasian curlew is habitat destruction and fragmentation, as a result of afforestation and agricultural intensification and improvement. Conversely, populations in the central Asian steppes have declined following abandonment of farmland and subsequent increases in the height of vegetation, rendering large areas unsuitable for nesting. The species is also threatened by the degradation of migratory staging areas and wintering areas, owing to land reclamation, pollution, human disturbance, reduced river flows and, in some areas, due to hunting pressure.

White-belied sunbird

Cinnyris talatala

Photo by Aivar Mikko (Trek Nature)

Common name:
white-belied sunbird (en); beija-flor-de-barriga-branca (pt); souïmanga à ventre blanc (fr); suimanga de pecho blanco (es); weißbauch-nektarvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Nectariniidae

Range:
This species is found in southern Africa, from southern Angola, Zambia and southern Tanzania, south to north-eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 11 cm long and weigh 7,5 g.

Habitat:
The white-belied sunbird is mostly found in dry savannas, especially Acacia, bushwillow Combretum, Zambezi teak Baikiaea plurijuga and mixed miombo Brachystegia woodlands. They are also found in rural gardens and within urban areas.

Diet:
They feed on the nectar of a wide range of flowering plants, which is sometimes supplemented with insects, such as aphids, ants, grasshoppers and moths, and spiders.

Breeding:
White-belied sunbirds breed in June-March, with a peak in September-December. The female builds the nest alone, an untidy oval-shaped structure made of dry material such as grass and leaves, bound together with spider web. The nest is decorated with bits of leaves and bark, and lined with plant down, feathers and wool. It is attached to the branches of a thorny plant. The female lays 1-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status -  LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. In fact, it seems to have benefited from the fragmentation and disturbance of miombo woodlands.

Collared finchbill

Spizixos semitorques

Photo by Jon Hornbuckle (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
collared finchbill (en); tuta-de-coleira-interrompida (pt); bulbul à semi-collier (fr); bulbul collarejo (es); halsbandbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family  Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in central and south-eastern China, as well as in Taiwan and marginally into northern Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 17-23 cm long and weigh 35-50 g.

Habitat:
The collared finchbill is mostly found in temperate and tropical forests, especially along forest edges, but also in scrublands, savannas, secondary forests and within urban areas. It is present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They feed mostly on fruits and berries, but also take seeds and insects, especially beetles.

Breeding:
Collared finchbills breed in April-August. The nest is bowl-shaped and made of dry grasses, stems, leaves and fine roots. It is usually placed at the tip of a branch, most often on a tree, but sometimes also on a scrub. The female lays 2-4 white, light brown or pale yellow eggs with reddish-brown and purple spots. The eggs are incubated for 10-12 days and the chicks fledge 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the population in China, which represents most of the global population, has been estimated at 20.000-200.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Bee hummingbird

Mellisuga helenae

Photo by Richard Stern (Mango Verde)

Common name:
bee hummingbird (en); beija-flor-abelha (pt); colibri d'Elena (fr); zunzuncito (es); bienelelfe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Cuba, being found throughout the island and well as in the offshore island of La Juventud.

Size:
The bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, being just 5-6 cm long and weighing 1,6-2,6 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in dense tropical forests and along forest edges with abundant scrub coverage, also using swamp forests, moist scrublands, second growths and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on nectar, but will also hunt small insects and spiders.

Breeding:
Bee hummingbirds are polygynous, with males forming leks where they perform songs to attract females. They can mate with several females, having no further part in the breeding process afterwards. Breeding takes place in March-June, when most trees and scrubs are flowering maximizing food availability. The female builds a small cup-shaped nest, made of moss, bark and spider web, and lined with down. There she lays 2 white eggs which she incubates for 14-23 days. She raises the chicks alone and they fledge 18-38 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a large breeding range, but they are now described as uncommon and the population is suspected to be declining at a slow to moderate rate, as a result of forest degradation and destruction. They were common in the past, but in the 19th century they were heavily hunted because stuffed hummingbirds were a symbol of status for women. Presently the main threats are habitat destruction and degradation. Only 15-20% of the native forest of Cuba still remain, and these are threatened by the expansion of cacao, coffee and tobacco production, as well as other types of agriculture and pastures for cattle.

Black-faced monarch

Monarcha melanopsis

Photo by Tony Morris (Flickr)

Common name:
black-faced monarch (en); monarca-de-face-negra (pt); monarque à face noire (fr); monarca carinegro (es); maskenmonarch (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Monarchidae

Range:
This species breeds along the eastern coast of Australia, from northern Queensland to Victoria, and migrates north to winter in southern Papua-New Guinea. Some populations in northern Queensland are resident.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long and weigh about 23 g.

Habitat:
The black-faced monarch is mostly found in rainforest, and also in nearby open eucalypt forests, especially in gullies with a dense understorey, as well as in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands.

Diet:
They collect prey from the foliage, branches and crevices of trees and scrubs, taking various arthropods such as spiders, beetles, sawflies and wasps, grasshoppers, bugs, cicadas and lerps, moths and caterpillars, flies and dragonflies.

Breeding:
Black-faced monarchs breed in October-March. They nest among dense foliage and the female lays 2-3 eggs. The eggs are incubated 13-15 days and the chicks fledge 7-9 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be locally common in the north of its range and scarcer elsewhere. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Baltimore oriole

Icterus galbula

Photo by Henry Domke (Health Care Fine Art)

Common name:
Baltimore oriole (en); corrupião-de-Baltimore (pt); oriole de Baltimore (fr); turpial de Baltimore (es); Baltimoretrupial (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Icteridae

Range:
This species breeds throughout the eastern United States, south-eastern Canada and north-eastern Mexico, and migrate south to winter in Florida, from Mexico to western Colombia and northern Venezuela and throughout the Caribbean.

Size:
These birds are 17-20 cm long and have a wingspan of 23-30 cm. They weigh 30-40 g.

Habitat:
The Baltimore oriole breeds in open deciduous forests, forest edges, rural areas and urban parks. Outside the breeding season they also use grasslands and tropical moist forests.

Diet:
They mainly eat insects and other invertebrates, berries and nectar, especially caterpillars,
beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and flies, spiders, snails, mulberries, cherries and grapes.

Breeding:
Baltimore orioles are mostly monogamous, although extra-pair paternity is known to happen. They breed in May-June and nest on a tightly woven pouch located on the end of a branch, which the female builds using any any plant or animal materials available. It is usually placed 7-9 m above the ground. The female lays 3-7 pale greyish or bluish white eggs with brown and black blotches and streaks. She incubates the eggs alone for 11-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-14 days after hatching, becoming independent shortly after.

Conservation:
IUCN status -LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 6 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Sri Lanka frogmouth

Batrachostomus moniliger

Photo by Tomas Grim (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Sri Lanka frogmouth (en); boca-de-sapo-do-Ceilão (pt); podarge de Ceylan (fr); podargo de Ceilán (es); Ceylonfroschmaul (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Podargidae

Range:
This species is found in Sri Lanka and in the Western Ghats of south-western India.

Size:
These birds are 23 cm long.

Habitat:
The Sri Lanka frogmouth is found in tropical rainforests with dense undergrowth and also in degraded patches of former forest. It is present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They forage at night, hunting insects either in flight or by gleaning them from the ground or tree branches.

Breeding:
Sri Lanka frogmouths breed in January-April. The nest is a small pad made of moss, lined with down, small leaves and moss, and covered on the outside with lichens and bark. It is placed in a fork in a tree, 2-12 m above the ground. There the female lays a single white egg which she incubates during the night and the male incubates during the day. There is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledgling periods, but the chicks are known to be brooded by both parents and remain with the parents for a few months after fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size is yet to be quantified, it is reported to be local and uncommon in southern India and common in Sri Lanka. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Green jay

Cyanocorax yncas

Photo by Dorgelis Alcocer (Facebook)

Common name:
green jay (en); gaio-verde (pt); geai vert (fr); chara verde (es); grünhäher (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Corvidae

Range:
This species is found in two separate population, one from southern Texas, in the United States, down to northern Honduras, and another from northern Venezuela and along the slopes of the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru down to central Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 25-31 cm long and have a wingspan of 35-40 cm. They weigh 65-110 g.

Habitat:
The green jay is mostly found in tropical rainforests, both in lowlands and mountainous areas, moist scrublands and dry savannas, but also in high-altitude scrublands and dry scrublands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They are omnivorous eating arthropods, small vertebrates, fruits, berries, seeds and nuts. Their prey includes beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, bugs, wasps, spiders, centipedes, small rodents, lizards and the eggs and young of small birds.

Breeding:
Green jays are monogamous and nest in a bulky but loose cup of sticks and thorny twigs, lined with rootlets, grass, moss, and sometimes leaves. The nest is placed in a dense tree or scrub, usually placed 2-5 m above the ground. The female lays 3-5 greenish-white eggs with dark spot, which she incubates alone for 17-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 19-22 days after hatching. The young may remain in the parental territory until the following breeding season, and may even help feed the next brood.

Conservation:
IUCN status -  LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range. There is no information regarding the trend of the global population, but the green jay is increasing and expanding in range in the United States.

Dusky woodswallow

Artamus cyanopterus

Photo by J.J. Harrison (Wikipedia)

Common name:
dusky woodswallow (en); andorinha-do-bosque-sombria (pt); langrayen sordide (fr); artamo sombrío (es); rußschwalbenstar (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Artamidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Australia, being found in two separate populations. The eastern population is found from Atherton Tableland, Queensland south to Tasmania and west to Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The other population is found in south-western Western Australia.

Size:
These birds are 17-18 cm long and weigh 35 g.

Habitat:
The dusky woodswallow is mostly found in open, dry tropical forests and savannas, but also in dry scrublands, rural gardens, urban areas and occasionally in moist tropical forests and temperate forests.

Diet:
They feed mostly on insects, which are either taken on the wing or collected from the foliage or from the ground. They also eat nectar.

Breeding:
Dusky woodswallows breed in August-January. The nest is a loose bowl of twigs, grass and roots, lined with fine grasses, and it is placed in a tree fork, behind bark, in a stump hollow or in a fence post, usually 1-10 m above the ground. The female lays 3-4 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 16 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge 20 days 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 in decline owing to the clearance of native vegetation for agriculture, but it is not threatened at present.

Eurasian scops-owl

Otus scops

Photo by Paul Cools (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Eurasian scops-owl (en); mocho-d'orelhas (pt); petit-duc scops (fr); autillo europeo (es); zwergohreule (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Strigiformes
Family Strigidae

Range:
This species breeds in Morocco, Algeria and southern Europe as far north as northern France, Austria and Slovakia, than in the Ukraine, Belarus and into southern Russia and through the Middle East into central Asia as far east as Kazakhstan, north-western China and western Mongolia. Most population migrate south or south-west to winter along the Sahel belt in sub-Saharan Africa.

Size:
These birds are 16-20 cm long and have a wingspan of 53-63 cm. They weigh 90-145 g.

Habitat:
The Eurasian scops-owl is mostly found in both boreal and temperate deciduous forests, but also in scrublands, orchards, parks within urban area, agricultural areas with scattered trees and sometime also in open coniferous forests. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They are mostly insectivorous, taking cicadas, grasshoppers, beetles, moths and flying ants. They also take woodlice, earthworms, mice and shrews, small birds and sometimes even amphibians and small reptiles.

Breeding:
Eurasian scops-owls breed in March-August. They are mostly monogamous, although some cases of polygyny are known to occur. They nest in a hole in an old tree trunk, sometimes using abandoned woodpecker nests, and may also use cavities in walls of old buildings, or under roofs of cabins in parks and gardens.There the female lays 3-6 white eggs which she mostly incubates alone for 24-25 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest 21-29 days after hatching, before their plumage is completely grown. they start flying at 30-33 days of age but continue to be fed by the parents for another 5 weeks and sometimes migrate south together with their parents.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 1-3 million individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation, and the use of pesticides.

Rufous-breasted spinetail

Synallaxis erythrothorax

Photo by Michael Retter (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
rufous-breasted spinetail (en); joão-teneném-de-peito-ruivo (pt); synallaxe à poitrine rousse (fr); pijuí centroamericano (es); rotbrust-dickichtschlüpfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in two disjunct populations, one along the Atlantic slopes of Central America from south-eastern Mexico to north-western Honduras, and another along the Pacific slopes of south-eastern Chiapas, in Mexico, southern Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Size:
These birds are 13-15,5 cm long and weigh 15-19 g.

Habitat:
The rufous-breasted spinetail is found in densely vegetated habitats, including secondary forests, scrublands, the edges of lowland rainforests and swamps. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 750 m.

Diet:
They are mostly insectivorous, plucking adult insects, caterpillars and spiders from the foliage on taking them from the ground. They also eat small berries.

Breeding:
Rufous-breasted spinetails breed in April-September. The nest  is a large, domed structure with an entrance in the small end, attaching to a tunnel that leads to the nest chamber at the large end. It is made of sticks and placed on an horizontal branch of a small tree or scrub, usually 2-4 m above the ground and near a water source such as a stream. The female lays 2-4 white or pale blue eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 17-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats and they seem to be able to adapt to secondary habitats, thus being less affected by deforestation than other species more associated with primary rainforests.

Grey-crested helmetshrike

Prionops poliolophus

(Photo from Bird Forum)

Common name:
grey-crested helmetshrike (en); atacador-de-poupa-cinzenta (pt); bagadais à huppe grise (fr); prionopo crestigrís (es); grauschopf-brillenwürger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Prionopidae

Range:
This species occurs in a restricted area of south-western Kenya and adjacent areas of northern Tanzania, mostly between lake Victoria and lakes Natron and Eyasi.

Size:
These birds are 24-26 cm long and weigh about 50 g.

Habitat:
The grey-crested helmetshrike is found in open Acacia dephanolobium and Tarconanthus woodlands, riparian woodlands dominated by Acacia xanthophloea, Acacia abyssinica and Protea, and wooded grasslands and scrublands. They are present at altitudes of 1.200-2.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects, including insect larvae, grasshoppers and praying mantises.

Breeding:
Grey-crested helmetshrikes breed in April-July. They are cooperative breeders, living in groups of 12-17 individuals, all of which help build the nest, incubate the eggs, and brood and feed the young. The nest is an open cup made of bark and grasses and lined with spider webs which are also used to bind the nest to the branch of a tree. Each female lays 3-4 eggs, though more than one clutch may be laid in the same nest, and all group members help incubate them for 16-18 days. The chicks are fed by all group members, but there is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and, although the population size of this species has not been quantified, it is described as generally scarce. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and degradation, mainly due to increasing densities of livestock and cultivation of marginal land. Hybridisation with the white-crested helmetshrike Prionops plumatus may also represent a potential risk.

Speckled pigeon

Columba guinea

Photo by Marco Valentini (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
speckled pigeon (en); pombo-da-Guiné (pt); pigeon roussard (fr); paloma de Guinea (es); Guineataube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, with two disjunct populations. The more northern population is found from Senegal and guinea east to southern Sudan and Ethiopia, and through Kenya, Uganda and eastern D.R. Congo into Tanzania. The more southern population is found from southern Angola and Zimbabwe down to South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 32-41 cm long and weigh 250-350 g.

Habitat:
The speckled pigeon is mostly found in dry savannas, but also in rocky mountainous areas, dry scrublands and grasslands, hot deserts, agricultural areas and also within urban areas. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on seeds, namely from wild grasses and cultivated crops such as sunflower, wheat, sorghum, maize and ground nuts. They are also known to eat fruits, flowers, leaves and acorns.

Breeding:
Speckles pigeons can breed all year round, mostly late in the local dry season. They can nest singly or in colonies, the nests consisting of a loose cup or platform of twigs lined with grasses, herbs and sometimes wire and other human refuse. The nest can be placed on ledges of cliffs, in caves, gullies, trees, or often in buildings. The female lays 1-3 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, initially only crop milk but later also small pieces of food. They fledge 20-37 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common in most of this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats and they are known to adapt very well to living with humans as they often nests and roosts in buildings.

Pied currawong

Strepera graculina

Photo by Chris Chafer (Flickr)

Common name:
pied currawong (en); verdugo-malhado (pt); grand réveilleur (fr); verdugo pío (es); dickschnabel-würgerkrähe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Artamidae

Range:
This species is endemic to eastern Australia, being found from northern Queensland to Victoria and marginally into South Australia.

Size:
These birds are 44-51 cm long and have a wingspan of 56-77 cm. They weigh 280-320 g.

Habitat:
The pied currawong is mostly found in both moist and dry sclerophyll forests, tropical forests, and savannas, but also in scrublands, arable land and within urban areas.

Diet:
They are omnivorous and opportunistic, taking a wide variety of food such as small lizards, insects, caterpillars, young birds and eggs, fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Pied currawongs breed in July-January. The female builds the nest, a bowl of sticks, lined with grasses and other soft material, placed in a fork in a tall tree, up to 20 m above the ground. There she lays 3 brown to rufous-brown eggs with grey and brown spots and blotches. The female incubates the eggs alone for 21 days while being fed by the male. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 30 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as abundant. Population increases have been noted in urban areas probably owing to the increased food supply available 

White-throated flowerpecker

Dicaeum vincens

Photo by John Thompson (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
white-throated flowerpecker (en); pica-flores-do-Ceilão (pt); dicée de Ceylan (fr); picaflores cingalés (es); Sri Lanka-blomsterpikker (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Dicaeidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is confined to the wet zone in the south-western part of the island.

Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 8-10 g.

Habitat:
The white-throated flowerpecker is found in rainforests from sea level up to an altitude of 2.300 m, being more abundant in lowland forests up to an altitude of 900 m. They can also wander of to secondary habitats bordering rainforests.

Diet:
They feed mostly on nectar, but also eat berries, spiders and insects.

Breeding:
White-throated flowerpeckers nest in a purse-like nest suspended from a tree, where the female lays 2 eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as common at lower altitudes. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, through the extensive clearance and degradation of forests, particularly in the wet zone, by logging, fuel wood collection, conversion to agriculture and tree plantations, gem mining, settlement and fire. Some protected forests continue to be degraded and suffer further fragmentation.

Southern carmine bee-eater

Merops nubicoides

Photo by Mike Rolfe (Pixdaus)

Common name:
southern carmine bee-eater (en); abelharuco-róseo-do-sul (pt); guêpier carmin (fr); abejaruco carmesí del sur (es); karminspint (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Meropidae

Range:
This species is found breeding from southern Angola, through Zambia, Zimbabwe and northern Botswana, and into south-western Mozambique. Outside the breeding season they range as far south as north-eastern South Africa and as far north as central D.R. Congo, Rwanda and north-western Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 24-27 cm long, plus an extra 12 cm if the tail streamers are considered. They weigh 50-70 g.

Habitat:
The southern carmine bee-eater is mostly found in savannas, scrublands, floodplains and swamps with scattered trees, favouring areas surrounding rivers and lakes. They can also be found in mangroves, pastures and arable land.

Diet:
They forage mainly on the wing, feeding on large flying insects including termite alates, cicadas, shield bugs, dragonflies, butterflies and locusts.

Breeding:
These birds are monogamous, living in large colonies of up to 1.000 pairs. They can breed all year round, with a peak in September-October. The nest is excavated by both sexes, consisting of a long tunnel ending in an unlined nest chamber which is usually dug into sandy riverbanks, ditches or sloping ground. The female lays 1-6 white eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 11-13 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge 11-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and it they are also shot by farmers who consider them pests.